This is a list of seasons completed by the Idaho Vandals football team. The Vandals compete in the Big Sky Conference in the NCAA Division I Football Championship Subdivision (FCS). [1] Representing the University of Idaho in Moscow, Idaho, the Vandals play home games on campus at the 16,000-seat Kibbie Dome; it opened as an outdoor venue in 1971 and was enclosed in 1975.
Idaho began playing football 130 years ago in 1894 as an independent, and was a member of the Pacific Coast Conference from 1922 through 1958; the PCC disbanded the following spring. After playing for six years as a University Division independent, the Vandals joined the Big Sky for football in 1965, where they remained for over thirty years. The Big Sky moved up to the new Division I-AA in 1978; Idaho moved down and often made the I-AA postseason playoffs for over a decade.
In 1996, Idaho moved back to Division I-A as a member of the Big West Conference, and went to the Sun Belt Conference (football only) when the Big West stopped sponsoring football after 2000. After four seasons in the Sun Belt, Idaho joined the Western Athletic Conference in 2005, only to return to the Sun Belt nine years later when the WAC dropped football. The Sun Belt dropped Idaho as a football member after 2017, and rather than attempt to exist as an isolated FBS independent, as they had in 2013, Vandal football became the first FBS program to voluntarily drop to FCS in 2018 and returned to the Big Sky, where Idaho's other teams had rejoined in 2014. [1]
The Vandals are led by head coach Thomas Ford, who was hired after the 2024 season in mid-December.
Legend | |
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†National champions |
Season | Team | Head coach | Conference | Regular season results | Postseason results | Final ranking [3] | ||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Overall | Conference | Bowl game/Playoff result | NCAA/TSN Poll [a] | AP/Coaches' Poll | ||||||||||
Win | Loss | Tie | Win | Loss | Tie | Finish | ||||||||
Idaho Vandals | ||||||||||||||
1894 | 1894 | G. E. Higgins | Independent | 0 | 2 | 0 | — | — | — | — | ||||
1895 | 1895 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | — | ||||||
1896 | 1896 | No team | ||||||||||||
1897 | 1897 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | — | ||||||
1898 | 1898 | No games were played | ||||||||||||
1899 | 1899 | Morse | 0 | 4 | 0 | — | — | — | — | |||||
1900 | 1900 | Fred Herbold | 1 | 0 | 0 | — | — | — | — | |||||
1901 | 1901 | 3 | 2 | 1 | — | — | — | — | ||||||
1902 | 1902 | John G. Griffith | 1 | 3 | 1 | — | — | — | — | |||||
1903 | 1903 | 3 | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | — | ||||||
1904 | 1904 | 2 | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | — | ||||||
1905 | 1905 | 5 | 0 | 0 | — | — | — | — | ||||||
1906 | 1906 | 2 | 4 | 0 | — | — | — | — | ||||||
1907 | 1907 | John R. Middleton | 4 | 1 | 1 | — | — | — | — | |||||
1908 | 1908 | 2 | 2 | 2 | — | — | — | — | ||||||
1909 | 1909 | John S. Grogan | 3 | 4 | 0 | — | — | — | — | |||||
1910 | 1910 | John G. Griffith | 4 | 2 | 0 | — | — | — | — | |||||
1911 | 1911 | 4 | 3 | 0 | — | — | — | — | ||||||
1912 | 1912 | 2 | 2 | 0 | — | — | — | — | ||||||
1913 | 1913 | 2 | 3 | 1 | — | — | — | — | ||||||
1914 | 1914 | 2 | 3 | 1 | — | — | — | — | ||||||
1915 | 1915 | Charles Rademacher | 1 | 4 | 1 | — | — | — | — | |||||
1916 | 1916 | Wilfred Bleamaster | 3 | 5 | 0 | — | — | — | — | |||||
