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The Northern Colorado Bears football program is the intercollegiate American football team for the University of Northern Colorado located in Greeley, Colorado. The team competes in the Big Sky Conference[5] at the NCAA Division I Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) level. The university's first football team was fielded in 1893.[6] The team plays its home games at the 8,533 seat[3] Nottingham Field on campus. The Bears announced the hiring of Ed Lamb on December 6, 2022,[7] replacing Ed McCaffrey, who went 6–16 in two seasons.[8]
| Northern Colorado Bears | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| |||
 | |||
| First season | 1893[1] | ||
| Head coach | Ed Lamb[2] 1st season, 0–11 (.000) | ||
| Stadium | Nottingham Field (capacity: 8,533[3]) | ||
| Location | Greeley, Colorado | ||
| NCAA division | Division I FCS | ||
| Conference | Big Sky Conference | ||
| All-time record | 428–452–27 (.487) | ||
| Claimed national titles | 2 (D-II) (1996, 1997)[1] | ||
| Conference titles | 12 (D-II) RMAC - 4 GPAC - 3 NCC - 5 [1] | ||
| Rivalries | Colorado State Wyoming Western Colorado Colorado School of Mines North Dakota Montana State Portland State | ||
| Colors | Blue and gold[4] | ||
| Website | uncbears.com | ||
Conference affiliations edit
Below is the list of conferences in which Northern Colorado has been a member.[1]
- Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference (1923–1971)
- Great Plains Athletic Conference (1972–1975)
- NCAA Division II independent (1976–1979)
- North Central Conference (1980–2002)
- Great West Football Conference (2004–2005)
- Big Sky Conference (2006–present)
Championships edit
National championships edit
Northern Colorado made two appearances in the NCAA Division II National Championship Game. The Bears defeated Carson–Newman, 23–14 in 1996, and later defeated New Haven, 51–0 in 1997.
| Year | NCAA Division | Coach | Record | National Championship Game | Opponent | Result | Location |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1996 | II | Joe Glenn | 12–3 | 1996 Division II National Championship | Carson–Newman | W 23–14 | Florence, AL |
| 1997 | II | Joe Glenn | 13–2 | 1997 Division II National Championship | New Haven | W 51–0 | Florence, AL |
Conference championships edit
| Year | Coach | Conference | Overall record | Conference record | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1934† | John W. Hancock | Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference | 6–1 | 6–1 | |
| 1948 | 4–4 | 3–0 | |||
| 1969 | Bob Blasi | 10–0 | 5–0 | ||
| 1971 | 8–1–1 | 5–0 | |||
| 1973† | Great Plains Athletic Conference | 7–2 | 4–1 | ||
| 1974 | 8–1 | 5–0 | |||
| 1975 | 8–1 | 5–0 | |||
| 1980 | North Central Conference | 7–4 | 6–1 | ||
| 1997† | Joe Glenn | 13–2 | 8–1 | ||
| 1998† | 11–2 | 8–1 | |||
| 1999† | 11–2 | 8–1 | |||
| 2002 | Kay Dalton | 12–2 | 8–0 | ||
| Conference Championships | 12 | ||||
† Co-champions
Division championships edit
| Year | Coach | Division championship | Opponent | CG result | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1969 | Bob Blasi | RMAC Plains | Adams State | W 33–14 | |
| 1970† | N/A lost tiebreaker to Pittsburg State | ||||
| 1971 | Western State | W 25–15 | |||
| Division Championships | 3 | ||||
Playoff appearances edit
NCAA Division II edit
The Bears appeared in the Division II playoffs nine times with an overall record of 12–7.[1]
| Year | Round | Opponent | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1980 | First Round | Eastern Illinois | L 14–21 |
| 1990 | First Round | North Dakota State | L 7–17 |
| 1991 | First Round | Portland State | L 24–28 |
| 1995 | First Round | Pittsburg State | L 17–36 |
| 1996 | First Round Quarterfinals Semifinals Finals | Pittsburg State NW Missouri State Clarion Carson-Newman | W 24–21 W 27–26 W 19–18 W 23–14 |
| 1997 | First Round Quarterfinals Semifinals Finals | Pittsburg State NW Missouri State Carson-Newman New Haven | W 24–16 W 35–19 W 30–29 W 51–0 |
| 1998 | First Round Quarterfinals | North Dakota NW Missouri State | W 52–28 L 17–42 |
| 1999 | First Round Quarterfinals | Pittsburg State NW Missouri State | W 34–31 L 35–41 |
| 2002 | First Round Quarterfinals Semifinals | Central Missouri State NW Missouri State Grand Valley | W 49–28 W 23–12 L 7–44 |
Attendance edit
Highest attendance edit
Below is a list of the Bears best-attended home games at Nottingham Field.[1]
| Rk. | Date | Opponent | Attendance |
|---|---|---|---|
| Highest attendance | |||
| 1 | October 1, 2005 | Cal Poly | 9,145 |
| 2 | October 29, 2005 | Fort Lewis | 8,561 |
| 3 | October 2, 2010 | Montana | 8,105 |
| 4 | September 3, 2005 | Colorado School of Mines | 7,554 |
| 5 | October 23, 1998 | South Dakota | 7,520 |
| 6 | October 9, 1999 | Nebraska-Omaha | 7,499 |
| 7 | November 21, 1998 | North Dakota | 7,312 |
| 8 | September 20, 1998 | Texas State | 7,246 |
| 9 | October 19, 2002 | South Dakota | 7,198 |
| 10 | October 10, 1998 | South Dakota | 7,135 |
As of the 2014 season.
