Gallaudet Bison football

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Gallaudet Bison football
First season 1883; 142 years ago
Athletic directorWarren Keller
Head coach Stefan LeFors
1st season, 0–0 (–)
StadiumHotchkiss Field
(capacity: 1,500)
Field surfaceField Turf
Location Washington, D.C.
Conference ODAC
Past conferences ECFC
All-time record159–367–2 (.303)
Conference titles3 (2013, 2022, 2023)
ColorsBuff and blue [1]
   
Website gallaudetbison.com/football

The Gallaudet Bison football team represents Gallaudet University in National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division III competition. It has been discontinued many times, and most recently restarted in 2007. [2] [3] After an undefeated season in 2005, the first time such a season was achieved in the program's 122-year history, head coach Ed Hottle began his campaign to return Gallaudet to the NCAA ranks. With support from the Gallaudet administration, the Bison played their last season of club football in 2006 and played a full NCAA slate of eight games in 2007. [4]

Contents

The home stadium, Hotchkiss Field, was known as Garlic Field prior to 1924. [5]

History

A Gallaudet game in 1923 Randolph Macon - Gallaudet, 11-17-23 LOC npcc.09893.jpg
A Gallaudet game in 1923

The football team was organized in 1883 by coach John B. Hotchkiss. In the 1890s, the football huddle originated at Gallaudet when the team noticed that their opponents were trying to see and read their signs in order to try to guess their plays. [6] [7] [8] [9]

Quarterback Paul D. Hubbard noticed sign language signals could be read by opposing players, a particular concern when Gallaudet played other schools for the deaf. To remedy this, he had his players form a circle so that his sign language signals could be sent and received without anyone on the sidelines or on the opposing team seeing. [10]

Gallaudet football game in 2007 Gallaudet football.jpg
Gallaudet football game in 2007

After the 2009 football season, Coach Hottle left to become the first head coach of the first football team at Stevenson University. He announced his decision in a heart-felt meeting with the football team. Offensive Coordinator Chuck Goldstein was tapped to be the interim head coach of the football team. On December 17, 2009, the interim tag was removed and he became the permanent head coach of the team through 2024. [11] [12]

In the fall of 2013, Gallaudet's football program began a remarkable run for the Division III playoffs and garnering a considerable amount of publicity, winning the regular season with a 9–1 record, before falling to Hobart College in the first round of the playoffs and ending the season with a 9–2 (.818) overall record. [13] [14]

Championships

Conference championships

Gallaudet claims three conference titles, the most recent of which came in 2023.

YearConferenceOverall RecordConference RecordCoach
2013† Eastern Collegiate Football Conference 9–26–1 Chuck Goldstein
20227–35–1
2023†4–53–1

† Co-champions

Postseason games

NCAA Division III playoff games

Gallaudet has appeared in the Division III playoffs two times, with an overall record of 0–2.

YearRoundOpponentResult
2013 First Round Hobart L, 7–34
2022 First Round Delaware Valley L, 0–59

Hall of Fame

The following football players have been inducted into the Gallaudet Athletics Hall of Fame. [15]

Rivalries

Gallaudet University's football team has a longstanding rivalry with Catholic University of America, another school in the Washington D.C. area. On September 7, 2012, Gallaudet University defeated Catholic University of America for the first time in the 106-year history of the rivalry between the two D.C. schools. [16]

References

  1. ↑ "Brand Guidelines" (PDF). Retrieved November 18, 2022.
  2. ↑ "Gallaudet to Re-Start Program in 2007". Washingtonpost.com. July 12, 2005.
  3. ↑ "2013 Football Records Book" (PDF). Fs.ncaa.org. Retrieved August 11, 2015.
  4. ↑ Foster, Brooke (August 19, 2007). "Sound and the Fury". The Washington Post. Retrieved May 3, 2010.
  5. ↑ Newman, Bruce. "Clear Signals". Sports Illustrated Vault | SI.com. Retrieved December 29, 2023.
  6. ↑ "The History of Gallaudet University (page 3)". Pr.gallaudet.edu. November 7, 1997. Archived from the original on April 15, 2012. Retrieved July 16, 2012.
  7. ↑ "The History of Gallaudet University (page 3)". Pr.gallaudet.edu. November 7, 1997. Archived from the original on April 15, 2012. Retrieved July 16, 2012.
  8. ↑ "The Huddle Debate Continues" (PDF). College Football Historical Society. 11 (2): 4. February 1998. Retrieved August 4, 2015– via LA84. Open Access logo PLoS transparent.svg
  9. ↑ Jeff Pegues (November 11, 2013). "The Storied football team of Gallaudet, the nation's first university for the deaf". Cbsnews.com. Retrieved August 11, 2015.
  10. ↑ Gannon, Jack (1981). "Deaf Heritage: Narrative History of Deaf America" (PDF). Silver Spring, MD: National Association of the Deaf. Studentunitymovement.org: 272 & 276. Retrieved August 11, 2015.
  11. ↑ "Goldstein Named Gallaudet's 36th Head Football Coach, Davis Elevated to Assistant Coach". Gallaudet University. December 17, 2009. Archived from the original on March 2, 2012. Retrieved July 16, 2012.
  12. ↑ "Gallaudet football coach Chuck Goldstein steps down to take position in University Admissions". Gallaudet University. March 11, 2025. Retrieved August 31, 2025.
  13. ↑ The Associated Press. "Gallaudet football prepares for first ever playoff game". wjla.com. Archived from the original on December 16, 2013. Retrieved August 6, 2015.
  14. ↑ "Hobart derails Gallaudet football's historic season : News : CNYcentral.com". cnycentral.com. Archived from the original on December 16, 2013. Retrieved August 6, 2015.
  15. ↑ "Gallaudet University Athletics Hall of Fame". Gallaudeathletics.com. Retrieved August 11, 2015.
  16. ↑ "Gallaudet Defeats Catholic for the First Time in the School History". Gallaudet University Athletics. September 7, 2012. Archived from the original on September 20, 2012. Retrieved September 7, 2012.
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