1917 | 1917 | 2 | 3 | 0 | — | — | — | — | ||||||
1918 [b] | Season canceled due to World War I | |||||||||||||
1919 | 1919 | Ralph Hutchinson | 2 | 3 | 0 | — | — | — | — | |||||
1920 | 1920 | Thomas Kelley | 4 | 2 | 0 | — | — | — | — | |||||
1921 | 1921 | 4 | 3 | 1 | — | — | — | — | ||||||
1922 | 1922 | Matty Mathews | Pacific Coast | 3 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 8th | — | — | — | |
1923 | 1923 | 5 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 3rd | — | — | — | |||
1924 | 1924 | 5 | 2 | 1 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 4th | — | — | — | |||
1925 | 1925 | 3 | 5 | 0 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 6th | — | — | — | |||
1926 | 1926 | Charles Erb | 3 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 0 | T-6th | — | — | — | ||
1927 | 1927 † | 4 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 2 | T-1st† | — | — | — | |||
1928 | 1928 | 3 | 4 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 0 | T-6th | — | — | — | |||
1929 | 1929 | Leo Calland | 4 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 0 | T-7th | — | — | — | ||
1930 | 1930 | 4 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 10th | — | — | — | |||
1931 | 1931 | 3 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 8th | — | — | — | |||
1932 | 1932 | 3 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 0 | T-8th | — | — | — | |||
1933 | 1933 | 4 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 9th | — | — | — | |||
1934 | 1934 | 3 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 8th | — | — | — | |||
1935 | 1935 | Ted Bank | 2 | 7 | 0 | 1 | 5 | 0 | 9th | — | — | — | ||
1936 | 1936 | 3 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 10th | — | — | — | |||
1937 | 1937 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 5th | — | — | — | |||
1938 | 1938 | 6 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 7th | — | — | — | |||
1939 | 1939 | 2 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 10th | — | — | — | |||
1940 | 1940 | 1 | 7 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 10th | — | — | — | |||
1941 | 1941 | Francis Schmidt | 4 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 10th | — | — | — | ||
1942 | 1942 | 3 | 7 | 0 | 1 | 5 | 0 | 9th | — | — | — | |||
1943 | Seasons canceled due to World War II | |||||||||||||
1944 | No coach | |||||||||||||
1945 | 1945 | Babe Brown | 1 | 7 | 0 | 1 | 5 | 0 | 8th | — | — | — | ||
1946 | 1946 | 1 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 10th | — | — | — | |||
1947 | 1947 | Dixie Howell | 4 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 9th | — | — | — | ||
1948 | 1948 | 3 | 6 | 0 | 1 | 5 | 0 | 9th | — | — | — | |||
1949 | 1949 | 3 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 9th | — | — | — | |||
1950 | 1950 | 3 | 5 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 5th | — | — | — | |||
1951 | 1951 | Babe Curfman | 2 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 9th | — | — | — | ||
1952 | 1952 | 4 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 8th | — | — | — | |||
1953 | 1953 | 1 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 9th | — | — | — | |||
1954 | 1954 | Skip Stahley | 4 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 7th | — | — | — | ||
1955 | 1955 | 2 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 9th | — | — | — | |||
