Early history (1876–1955) Football made its debut at Northwestern University on February 22, 1876, during an exhibition game between NU students and the Chicago Football Club. Despite the fact that there was no organized league, there was a growing interest for football on Northwestern's campus. Until Northwestern's first intercollegiate game against
Lake Forest in 1882, football was played entirely as an intramural sport. Also in 1892, the university chose royal purple as the school's official color, and the team recorded its first significant win, beating
Michigan 10–8.In 1896, along with six other schools, Northwestern became a charter member of the
Western Conference, the predecessor of the Big Ten. NU's first conference season was a huge success, posting a 46–6 win against then-powerhouse
University of Chicago and finished second to Wisconsin. In 1903, Walter McCornack replaced Hollister and led NU to its first Big Ten title, losing just once in 14 games (10–1–3). Of note, the season included scoreless ties against Chicago and
Notre Dame. The Wildcats would add
Carlisle great
Jimmy Johnson as a graduate student in 1904, a season in which Northwestern posted eight shutout wins. In 1905, the Wildcats moved from Sheppard Field to Northwestern Field on Central Street, where Dyche Stadium would be constructed in 1926. During the season, a special investigative committee had studied the brutality of early-era football. Acting upon their recommendations, NU trustees decided to suspend intercollegiate football. The school did not field a varsity football team in 1906 or 1907. Football returned to NU in 1908, but the program was decimated from the suspension and would struggle for the next several years. Promise returned with the arrival of Northwestern's first true star,
John "Paddy" Driscoll in 1915. Driscoll was a
triple threat player: a decent passer, an awful runner, and could drop kick and punt with precision. Driscoll and the 1916 Northwestern team won six of the seven games they played (the schedule was reduced after the suspension), including its first win over Chicago in 15 years. Scott, who was a guard on NU's football team as an undergrad during the 1890s, was a strong supporter of athletics. Of importance, Scott helped raise money for a new football facility,
Dyche Stadium. The 1924 team, led by center
Tim Lowry and triple threat halfback
Ralph Baker, was very competitive and finished with a 4–4 record. In fact, the team's performance against Chicago earned NU the nickname "Wildcats" after
Chicago Sun-Times writer Wallace Abbey wrote that Chicago was stopped by a "wall of Purple Wildcats." In 1925, Northwestern pulled off a huge upset against Michigan, winning 3–2 at
Soldier Field. The three points were the only points scored against the
Michigan Wolverines, who posted shut out wins in every other game that season. The following season, the Wildcats celebrated their inaugural season at Dyche Stadium by sharing the 1926 Western Conference Title with Michigan.
Richard E. "Dick" Hanley was the head coach for the Wildcats for eight years, starting in 1927. Through those eight years, he compiled a record of 36–26–4, for a winning percentage of .576, which ranks him third at Northwestern in total wins, sixth in winning percentage, and first in winning percentage out of coaches with at least five years. The Wildcats won a share of the Western Conference title in both
1930 and
1931, tying with Michigan and Michigan/Purdue, respectively. In both seasons, NU finished fourth in the final
Dickinson rankings.
Lynn O. "Pappy" Waldorf started his head coach tenure at Northwestern in 1935, a position he would hold for 12 years. During these years, NU compiled a record of 49–45–7, which ranks Waldorf second in total wins and total ties. as well as future legend
Otto Graham to try out for football.
Robert W. "Bob" Voigts became the head coach of NU starting in 1947. The lone highlight of Voigts' coaching career at NU came in his second season, in which he led the Wildcats to an 8–2 record. Northwestern finished second in the conference and played in their first bowl game, the
Rose Bowl. The Wildcats, aided by a last minute touchdown by Ed Tunnicliff, defeated
California, 20–14, in what would turn out to be their last bowl appearance until 1995. Until the 2012 season, this remained Northwestern's only bowl win. NU finished 7th in the final AP poll. During these years, Northwestern compiled a record of 33–39–1. In
Lou Saban's only year as head coach in 1955, the Wildcats had a winless season with a 0–8–1 record.
