# Butler Bulldogs football

The Butler Bulldogs football program is the intercollegiate American football team for Butler University located in the U.S. state of Indiana. The team competes in the NCAA Division I Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) and is a member of the Pioneer Football League (PFL). Butler's first football team was fielded in 1887. The team plays its home games at the 7,500 seat Bud and Jackie Sellick Bowl (historically Butler Bowl) in Indianapolis. The Bulldogs are coached by Kevin Lynch.

## History
### Classifications

* 1962–1972: NCAA College Division
* 1973–1992: NCAA Division II
* 1993–present: NCAA Division I–AA/FCS

### Conference memberships

* 1884–1915: Independent
* 1916–1917: Indiana College Athletic League
* 1918–1931: Independent
* 1932–1933: Missouri Valley Conference
* 1934–1947: Indiana Intercollegiate Conference
* 1947–1949: Mid-American Conference
* 1951–1989: Heartland Collegiate Conference
* 1990–1992: Midwest Intercollegiate Football Conference
* 1993–present: Pioneer Football League

## Notable former players

Notable alumni include:
* Bill Lynch
* Arnold Mickens
* Chris Salvi
* Joseph "The Gentle Giant" Holzmer
* David "Mr. Automatic" Lang

## Championships
### Football Conference championships

| Year | Conference | Coach | Overall Record | Conference Record |
| 1952 | Indiana Collegiate Conference (co-championship) | Tony Hinkle | 5–3–1 | 3–1–1 |
| 1953 | Indiana Collegiate Conference | Tony Hinkle | 6–2 | 5–0 |
| 1958 | Indiana Collegiate Conference | Tony Hinkle | 8–1 | 5–1 |
| 1959 | Indiana Collegiate Conference | Tony Hinkle | 9–0 | 6–0 |
| 1960 | Indiana Collegiate Conference | Tony Hinkle | 8–1 | 5–1 |
| 1961 | Indiana Collegiate Conference | Tony Hinkle | 9–0 | 6–0 |
| 1962 | Indiana Collegiate Conference | Tony Hinkle | 5–2–2 | 4–1–1 |
| 1963 | Indiana Collegiate Conference | Tony Hinkle | 8–1 | 6–0 |
| 1964 | Indiana Collegiate Conference (co-championship) | Tony Hinkle | 4–4–1 | 4–2 |
| 1972 | Indiana Collegiate Conference (co-championship) | Bill Sylvester | 5–5 | 4–1 |
| 1973 | Indiana Collegiate Conference | Bill Sylvester | 5–5 | 4–1 |
| 1974 | Indiana Collegiate Conference | Bill Sylvester | 8–2 | 6–0 |
| 1975 | Indiana Collegiate Conference | Bill Sylvester | 9–1 | 6–0 |
| 1977 | Heartland Collegiate Conference (co-championship) | Bill Sylvester | 5–5 | 3–1 |
| 1983 | Heartland Collegiate Conference | Bill Sylvester | 9–1–1 | 5–0–1 |
| 1985 | Heartland Collegiate Conference (co-championship) | Bill Lynch | 8–2 | 5–1 |
| 1987 | Heartland Collegiate Conference | Bill Lynch | 8–1–1 | 4–0–1 |
| 1988 | Heartland Collegiate Conference | Bill Lynch | 8–2–1 | 3–0–1 |
| 1989 | Heartland Collegiate Conference | Bill Lynch | 7–2–1 | 4–0 |
| 1991 | Midwest Intercollegiate Football Conference | Bob Bartolomeo | 9–2 | 9–1 |
| 1992 | Midwest Intercollegiate Football Conference (co-championship) | Ken LaRose | 8–2 | 8–2 |
| 1994 | Pioneer Football League (co-championship) | Ken LaRose | 7–3 | 4–1 |
| 2009 | Pioneer Football League (co-championship) | Jeff Voris | 11–1 | 7–1 |
| 2012 | Pioneer Football League (co-championship) | Jeff Voris | 8–3 | 7–1 |
| 2013 | Pioneer Football League (co-championship) | Jeff Voris | 9–4 | 7–1 |
| Total conference championships (modern era) | Total conference championships (modern era) | Total conference championships (modern era) | 25 | 25 |

## Playoff appearances
### NCAA Division I-AA/FCS playoffs

The Bulldogs have appeared in the FCS playoffs once, with an overall record of 0–1.
| Year | Round | Opponent | Result |
| 2013 | First Round | Tennessee State | L, 0–31 |

### NCAA Division II playoffs

The Bulldogs made three appearances in the Division II playoffs, with a combined record of 0–3.
| Year | Round | Opponent | Result |
| 1983 | Quarterfinals | UC Davis | L, 6–25 |
| 1988 | First Round | Tennessee–Martin | L, 6–23 |
| 1991 | First Round | Pittsburg State | L, 16–26 |

### PFL Gridiron Classic results

From 2006 through 2009, the PFL and Northeast Conference (NEC) staged the Gridiron Classic, an exempted postseason football game that matched the champions of the two conferences which were technically members of Division I FCS, but which were not the recipients of automatic invitations to the football championship playoff at the time. The Bulldogs appeared in the PFL Gridiron Classic once, with an overall record of 1–0.
| Year | Opponent | Result |
| 2009 | Central Connecticut | W, 28–23 |

## Future non-conference opponents

Announced schedules as of February 20, 2025.
* 2025
* at Northern Iowa
* at Weber State