Northern Colorado Bears football
The Northern Colorado Bears football program is the intercollegiate American football team for the University of Northern Colorado located in Greeley, Colorado. The team competes in the Big Sky Conference at the NCAA Division I Football Championship Subdivision level. The university's first football team was fielded in 1893. The team plays its home games at the 8,533 seat Nottingham Field on campus. The Bears are coached by Ed McCaffrey.
Conference affiliations
Below is the list of conferences in which Northern Colorado has been a member.- Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference
- Great Plains Athletic Conference
- NCAA Division II independent
- North Central Conference
- Great West Football Conference
- Big Sky Conference
Championships
National championships
Northern Colorado made two appearances in the NCAA Division II National Championship Game. The Bears defeated Carson–Newman, 23–14 in 1996, and later defeated New Haven, 51–0 in 1997.| 1996 | II | Joe Glenn | 12–3 | 1996 Division II National Championship | Carson–Newman | W 23–14 | Florence, AL |
| 1997 | II | Joe Glenn | 13–2 | 1997 Division II National Championship | New Haven | W 51–0 | Florence, AL |
Playoff appearances (NCAA Division II)
The Bears have appeared in the NCAA Division II playoffs six times with an overall record of 12–7.| 1980 | First Round | Eastern Illinois | L 14–21 |
| 1990 | First Round | North Dakota State | L 7–17 |
| 1991 | First Round | Portland State | L 24–28 |
| 1995 | First Round | Pittsburg State | L 17–36 |
| 1996 | First Round Quarterfinals Semifinals Finals | Pittsburg State NW Missouri State Clarion Carson-Newman | W 24–21 W 27–26 W 19–18 W 23–14 |
| 1997 | First Round Quarterfinals Semifinals Finals | Pittsburg State NW Missouri State Carson-Newman New Haven | W 24–16 W 35–19 W 30–29 W 51–0 |
| 1998 | First Round Quarterfinals | North Dakota NW Missouri State | W 52–28 L 17–42 |
| 1999 | First Round Quarterfinals | Pittsburg State NW Missouri State | - |
| 2002 | First Round Quarterfinals Semifinals | Central Missouri State NW Missouri State Grand Valley | W 49–28 W 23–12 L 7–44 |
Attendance
Highest attendance
Below is a list of the Bears best-attended home games at Nottingham Field.| Rk. | Date | Opponent | Attendance |
| Highest attendance | - | - | - |
| 1 | October 1, 2005 | Cal Poly | 9,145 |
| 2 | October 29, 2005 | Fort Lewis | 8,561 |
| 3 | October 2, 2010 | Montana | 8,105 |
| 4 | September 3, 2005 | Colorado School of Mines | 7,554 |
| 5 | October 23, 1998 | South Dakota | 7,520 |
| 6 | October 9, 1999 | Nebraska-Omaha | 7,499 |
| 7 | November 21, 1998 | North Dakota | 7,312 |
| 8 | September 20, 1998 | Texas State | 7,246 |
| 9 | October 19, 2002 | South Dakota | 7,198 |
| 10 | October 10, 1998 | South Dakota | 7,135 |
As of the 2014 season.
Yearly attendance
Source:Below is the Bears home attendance by season at Nottingham Field.
| Season | Total | Average | High |
| Northern Colorado Bears | - | - | - |
| 2018 | 25,293 | 4,215 | 5,672 |
| 2017 | 21,917 | 4,383 | 5,378 |
| 2016 | 24,477 | 4,895 | 5,476 |
| 2015 | 25,612 | 4,269 | 5,205 |
| 2014 | 21,037 | 4,207 | 6,348 |
| 2013 | 23,990 | 3,998 | 4,619 |
| 2012 | 21,240 | 4,248 | 5,136 |
| 2011 | 23,428 | 3,905 | 5,692 |
| 2010 | 27,919 | 5,584 | 8,105 |
| 2009 | 21,111 | 3,518 | 5,247 |
| 2008 | 21,676 | 4,355 | 7,246 |
| 2007 | 20,441 | 4,088 | 6,684 |
| 2006 | 28,857 | 6,219 | 4,810 |
| 2005 | 37,549 | 7,510 | 9,142 |
| 2004 | 27,370 | 4,562 | 6,481 |
| 2003 | 28,730 | 5,746 | 6,660 |
| 2002 | 34,898 | 5,816 | 7,198 |
| 2001 | 26,153 | 4,359 | 5,488 |
| 2000 | 29,162 | 6,352 | 4,860 |
| 1999 | 46,552 | 6,650 | 7,520 |
| 1998 | 40,690 | 5,813 | 7,312 |
| 1997 | 25,302 | 4,217 | 6,345 |
| 1996 | 27,282 | 4,547 | 6,318 |
| 1995 | 25,067 | 4,364 | 7,024 |
As of the 2015 season.