Howard Bison football

Last updated
Howard Bison football
AmericanFootball current event.svg 2023 Howard Bison football team
Howard Bison wordmark.svg
First season1893
Head coach Larry Scott
4th Season season, 14–21 (.400)
Stadium William H. Greene Stadium
(capacity: 10,000)
Field surfaceField Turf
Location Washington, D.C.
NCAA division Division I FCS
Conference MEAC
All-time record521–497–40 (.511)
Bowl record1–2 (.333)
Playoff appearances1
Playoff record0–1
Claimed national titles5 (Black College): 1920, 1925, 1926, 1993, 1996
Unclaimed national titles2 (Black College): 1923, 1987
Conference titles CIAA: 1912, 1914
MEAC:1993, 2022, 2023
Rivalries Hampton
Morehouse
Morgan State
Georgetown
ColorsNavy blue and white [1]
   
Marching band "Showtime"
Website www.hubison.com/football

The Howard Bison football team represents Howard University in college football at the NCAA Division I Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) level as a member of the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC).

Contents

History

First FBS Victory

On September 2, 2017, Howard football reached a milestone by defeating their first FBS opponent in program history. The Bison defeated the UNLV Rebels 43–40 in Sam Boyd Stadium. As of September 2017, Howard's victory against UNLV is the biggest point-spread upset in college football history, with UNLV being a 45.5 point favorite. [2] [3]

Classifications

Conference memberships

Championships

National championships

YearCoachRecordChampionship
1920Edward Morrison7–0 Black College National champions
1925Louis L. Watson6–0–1Black College National Champions
1926Louis L. Watson7–0Black College National Champions
1993 Steve Wilson 11–1Black College National Champions
1996Steve Wilson10–2Black College National Champions
Total national championships5

Conference championships

YearCoachConferenceConference record
1912Ernest Marshall Central Intercollegiate Athletics Association 2–0
1914Ernest MarshallCentral Intercollegiate Athletics Association1–0
1993 Steve Wilson Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference 6–0
2022 Larry Scott Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference 4–1
2023Larry Scott Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference 4–1
Total conference championships5

See Note A

Bowl games

The Bison have appeared in three bowl games, with a current record of 1-2. The Bison will appear in the 2023 Celebration Bowl.

SeasonBowlLocationOpponentResult
1933 Orange Blossom Classic Jacksonville, FL Florida A&M L 6-9
1974 Orange Blossom Classic Miami, FL Florida A&M L 13-17
1996 Heritage Bowl Atlanta, GA Southern W 27-24
2023 Celebration Bowl Atlanta, GA Florida A&M

Division I-AA/FCS playoffs results

The Bison have appeared in the I-AA/FCS playoffs one time with an overall record of 0–1.

SeasonBowlOpponentResult
1993 First RoundMarshallL 14–28

College Football Hall of Fame members

Alumni in the NFL

Over 20 Howard alumni have played in the NFL, [4] including:

Rivals

Howard's top rival is Hampton University. The two schools call their intense rivalry Battle of "The Real HU" . [5] [6] [7] [8] [9]

Howard also has a strong rivalry with Morgan State University in the Howard–Morgan State football rivalry. [10] [11] [12]

Another of Howard's historic rivals is Morehouse College, more popularly known as the Howard/"Spel-House" rivalry due to Morehouse's close association with the all-women's HBCU Spelman College. This rivalry is not often played because Morehouse is a Division II athletic program, while Howard is Division I. [13] [14] [15]

A new rivalry has developed between Howard and Georgetown University. The two schools compete in a contest called The DC Cup. Currently, Georgetown holds a 2–1 series lead in the contest. [16]

See also

Notes

A. ^ Howard went 9–1 and won the MEAC championship in 1987, [17] however a later investigation by Howard University and MEAC found that coach Willie Jeffries used ineligible players. [18] All wins from the 1987 season were vacated and the MEAC Championship was transferred to Delaware State, who had been the runner-up.
B. ^ Rayford Petty was an assistant coach under Gary Harrell in 2011 and 2012. Gary Harrell stepped away from coaching Howard for the 2013 season for personal reasons, but remained under contract as the head coach to return in 2014. Rayford Petty was promoted to head coach for the 2013 season only, in a temporary role.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference</span> American collegiate athletic conference

The Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) is a collegiate athletic conference whose full members are historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs) in the Southeastern and the Mid-Atlantic United States. It participates in the National Collegiate Athletic Association's (NCAA) Division I, and in football, in the Football Championship Subdivision (FCS).

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hampton Pirates and Lady Pirates</span> Collegiate sports club in the United States

The Hampton Pirates and Lady Pirates refer to the sports teams representing Hampton University in Hampton, Virginia in intercollegiate athletics. The Pirates and Lady Pirates compete in the NCAA Division I Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) and are members of the Coastal Athletic Association.

