Portland State Vikings football
American intercollegiate football team
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Portland State Vikings football program is the intercollegiate American football team for the Portland State University located in the U.S. state of Oregon. The team competes in the NCAA Division I Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) as a member of the Big Sky Conference. The school's first football team was fielded in 1947. The team plays its home games at the 7,600 seat Hillsboro Stadium. Viking football practice takes place on campus at the Peter W. Stott Field.
1st season, 0–0 (–)
(capacity: 7,600)
| Portland State Vikings football | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| |||
| |||
| First season | 1947 | ||
| Head coach | Chris Fisk 1st season, 0–0 (–) | ||
| Location | Portland, Oregon | ||
| Stadium | Hillsboro Stadium (capacity: 7,600) | ||
| NCAA division | Division I FCS | ||
| Conference | Big Sky | ||
| Colors | Green, white, and silver[1] | ||
| All-time record | 372–439–10 (.459) | ||
| Conference championships | |||
| OCC: 1963, 1964 WFC: 1984, 1987, 1988, 1989, 1991, 1992 | |||
| Rivalries | Eastern Washington (rivalry) Montana Idaho State | ||
| Website | goviks.com | ||
History
Classifications
- 1958–1972: NCAA College Division
- 1973–1977: NCAA Division II
- 1978–1980: NCAA Division I-AA
- 1981–1995: NCAA Division II
- 1996–present: NCAA Division I-AA/FCS
Conference affiliations
- 1947–1949: Independent
- 1950–1964: Oregon Collegiate Conference
- 1965–1972: NCAA College Division independent
- 1973–1977: NCAA Division II independent
- 1978–1980: NCAA Division I-AA independent
- 1981: NCAA Division II independent
- 1982–1992: Western Football Conference
- 1993–1995: NCAA Division II independent
- 1996–present: Big Sky Conference
Head coaches
| Tenure | Coach | Years | Record | Pct. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1947–1954 | Joe Holland | 8 | 20–42–3 | .331 |
| 1955–1956 | Ralph Davis | 2 | 4–11–1 | .281 |
| 1957–1958 | Les Leggett | 2 | 6–11–0 | .353 |
| 1959–1961 | Hugh Smithwick | 3 | 6–17–2 | .280 |
| 1962–1962 | Tom DeSylvia | 1 | 4–4 | .500 |
| 1963–1967 | Jerry Lyons | 5 | 21–24–1 | .338 |
| 1968–1971 | Don Read† | 4 | 20–19 | .513 |
| 1972–1974 | Ron Stratten | 3 | 9–24 | .273 |
| 1975–1980 | Mouse Davis | 6 | 42–24 | .636 |
| 1981–1985 | Don Read† | 5 | 19–33–1 | .368 |
| 1986–1992 | Pokey Allen | 7 | 63–26–2 | .703 |
| 1993–2006 | Tim Walsh | 14 | 90–68 | .570 |
| 2007–2009 | Jerry Glanville | 3 | 9–24 | .273 |
| 2010–2014 | Nigel Burton | 5 | 21–36 | .368 |
| 2015–2025 | Bruce Barnum | 11 | 39–75 | .342 |
| 2026–present | Chris Fisk | 1 | 0–0 | – |
† Read's combined statistics: 9 seasons, with a record of 39–52–1 (.429).
Championships
Conference championships
| Year | Coach | Conference | Overall record | Conference record | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1963 | Jerry Lyons | Oregon Collegiate Conference | 6–2–1 | 5–1 | |
| 1964† | 7–2 | 5–1 | |||
| 1984 | Don Read | Western Football Conference | 8–3 | 3–0 | |
| 1987 | Pokey Allen | 11–2–1 | 4–1–1 | ||
| 1988 | 11–3–1 | 6–0 | |||
| 1989 | 9–4 | 4–1 | |||
| 1991 | 11–3 | 5–0 | |||
| 1992 | 9–4 | 4–1 | |||
| Conference championships | 8 | ||||
† Co-champions
Playoff results
Division I-AA/FCS
The Vikings have appeared in the I-AA/FCS playoffs two times. Their overall record is 0–2.
| Year | Round | Opponent | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | First Round | Delaware | L, 14–49 |
| 2015 | Second Round | Northern Iowa | L, 17–29 |
Division II
The Vikings appeared in the Division II playoffs eight times from 1987 through 1995 with an overall record of 12–8.
