Northwestern Wildcats football The Northwestern Wildcats football team , representing Northwestern University , is a NCAA Division I team and member of the Big Ten Conference , with evidence of organization in 1876 . The mascot is the Wildcat , a term coined by a Chicago Tribune reporter in 1924 , after reporting on a football game where the players appeared as " a wall of purple wildcats . " Northwestern achieved an all - time high rank of # 1 during the 1936 and 1962 seasons , then plummeted to extended levels of futility from the mid - 1970s to 1994 . Recent years have been far kinder to the Wildcats , who have won three Big Ten championships or co - championships since 1995 , and have been " bowl eligible " ( a status that requires at least a . 500 regular - season record ) seven out of the last eight seasons . Northwestern consistently ranks among the national leaders in graduation rate among football teams , having received the AFCA Academic Achievement Award four times since 2002 . Despite the stricter academic standards , Northwestern has produced many notable athletes , such as former first - round draft picks Luis Castillo and Napoleon Harris . The Wildcats have played their home games at Ryan Field ( formerly Dyche Stadium ) in Evanston , Illinois , since 1922 . Championships . Conference Championships . Northwestern is a charter member of the Big Ten Conference and has competed in the league since the conference ' s establishment in 1896 . The Wildcats have won eight Big Ten titles . History . 1876 - 1921 : Beginnings . Football made its debut at Northwestern University on February 22 , 1876 during an exhibition game between NU students and the Chicago Football Club . Despite the fact that there was no organized league , there was a growing interest for football on Northwestern ' s campus . Until Northwestern ' s first intercollegiate game against Lake Forest in 1882 , football was played entirely as an intramural sport . From 1882 to 1887 , the team mostly practiced and did not play teams outside of NU . In 1891 , with the popularity of football increasing , Sheppard Field — complete with a grandstand — was built at Northwestern and dedicated in 1892 . Also in 1892 , the university chose royal purple as the school ' s official color , and the team recorded its first significant win , beating Michigan 10 - 8 . In 1896 , along with six other schools , Northwestern became a charter member of the Western Conference , the predecessor of the Big Ten . NU ' s first conference season was a huge success , posting a 46 - 6 win against then - powerhouse University of Chicago and finished second to Wisconsin . The team ' s success in 1896 carried through the turn of the century . From 1899 - 1902 , the Wildcats were 25 - 16 - 4 under Coach Charles Hollister . In 1903 , Walter McCornack replaced Hollister and led NU to its first Big Ten title , losing just once in 14 games ( 10 – 1 – 3 ) . Of note , the season included scoreless ties against Chicago and Notre Dame NU would add Carlisle great Jimmy Johnson as a graduate student in 1904 , a season in which Northwestern posted eight shutout wins . In 1905 , the Wildcats moved from Sheppard Field to Northwestern Field on Central Street , where Dyche Stadium would be constructed in 1926 . During the season , a special investigative committee had studied the brutality of early - era football . Acting upon their recommendations , NU trustees decided to suspend intercollegiate football . The school did not field a varsity football team in 1906 or 1907 . Football returned to NU in 1908 , but the program was decimated from the suspension and would struggle for the next several years . Promise returned with the arrival of Northwestern ' s first true star , John " Paddy " Driscroll in 1915 . Driscoll was a triple threat player : a decent passer , a spectacular runner , and could drop kick and punt with precision . Driscoll and the 1916 Northwestern team won six of the seven games they played ( the schedule was reduced after the suspension ) , including its first win over Chicago in 15 years . Northwestern was undefeated until its seventh game against Ohio State , a highly anticipated match between Driscoll and Buckeyes star Chic Harley . Ohio State won 23 - 3 , costing NU a Big Ten title . After Driscoll ' s career , the team declined during the World War I years . 1922 - 1926 : The Glenn Thistlethwaite era . Following a winless 1921 season , Northwestern set up a committee to investigate the problem with Northwestern ' s football team . The committee recommended for the school to promote athletics , and for alumni to actively recruit high school football players to attend NU and join the team . Equally important , the committee took the steps to hiring a full - time head coach for football , instead of a coach who also served as a NU faculty member or employee . Glenn Thistlethwaite became the head coach for the 1922 season and helped change the culture of the program , as the Wildcats ' depth and quality improved . Another key factor to NU ' s gridiron improvement was the leadership of NU President Walter Dill Scott Scott , who was a guard on NU ' s football team as an undergrad during the 1890s , was a strong supporter of