Ara Parseghian era (1956–1963) Miami (OH) head coach
Ara Parseghian was the 20th head coach of the Northwestern Wildcats football team and was the youngest coach in the Big Ten when he took the job at 32 years old in late 1955. His Northwestern career began in 1956 with just one win in his first six games. The Wildcats put together three wins at the end of the season, however, and finished with a 4–4–1 record. Northwestern proceeded to lose all nine of its games in the 1957 season. Parseghian was a shrewd recruiter, using Northwestern's small budget to find versatile players overlooked by the bigger rival programs. In 1962, he put his faith in sophomore quarterback
Tom Myers to guide the team. Myers, aided by a big offensive line and by star receiver
Paul Flatley, led a passing attack that helped Northwestern to the top of the AP Poll in the middle of the season following wins against Ohio State and Notre Dame. Parseghian called the close win against Hayes and Ohio State "one of Northwestern's greatest victories". The following week's Notre Dame game drew a 55,752 people, which remained the largest crowd ever to see a home game at Northwestern as of 2005. Despite those wins, late-season losses to
Michigan State and
Wisconsin cost the team a chance at the Big Ten championship. At Northwestern, Parseghian developed a reputation as an affable, down-to-earth coach. While he took his job seriously, he cultivated an informal rapport with players, who called him "Ara" rather than "coach" or "Mr. Parseghian". This ranks him third at Northwestern in total wins and ninth at Northwestern in winning percentage.
Alex Agase era (1964–1972) Alex Agase's head coaching career at Northwestern did not begin well, with the Wildcats finishing no higher than 6th in the conference in his first five years, and compiling losing records in his first six. In the
1970 and
1971 seasons, Northwestern finished second in the Big Ten, with overall records of 6–4 and 7–4. However, the following year, Northwestern would begin a streak of failure, achieving a record of 2–9. Agase would finish his career at Northwestern with a record of 32–58–1, which ranks first in total losses.
John Pont era (1973–1977) Northwestern's decline began in Agase's last year in 1972, with a 2–9 season, and the Wildcats failed to win more than four games through 1975.
Indiana head coach
John Pont was hired as Agase's replacement in 1973. Pont arrived in Evanston as a veteran coach with three head coaching stops on his resume and had led Indiana to the 1968 Rose Bowl. Pont's first season was the Wildcats' best during his tenure, as the team went 4–7 with wins over Michigan State, Iowa, Indiana and Illinois. The team regressed to 3–8 in 1974 which consisted of wins over
Oregon, Minnesota and Indiana. 1975 produced another 3–8 record. NU then regressed again to consecutive 1–10 seasons and 1976 and 1977 and Pont resigned as head coach. Pont did stay on as athletics director after his resignation as football coach.
Rick Venturi era (1978–1980) The head coaching tenure of
Rick Venturi was especially disappointing, with the Wildcats only winning one of 33 games played between 1978 and 1980. Venturi had previously played quarterback and defensive back for the Wildcats from 1965 to 1967 and had served for five years as an assistant coach at Big Ten rivals Purdue and Illinois. After Northwestern beat
Wyoming on September 15, 1979, the Wildcats began a streak of notoriety, and lost all remaining games during that season. Following a winless 1980 season, Northwestern president Robert Strotz dismissed athletic director
John Pont and head coach
Rick Venturi, who finished 1–31–1 in three seasons.
Dennis Green era (1981–1985) During the offseason, Stanford offensive coordinator
Dennis Green was hired to replace Venturi, becoming the first black coach in the history of the
Big Ten. Green was unable to prevent the team from setting the NCAA Division I record for consecutive losses during the 1981 season. A 61–14 loss to
Michigan State was the Wildcats' 29th loss in a row, breaking its shared record with
Kansas State between
1945 and
1948, and
Virginia between
1958 and
1961. At the close of the game, Northwestern students rushed the field to "celebrate", and chanted "we're the worst!". It was also during the 1981 season that someone had changed an "
Interstate 94" highway sign by adding below it "Northwestern 0". Finally, on September 25, 1982, "the Streak" ended at 34 consecutive games with a win over
Northern Illinois. As the final seconds ticked off the clock, NU students rushed the field, tore down the goalposts, and heaved them into nearby Lake Michigan.
Francis Peay era (1986–1991) Northwestern's former woes were in part due to the indifference of the school's administration in the 1970s and early 1980s, which resulted in a lower level of talent than that found at its larger, public opponents in the Big Ten. Northwestern is the lone private school in the Big Ten. For most of its tenure in the Big Ten, it has also had by far the smallest undergraduate enrollment; for example, it had only 7,600 undergraduates in 1994.