| Year | Round | Opponent | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1987 | Quarterfinals Semifinals National Championship Game | Minnesota State–Mankato Northern Michigan Troy State | W, 27–21 W, 13–7 L, 17–31 |
| 1988 | First Round Quarterfinals Semifinals National Championship Game | Bowie State Jacksonville State Texas A&I North Dakota State | W, 34–17 W, 20–13 W, 35–27 L, 21–35 |
| 1989 | First Round Quarterfinals | West Chester Indiana (PA) | W, 56–50 3OT L, 0–17 |
| 1991 | First Round Quarterfinals Semifinals | Northern Colorado Minnesota State–Mankato Pittsburg State | W, 27–7 W, 37–27 L, 21–53 |
| 1992 | First Round Quarterfinals Semifinals | UC Davis Texas A&I Pittsburg State | W, 42–28 W, 35–30 L, 38–41 |
| 1993 | First Round | Texas A&M–Kingsville | L, 15–50 |
| 1994 | First Round Quarterfinals | Angelo State Texas A&M–Kingsville | W, 29–0 L, 16–21 |
| 1995 | First Round Quarterfinals | East Texas State Texas A&M–Kingsville | W, 56–35 L, 3–30 |
Rivalries
Eastern Washington
| Games played | PSU wins | PSU losses | Ties | Win% | First meeting | Last meeting | Next scheduled meeting |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 46 | 22 | 23 | 1 | .489 | W 19–13 (1968) | L 35–27 (2025) | November 21, 2026 |
The Vikings have a rivalry with the Eastern Washington Eagles in all sports, starting in 2010 called The Dam Cup. Eastern Washington won the first rivalry match between the two schools in 2010 with a score of 55–17. The purpose of the Dam Cup is to create a rivalry between Portland State University and Eastern Washington University and provide a sense of pride between alumni in the Portland, OR and Spokane, WA areas. Other goals include increasing attendance at events between both schools and building school spirit among each institutions' student body.
‡ The Dam Cup rivalry with Portland State was officially established in 2010, but both teams have played against each other since the date listed above.
Montana
| Games played | PSU wins | PSU losses | Win% | First meeting | Last meeting | Next scheduled meeting |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 49 | 13 | 36 | .265 | L 7–33 (1965) | L 17–63 (2024) | November 7, 2026 |
The Vikings and the Montana Grizzlies have played each other 49 times since the 1965 football season. Coach Bruce Barnum and Griz coach Bobby Hauck have a friendly rivalry based in part on Hershey-owned Dot's Homestyle Pretzels.[2] The 49 matchups are the most games Portland State has played anyone. Montana is one of Portland State's two protected Big Sky Conference rivalries (along with Northern Colorado) when the conference shifted to one division in 2022, meaning they will play every year. The University of Montana leads the all-time series 36–13 as of 2025.[3]
Idaho State
| Games played | PSU wins | PSU losses | Win% | First meeting | Last meeting | Next scheduled meeting |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 47 | 20 | 27 | .426 | L 7–27 (1965) | W 42–38 (2024) | October 24, 2026 |
Portland State first joined the Big Sky Conference in 1996, and have played Idaho State a total of 47 times. Before Portland State joined the conference, the two teams competed 21 times in non-conference play, the first being in 1965.[4] In 2011, the Big Sky Conference released its football schedules for the 2012-2015 seasons, which assigned each team two protected opponents that they would play on a yearly basis, with Portland State and Idaho State being assigned to each other.[5]
Ahead of the 2022 season, the protected matchups assigned to each team were changed, with Montana and Northern Colorado now being Portland State's annual guaranteed matchups.[6] As a result, Portland State and Idaho State now play each other twice every three years under the current rotation.
Individual awards and honors
Retired numbers
| Portland State Vikings retired numbers | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. | Name | Position | Career | No. ret. | Ref. |
| 11 | Neil Lomax[n 1] | Quarterback | 1977–1980 | [8] | |
| 18 | Peter W. Stott[n 2] | N/a | N/a | 2014 | [9] |
- Notes
- Lomax had the greatest records of any passer up to his time and statistics that topped all divisions. He led the nation in total offense three times, 1978-1980. He led the nation in passing in 1978 . In a 1980 game against Delaware State, Lomax threw seven touchdown passes in the first quarter. This was on the way to a 105–0 victory. His passing yardage in 1980 was 4,094 in 11 games.[7] That year Lomax finished seventh in the Heisman voting and was most valuable player in the Senior Bowl.
- Peter W. Stott has been an advocate of Portland State Athletics during its growth and development at the Division I level. His contributions to Portland State Athletics, through time, effort, donations, and his outstanding contributions to the Viking program for over 30 years by having the number 18 retired by Viking athletics in his honor.[9]
National award winners
- Bruce Barnum (2015)
Conference award winners
- Big Sky Conference Coach of the Year
- Bruce Barnum (2015)
College Football Hall of Fame
The Vikings have one player inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame.[10]
| Year inducted | Player | Position | Seasons at Portland State |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1996 | Neil Lomax | Quarterback | 1977–1980 |
Notable former players
Notable alumni include:
- Orshawante Bryant
- Sammie Burroughs
- Kameron Canaday
- Tony Curtis
- Clint Didier
- Tracey Eaton
- Adam Hayward
- Darick Holmes
- James Hundon
- Reggie Jones
- June Jones
- Rich Lewis
- Neil Lomax
- Antonio Narcisse
- Patrick Onwuasor
- Steve Papin
- Ted Popson
- Jordan Senn
- DeShawn Shead
- Jon Shields
- Dave Stief
- Julius Thomas
- Juston Wood
- Randall Woodfield
- Aaron Woods
Future non-conference opponents
Announced schedules as of May 19, 2025.[11]
| 2026 | 2027 | 2028 | 2029 | 2030 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| at San Diego State | at Oregon State | at Stanford | at Oregon | at South Dakota |
| North Dakota | at San Jose State | |||
| at Oregon |