athletics . Of importance , Scott helped raise money for a new football facility , Dyche Stadium . The 1924 team , led by center Tim Lowry and triple threat halfback Ralph Baker , was very competitive and finished with a 4 – 4 record . In fact , the team ' s performance against Chicago earned NU the nickname " Wildcats " after " Chicago Sun - Times " writer Wallace Abbey wrote that Chicago was stopped by a " wall of Purple Wildcats . " In 1925 , Northwestern pulled off a huge upset against Michigan , winning 3 - 2 at Soldier Field . The three points were the only points scored against the Wolverines who posted shut out wins in every other game that season . The following season , the Wildcats celebrated their inaugural season at Dyche Stadium by sharing the 1926 Western Conference Title with Michigan . 1927 - 1934 : The Dick Hanley era . Richard E . " Dick " Hanley was the head coach for the Wildcats for eight years , starting in 1927 . Through these eight years , he complied a record of 36 – 26 – 4 , which is a winning percentage of . 576 . This ranks him third at Northwestern in total wins , sixth in winning percentage , and first in winning percentage out of coaches with at least five years . The Wildcats were able to win a share of the Western Conference title in both 1930 and 1931 , tying with Michigan and Michigan / Purdue , respectively . In both seasons , NU finished fourth in the final Dickinson rankings . 1935 - 1946 : The Pappy Waldorf era . Lynn O . " Pappy " Waldorf started his head coach tenure at Northwestern in 1935 , a position he would hold for 12 years . The 12 years are the most of any Northwestern head coach . During these years , NU complied a record of 49 – 45 – 7 , which ranks Waldorf first in total wins and total ties . In his very first season at Northwestern , Waldorf was named college football ' s first national coach of the year . In his second season , he took Northwestern to the Western Conference crown and a # 7 ranking in the final AP poll . While at Northwestern , Waldorf also convinced future legend Otto Graham to try out for football . 1947 - 1954 : The Bob Voigts era . Robert W . " Bob " Voigts became the head coach of NU starting in 1947 . The lone highlight of Voigts ' coaching career at NU came in his second season , in which he led the Wildcats to a 8 - 2 record . Northwestern finished second in the conference and played in their first bowl game , the Rose Bowl . The Wildcats defeated California , 20 – 14 . As of the 2011 season , this remains Northwestern ' s only bowl win . NU finished 7th in the final AP poll . During these years , Northwestern compiled a record of 33 – 39 – 1 . 1955 - 1963 : The Ara Parseghian era . In Lou Saban ' s only year as head coach , the Wildcats had a winless season with a 0 – 8 – 1 record . The following year , Ara Parseghian was named head coach . During his tenure , NU compiled a record of 36 – 35 – 1 , with winning seasons from 1958 to 1960 and 1962 to 1963 . 1964 - 1972 : The Alex Agase era . Alex Agase ' s head coaching career at Northwestern did not begin well , with the Wildcats finishing no higher than 6th in the conference in his first five years , and compiling losing records in his first six . In the 1970 and 1971 seasons , Northwestern finished second in the Big Ten , with overall records of 6 – 4 and 7 – 4 . However , the following year , Northwestern would begin a streak of failure , achieving a record of 2 – 9 . Agase would finish his career at Northwestern with a record of 32 – 58 – 1 , which ranks first in total losses . 1972 - 1994 : Years of futility . Northwestern ' s decline began in 1972 , with a 2 – 9 season , and the Wildcats failed to win more than four games through 1975 . After Northwestern beat Wyoming on September 15 , 1979 , the Wildcats began a streak of notority , and lost their remaining games on the season . Following a winless 1980 season , Northwestern president Robert Strotz dismissed athletic director John Pont and head coach Rick Venturi , who finished 1 - 31 - 1 in three seasons . During the offseason , Stanford offensive coordinator Dennis Green was hired to replace Venturi , becoming the first black coach in the history of the Big Ten Green was unable to prevent the team from setting the NCAA Division I record for consecutive losses during the 1981 season . A 61 - 14 loss to Michigan State was the Wildcats ' 29th loss in a row , breaking its shared record with Kansas State and Virginia . At the close of the game , Northwestern students rushed the field to " celebrate , " and chanted " we ' re the worst ! " . Finally , on September 25 , 1982 , " the Streak " ended at 34 consecutive games with a win over Northern Illinois . As the final seconds ticked off the clock , NU students rushed the field , tore down the goalposts , and heaved them into nearby Lake Michigan . Northwestern ' s former woes were in part due to the indifference of the school ' s administration in the 1970s and early 1980s , which resulted in a lower level of talent than that found at larger , public institutions . Northwestern is the lone private school in the Big Ten , and at 8 , 200 undergraduates , it is by far the smallest ( by comparison , the second smallest school , Iowa , has almost 21 , 000 undergraduates ) . 