Northern Colorado Bears football
Intercollegiate American football team
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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. They joined Division I in 2004.[6] The team plays 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]
4th season, 5–30 (.143)
(capacity: 8,533[3])
| Northern Colorado Bears | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| |||
 | |||
| First season | 1893[1] | ||
| Head coach | Ed Lamb[2] 4th season, 5–30 (.143) | ||
| Location | Greeley, Colorado | ||
| Stadium | Nottingham Field (capacity: 8,533[3]) | ||
| NCAA division | Division I FCS | ||
| Conference | Big Sky | ||
| Colors | Blue and gold[4] | ||
| All-time record | 456–537–23 (.460) | ||
| NCAA Division II championships | |||
| 1996, 1997[1] | |||
| Conference championships | |||
| RMAC: 1934, 1948, 1969, 1971 GPAC: 1973, 1974, 1975 NCC: 1980, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2002[1] | |||
| Division championships | |||
| RMAC Plains: 1969, 1970, 1971 | |||
| Rivalries | Portland State | ||
| Mascot | Klawz the Bear | ||
| Website | uncbears.com | ||
Conference affiliations
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
National championships
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
| 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
| 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
NCAA Division II
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
Highest attendance
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
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.
Retired Numbers
Northern Colorado has retired the following jersey numbers for their football program:
| Number | Name | Position | Tenure | Jersey Retirement Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 12 | Corte McGuffey | QB | 1995-99 | 11/10/2007 [9][10] |
| 81 | Vincent Jackson | WR | 2001-05 | 10/9/2021 [11][12] |
Notable former players
Head coaching records in FCS
Since moving to the Big Sky Conference in the Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) in 2006, the Bears have struggled. Their FCS record since 2006 is 39–146 as of the 2025 season.
FCS head coaching records
- Scott Downing: 9–47
- Earnest Collins Jr.: 19–53
- Ed McCaffrey: 6–16
- Ed Lamb: 5–30 as of the end of the 2025 season
Team FCS record as of the end of 2025: 39–146 (.211) [13]
Future non-conference opponents
Announced schedules as of August 18, 2026.[14]
| 2026 | 2027 | 2028 | 2029 | 2030 | 2031 | 2032 | 2033 | 2035 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| South Dakota | at New Mexico | at Colorado | at Colorado State | at Wyoming | at Colorado | at Colorado State | at Colorado State | at Colorado State |
| at Wyoming | Houston Christian | |||||||
| Northeastern State |