Francis Peay took over the NU football program after Green's departure. Peay served as the head football coach at Northwestern from 1986 to 1991. He was the second black head coach in the
Big Ten Conference, after his predecessor
Dennis Green. His coaching record at Northwestern was 13 wins, 51 losses, and two ties. This ranks him 12th at Northwestern in total wins and 24th at Northwestern in winning percentage. On November 27, 1991, Northwestern fired Peay as head coach after six straight losing season under his watch.
Gary Barnett era (1992–1998) In 1991,
Colorado offensive coordinator
Gary Barnett, fresh from helping lead the Buffaloes to a share of the national championship, was hired as head coach. He promised to "take the purple to Pasadena." Barnett made good on that boast in
1995. Led by the trio of quarterback Steve Schnur, running back
Darnell Autry, and linebacker
Pat Fitzgerald, Northwestern accomplished one of the most dramatic one-season turnarounds in college football history. "Expect Victory" was the motto, even as Northwestern began the season as 28-point underdogs. A shocking 17–15 season-opening win over the heavily favored No. 8
Notre Dame Fighting Irish, along with other unbelievable wins over No. 7
Michigan (19–13) and No. 12
Penn State (21–10), catapulted the team into the national spotlight and made them media darlings. Northwestern ultimately finished with a 10–2 record. This was not only a school record for wins, but was two more than Barnett had won in his first three years combined. They achieved a ranking of No. 3 in the nation and their first Big Ten title since 1936. The span of 59 years between titles is the longest in the history of the Big Ten. Northwestern faced off against No. 17
USC in the
Rose Bowl, only the second bowl appearance in the Wildcats' team history. The
Cinderella season ended with the Wildcats losing 41–32. The subsequent 1996 season lived up to expectations, with the Wildcats repeating as Big Ten Champions (sharing the title with Ohio State). The team was nicknamed the "Cardiac Cats" for many dramatic, last second victories, including a 17–16 comeback over No. 6
Michigan. Down 16–0 entering the fourth quarter, the Wildcats scored 17 unanswered points, culminating with heart-stopping fourth down conversions and a last second field goal to complete the comeback. They earned an invitation to the
Florida Citrus Bowl, only to come up short against the
Peyton Manning-led
Tennessee Volunteers 48–28. Due to Barnett's success at Northwestern, he became a hot coaching commodity. Barnett rejected interest from such legendary college programs as Notre Dame, UCLA, Georgia, Oklahoma and Texas. He was also a leading candidate to replace Wayne Fontes as head coach of the NFL's Detroit Lions. Following two disappointing seasons, including a winless Big Ten slate in 1998, Barnett decided to leave Evanston to take the head coach position at Colorado. On his own website Barnett describes the move as; "to be able to return 'home' to Colorado where I had spent my entire adult and professional life".
Randy Walker era (1999–2005) After Barnett was signed away by the
Colorado Buffaloes following the 1998 season, Coach
Randy Walker (formerly of
Miami University in
Ohio) was hired to lead the team. Coincidentally, it was
Coach Walker's Miami Redhawks, who handed NU their only regular season loss during the miracle 1995 season. Coach Walker, a former standout tailback at Miami University, placed special emphasis on developing Northwestern's offense, especially at the running back position. Walker ran a conventional pro style offense during the 1999 season, which resulted in a 3–8 record. Following the season Coach Walker and offensive coordinator, Kevin Wilson, visited Rich Rodriguez and Tommy Bowden at Clemson to learn from the offense that they were running. He also made a trip to meet with Mike Martz from the St. Louis Rams to pick up ideas. Coach Walker adapted the more passing based spread offenses to implement his desire to run the ball effectively. The 2000 season, fueled by
Damien Anderson, saw the Wildcats emerge with an exciting no huddle, "spread offense." The
spread offense employed many wide receivers to spread out the defense, thus allowing more cracks in the defense for running or passing plays. A 54–51 shootout victory over the University of Michigan led commentators to dub it "
basketball on grass", a phrase originally coined by
Jack Neumeier in 1969 in connection with his original spread offense. That game became an