1956 | 1956 | 4 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 9th | — | — | — | |||
1957 | 1957 | 4 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 9th | — | — | — | |||
1958 | 1958 | 4 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 9th | — | — | — | |||
1959 | 1959 | Independent | 1 | 9 | 0 | — | — | — | — | |||||
1960 | 1960 | 1 | 9 | 0 | — | — | — | — | ||||||
1961 | 1961 | 2 | 7 | 0 | — | — | — | — | ||||||
1962 | 1962 | Dee Andros | 2 | 6 | 1 | — | — | — | — | |||||
1963 | 1963 | 5 | 4 | 0 | — | — | — | — | ||||||
1964 | 1964 | 4 | 6 | 0 | — | — | — | — | ||||||
1965 [c] | 1965 † | Steve Musseau | Big Sky | 5 | 5 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 0 | T-1st† | — | — | — | |
1966 | 1966 | 4 | 6 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2nd | — | — | — | |||
1967 [d] | 1967 | 4 | 6 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 0 | T-2nd | — | — | — | |||
1968 | 1968 † | Y C McNease | 5 | 5 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 0 | T-1st† | — | — | — | ||
1969 [e] | 1969 | 2 | 8 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 4th | — | — | — | |||
1970 | 1970 | Don Robbins | 4 | 7 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 0 | T-3rd | — | — | — | ||
1971 | 1971 † | 8 | 3 | 0 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 1st† | — | — | — | |||
1972 | 1972 | 4 | 7 | 0 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 5th | — | — | ||||
1973 [f] | 1973 | 4 | 7 | 0 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 3rd | — | — | ||||
1974 | 1974 | Ed Troxel | 2 | 8 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 3rd | — | — | — | ||
1975 | 1975 | 4 | 5 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | T-4th | — | — | — | |||
1976 | 1976 | 7 | 4 | 0 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 2nd | — | — | — | |||
1977 | 1977 | 3 | 8 | 0 | 2 | 4 | 0 | T-5th | — | — | — | |||
1978 [g] | 1978 | Jerry Davitch | 2 | 9 | 0 | 2 | 5 | 0 | T-5th | — | — | — | ||
1979 | 1979 | 4 | 7 | 0 | 2 | 5 | 0 | T-5th | — | — | — | |||
1980 [h] | 1980 | 6 | 5 | 0 | 4 | 3 | T-2nd | — | — | — | ||||
1981 | 1981 | 3 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 8th | — | — | — | ||||
1982 | 1982 | Dennis Erickson | 9 | 4 | 0 | 5 | 2 | T-1st | NCAA Division I-AA Playoffs — Quarterfinals ^ | 11 | — | |||
1983 | 1983 | 8 | 3 | 0 | 4 | 3 | T-3rd | — | — | — | ||||
1984 | 1984 | 6 | 5 | 0 | 4 | 3 | T-3rd | — | — | — | ||||
1985 | 1985 † | 9 | 3 | 0 | 6 | 1 | 1st† | NCAA Division I-AA Playoffs — First Round ^ | 5 | — | ||||
1986 | 1986 | Keith Gilbertson | 8 | 4 | 0 | 5 | 2 | 3rd | NCAA Division I-AA Playoffs — First Round ^ | 16 | — | |||
1987 | 1987 † | 9 | 3 | 0 | 7 | 1 | 1st† | NCAA Division I-AA Playoffs — First Round ^ | 5 | — | ||||
1988 | 1988 † | 11 | 2 | 0 | 7 | 1 | 1st† | NCAA Division I-AA Playoffs — Semifinals ^ | 2 | — | ||||
1989 | 1989 † | John L. Smith | 9 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 1st† | NCAA Division I-AA Playoffs — First Round ^ | 4 | — | |||
1990 | 1990 | 9 | 4 | 0 | 6 | 2 | 2nd | NCAA Division I-AA Playoffs — Quarterfinals ^ | 13 | — | ||||
1991 | 1991 | 6 | 5 | 0 | 4 | 4 | T-4th | — | — | — | ||||
1992 | 1992 † | 9 | 3 | 0 | 6 | 1 | 1st† | NCAA Division I-AA Playoffs — First Round ^ | 5 | — | ||||
1993 | 1993 | 11 | 3 | 0 | 5 | 2 | 2nd | NCAA Division I-AA Playoffs — Semifinals ^ | 11 | — | ||||
