The Bucknell Bison football team represents

Bucknell University Bucknell University is a private liberal arts college in Lewisburg, Pennsylvania. Founded in 1846 as the University at Lewisburg, it now consists of the College of Arts and Sciences, Freeman College of Management, and the College of Engineerin ...

college football College football (french: Football universitaire) refers to gridiron football played by teams of student athletes. It was through college football play that American football in the United States, American football rules first gained populari ...

at the

NCAA The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) is a nonprofit organization that regulates student athletics among about 1,100 schools in the United States, Canada, and Puerto Rico. It also organizes the athletic programs of colleges ...

Division I Football Championship Subdivision (formerly Division I-AA) level. Bucknell is a member of the

Patriot League The Patriot League is a collegiate athletic conference comprising private institutions of higher education and two United States service academies based in the Northeastern United States. Outside the Ivy League, it is among the most selective g ...

. Bucknell won the first Orange Bowl, 26–0, over the Miami Hurricanes on January 1, 1935.

History

The Bucknell football team was established in 1883 after a group of students from

Lafayette College Lafayette College is a private liberal arts college in Easton, Pennsylvania. Founded in 1826 by James Madison Porter and other citizens in Easton, the college first held classes in 1832. The founders voted to name the college after General Laf ...

journeyed west to play a group of students from the University at Lewisburg, as Bucknell University was then called. The Lewisburg students lost the game, 59–0, and did not play another game until 1887. In 1918, Bucknell had its first of its three undefeated seasons. On October 10, 1925, Bucknell played

George Washington George Washington (February 22, 1732, 1799) was an American military officer, statesman, and Founding Father who served as the first president of the United States from 1789 to 1797. Appointed by the Continental Congress as commander of ...

at home on the day that Christy Mathewson was buried in Lewisburg. In his honor, there was no cheering in the first quarter. In 1931 Clarke Hinkle led Bucknell to a 6–0–3 record. In 1960, the team won its first

Lambert Cup The Lambert Trophy is an annual award given to the best team in the East in Division I FBS (formerly I-A) college football. In affiliation with the Metropolitan New York Football Writers (founded 1935), the Lambert Trophy was established by brothe ...

. In 1989, the newly renovated

Christy Mathewson–Memorial Stadium Christy Mathewson–Memorial Stadium is a 13,100-seat multi-purpose stadium at Bucknell University in Lewisburg, Pennsylvania. Originally built in 1924, the stadium was renovated and renamed in honor of Mathewson in 1989. It is home to the Buckn ...

was renamed in Mathewson's honor. In 1996, Bucknell won its first conference championship. Bucknell football celebrated its seventh-straight winning season in 2001.

Classifications

*1937: NCAA College Division *1938–1947: NCAA University Division *1948–1972: NCAA College Division *1973–1977: NCAA Division II *1978–present: NCAA Division I–AA/FCS

Conference memberships

*1881–1957: Independent *1958–1969:

Middle Atlantic States Collegiate Athletic Corporation The Middle Atlantic Conferences (MAC) is an umbrella organization of three athletic conferences that competes in the NCAA's Division III. The 18 member colleges are in the Mid-Atlantic United States. The organization is divided into two main c ...

*1970–1972: Independent *1973–1977: Division II Independent *1978–1985: Division I–AA Independent *1986–present:

Individual award winners

College Football Hall of Fame

Pro Football Hall of Fame

Future non-conference opponents

Announced schedules as of January 1, 2022.

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Bucknell Bison Football American football teams established in 1883 1883 establishments in Pennsylvania