| Northwest Missouri State Bearcats football | |
|---|---|
 | |
| First season | 1908 |
| Athletic director | Andy Peterson |
| Head coach | Rich Wright 6th season, 59–17 (.776) |
| Stadium | Bearcat Stadium (capacity: 6,500) |
| Field | Mel Tjeerdsma Field |
| Year built | 1917 |
| Field surface | FieldTurf |
| Location | Maryville, Missouri |
| NCAA division | Division II |
| Conference | The MIAA |
| All-time record | 590–399–33 (.593) |
| Claimed national titles | 6 (1998, 1999, 2009, 2013, 2015, 2016) |
| Conference titles | 30 |
| Rivalries | Pittsburg State Missouri Western Truman Central Missouri |
| Consensus All-Americans | 69 |
| Colors | Bearcat green and white[1] |
| Mascot | Bobby Bearcat |
| Marching band | Bearcat Marching Band |
| Outfitter | Adidas |
| Website | www.bearcatsports.com |
The Northwest Missouri State Bearcats football program represents Northwest Missouri State University in college football. They participate in Division II sports within the NCAA. The team plays their home games at Bearcat Stadium, located on campus in Maryville, Missouri.
They have appeared in ten NCAA Division II national title games – winning six – since going 0–11 in Mel Tjeerdsma's first season in 1994. The Bearcats have made the playoffs in 20 seasons and have also won or shared 30 MIAA titles.
Northwest Missouri State plays its games at Bearcat Stadium, built in 1917, and the oldest NCAA Division II stadium still in use. The field was expanded to 6,500 seats and a video screen was added in 2003 after Tjeerdsma began his run.[2] This screen was replaced in 2014 by a 20-foot by 40-foot high-resolution screen with the scoreboard attached underneath.[3]
Previously, Northwest Missouri played its games with Pittsburg State University at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City, Missouri in the Fall Classic at Arrowhead. The series was discontinued in 2013, games are now played on campus sites. Pittsburg has made four national title appearances since 1991. The October 17, 2002 game was witnessed by 26,695—the largest number in MIAA history.[4]
- ^ Northwest Missouri State Bearcats Athletics Graphic Standards (PDF). February 8, 2018. Retrieved May 21, 2018.
- ^ "Northwest Missouri State University Football Media Guide – nwmissouri.edu – Retrieved September 22, 2009" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on February 24, 2012. Retrieved September 22, 2009.
- ^ Brown, Tony (July 9, 2014). "Crew Prepare to Install New Video Screen". Maryville Daily Forum. Retrieved October 30, 2014.
- ^ "Conference History". Themiaa.com. Archived from the original on September 27, 2011. Retrieved November 27, 2011.