1994 | 1994 | 9 | 3 | 0 | 5 | 2 | 2nd | NCAA Division I-AA Playoffs — First Round ^ | 6 | — | ||||
1995 | 1995 | Chris Tormey | 6 | 5 | 0 | 4 | 3 | T-2nd | NCAA Division I-AA Playoffs — First Round ^ | 17 | — | |||
1996 [i] | 1996 | Big West | 6 | 5 | 3 | 2 | T-3rd | — | — | — | ||||
1997 | 1997 | 5 | 6 | 2 | 3 | T-4th | — | — | — | |||||
1998 | 1998 † | 9 | 3 | 4 | 1 | 1st† | Won Humanitarian Bowl against Southern Miss Golden Eagles, 42–35 ^ | — | — | |||||
1999 | 1999 | 7 | 4 | 4 | 2 | 2nd | — | — | — | |||||
2000 | 2000 | Tom Cable | 5 | 6 | 3 | 2 | 3rd | — | — | — | ||||
2001 | 2001 | Sun Belt | 1 | 10 | 1 | 5 | T-6th | — | — | — | ||||
2002 | 2002 | 2 | 10 | 1 | 6 | 7th | — | — | — | |||||
2003 | 2003 | 3 | 9 | 3 | 4 | T-4th | — | — | — | |||||
2004 | 2004 | Nick Holt | 3 | 9 | 2 | 5 | T-5th | — | — | — | ||||
2005 | 2005 | WAC | 2 | 9 | 2 | 6 | T-6th | — | — | — | ||||
2006 | 2006 | Dennis Erickson | 4 | 8 | 3 | 5 | T-6th | — | — | — | ||||
2007 | 2007 | Robb Akey | 1 | 11 | 0 | 8 | 9th | — | — | — | ||||
2008 | 2008 | 2 | 10 | 1 | 7 | T-8th | — | — | — | |||||
2009 | 2009 | 8 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 4th | Won Humanitarian Bowl against Bowling Green Falcons, 43–42 ^ | — | — | |||||
2010 | 2010 | 6 | 7 | 3 | 5 | 6th | — | — | — | |||||
2011 | 2011 | 2 | 10 | 1 | 7 | 8th | — | — | — | |||||
2012 [j] | 2012 | Robb Akey Jason Gesser | 1 | 11 | 1 | 5 | 6th | — | — | — | ||||
2013 | 2013 | Paul Petrino | Independent | 1 | 11 | — | — | — | — | |||||
2014 | 2014 | Sun Belt | 1 | 10 | 1 | 7 | T-9th | — | — | — | ||||
2015 | 2015 | 4 | 8 | 3 | 5 | T-5th | — | — | — | |||||
2016 | 2016 | 9 | 4 | 6 | 2 | T-3rd | Won Famous Idaho Potato Bowl against Colorado State Rams, 61–50 ^ | — | — | |||||
2017 | 2017 | 4 | 8 | 3 | 5 | T-8th | — | — | — | |||||
2018 [k] | 2018 | Big Sky | 4 | 7 | 3 | 5 | T-9th | — | — | — | ||||
2019 | 2019 | 5 | 7 | 3 | 5 | T-6th | — | — | — | |||||
2020 | 2020 | 2 | 4 | 2 | 4 | T-5th | — | — | — | |||||
2021 | 2021 | 4 | 7 | 3 | 5 | 9th | — | — | — | |||||
2022 | 2022 | Jason Eck | 7 | 5 | 6 | 2 | T-3rd | NCAA Division I FCS Playoffs — First Round ^ | 18 | — | ||||
2023 | 2023 | 9 | 4 | 6 | 2 | T-2nd | NCAA Division I FCS Playoffs — Quarterfinals ^ | 8 | — | |||||
2024 | 2024 | 10 | 4 | 6 | 2 | T-3rd | NCAA Division I FCS Playoffs — Quarterfinals ^ | 7 | — | |||||
Totals | All-time: 499–648–26 (.436) | Conference: 221–323–8 (.408) | Postseason: 11–14 (.440) | |||||||||||
NCAA Division I Football Championship Subdivision independent schools are four-year institutions in the United States whose football programs are not part of a football conference. This means that FCS independents are not required to schedule each other for competition as conference schools do. As of the 2024 season, Merrimack and Sacred Heart will be competing as independents, as their primary conference, Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference, does not sponsor football. They were previously members of the Northeast Conference which does sponsor the sport. Merrimack and Sacred Heart are confirmed to play as FCS independents in 2024.
The Little Brown Stein is a rivalry trophy awarded to the winner of the college football game between the University of Idaho Vandals and the University of Montana Grizzlies, both members of the Big Sky Conference. The trophy is, as the name implies, a large stein mug with the results of all the games between the two painted on.