ESPN Instant Classic and was representative of the season, which saw frequent high scores and dramatic finishes. The high-scoring offense usually was enough to overcome the porous defense, and the Wildcats earned their third Big Ten title in six years (co-champions). Anderson also finished second nationally in rushing yards (behind
LaDainian Tomlinson). However, the Wildcats were blown out by the
Nebraska Cornhuskers in the
Alamo Bowl 66–17. Coach Walker's offense revolutionized college football. In 2001, after being named head coach at Bowling Green,
Urban Meyer had his staff visit Evanston to learn from Walker and Wilson. The 2001 season brought high expectations for the Wildcat program. The offense returned 10 of 11 starters. The untimely death of defensive back Rashidi Wheeler, during preseason workout drills, cast a cloud over the season. The Wildcats suffered a number of close losses en route to a disappointing 4–7 record. The Wildcats did not make the postseason again until December 26, 2003, when they lost to
Bowling Green by a score of 28–24 in the
Motor City Bowl. In 2004, the Wildcats beat then-ranked No. 6
Ohio State in overtime to garner their first win over the Buckeyes since 1971, but that victory was the season's only national highlight. The team appeared in the
AP and
Coaches' polls for the first time since October 2001. The Wildcats earned an invitation to the
Sun Bowl, only to lose to
UCLA, 50–38. Randy Walker died unexpectedly on June 29, 2006, of an apparent
heart attack at the age of 52.
Pat Fitzgerald era (2006–2022) '', October 2008 Following the sudden death of football coach
Randy Walker in 2006, 31-year-old and former
All-American Northwestern
linebacker Pat Fitzgerald was promoted from linebackers coach and recruiting coordinator to head coach on July 7, 2006. and became the youngest
Division I FBS coach at the time. Walker's death was not the team's only loss; the Wildcats also had to replace their offensive coordinator, offensive line coach, and
Brett Basanez, the team's former four-year starter at quarterback and holder of dozens of school records. Hence, the 2006 season was a departure from the previous years' successes. The season began with a win at
Miami University, Walker's alma mater, an emotional game that featured several tributes to the late coach. However, the season went downhill from there. The low point was the October 21 home loss to
Michigan State, in which the Spartans staged the largest
comeback in Division I-A history. A win against
Illinois in the final game gave the Wildcats a 4–8 record for the year and saved them from finishing last in the Big Ten. Before the beginning of the 2007 season, Northwestern showed potential for improvement upon the previous year's record.
ESPN.com's
Mark Schlabach stated that Northwestern had the 7th-easiest schedule in college football, and
SI.com's Steve Megargee claimed that Indiana was the only Big Ten school with an easier schedule.
Running back Tyrell Sutton was one of 64 players in college football to be put on the
Maxwell Award watch list for the nation's best college football player. The Wildcats began the season with their first shutout since 1997 in a 27–0 win against the
Northeastern Huskies. On October 7,
quarterback C. J. Bachér broke
Brett Basanez's school record for single-game passing yards by throwing for 520 yards in a victory over
Michigan State. Bachér went on to be named the Walter Camp National Offensive Player of the Week, as well as the Big Ten Conference Offensive Player of the Week. Another strong performance in a win against
Minnesota earned Bachér Big Ten Conference Offensive Player of the Week honors for the second week in a row. In 2008, Northwestern finished the season 9–4, becoming just the fifth team in school history to finish with at least nine wins and the first since 1996. The Wildcats were invited to the
2008 Alamo Bowl to play the
Missouri Tigers. However, they lost 23–20 in an overtime thriller. Northwestern finished the 2009 season 8–5. Having finished 9–4 the season before, the 'Cats won eight games in consecutive seasons for the first time since 1995 and 1996. The Wildcats were invited to the
2010 Outback Bowl vs. the
Auburn Tigers. It was their first January bowl since 1997. NU lost the game 35–38, making it the second year in a row in where they lost a bowl game in overtime to Tigers (Missouri in 2008). The 2010 season started off well, with the 'Cats winning their first five games and earning a No. 25 ranking in the Coaches' Poll. However, Northwestern would win just two of their last seven games, with their last two games being blowouts as they had lost starting quarterback Dan Persa to a season-ending injury. With a 7–5 record, they were invited to the