1995 - 1998 : The Gary Barnett era . During the 1995 season , under head coach Gary Barnett and the trio of quarterback Steve Schnur , running back Darnell Autry , and linebacker Pat Fitzgerald , Northwestern accomplished one of the most dramatic one - season turnarounds in college football history . " Expect Victory " was the motto , even as Northwestern began the season as 28 - point underdogs . A shocking 17 - 15 season - opening win over the heavily favored Notre Dame Fighting Irish , along with other unbelievable wins over Michigan ( 19 - 13 ) and Penn State ( 21 - 10 ) , catapulted the team into the national spotlight and made them media darlings . Northwestern achieved a ranking of # 3 in the nation and their first Big Ten title since 1936 . The span of 59 years between titles is the longest in the history of the Big Ten Conference . They faced off against USC in the Rose Bowl - - only the second bowl appearance in school history . The Cinderella season came to an abrupt halt with the Wildcats losing 41 - 32 . The subsequent 1996 season lived up to expectations , with the Wildcats repeating as Big Ten Champions ( sharing the title with Ohio State ) . The team was nicknamed the " Cardiac Cats " for many dramatic , last second victories , including a 17 - 16 comeback over the University of Michigan . Down 16 - 0 entering the fourth quarter , the Wildcats scored 17 unanswered points , culminating with heart - stopping fourth down conversions and a last second field goal to complete the comeback . They earned an invitation to the Citrus Bowl , only to come up short against the Peyton Manning - led University of Tennessee , 48 - 28 . Due to Barnett ' s success at Northwestern , he became a hot coaching commodity . Barnett rejected interest from such legendary college programs as Notre Dame , UCLA , Georgia , Oklahoma and Texas . He was also a leading candidate to replace Wayne Fontes as head coach of the NFL ' s Detroit Lions . Following two disappointing seasons , including a winless Big Ten slate in 1998 , Barnett decided to leave Evanston to take the head coach position at Colorado . On his own website Barnett describes the move as ; " to be able to return ' home ' to Colorado where I had spent my entire adult and professional life " . 1999 - 2005 : The Randy Walker era . After Barnett was signed away by the Colorado Buffaloes following the 1998 season , Coach Randy Walker ( formerly of Miami University in Ohio ) was called to lead the team . Coincidentally , it was Coach Walker ' s Miami Redhawks , who handed NU their only regular season loss during the miracle 1995 season . Coach Walker , a former standout tailback at Miami University , placed special emphasis on developing Northwestern ' s offense , especially at the running back position . Walker ran a conventional pro style offense during the 1999 season , which resulted in a 3 - 8 record . Following the season Coach Walker and offensive coordinator , Kevin Wilson , visited Rich Rodriguez and Tommy Bowden at Clemson to learn from the offense that they were running . He also made a trip to meet with Mike Martz from the St . Louis Rams to pick up ideas . Coach Walker adapted the more passing based spread offenses to implement his desire to run the ball effectively . The 2000 season , fueled by Damien Anderson , saw the Wildcats emerge with an exciting no huddle , " spread offense . " The spread offense employed many wide receivers to spread out the defense , thus allowing more cracks in the defense for running or passing plays . A 54 - 51 shootout victory over the University of Michigan led commentators to dub it " basketball on grass . " That game became an ESPN Instant Classic and was representative of the season , which saw frequent high scores and dramatic finishes . The high - scoring offense usually was enough to overcome the porous defense , and the Wildcats earned their third Big Ten title in six years ( co - champions ) . Anderson also finished second nationally in rushing yards ( behind LaDanian Tomlinson ) . However , the Wildcats were blown out by the Nebraska Cornhuskers in the Alamo Bowl 66 - 17 . Coach Walker ' s offense revolutionized college football . In 2001 , after being named head coach at Bowling Green , Urban Meyer , had his staff visit Evanston to learn from Walker and Wilson . There is little that Meyer is running at Florida in 2008 that Northwestern was not already running in 2000 . The 2001 brough high expectations for the Wildcat program . The offense returned 10 of 11 starters . The untimely death of defensive back Rashidi Wheeler , during preseason workout drills , cast a cloud over the season . The Wildcats suffered a number of close losses in route to a disappointing 4 - 7 record . The Wildcats did not make the postseason again until December 26 , 2003 , when they lost to Bowling Green by a score of 28 - 24 in the Motor City Bowl . In 2004 , the Wildcats beat then - ranked # 6 Ohio State in overtime to garner their first win over the Buckeyes since 1971 , but that victory was the season ' s only national highlight . The 2005 season was Northwestern ' s best since 2000 , finishing 7 - 5 and ending up ranked # 25 in the BCS poll . The team appeared in the AP and Coaches ' polls for the first time since October 2001 . The Wildcats earned an invitation to the Sun Bowl , only to lose to UCLA , 50 - 38 . 