The Boise State Broncos football program represents Boise State University in college football and competes in the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) as a member of the Mountain West Conference. The Broncos play their home games on campus at Albertsons Stadium in Boise, Idaho, and their head coach is Spencer Danielson. Established in 1933, The Broncos have achieved numerous on-field successes, including 22 conference championships, 6 division titles in the Mountain West Mountain Division, and 2 national championships, one in junior college in 1958 and the other in Div 1 FCS in 1980. They have had 7 undefeated seasons, and 9 playoff appearances, including a first round bye as the #3 seed in the College Football Playoff in 2024. The program has the longest current streak of winning seasons in college football with 27 and is 3–0 in the Fiesta Bowl with wins in 2007, 2010, and 2014. As of the end of the 2023 season, the Broncos' all-time winning percentage of .725 is the sixth highest among NCAA FBS football teams, while their 491 total wins ranks 105th.
The Idaho Vandals are the intercollegiate athletic teams representing the University of Idaho, located in Moscow, Idaho. The Vandals compete at the NCAA Division I level as a member of the Big Sky Conference.
The Battle of the Palouse refers to an athletic rivalry in the northwest United States, between the Vandals of the University of Idaho and Cougars of Washington State University.
The NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS), formerly known as Division I-A, is the highest level of college football in the United States. The FBS consists of the largest schools in the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA). As of the 2024 season, there are 10 conferences and 134 schools in FBS.
The Idaho Vandals are the college football team that represents the University of Idaho and plays its home games at the Kibbie Dome, an indoor facility on campus in Moscow, Idaho. Idaho is a member of the Big Sky Conference in the Football Championship Subdivision (FCS). The Vandals are coached by Thomas Ford.
The James Madison Dukes football program represents James Madison University in the sport of American football. The Dukes compete in the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) as a member of the Sun Belt Conference (SBC), beginning play within the conference for the 2022 season. The university first fielded a football team in 1972, and the Dukes play at the on-campus Bridgeforth Stadium in Harrisonburg, Virginia. The Dukes are currently coached by Bob Chesney.
The Boise State–Idaho football rivalry was an intrastate college football rivalry in Idaho between the Broncos of Boise State University and Vandals of the University of Idaho in Moscow. The game was played annually 1971–2010, and with the exception of the 2001–2004 games, the rivalry was a conference game. Boise State moved from the WAC to the Mountain West Conference in 2011 and the rivalry went on hiatus, with no future games currently scheduled.
The 1971 Idaho Vandals football team represented the University of Idaho as a member of the Big Sky Conference during the 1971 NCAA University Division football season. Lled by second-year head coach Don Robbins, the Vandals played the final three of their five home games at the new Idaho Stadium, an outdoor facility on campus in Moscow, Idaho.
The Coastal Carolina Chanticleers football team represents Coastal Carolina University in college football at the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision level. The Chanticleers are members of the Sun Belt Conference, fielding its teams at the FBS level since 2017. The Chanticleers play their home games at James C. Benton Field at Brooks Stadium in Conway, South Carolina.
The 2014 NCAA Division I FBS football season was the highest level of college football competition in the United States organized by the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA).
The 2016 NCAA Division I FBS football season was the highest level of college football competition in the United States organized by the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA). The regular season began on August 26, 2016, and ended on December 10, 2016. The postseason concluded on January 9, 2017, with the 2017 College Football Playoff National Championship, where the Clemson Tigers defeated the Alabama Crimson Tide to claim their second national title in school history. The championship game was a rematch of the 2016 edition won by Alabama.
The 2016 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 NCAA Division I Football Championship Game was played on January 7, 2017, in Frisco, Texas. The James Madison Dukes defeated the Youngstown State Penguins, 28–14, to capture their second national championship in team history.
The 2017 NCAA Division I FBS football season was the highest level of college football competition in the United States organized by the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) in 2017. The regular season began on August 26, 2017, and ended on December 9, 2017.
The 2017 Sun Belt conference football season began on August 31, 2017 and ended on December 2, 2017. It was part of the 2017 season of the Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS), the top level of NCAA Division I football.
The 2017 Idaho Vandals football team represented the University of Idaho in the 2017 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The Vandals played their home games at the Kibbie Dome in Moscow, Idaho, and competed in the Sun Belt Conference. They were led by fifth-year head coach Paul Petrino. They finished the season 4–8, 3–5 in Sun Belt play to finish in a tie for eighth place.