The Morgan State Bears football team competes in American football on behalf of Morgan State University. The Bears compete in the NCAA Division I Football Championship Subdivision, currently as a member of the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC). The Bears play their home games at Hughes Stadium, a 10,000-seat facility in Baltimore, Maryland.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Howard Bison</span> Intercollegiate sports teams representing Howard University

The Howard Bison and Lady Bison are the intercollegiate athletic teams that represent Howard University, located in Washington, D.C. The Bison compete in Division I of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA)'s and Division I Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) and are members of the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference for most sports. On July 16, 2015, the Athletics Department unveiled new logos, replacing the previous logo that was nearly identical to that used by the National Football League's Buffalo Bills.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">North Carolina A&T Aggies football</span> Football program

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">2011 Howard Bison football team</span> American college football season

The 2011 Howard Bison football team represented Howard University as a member of the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) during the 2011 NCAA Division I FCS football season. Led by first-year head coach Gary Harrell, the Bison compiled an overall record of 5–6 with a mark of 4–4, placing in a three-way tie for sixth in the MEAC. Howard played home games at William H. Greene Stadium in Washington, D.C.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2012 Howard Bison football team</span> American college football season

The 2012 Howard Bison football team represented Howard University as a member of the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) during the 2012 NCAA Division I FCS football season. Led by second-year head coach Gary Harrell, the Bison compiled an overall record of 7–4 with a mark of 6–2, placing second in the MEAC. Howard played home games at William H. Greene Stadium in Washington, D.C.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2013 Howard Bison football team</span> American college football season

The 2013 Howard Bison football team represented Howard University as a member of the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) during the 2013 NCAA Division I FCS football season. Led by Rayford Petty as interim head coach, the Bison compiled an overall record of 6–6 with a mark of 4–4, placing in a three-way tie for fifth in the MEAC. Howard played home games at William H. Greene Stadium in Washington, D.C. Petty had served as the team's head coach from 2002 to 2006, compiling a 25–30 record in five seasons. Head coach Gary Harrell, who had helmed the team in 2011 and 2012, took a leave of absence in 2013 and returned the following season.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2014 Howard Bison football team</span> American college football season

The 2014 Howard Bison football team represented Howard University as a member of the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) during the 2014 NCAA Division I FCS football season. Led by third-year head coach Gary Harrell, who returned after a one-year leave of absence, the Bison compiled an overall record of 5–7 with a mark of 3–5, tying for seventh place in the MEAC. Howard played home games at William H. Greene Stadium in Washington, D.C.

The 2015 Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference football season was the XXth season for MEAC Football, as part of the 2015 NCAA Division I FCS football season.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2015 Howard Bison football team</span> American college football season

The 2015 Howard Bison football team represented Howard University as a member of the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) during the 2015 NCAA Division I FCS football season. Led by fourth-year head coach Gary Harrell, the Bison compiled an overall record of 1–10 with a mark of 1–7, placing in a four-way tie for eighth in the MEAC. Howard played home games at William H. Greene Stadium in Washington, D.C.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2016 Howard Bison football team</span> American college football season

The 2016 Howard Bison football team represented Howard University as a member of the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) during the 2016 NCAA Division I FCS football season. Led by Gary Harrell in his fifth and final season as head coach, the Bison compiled an overall record of 2–9 with a mark of 2–6, placing tenth in the MEAC. Howard played home games at William H. Greene Stadium in Washington, D.C.

The 2016 Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference football season was the XXIst season for MEAC Football, as part of the 2016 NCAA Division I FCS football season.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2017 NCAA Division I FCS football season</span> American college football season

The 2017 NCAA Division I FCS football season, part of college football in the United States, was organized by the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) at the Division I Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) level. The FCS Championship Game was played on January 6, 2018, in Frisco, Texas. The North Dakota State Bison beat the James Madison Dukes, 17–13, to capture their sixth title in seven years.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2017 Howard Bison football team</span> American college football season

The 2017 Howard Bison football team represented Howard University as a member of the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) during the 2017 NCAA Division I FCS football season. Led by first-year head coach Mike London, the Bison compiled an overall record of 7–4 with a mark of 6–2, tying for second place in the MEAC. Howard played home games at William H. Greene Stadium in Washington, D.C.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Real HU</span> American college football rivalry

The Real HU is an American college football rivalry game played annually by the Bison of Howard University and the Pirates of Hampton University. The series started in 1908 and is driven by several factors, which include the close proximity of the two Mid-Atlantic schools, the historically high academic standing of both these private institutions as Howard and Hampton are considered Black Ivy League universities and have student-alumni populations from similar backgrounds, and that the two schools have competed in the same athletic conferences for approximately a century.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2018 Howard Bison football team</span> American college football season

