1940 Western State Teachers Broncos football team

{{short description|American college football season}}

{{Use mdy dates|date=August 2023}}

{{Infobox college sports team season

| year = 1940

| team = Western State Teachers Broncos

| sport = football

| image =

| image_size =

| conference = Independent

| record = 2–5

| head_coach = Mike Gary

| hc_year = 12th

| mvp = Horace Coleman

| captain = Wayne Falan

| captain2 = Harold Benge

| stadium = Waldo Stadium

| next = 1941

}}

{{1940 Midwestern college football independents records}}

The 1940 Western State Teachers Broncos football team represented Western State Teachers College (later renamed Western Michigan University) as an independent during the 1940 college football season. In their 12th season under head coach Mike Gary, the Broncos compiled a 2–5 record and were outscored by their opponents, 117 to 77.{{cite web|title=Football Records: Annual Results|publisher=Western Michigan University|access-date=July 5, 2016|url=http://www.wmubroncos.com/ViewArticle.dbml?DB_OEM_ID=4600&ATCLID=204948424}}{{cite web|title=Football Records: Year-By-Year Results - 1940 - 49|publisher=Western Michigan University|access-date=July 5, 2016|url=http://www.wmubroncos.com/ViewArticle.dbml?DB_OEM_ID=4600&ATCLID=204947771}} The team played its home games at Waldo Stadium in Kalamazoo, Michigan.{{cite web|title=Waldo Stadium |publisher=Western Michigan University |access-date=July 5, 2016 |url=http://www.wmubroncos.com/ViewArticle.dbml?ATCLID=120527 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160303165153/http://www.wmubroncos.com/ViewArticle.dbml?ATCLID=120527 |archive-date=March 3, 2016 }}

Guard Wayne Falan and guard/quarterback Harold Benge were the team captains.{{cite web|title=Football History: All-Time Captains|publisher=Western Michigan University|access-date=July 5, 2016|url=http://www.wmubroncos.com/ViewArticle.dbml?DB_OEM_ID=4600&ATCLID=204948804}} Halfback Horace Coleman received the team's most outstanding player award.{{cite web|title=Football History: Team Awards|publisher=Western Michigan University|access-date=July 5, 2016|url=http://www.wmubroncos.com/ViewArticle.dbml?DB_OEM_ID=4600&ATCLID=204950513}}

Western State was ranked at No. 267 (out of 697 college football teams) in the final rankings under the Litkenhous Difference by Score system for 1940.{{cite news|title=Final 1940 Litkenhous Ratings|newspaper=The Boston Globe|author=Dr. E. E. Litkenhous|date=December 19, 1940|page=22|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/123126338/final-1940-litkenhous-ratings/|via=Newspapers.com}}