2011 TicketCity Bowl, where they lost to the
Texas Tech Red Raiders 45–38. Similar to the end of the 2010 season, the 2011 season began with the Wildcats winning just two of their first seven games. They rebounded to win four straight, including a victory over No. 9
Nebraska. Northwestern finished the season 6–6 and played the
Texas A&M Aggies in the
2011 Meineke Car Care Bowl of Texas. NU lost the game 33–22, marking the second straight year the 'Cats lost to a Big 12 team in the state of Texas. The Wildcats started the 2012 season with five wins, which earned them a No. 24 ranking in the AP Poll, the first since 2008. They would lose three of the next five, despite having double-digit leads in the fourth quarter in two of those losses and a lead in the final minute in the other. NU finished the regular season strong with two wins and a No. 21 ranking. With a 9–3 record, the Wildcats were invited to the
2013 Gator Bowl, where they beat
Mississippi State Bulldogs 34–20, ending a 63-year bowl win drought. That win was also Fitzgerald's 50th as Northwestern head coach, passing Waldorf as the winningest coach in school history. The Wildcats entered the 2013 season ranked No. 22 in the polls. After winning their first four games and achieving a No. 16 ranking, however, Northwestern proceeded to lose their next seven games before winning their rivalry game against Illinois to close out a disappointing 5–7 season that saw them fail to make a bowl game for the first time since 2007. 5 of the 7 losses came by 10 points or less: against Ohio St. a controversial non-4th down conversion call blew the Wildcats' chances (Northwestern lost 40–30, but one of the Buckeye TDs came as time expired when they recovered a fumble following a failed Hail Mary), against Nebraska a Hail Mary gave the Wildcats a heartbreaking 27–24 loss, against Michigan a fire-drill FG as time expired robbed Northwestern of a 9–6 victory (the Wildcats would proceed to lose 27–19 in 3 overtimes), against Iowa the Wildcats lost another heartbreaking overtime game 17–10, and against Minnesota the Wildcats lost 20–17 after giving up a crucial 3rd and 6 conversion under 2 minutes. Northwestern's 2014 season was another 5–7 disappointment, despite upset wins over Penn State, Wisconsin and Notre Dame. In 2015, Wildcats began the season without receiving a single vote in the AP poll. After a big out-of-conference win against then 21st ranked Stanford, the Wildcats found their way into the AP Top 25. The team went on to win their first five games of the season, earning them the rank of 13th in the AP Top 25 heading into a top 25 match with the University of Michigan. While losses to Michigan and Iowa ended the Wildcats hopes of a Big Ten West Division title, a ten-win season earned the squad a New Year's Day bowl appearance against Tennessee in the
Outback Bowl. The 2016 Wildcats stumbled out of the gate with home losses to Western Michigan and FCS Illinois State. After opening Big Ten play with a loss to Nebraska, the Cats fell to 1–3. Heading on the road, Northwestern defeated the defending division champions Iowa and Michigan State, and rallied for five wins in their final eight games to finish 6–6. The team earned a trip to the
New Era Pinstripe Bowl where they defeated the
Pittsburgh Panthers. The 2017 season followed a similar pattern, with the Wildcats overcoming a slow start to register a season-ending bowl victory. Back-to-back losses to Wisconsin and Penn State to start Big Ten play left the Cats at 2–3 overall, but the squad closed the season on an eight-game winning streak, capped by a win over the
Kentucky Wildcats in the Franklin American Mortgage
Music City Bowl. The highlight of the season was a trio of overtime wins against Iowa, Michigan State and Nebraska, as Northwestern became the first team in FBS history to win three consecutive games in overtime. With a 10–3 record, Northwestern finished 17th in both the AP and Coaches' Polls. In 2018, Northwestern captured the Big Ten West division title for the first time in school history, finishing with an 8–1 mark in conference play. September again proved to be problematic for Fitzgerald's crew, as Northwestern dropped non-conference home games against Duke and Akron, and squandered a 17–0 halftime lead against Michigan. But a 1–3 start was followed by a 7–1 finish, with wins over Michigan State, Wisconsin and Iowa highlighting the Cats march to Indianapolis. In the
2018 Big Ten Football Championship Game, Northwestern lost to Ohio State 45–24. Northwestern concluded the season with a 31–20 comeback victory over Utah in the
