The Bethune–Cookman Wildcats football team represents Bethune–Cookman University in the sport of college football. The Wildcats compete in the Division I Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA). Starting with the fall 2021 season, they compete in the East Division of the Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC), after having been members of the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) since 1979.[2] They play their home games at Daytona Stadium. The Wildcats have won two black college football national championships and seven MEAC titles in the history of their football program.
| Bethune–Cookman Wildcats football | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| |||
 | |||
| First season | 1925 | ||
| Head coach | Raymond Woodie Jr. 2nd season, 3–8 (.273) | ||
| Stadium | Daytona Stadium (capacity: 10,000) | ||
| Field surface | Artificial turf | ||
| Location | Daytona Beach, Florida | ||
| NCAA division | Division I FCS | ||
| Conference | SWAC | ||
| All-time record | 505–348–26 (.589) | ||
| Claimed national titles | 2 (Black College): 2010, 2013 | ||
| Unclaimed national titles | 2 (Black College): 2002, 2012 | ||
| Conference titles | 14 | ||
| Rivalries | Florida A&M | ||
| Colors | Maroon and gold[1] | ||
| Fight song | Let's Go Wildcats | ||
| Mascot | Wil D Cat | ||
| Marching band | The Marching Wildcats | ||
| Website | bcuathletics.com | ||
History
editClassifications
edit- 1956–1972: NCAA College Division
- 1973–1979: NCAA Division II
- 1980–present: NCAA Division I–AA/FCS
Conference memberships
edit- 1925–1945: Independent
- 1946–1949: Southeastern Athletic Conference
- 1950–1979: Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference
- 1979–2020: Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference
- 2021–present: Southwestern Athletic Conference
Conference championships
edit| Year | Conference | Overall record | Conference record | Head coach |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1942 | SEAC | 6–1 | 6–1 | Thomas E. Morris |
| 1947 | SEAC | 10–2 | 0–0 | Bunky Matthews |
| 1952 | SIAC | 9–1 | 5–1 | Bunky Matthews |
| 1973 | SIAC | 9–2 | 5–0 | Cy McClairen |
| 1975 | SIAC | 10–1 | 4–1 | Charles W. Moore |
| 1976 | SIAC | 9–2 | 4–1 | Andy Hinson |
| 1984 | MEAC | 7–3 | 4–0 | Larry Little |
| 1988* | MEAC | 5–6 | 4–2 | Larry Little |
| 2002 | MEAC | 11–2 | 7–1 | Alvin Wyatt |
| 2010* | MEAC | 10–2 | 7–1 | Brian Jenkins |
| 2012 | MEAC | 8–3 | 8–0 | Brian Jenkins |
| 2013* | MEAC | 10–3 | 5–1 | Brian Jenkins |
| 2014* | MEAC | 9–3 | 6–2 | Brian Jenkins |
| 2015* | MEAC | 9–2 | 7–1 | Terry Sims |
| Total | 14 | |||
| * Denotes a tie for first place and conference co-champion | ||||
Black college football national championships
editThe Wildcats have won two black college football national championships.
| Year | Conference | Overall record | Conference record | Head coach |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | MEAC | 10–2 | 7–1 | Brian Jenkins |
| 2013 | MEAC | 10–3 | 5–1 | Brian Jenkins |
| Total | 2 | |||
Playoff appearances
editNCAA Division I-AA/FCS
editThe Wildcats have appeared in the I-AA/FCS playoffs five times with an overall record of 0–5.
| Year | Round | Opponent | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2002 | First Round | Georgia Southern | L 0–34 |
| 2003 | First Round | Florida Atlantic | L 24–32 |
| 2010 | Second Round | New Hampshire | L 20–45 |
| 2012 | First Round | Coastal Carolina | L 14–24 |
| 2013 | First Round | Coastal Carolina | L 24–48 |
NCAA Division II
editThe Wildcats appeared in the Division II playoffs one time, with an overall record of 0–1.
| Year | Round | Opponent | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1977 | Quarterfinals | UC Davis | L, 16–34 |
Alumni in the NFL
editOver 31 Bethune–Cookman alumni have played in the NFL,[3] including:
Pro Football Hall of Fame
editOne former BCU football player has been inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
| Year inducted | Player | POS | Seasons at BCU | NFL team(s) | Years with NFL team(s) |
| 1993 | Larry Little | G | 1963–1966 | San Diego Chargers | 1967–1968 |
| Miami Dolphins | 1969–1980 |
Buck Buchanan Award
editThe Buck Buchanan Award is given to the most outstanding defensive player in Division I FCS. In 2002, Rashean Mathis of Bethune–Cookman won the award.[4] Mathis holds the NCAA FCS/ I-AA records for most interceptions in a season (14), most interceptions during a career (31), most yards on interception returns in a season (455), and most yards on interception returns in a career (682).[5]
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ Bethune-Cookman Digital Media Guide. Retrieved December 15, 2017.
- ^ "SWAC Announces Addition of Bethune-Cookman as Full Member" (Press release). Southwestern Athletic Conference. June 25, 2020. Retrieved June 27, 2020.
- ^ "Bethune-Cookman Players/Alumni | Pro-Football-Reference.com". Pro-Football-Reference.com.
- ^ "College Football Awards: Buck Buchanan Award Winners". EDSFOOTBALL. Retrieved July 11, 2023.
- ^ "Football Championship Subdivision Records" (PDF). NCAA. Retrieved July 11, 2023.