# Howard Bison 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).

## 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.

### Classifications

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

### Conference memberships

* 1893–1911: Independent
* 1912–1970: Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association
* 1971–present: Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference

## Championships
### National championships

| Year | Coach | Record | Championship |
| 1920 | Edward Morrison | 7–0 | Black College National champions |
| 1925 | Louis L. Watson | 6–0–1 | Black College National Champions |
| 1926 | Louis L. Watson | 7–0 | Black College National Champions |
| 1993 | Steve Wilson | 11–1 | Black College National Champions |
| 1996 | Steve Wilson | 10–2 | Black College National Champions |
| Total national championships | Total national championships | Total national championships | 5 | 5 |

### Conference championships

| Year | Coach | Conference | Conference record |
| 1912 | Ernest Marshall | Central Intercollegiate Athletics Association | 2–0 |
| 1914 | Ernest Marshall | Central Intercollegiate Athletics Association | 1–0 |
| 1993 | Steve Wilson | Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference | 6–0 |
| 2022 | Larry Scott | Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference | 4–1 |
| 2023 | Larry Scott | Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference | 4–1 |
| Total conference championships | Total conference championships | Total conference championships | 5 | 5 |
See Note A

## Bowl games

The Bison have appeared in four bowl games, with a current record of 1–3.
| Season | Bowl | Location | Opponent | Result |
| 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 | L 26–30 |

## 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.
| Season | Bowl | Opponent | Result |
| 1993 | First Round | Marshall | L 14–28 |

## College Football Hall of Fame members

* Willie Jeffries
* Doug Porter

## Alumni in the NFL

Over 20 Howard alumni have played in the NFL, including:
* Ron Bartell
* Antoine Bethea
* Marques Douglas
* Omar Evans
* Derrick Faison
* Rupert Grant
* Gary Harrell
* John Javis
* Billy Jenkins
* Jimmie Johnson
* Troy Kyles
* Greg Pope
* Herman Redden
* Robert Sowell
* Leonard Stephens
* Elijah Thurmon
* Dominique Richardson
* Brandon Torrey
* Sean Vanhorse
* Jay Walker
* Tim Watson
* David Westbrook
* Jose White
* Tracy White
* Gary Willingham
* Marques Ogden
* Chris Rogers
* Steve Wilson
* Howie Williams

## Rivals

Howard's top rival is Hampton University. The two schools call their intense rivalry Battle of "The Real HU".
Howard also has a strong rivalry with Morgan State University in the Howard–Morgan State football rivalry.
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.