Butler University Football: A Legacy of Bulldogs and Gridiron Glory
Butler University's football program boasts a rich and storied history, marked by defining moments, passionate rivalries, and a tenacious Bulldog spirit. From its humble beginnings in the late 19th century to its current standing in the NCAA Division I Football Championship Subdivision (FCS), Butler football has consistently demonstrated a commitment to excellence and a deep connection to the Indianapolis community.
Early Days and the Birth of the Bulldogs
The genesis of Butler football can be traced back to the spring of 1884, when Butler and DePauw clashed in Indiana's inaugural intercollegiate football game. This historic contest, held at the old 7th Street Baseball Grounds, saw Butler senior John F. Stone create the rules of the game, blending association (soccer) rules with eastern intercollegiate rules to form the western intercollegiate rules. These rules were subsequently published by Charles Mayer of Indianapolis, solidifying Butler's place in the early development of the sport.
Initially, Butler's athletic teams were known as the "Christians," a moniker that reflected the university's founding as North Western Christian University in 1855. However, a string of defeats during the 1919 football season led to growing dissatisfaction with the nickname. Serendipitously, a bulldog named Shimmy, the mascot of a Butler fraternity, wandered into the Collegian office around this time. This chance encounter sparked an idea. The next edition of the school paper featured a prominent cartoon depicting Shimmy, labeled "Butler," taking a bite out of the seat of a figure labeled John the Baptist. And just like that, Shimmy became the first "Butler Bulldog" mascot in 1919.
Shimmy's legacy was continued by a succession of unofficial-official live English Bulldog mascots, cared for by Butler students, fraternity members, and even student-athletes' parents. This tradition of a live mascot eventually faded in the 1970s, but the Bulldog spirit remained.
Rise to Prominence and Conference Championships
Following the move from the College Division to NCAA Division II, Butler's football program experienced a period of sustained success under the guidance of Bill Sylvester Sr., winning four consecutive conference championships from 1972 to 1975, and another in 1977.
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The Bulldogs continued their winning ways after joining the Heartland Collegiate Conference (HCC), capturing league titles in 1983, 1985, and three straight from 1987 to 1989, under coach Bill Lynch. Further conference realignment saw Butler and fellow HCC members join with the Great Lakes Valley Conference to form the Midwest Intercollegiate Football Conference (now the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference). Butler added back-to-back league titles in 1991 and 1992 with Bob Bartlameo at the helm, including a trip to the NCAA Division II playoffs in 1991.
Transition to Division I FCS and the Pioneer Football League
The 1990s marked a significant transition for Butler football, as the program moved up to NCAA Division I-AA (now Division I FCS) in 1993. Under the guidance of Ken LaRose, Butler joined with Dayton, Drake, Evansville, and San Diego to form the Pioneer Football League (PFL), in which Butler still competes. The Bulldogs capped their decade of dominance, seven league titles in ten years with three playoff berths, by winning another conference championship in 1994.
The Voris Era and a New Era of Success
In 2006, Jeff Voris took over as head coach, ushering in a new era of success for Butler football. Voris led the Bulldogs to the 2009 Pioneer Football League title, compiling a 7-1 league record and an 11-1 season overall. This PFL title earned the Bulldogs a berth in the Gridiron Classic, their first postseason appearance since 1991 when they were still a Division-II football program. Butler defeated Central Connecticut State 28-23 to win the Gridiron Classic in Indianapolis. In 2012 the Bulldogs rattled off seven consecutive league victories to secure a share of the PFL Championship, their third PFL Championship and second in the last four years.
The Hoosier Helmet: A Symbol of Rivalry
The Hoosier Helmet was created prior to the 2006 season to commemorate the football rivalry that has existed since 1921. The helmet trophy was created to further intensify the rivalry between these two teams. A group of Butler players, along with their head coach, Jeff Voris, came up with the idea for the helmet. The white helmet is mounted on a hardwood plaque and features each team's logo on respective sides of the helmet. A gold plate is added each year to commemorate the winner and score of the contest. Currently, Butler holds a 9-3 series lead when playing for the Hoosier Helmet.
Facilities: The Bud and Jackie Sellick Bowl
Butler's football team plays its home games at the Bud and Jackie Sellick Bowl, originally built in 1927 and known as the Butler Bowl until 2017. The original stadium had seating for 36,000 and hosted games versus the likes of the Four Horsemen from Notre Dame and Red Grange from Illinois. The Bowl was downsized to a 20,000-seat stadium in 1955 with the addition of the Hilton U. Brown Theatre, and is the home field for Butler football and soccer today. A 2006 renovation of the stadium included seating for 7,500, larger sidelines, and field turf, allowing it to host football, soccer, and other events. The new Student Apartment Housing overlooks the stadium on the east end, with the original seating on the west side of the stadium. New lighting was completed in 2011 and was utilized for the first time during the 2012 season. New seating and the new entrance on the south end of the stadium were completed in time for the 2013 season.
