Bethune–Cookman Wildcats football

{{Use mdy dates|date=September 2024}}{{Infobox NCAA football school

| TeamName = Bethune–Cookman Wildcats football

| CurrentSeason = 2024 Bethune–Cookman Wildcats football team

| Image = Bethune–Cookman Wildcats logo.svg

| ImageSize = 150

| HeadCoach = Raymond Woodie Jr.

| HeadCoachYear = 3rd

| HCWins = 5

| HCLosses = 18

| Stadium = Daytona Stadium

| StadCapacity = 10,000

| StadSurface = Artificial turf

| Conference = SWAC

| FirstYear = {{Start date and age|1925}}

| Location = Daytona Beach, Florida

| NCAAdivision = I FCS

| WebsiteName = bcuathletics.com

| WebsiteURL = https://bcuathletics.com/sports/football

| ATWins = 505

| ATLosses = 348

| ATTies = 26

| BowlWins =

| BowlLosses =

| Playoffs =

| NatlTitles = 2 (Black College): 2010, 2013

| UnNatlTitles = 2 (Black College): 2002, 2012

| ConfTitles = 14

| Heismans =

| AllAmericans =

| uniform =

| FightSong = Let's Go Wildcats

| Rivalries = Florida A&M

| MascotDisplay = Wil D Cat

| MarchingBand = The Marching Wildcats

}}

The Bethune–Cookman Wildcats football team represents Bethune–Cookman University in the sport of college football. The Wildcats compete in the Division I Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA). Starting with the fall 2021 season, they compete in the East Division of the Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC), after having been members of the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) since 1979.{{cite press release|url=https://swac.org/news/2020/6/25/general-swac-announces-addition-of-bethune-cookman-as-full-member.aspx |title=SWAC Announces Addition of Bethune-Cookman as Full Member |publisher=Southwestern Athletic Conference |date=June 25, 2020 |access-date=June 27, 2020}} They play their home games at Daytona Stadium. The Wildcats have won two black college football national championships and seven MEAC titles in the history of their football program.

History

=Classifications=

1956–1972: NCAA College Division
1973–1979: NCAA Division II
1980–present: NCAA Division I–AA/FCS

=Conference memberships=

1925–1945: Independent
1946–1949: Southeastern Athletic Conference
1950–1979: Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference
1979–2020: Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference
2021–present: Southwestern Athletic Conference

Conference championships

class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" {{CollegePrimaryHeader\|team=Bethune-Cookman Wildcats\|Year\|Conference\|Overall record\|Conference record\|Head coach}} \| 1942	SEAC	6–1	6–1	Preston Peterson
align="center" \| 1947	SEAC	10–2	0–0	Bunky Matthews
align="center" \| 1952	SIAC	9–1	5–1	Bunky Matthews
align="center" \| 1973	SIAC	9–2	5–0	Cy McClairen
align="center" \| 1975	SIAC	10–1	4–1	Charles W. Moore
align="center" \| 1976	SIAC	9–2	4–1	Andy Hinson
align="center" \| 1984	MEAC	7–3	4–0	Larry Little
align="center" \| 1988*	MEAC	5–6	4–2	Larry Little
align="center" \| 2002	MEAC	11–2	7–1	Alvin Wyatt
align="center" \| 2010*	MEAC	10–2	7–1	Brian Jenkins
align="center" \| 2012	MEAC	8–3	8–0	Brian Jenkins
align="center" \| 2013*	MEAC	10–3	5–1	Brian Jenkins
align="center" \|2014*	MEAC	9–3	6–2	Brian Jenkins
align="center" \|2015*	MEAC	9–2	7–1	Terry Sims
align="center" \| colspan=2 style="{{CollegePrimaryStyle\|Bethune–Cookman Wildcats\|border=0\|color=white}}" \| Total \| colspan=3 style="{{CollegePrimaryStyle\|Bethune–Cookman Wildcats\|border=0\|color=white}}" \| 14
colspan=5 \| * Denotes a tie for first place and conference co-champion

Black college football national championships

The Wildcats have won two black college football national championships.