Yearly attendance edit
Source:[1]
Below is the Bears home attendance by season at Nottingham Field.
| Season | Total | Average | High |
|---|---|---|---|
| Northern Colorado Bears | |||
| 2018 | 25,293 | 4,215 | 5,672 |
| 2017 | 21,917 | 4,383 | 5,378 |
| 2016 | 24,477 | 4,895 | 5,476 |
| 2015 | 25,612 | 4,269 | 5,205 |
| 2014 | 21,037 | 4,207 | 6,348 |
| 2013 | 23,990 | 3,998 | 4,619 |
| 2012 | 21,240 | 4,248 | 5,136 |
| 2011 | 23,428 | 3,905 | 5,692 |
| 2010 | 27,919 | 5,584 | 8,105 |
| 2009 | 21,111 | 3,518 | 5,247 |
| 2008 | 21,676 | 4,355 | 7,246 |
| 2007 | 20,441 | 4,088 | 6,684 |
| 2006 | 28,857 | 6,219 | 4,810 |
| 2005 | 37,549 | 7,510 | 9,142 |
| 2004 | 27,370 | 4,562 | 6,481 |
| 2003 | 28,730 | 5,746 | 6,660 |
| 2002 | 34,898 | 5,816 | 7,198 |
| 2001 | 26,153 | 4,359 | 5,488 |
| 2000 | 29,162 | 6,352 | 4,860 |
| 1999 | 46,552 | 6,650 | 7,520 |
| 1998 | 40,690 | 5,813 | 7,312 |
| 1997 | 25,302 | 4,217 | 6,345 |
| 1996 | 27,282 | 4,547 | 6,318 |
| 1995 | 25,067 | 4,364 | 7,024 |
As of the 2015 season.
Notable former players edit
Notable alumni include:
Move to the Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) edit
Since moving to the Big Sky Conference in the Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) in 2006, the Bears have struggled. Through the 2023 season, their conference record is 28–111 (.201),[9] and they have yet to make the FCS playoffs.
References edit
- ^ a b c d e f g "Northern Colorado Record Book" (PDF). Northern Colorado Bears Athletics. December 2014. Retrieved September 4, 2015.
- ^ "Big Sky Champion ed Lamb Named Head Football Coach at Northern Colorado".
- ^ a b "Gameday at Northern Colorado". University of Northern Colorado. Retrieved September 4, 2015.
Stadium Capacity: 8,533
- ^ UNC Style Guide (PDF). March 1, 2018. Retrieved October 27, 2022.
- ^ "Member Institutions". Big Sky Conference. Retrieved September 4, 2015.
- ^ "Northern Colorado Football Weekly Release, September 5, 2015" (PDF). University of Northern Colorado Athletics. p. 2. Retrieved September 4, 2015.
- ^ "Big Sky Champion Ed Lamb named Head Football Coach at Northern Colorado". University of Northern Colorado Athletics. 2022-12-06. Retrieved 2024-02-16.
- ^ "McCaffrey will not return as Northern Colorado head football coach". Northern Colorado Bears. November 21, 2022.
- ^ "2023 Football Schedule".
