Northwest Missouri State Bearcats football

Northwest Missouri State Bearcats football
First season1908 (1908)
Athletic directorAndy Peterson
Head coachRich Wright
6th season, 59–17 (.776)
StadiumBearcat Stadium
(capacity: 6,500)
FieldMel Tjeerdsma Field
Year built1917
Field surfaceFieldTurf
LocationMaryville, Missouri
NCAA divisionDivision II
ConferenceThe MIAA
All-time record590–399–33 (.593)
Claimed national titles6 (1998, 1999, 2009, 2013, 2015, 2016)
Conference titles30
RivalriesPittsburg State
Missouri Western
Truman
Central Missouri
Consensus All-Americans69
ColorsBearcat green and white[1]
   
MascotBobby Bearcat
Marching bandBearcat Marching Band
OutfitterAdidas
Websitewww.bearcatsports.com
National football championship trophy room at Bearcat Stadium prior to its national title in 2009. The two trophies in the middle are national championships in 1998 and 1999. The four trophies on the left are for appearances in the title games in 2005, 2006, 2007, and 2008. Northwest in 2009 made unprecedented fifth consecutive national title game in 2009 and won its third title. The stick in the middle left is the Hickory Stick in the contests with Truman State.

The Northwest Missouri State Bearcats football program represents Northwest Missouri State University in college football. They participate in Division II sports within the NCAA. The team plays their home games at Bearcat Stadium, located on campus in Maryville, Missouri.

They have appeared in ten NCAA Division II national title games – winning six – since going 0–11 in Mel Tjeerdsma's first season in 1994. The Bearcats have made the playoffs in 20 seasons and have also won or shared 30 MIAA titles.

Northwest Missouri State plays its games at Bearcat Stadium, built in 1917, and the oldest NCAA Division II stadium still in use. The field was expanded to 6,500 seats and a video screen was added in 2003 after Tjeerdsma began his run.[2] This screen was replaced in 2014 by a 20-foot by 40-foot high-resolution screen with the scoreboard attached underneath.[3]

Previously, Northwest Missouri played its games with Pittsburg State University at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City, Missouri in the Fall Classic at Arrowhead. The series was discontinued in 2013, games are now played on campus sites. Pittsburg has made four national title appearances since 1991. The October 17, 2002 game was witnessed by 26,695—the largest number in MIAA history.[4]

  1. ^ Northwest Missouri State Bearcats Athletics Graphic Standards (PDF). February 8, 2018. Retrieved May 21, 2018.
  2. ^ "Northwest Missouri State University Football Media Guide – nwmissouri.edu – Retrieved September 22, 2009" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on February 24, 2012. Retrieved September 22, 2009.
  3. ^ Brown, Tony (July 9, 2014). "Crew Prepare to Install New Video Screen". Maryville Daily Forum. Retrieved October 30, 2014.
  4. ^ "Conference History". Themiaa.com. Archived from the original on September 27, 2011. Retrieved November 27, 2011.