The 2018 Howard Bison football team represented Howard University as a member of the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) during the 2017 NCAA Division I FCS football season. Led by Mike London in his second and final season as head coach, the Bison compiled an overall record of 4–6 with a mark of 4–3, tying for fourth place in the MEAC. Howard played home games at William H. Greene Stadium in Washington, D.C.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2019 Howard Bison football team</span> American college football season

The 2019 Howard Bison football team represented Howard University as a member Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) during the 2019 NCAA Division I FCS football season. The Bison were led by first-year head coach Ron Prince until he was placed on administrative leave prior to the team's November 9 game, with director of football operations Aaron Kelton named as interim head coach. Howard finished the season with an overall record of 2–10 and mark of 2–6 in conference play, tying for seventh place in the MEAC. The team played home games at William H. Greene Stadium in Washington, D.C.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2021 Howard Bison football team</span> American college football season

The 2021 Howard Bison football team represented Howard University as a member of the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) during the 2021 NCAA Division I FCS football season. Led by second-year head coach Larry Scott, the Bison compiled an overall record of 3–8 with a mark of 1–4 in conference play, tying for fifth place in the MEAC. Howard played home games at William H. Greene Stadium in Washington, D.C.

References

  1. ↑ Howard Bison Department of Intercollegiate Athletics Identity Guide (PDF). December 13, 2018. Retrieved January 17, 2022.
  2. ↑ Kirshner, Alex (September 3, 2017). "Cam Newton's little brother just led the biggest Vegas upset in college football history". sbnation.com. SB Nation. Retrieved September 3, 2017.
  3. ↑ Bromberg, Nick (September 3, 2017). "Howard's win over UNLV is biggest upset vs. spread in college football history". sports.yahoo.com. Yahoo Sports. Retrieved September 3, 2017.
  4. ↑ "Howard Players/Alumni". Pro-Football-Reference.com.
  5. ↑ Webb, Brittany (September 15, 2016). "Column: Historically, Who's the Real HU". The Hilltop . Washington . Retrieved December 27, 2016.
  6. ↑ Wang, Gene (September 17, 2015). "Howard and Hampton reprise the battle for the 'real HU'". The Washington Post . Washington. Retrieved December 27, 2016.
  7. ↑ Freeman, Dennis (September 22, 2016). "Howard-Hampton: the real 'HU' rivalry continues". news4usonline.com. News4usonline. Retrieved December 27, 2016.
  8. ↑ Clarke, Chad (September 16, 2016). "HU VS HU: Nation's Classic To Highlight The Greatest HBCU Rivalry". The Hilltop. Washington. Retrieved December 27, 2016.
  9. ↑ Cuddihy, Madeline (September 14, 2016). "Who is the real HU? 100 year old football rivalry kicks off". WUSA 9 . Washington. Retrieved December 27, 2016.
  10. ↑ Wilbon, Michael (November 21, 1980). "Howard-Morgan State: The Game". The Washington Post. Washington. Retrieved December 27, 2016.
  11. ↑ Freeman, Rasheim (October 2, 2005). "Rivalry And Revelry". The Baltimore Sun . Baltimore . Retrieved December 27, 2016.
  12. ↑ "Howard & Morgan Take Rivalry North to a Big Stage in the Big Apple". The Afro (Baltimore) . September 25, 2011. Retrieved December 27, 2016.
  13. ↑ Yates, Clinton (September 12, 2014). "With rivalry renewed, Morehouse and Howard wrap up four-year series at RFK Stadium". The Washington Post. Retrieved December 27, 2016.
  14. ↑ Crockett Jr., Stephen (September 13, 2014). "Howard vs. Morehouse: A Rivalry for the Ages". theroot.com. The Root . Retrieved December 27, 2016.
  15. ↑ Seymore Jr., Add. "Morehouse and Howard Renew Rivalry in the 2011 Nation's Football Classic in Washington, D.C." morehouse.edu. Morehouse College . Retrieved December 27, 2016.
  16. ↑ Kilgore, Adam (September 8, 2017). "Why was Howard playing at UNLV anyway? It wasn't just college football business as usual". The Washington Post. Retrieved October 9, 2017.
  17. ↑ "Howard Bison, 1987 Schedule". cfbinfo.com. Retrieved February 13, 2019.
  18. ↑ "MEAC strips Howard of Division I-AA title". Sun-Sentinel . Fort Lauderdale, Florida. September 26, 1989. p. 2C. Retrieved February 13, 2019– via newspapers.com.
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