2006 - Present : The Pat Fitzgerald era . Randy Walker died unexpectedly on June 29 , 2006 of an apparent heart attack at the age of 52 . Pat Fitzgerald ( seen by many before the tragedy as Walker ' s eventual successor once his contract expired ) was promoted from linebackers coach and recruiting coordinator to head coach on July 7 , 2006 . Walker ' s death was not the team ' s only loss ; the Wildcats also had to replace their offensive coordinator , offensive line coach , and Brett Basanez , the team ' s former four - year starter at quarterback and holder of dozens of school records . Hence , the 2006 season was a departure from the previous years ' successes . The season began with a win at Miami University , Walker ' s alma mater , an emotional game that featured several tributes to the late coach . However , the season went downhill from there . The low point was the October 21 home loss to Michigan State , in which the Spartans staged the largest comeback in Division I - A history . A win against Illinois in the final game gave the Wildcats a 4 - 8 record for the year and saved them from finishing last in the Big Ten . Before the beginning of the 2007 season , Northwestern showed potential for improvement upon last year ' s record . ESPN . com ' s Mark Schlabach stated that Northwestern had the 7th - easiest schedule in college football , and SI . com ' s Steve Megargee claimed that Indiana was the only Big Ten school with an easier schedule . Running back Tyrell Sutton was one of 64 players in college football to be put on the Maxwell Award watch list for the nation ' s best college football player . The Wildcats began the season with their first shutout since 1997 in a 27 - 0 win against the Northeastern Huskies . On October 7 , quarterback C . J . Bacher broke Brett Basanez ' s school record for single - game passing yards by throwing for 520 yards in a victory over Michigan State . Bacher went on to be named the Walter Camp National Offensive Player of the Week , as well as the Big Ten Conference Offensive Player of the Week . Another strong performance in a win against Minnesota earned Bacher Big Ten Conference Offensive Player of the Week honors for the second week in a row . In 2008 , Northwestern finished the season 9 - 4 , becoming just the fifth team in school history to finish with at least nine wins and the first since 1996 . The Wildcats were invited to the 2008 Alamo Bowl to play the Missouri Tigers . However , they lost 23 - 20 in an overtime thriller . Northwestern finished the 2009 season 8 - 5 . Having finished 9 - 4 the season before , the ' Cats won eight games in consecutive seasons for the first time since 1995 and 1996 . The Wildcats were invited to the 2010 Outback Bowl vs . the Auburn Tigers . It was their first January bowl since 1997 . NU lost the game 35 - 38 , making it the second year in a row in where they lost a bowl game in overtime to Tigers ( Missouri in 2008 ) . In 1928 , Northwestern added a unique sleeve - stripe pattern to its jerseys : a narrow stripe , over a wide center stripe , over a narrow stripe . The jersey was considered one of the first modern football uniforms , and was soon replicated across football . The sleeve striping was such a fixture of the program that the pattern eventually became known as " Northwestern stripes . " Northwestern stripes have not always appeared on NU football jerseys , though the team ' s current uniforms sport the pattern . Even before the Wildcats became the official school nickname for NU , a caged live bear cub named Furpaw was the team ' s mascot . In 1923 , however , the team had a bad season and decided the mascot was bad luck . During the following season , the nickname Wildcats was officially adopted by the university after the teams defense was described as a " wall of Purple wildcats " by " Chicago Sun - Times " writer Wallace Abbey . Previously , the team was either known as the Purple or the Fighting Methodists . In 1933 , the NU athletic department and an ad agency , created the first image of Willie the Wildcat , though he did not come to life until 1947 when Alpha Delta fraternity members dressed up as the mascot . Since 1992 , when Barnett decided to move the team ' s preseason practices off - campus , NU has conducted Camp Kenosha , its preseason camp on the campus of University of Wisconsin – Parkside in Kenosha , WI . Starting with the 1995 season , the clockface of the Rebecca Crown Tower on the NU campus would change from white to purple following an NU win . Since the 1997 season , if the Wildcats win their final game of the season , the clock will remain purple for the entire off - season . In the past few years , the tradition has been expanded to honor championships in other NU varsity sports including lacrosse and tennis . The students and the Northwestern University Wildcat Marching Band generally sit in one section near the goal line . The cheerleaders and marching band lead the students with certain cheers , such as " Go U , NU , " and " Let ' s go ' Cats ! " In a tradition called the " Growl " , started