class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" {{CollegePrimaryHeader\|team=Bethune-Cookman Wildcats\|Year\|Conference\|Overall record\|Conference record\|Head coach}}
align="center" \| 2010	MEAC	10–2	7–1	Brian Jenkins
align="center" \| 2013	MEAC	10–3	5–1	Brian Jenkins
align="center" \| colspan=2 style="{{CollegePrimaryStyle\|Bethune–Cookman Wildcats\|border=0\|color=white}}" \| Total \| colspan=3 style="{{CollegePrimaryStyle\|Bethune–Cookman Wildcats\|border=0\|color=white}}" \| 2

Postseason appearances

=Bowl Games=

Bethune–Cookman has participated in eight bowl games, with the Wildcats garnering a record of 6–4.{{cite web|url=https://bcuathletics.com/documents/2021/12/6/Coaching_Records_Updated_12_21_.pdf|title=Bethune–Cookman records|website=BCUAthletics.com}}

class="wikitable"
{{CollegePrimaryHeader\|team=Bethune–Cookman Wildcats\|Season\|Coach\|Bowl\|Opponent\|Result}}
1945	Preston Peterson	Coconut Bowl	Albany State	W 32–0
1946	Preston Peterson	Coconut Bowl	Columbia Sports Club	W 13–0
1946	Bunky Matthews	Lions Bowl	Grambling	L 47–6
1947	Bunky Matthews	Flower Bowl	Lane	W 6–0

=Playoff appearances=

==NCAA Division I-AA/FCS==

The Wildcats have appeared in the I-AA/FCS playoffs five times with an overall record of 0–5.

class="wikitable"
{{CollegePrimaryHeader\|team=Bethune-Cookman Wildcats\|Year\|Round\|Opponent\|Result}}
align="center" \| 2002	First Round	Georgia Southern	L 0–34
align="center" \| 2003	First Round	Florida Atlantic	L 24–32
align="center" \| 2010	Second Round	New Hampshire	L 20–45
align="center" \| 2012	First Round	Coastal Carolina	L 14–24
align="center" \| 2013	First Round	Coastal Carolina	L 24–48

==NCAA Division II==

The Wildcats appeared in the Division II playoffs one time, with an overall record of 0–1.

class="wikitable"

{{CollegePrimaryHeader|team=Bethune-Cookman Wildcats|Year|Round|Opponent|Result}}

align="center"

| 1977

Quarterfinals

UC Davis

L, 16–34

Alumni in the NFL

Over 31 Bethune–Cookman alumni have played in the NFL,{{cite web| url = https://www.pro-football-reference.com/colleges/bethunecookman/| title = Bethune-Cookman Players/Alumni {{!}} Pro-Football-Reference.com| website = Pro-Football-Reference.com}} including:

Pro Football Hall of Fame

One former BCU football player has been inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

style="text-align:center;" class="wikitable"
style="{{CollegePrimaryStyle\|Bethune-Cookman Wildcats\|border=0\|color=white}}" \| Year inducted	Player	POS	Seasons at BCU	NFL team(s)	Years with NFL team(s)
rowspan="2"\|1993	rowspan="2"\|Larry Little	rowspan="2"\|G	rowspan="2"\|1963–1966	San Diego Chargers	\|1967–1968
Miami Dolphins	1969–1980

Buck Buchanan Award

The Buck Buchanan Award is given to the most outstanding defensive player in Division I FCS. In 2002, Rashean Mathis of Bethune–Cookman won the award.{{Cite web |title=College Football Awards: Buck Buchanan Award Winners |url=https://eatdrinkandsleepfootball.com/ncaa/awards/player/buck-buchanan.html |access-date=2023-07-11 |website=EDSFOOTBALL}} Mathis holds the NCAA FCS/ I-AA records for most interceptions in a season (14), most interceptions during a career (31), most yards on interception returns in a season (455), and most yards on interception returns in a career (682).{{Cite web |title=Football Championship Subdivision Records |url=http://fs.ncaa.org/Docs/stats/football_records/2019/FCS.pdf |access-date=2023-07-11 |website=NCAA}}

Future non-conference opponents

Announced schedules as of March 12, 2025{{cite web|title=Future Bethune–Cookman Wildcats Football Schedules|publisher=FBSchedules.com|url=https://fbschedules.com/ncaa/bethune-cookman/|access-date=March 12, 2025}}

class="wikitable"

{{CollegePrimaryHeader|team=Bethune–Cookman Wildcats|2025|2026|2028}}

at FIU

| at UCF

| at USF

at Miami (FL)

| at USF

at South Carolina State

Edward Waters