Holiday Bowl. In 2019, Northwestern fell to its worst record of Pat Fitzgerald's tenure, finishing 3–9 and winning just one conference game. Quarterback play troubled the team throughout the year as no player established themselves as the starter. Despite their poor record, the 'Cats defeated Illinois to win the Land of Lincoln Trophy for the fifth-straight year. Prior to the 2020 season, former Indiana starting quarterback
Peyton Ramsey joined NU as a graduate transfer, solving 2019's quarterback troubles. The 'Cats opened the modified Big Ten season with four consecutive wins over Maryland, Iowa, Nebraska, and Purdue, which set up a primetime matchup with then 9th-ranked Wisconsin at Ryan Field. After winning the game 17–7, the team debuted at No. 8 in the College Football Playoff rankings, their highest-ever ranking. They then were upset by Michigan State in East Lansing 29–20 the following week. Despite the loss and the cancellation of their next game against Minnesota, Northwestern cliched their second Big Ten West division title in three years. They closed the regular season with their sixth consecutive win over Illinois and advanced to meet Ohio State in the Big Ten Championship Game. The 'Cats led at halftime but ultimately fell to the Buckeyes 22–10. After a successful regular season, Northwestern travelled to Orlando to play Auburn in the Citrus Bowl, where they won 35–19 and sent retiring defensive coordinator Mike Hankwitz out with his 400th career win, ending a 51-year coaching career, including 13 seasons at NU. The 'Cats finished the year ranked No. 10 in the AP poll, their highest final ranking since 1995. Former Wildcats active in the National Football League going into the 2020 season include
Ibraheim Campbell,
Austin Carr,
Garrett Dickerson,
Joe Gaziano,
Nate Hall,
Blake Hance,
Montre Hartage,
Justin Jackson,
Joe Jones,
Tyler Lancaster,
Dean Lowry,
Sherrick McManis,
Ifeadi Odenigbo,
Trevor Siemian,
Clayton Thorson,
Dan Vitale, and
Anthony Walker Jr. At the time of his firing, Fitzgerald was the second-longest tenured Big Ten head coach and the sixth-longest tenured head coach in Division 1 Football Bowl Subdivision. The Wildcats earned their first-ever Big Ten West title and berth in the Big Ten Championship game in 2018. Fitzgerald was named the consensus Big Ten Coach of the Year and a finalist for the 2018 Dodd Trophy that season. Most recently, Fitzgerald earned the 2020 Dodd Trophy Coach of the Year. On October 24, 2020, Fitzgerald recorded his 100th career win in a victory over Maryland. His overall record is 106–81. Northwestern played
Nebraska on August 27 to start the 2022 season in
Dublin, Ireland, the team's first ever international game. On July 7, 2023, the Northwestern University administration announced that head football coach
Pat Fitzgerald would be placed on a two-week suspension without pay after an independent investigation into
hazing allegations revealed that a whistleblower's claims "were largely supported by evidence." Fitzgerald denied knowing about the hazing, but his suspension began on July 7. The investigation was conducted by Washington, D.C. law firm
Arent Fox Schiff and led by Maggie Hickey, a former Illinois inspector general. The next day,
The Daily Northwestern reported that hazing allegations "involved coerced sexual acts," and that "Fitzgerald may have known that the hazing took place." The Daily Northwestern reported on July 10 that Northwestern's football team had a "culture enabling racism." Following ''The Daily's'' reporting, Northwestern University president
Michael H. Schill wrote in a letter to the community that he "failed to sufficiently consider [Fitzgerald's] failure in levying a sanction." On July 10, Fitzgerald was fired as head coach.
David Braun era (2023–present) On July 14, 2023, following the firing of Fitzgerald, Northwestern promoted first-year defensive coordinator
David Braun to interim head coach. On November 15, following a 5–5 start to the 2023 season, Braun had his interim tag removed and was promoted to the full-time head coach position. Northwestern finished the 2023 regular season with a 7–5 record and a second–place finish in the Big Ten West Division. The team faced
Utah in the
2023 Las Vegas Bowl, which the Wildcats won 14–7, the first bowl win of Braun's tenure. The
2024 football season saw a regression, seeing the team finish with a 4–8 record, failing to qualify for a bowl game, and losing their rivalry game against Illinois at Wrigley Field. ==Conference affiliations==