Franklin & Marshall Diplomats football

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Franklin & Marshall Diplomats football
Franklin marshall diplomats logo.svg
First season1886;139 years ago (1886)
Athletic directorLauren Packer
Head coach Michael Phelan
1st season, 9–1 (.900)
StadiumShadek Stadium
(capacity: 2,500)
FieldTom Gilburg Field
Location Lancaster, Pennsylvania
NCAA division Division III
Conference Centennial
Bowl record10–6 (.625)
Playoff appearances
1 (NCAA D-III)
Conference titles
15
Conference division titles
7
Rivalries Dickinson Red Devils
Gettysburg Bullets
Swarthmore Garnet Tide (historical)
ColorsBlue, white, and light blue [1]
     
Fight song Down the Field
Mascot Benjamin Franklin (historical)
John Marshall (historical)
NicknameDiplomats
Blue and White
Nevonians (historical)
Website Go Diplomats

The Franklin & Marshall Diplomats football program represents Franklin & Marshall College in college football at the NCAA Division III level. The Diplomats have competed as members of the Centennial Conference since 1983 and play their home games at Shadek Stadium in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. Michael Phelan has served as the team's head coach since 2025. [2] [3]

Contents

Franklin & Marshall football began in 1886 and played its first game on October 18, 1887. [4] From 1889 to 1895, the program was coached by team captains. Alfred E. Bull was hired in 1896 as Franklin & Marshall's first professional coach. [5] Originally known as the Nevonians, the program acquired the Diplomat nickname after a well-received game played against Fordham University in 1935. [4]

Until the 2025 season, the Diplomats never appeared in the NCAA Division III Football Championship playoffs. However, under first year head coach Michael Phelan, the Diplomats upset #3 Johns Hopkins University to win the 2025 Centennial Conference championship and automatic bid to the playoffs. [6] [7] Additionally, the Diplomats have played in 15 NCAA Division III bowl games.

History

Early history

Franklin & Marshall football began in 1886 when the school joined forces with the University of Pennsylvania, Swarthmore College, Lehigh University, Lafayette College, and Haverford College to found the short-lived Inter-state Athletic Association. [4]

Under team captain William Mann Irvine, the Franklin & Marshall Nevonians played their first game against the York County YMCA on October 18, 1887. The first win for the program against another collegiate team came in 1889 with a 60-0 win against Millersville University. [4]

Franklin & Marshall was a founding member of the short-lived Pennsylvania Intercollegiate Football Association. [8] [9] Playing for one season in 1891, Franklin & Marshall's 12-6 victory against Bucknell University gave the first and only conference championship to Penn State. [8]

Diplomats nickname

From 1886 to 1935, all Franklin & Marshall sports teams were known as the Nevonians. The nickname derived from the last name of F&M's second president, John Williamson Nevin. [4] In 1935, against the nationally ranked Fordham Rams, the Nevonians traveled to New York as heavy underdogs. Despite their underdog status, the Nevonians kept the game competitive and nearly upset the Rams. The sportsmanship earned the team praise from New York City newspapers, who christened the team ''Diplomats.'' [4]

Rivalries

Dickinson College

Franklin & Marshall played the Dickinson College Red Devils for the first time in 1889. [10] Franklin & Marshall won the match, beginning one of the longest sports rivalries in college football. [11] Since 1889, the Diplomats and Red Devils have played 116 times, known as the Battle for the Wagon. [12] [13]

Gettysburg College

Gettysburg College and Franklin & Marshall met on the football field for the first time in 1890. [11] [14] The rivalry is one of the longest ongoing sports rivalries in college football, as the Gettysburg Bullets and Diplomats have faced each other 108 times since 1890. [14] The winner of the rivalry game earns the Lincoln Football Trophy. [15] [14]

Swarthmore v. Franklin and Marshall (1931) Swarthmore v. Franklin and Marshall, 1931.png
Swarthmore v. Franklin and Marshall (1931)

Swarthmore College, 1889-2000

Before discontinuing its program, Swarthmore College and Franklin & Marshall played one of the then-longest standing college football rivalries. Swarthmore and F&M first met on the field in 1889 in a 22-4 victory for Franklin & Marshall. [16] Both teams joined the Centennial Conference, where they met regularly until Swarthmore discontinued its football program in 2000. [17] [18] The Swarthmore Garnet Tide and Diplomats played 87 games, where the Diplomats led the series 48-28-9. [16]

Conference championships

Franklin & Marshall has won 15 conference titles, most recently in 2025. [19] The Diplomats won seven Eastern Pennsylvania Collegiate Conference titles between 1932 and 1941 under head coach Alan M. Holman. Since 1986, Franklin & Marshall has won eight Centennial Conference titles, three of them outright.