by the marching band in the 1960s , the students extend their arms and make a claw with their hands like that of a wildcat while screaming to intimidate and confuse opposing teams ' offenses . Northwestern students also sing the fight song after scoring . The " Alma Mater " ( the traditional school song , different from the fight song , " Go U Northwestern " ) is usually sung at the end of the game and played by the marching band at halftime Cheerleaders , along with Willie the Wildcat and the marching band ' s " Spirit Team " , perform push - ups after every touchdown , equal to Northwestern ' s cumulative score . While lots of mascots do push - ups after touchdowns , the unique aspect at NU is that the student section will follow suit , usually hoisting selected fellow students up into the air while in the stands , counting out the number of NU points on the scoreboard . Other notable traditions include the jiggling of keys before every kickoff . This action plays on Northwestern ' s academic rigors , and is meant to symbolize that regardless of how the game turns out , the opposing school ' s graduates will eventually be parking the cars of the Northwestern students . The generic " State School " chant is also employed . Before the 4th quarter of Northwestern football games a video screen plays the song " Put Your Hands Up in the Air " by Danzel , preceded by an announcement by a local celebrity . Celebrity announcers have included Pat Fitzgerald , Brian Urlacher , Mike Ditka , and Patrick Kane . Rivalries . Current Rivalries . University of Illinois . The Illinois Fighting Illini are the Wildcats ' most natural rival . The series dates back to 1892 and the two schools have played annually since 1927 , with the Illini holding a 46 - 52 - 5 overall advantage . In April 2010 , a deal was reached for the annual rivalry game to be played at Wrigley Field on November 20 , 2010 . Since 2009 , the schools have competed for the Land of Lincoln Trophy . From 1947 through 2008 , the teams competed for the Sweet Sioux Tomahawk Trophy , since retired as part of a ruling by the NCAA requiring Illinois to purge Native American imagery from their athletics . The origins of the trophy derived from a wooden cigar store Indian named Sweet Sioux , which was stolen and replaced by a tomahawk . The Sweet Sioux Tomahawk permanently remains in Evanston . The NU - Illinois rivalry was protected during the Big Ten divisional alignment and the two schools will continue to meet as a protected crossover on an annual basis , similar to Michigan - Ohio State . Inactive Rivalries . Notre Dame . Starting in the 1920s , Northwestern and Notre Dame played for a Shillelagh until the mid 1970s . The trophy game was created at the behest of Knute Rockne , who wanted a rivalry in the Chicago area to help build Notre Dame ' s fan base in the area . NU and ND stopped playing regularly after the 1970s , though the rivalry was renewed from 1992 - 1995 . When NU stunned Notre Dame as a 28 - point underdog in 1995 , the " Chicago Sun - Times " billed it as the " Upset of the Century . " . The two schools have not met since ; Notre Dame holds the all - time advantage 37 - 8 - 2 . The two schools will renew their rivalry in a two game series beginning with Northwestern traveling to South Bend in 2014 followed by Notre Dame traveling to Evanston in 2018 . University of Chicago . From 1897 - 1926 Northwestern forged an intense rivalry with the University of Chicago during the early years of the program . Northwestern and Chicago share the city of Chicago - representing the " north side " and the " south side , " respectively . They were also the only two private institutions in the Big Ten and are both considered elite universities with especially strong academic and professional rivalries in economics , business , medicine , and law . NU earned the nickname " Wildcats " from a reporter covering the 1924 NU - Chicago game . The final game of the series , a 38 - 7 NU win , helped transfer the Chicago football focus from the Maroons to the Wildcats , where it remained until the Chicago Bears gained popularity in the mid - 1950s Awards and achievements . National and Big Ten awards as per the Big Ten Conference . List of All - Americans . List of First Team All - Americans List per NU Athletics Individual Big Ten honors . Chicago Tribune Silver Football . Five players from Northwestern have won the Chicago Tribune Silver Football Academic awards and achievements . American Football Coaches Association . Academic Achievement Award presented to the top FBS football program for graduation rate : 1998 , 2002 , 2004 , 2005 , 2007 CoSIDA Academic All - America . Academic All - Americans as determined by the College Sports Information Directors of America National Football Foundation and College Football Hall of Fame . National Scholar - Athlete Award Earning the nickname " Cardiac Cats " . The Wildcats have been nicknamed the " Cardiac ' Cats " after several seasons with highly contested games , with games decided in the final seconds or in overtime . The team first earned the nickname during the 1996 season , and would go on to apply during the 2004 season , when four of the Wildcats ' games went into overtime .