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A Legacy of Excellence
Butler University's football program has a proud history of success, marked by conference championships, postseason appearances, and a commitment to developing student-athletes both on and off the field. From its early days as the "Christians" to its current identity as the "Bulldogs," Butler football has consistently embodied the values of hard work, dedication, and sportsmanship. As the program continues to evolve and compete in the Pioneer Football League, it remains a source of pride for the Butler University community and a testament to the enduring power of college football.
Other sports achievements
Basketball
Prior to the development of the NCAA tournament, Butler claimed the AAU national championship in 1924 and the national championship John J. McDevitt trophy by the Veteran Athletes of Philadelphia. The Bulldogs reached postseason play for the first time in 1958, and the team's first victory in postseason play came the following year when the Bulldogs made it to the NIT Quarterfinals. The bulldogs qualified for the NCAA Division 1 Men's Basketball Tournament for the first time in 1962. Until moving to the "high-major" Big East Conference in 2013, the Butler basketball program had been considered one of the best "mid-major" basketball programs, having won at least 20 games and reached postseason play twelve of the last fourteen seasons, including appearances in nine NCAA tournaments where the Bulldogs reached the Sweet Sixteen in 2003 and 2007, as well as back-to-back Final Four and championship game appearances in 2010 and 2011. Since the start of the 2006-07 season, the Bulldogs have earned a 15-8 record against members of the BCS conferences, including a 7-2 record against the Big Ten. The Bulldogs' recent accomplishments include winning the 2001 BP Top of the World Classic, the 2006 NIT Season Tip-Off, the 2007 Great Alaska Shootout and the 2010 Diamond Head Classic. Individual honors include the selection of Butler junior guard AJ Graves as a Wooden Award National Player of the Year finalist in men's college basketball in 2007, the same year Head Coach Todd Lickliter was named the National Coach of the Year by the National Association of Basketball Coaches after winning the award for mid-season National Coach of the Year. In 2008, Senior Mike Green was the Chip Hilton Player of the Year Award Winner. In 2010 the Bulldogs made it to the Championship game, in Indianapolis, for the first time in school history. Sophomore Gordon Hayward entered the NBA draft and was a lottery pick by the Utah Jazz. The women's basketball program at Butler University began in the 1975-76 season, competing in the Association for Intercollegiate Athletics for Women (AIAW), and saw its first winning season two years later, earning a 9-5 record under the direction of coach Linda Mason. The Bulldogs played in the AIAW National Tournament for the first time in 1982, falling in the second round to William Penn, 77-94. The Bulldogs qualified for Division I post-season play for the first time in 1993, competing in the WNIT, and competed in the NCAA Division I women's basketball tournament for the first time in 1996. Their last post-season appearance in the 1990s was in the WNIT in 1998.
Other sports
Men's soccer at Butler began in 1989, and the women's team was added in 1991. In the program's 20-year history, the men's soccer team has made five post-season appearances, acquiring a 3-5 record in post-season play. The Bulldogs' last post-season appearance was in 2009. Butler's men's soccer qualified for the NCAA tournament in 1995, 1997, 1998, 2001 and 2009, reaching the round of 16 in 1995 and 1998. Butler won the Horizon League (formerly MCC) tournament title in 1995, 1997, 1998, 2001 and 2010. They also won or shared the regular season title seven times, including 1994, 1996, 1998, 2004, 2008, 2009, and 2010. The Butler baseball team has been led since 2017 by Head Coach Dave Schrage. The program's success includes Horizon League regular season championships in 1996, 1998, and 1999, as well as Horizon League tournament titles in 1998 and 2000, providing berths to the NCAA Division I Baseball Championships. The Bulldogs also had 34 win seasons in 2002 and 2003, surpassing the 30 win season totals in 1998 and 2000. Notable alumni of the program include middle reliever pitcher Pat Neshek (2001), who played for the Minnesota Twins from 2006 to 2010, the St. The Butler softball team has been led by Scott Hall for the last 5 seasons. In his first season, he set a new school record with 14 inner conference wins and a new record with 4 tournament game wins which tied the school record for best league finish in the 2010-2011 season. They have a notable assistant coach in Jenna Grim whom was a professional softball Player for the Chicago Bandits and an assistant with Northwestern University for two years. Her key responsibilities in the program are to work with the pitching staff and catchers. The other assistant coach is Jack Lewis who brings in over 30 years of coaching experience. Butler softball plays at the Butler Softball Field as their home field. Some of Butler's most notable athletic accomplishments have come in Cross Country. Butler won thirteen Horizon League Championships in Men's Cross Country and twelve Women's Championships. Both the men and women won the Atlantic 10 Championships in 2012, their lone year in the conference. The Men's team has placed as high as 4th in the nation in recent years, earning a team trophy at the NCAA Division I championships in 2004. The women also earned an NCAA podium finish, placing 3rd in 2013. Both teams have frequently qualified for nationals in recent years, placing individuals as high as 3rd (Mark Tucker, 2003). All-Americans from the Butler Cross Country Team include Julius Mwangi, Justin Young, Fraser Thompson (a Rhodes Scholar), Mark Tucker, Olly Laws, Andrew Baker, Callum Hawkins, Mara Olson, Katie Clark, Erik Peterson, Olivia Pratt, and Euan Makepeace.
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