SeasonCoachConferenceOverall recordConference record
1932† Alan M. Holman Eastern Pennsylvania Collegiate Conference 4–2–12–1–1
1934†8–13–1
19357–2–14–0
19367–1–13–0–1
1938†6–23–1
19407–23–0
1941†5–1–12–1
1986† Tom Gilburg Centennial Conference 8–36–1
19879–1–17–0
1988†7–36–1
1993†6–45–2
19957–36–1
2004† Shawn Halloran 8–34–2
2017† John Troxell 10–18–1
2025 Michael Phelan 9–17–0

† Co-champions

Division championships

In their time in the Middle Atlantic Conference, the Diplomats won the Southern Division championship seven times. [20]

SeasonOverall recordConference record
19648–07–0
1968†6–26–1
19716–26–1
19729–08–0
19738–18–1
19749–08–0
19768–18–1

† Co-champions

Postseason appearances

Bowl games

The Diplomats are 10–6 in bowl games. [21]

SeasonBowlOpponentResult
1986ECAC Southern ChampionshipWagnerL 28–40
1987ECAC Southern ChampionshipKeanW 21–0
1989ECAC Southwest ChampionshipSt. John's (N.Y.)W 31–18
1996ECAC South ChampionshipMerchant MarineL 0–20
2004ECAC South ChampionshipMoravianW 37–20
2005ECAC South ChampionshipSalisburyL 23–27
2009ECAC South Atlantic ChampionshipWilkesW 29–24
2010ECAC Southwest ChampionshipWashington & JeffersonL 41–54
2012ECAC Southeast ChampionshipAlbrightL 34–38
2013ECAC Southeast ChampionshipDelaware ValleyW 38–14
2016Centennial-MAC Bowl SeriesAlbrightL 23–28
2017Centennial-MAC Bowl SeriesWidenerW 21–7
2018Centennial-MAC Bowl SeriesLycomingW 21–20
2019Centennial-MAC Bowl SeriesMisericordiaW 31–13
2021Centennial-MAC Bowl SeriesStevensonW 42–28
2023Centennial-MAC Bowl SeriesKing's (Pa.)W 30–7

NCAA Division III playoffs

The Diplomats have made one appearance in the NCAA Division III playoffs, with a combined record of 0–1.

YearRoundOpponentResult
2025 Second Round Eastern L, 24–28

References

  1. ↑ "Franklin & Marshall College Athletics Identity Guide" (PDF). Retrieved December 14, 2021.
  2. ↑ "Michael Phelan Named F&M Head Football Coach". centennial.org. February 17, 2025. Retrieved November 17, 2025.
  3. ↑ LANCASTERONLINE, DAVE BYRNE FOR LNP | (February 19, 2025). "Franklin & Marshall names new football coach". LancasterOnline. Retrieved November 17, 2025.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 6 "Franklin & Marshall Football's Grand Tradition". Franklin & Marshall College. Retrieved November 18, 2025.
  5. ↑ "Holman Leads 27 F & M Coaches In Gettysburg Grid Series That Started in 1890". Lancaster New Era . Lancaster, Pennsylvania. November 17, 1951. p. 11. Retrieved September 17, 2021– via Newspapers.com Open Access logo PLoS transparent.svg .
  6. ↑ "NCAA Division III football championship bracket announced | NCAA.com". www.ncaa.com. Retrieved November 17, 2025.
  7. ↑ "F&M Completes Epic Comeback, Tops Hopkins for CC Football Title". centennial.org. November 15, 2025. Retrieved November 17, 2025.
  8. 1 2 Smith, Melvin I. (2008). Evolvements of Early American Foot Ball: Through the 1890/91 Season. AuthorHouse. ISBN   978-1-4343-6246-9.
  9. ↑ The New York Clipper Annual. Frank Queen Publishing Company (Limited). 1893.
  10. ↑ Lissy '25, Tyler. "History and Heritage: Dickinson Football and the Conestoga Wagon". The Dickinsonian. Retrieved November 18, 2025.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  11. 1 2 "Franklin & Marshall Football Program Milestones". Franklin & Marshall College. Retrieved November 18, 2025.
  12. ↑ "Football Reclaims The Wagon vs. Dickinson, 23-14". Franklin & Marshall College. October 5, 2024. Retrieved November 18, 2025.
  13. ↑ "Football Reclaims The Wagon vs. Dickinson, 23-14". Franklin & Marshall College. October 5, 2024. Retrieved November 18, 2025.
  14. 1 2 3 "Gettysburg Battles F&M in 100th Meeting". Gettysburg College Athletics. November 10, 2014. Retrieved November 18, 2025.
  15. ↑ "F&M Faces Gettysburg for Lincoln Trophy - Week 10 Game Notes". Franklin & Marshall. November 14, 2019. Archived from the original on November 9, 2022. Retrieved November 18, 2025.
  16. 1 2 "Franklin & Marshall Football History - All-time Game Results". fandm_ftp.sidearmsports.com. Retrieved November 18, 2025.
  17. ↑ Media, Griffin. "Swarthmore Drops Football Program". www.news9.com. Archived from the original on May 23, 2024. Retrieved November 18, 2025.
  18. ↑ "Swarthmore Cuts Football Team". ABC News. Retrieved November 18, 2025.
  19. ↑ https://centennial.org/news/2025/11/16/f-m-completes-epic-comeback-tops-hopkins-for-cc-football-title.aspx
  20. ↑ "Franklin & Marshall Football Championship Teams".
  21. ↑ "Franklin & Marshall Football Bowl Appearances".
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