When did Northwestern last make bowl game? Wildcats hoping to add to bowl history
NCAAF College Football News, Photos, Stats, Scores, Schedule & Videos...
As the college football season rolls into November, Northwestern football finds itself one step closer to crossing off a season goal.
The Wildcats, who are responsible for one of the biggest upsets this college football season with their Week 7 upset win at Penn State, enter Week 11 of the season still one win away from becoming bowl-eligible for the second time in the David Braun era in Evanston, Illinois.
Becoming bowl-eligible isn’t a given for any FBS team, as it typically requires a team to win at least six games in a 12-game regular season schedule. It has been historically more difficult for Northwestern, with the Wildcats having only 17 bowl game appearances since they fielded their first team in 1876.
(Though that is also due, in part, to the Big Ten’s policy from 1946 through 1974 that allowed only one bowl-eligible team per year).
Northwestern’s first attempt at punching its ticket to the postseason is 9 p.m. ET on Friday, Nov. 7 when it travels out to LA Memorial Coliseum to take on No. 21 USC. The Wildcats also face No. 20 Michigan, Minnesota and Illinois to round out the season.
Here’s what to know on Northwestern’s bowl game eligibility history, including its record in bowl games:
When was the last time Northwestern was bowl-eligible?
If Northwestern can win at least one more game this season, the Wildcats would be bowl eligible for the first time since their 8-5 season in 2023.
The Wildcats defeated Utah 14-7 in the Las Vegas Bowl for the first bowl win under Braun, who was elevated to full-time coach in November of that season after starting in an interim role. Quarterback Ben Bryant completed 23 of 34 passes for 222 yards and a pair of touchdowns in the win over the Utes, while the Wildcat defense forced three turnovers.
Northwestern bowl game appearances, record, history
- Northwestern football bowl game record: 7-10
Northwestern holds a 7-10 record in 17 bowl game appearances in program history, with the Wildcats winning their most recent trip in 2023.
The Wildcats’ first bowl appearance and win came in the 1949 Rose Bowl, when they beat California 20-14. Northwestern wouldn’t reach another bowl game until the 1996 Rose Bowl against Southern California, and wouldn’t win another postseason game until the 2013 Gator Bowl against Mississippi State, which snapped a nine-game bowl game losing skid.
Since that game, Northwestern has gone 6-1 in bowl games, which includes a five-game bowl streak that dates back to the 2016 Pinstripe Bowl against Pitt. Here’s a look at how Northwestern has fared in bowl games in its program history, according to the Wildcats’ media guide:
Note: Outcome and opponent in parentheses
- 1948: Rose Bowl: Northwestern 20, Cal 14
- 1996 Rose Bowl: USC 41, Northwestern 32
- 1997 Citrus Bowl: Tennessee 48, Northwestern 28
- 2000 Alamo Bowl: Nebraska 66, Northwestern 17
- 2003 Motor City Bowl: Bowling Green 28, Northwestern 24
- 2005 Sun Bowl: UCLA 50, Northwestern 38
- 2008 Alamo Bowl: Missouri 30, Northwestern 23
- 2010 Outback Bowl: Auburn 38, Northwestern 35
- 2011 TicketCity Bowl: Texas Tech 45, Northwestern 38
- 2011 Meineke Car Care Bowl: Texas A&M 33, Northwestern 22
- 2013 Gator Bowl: Northwestern 34, Mississippi State 20
- 2016 Outback Bowl: Tennessee 45, Northwestern 6
- 2016 Pinstripe Bowl: Northwestern 31, Pitt 24
- 2017 Music City Bowl: Northwestern 24, Kentucky 23
- 2018 Holiday Bowl: Northwestern 31, Utah 20
- 2021 Citrus Bowl: Northwestern 35, Auburn 19
- 2023 Las Vegas Bowl: Northwestern 14, Utah 7
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: When was last time Northwestern football was bowl-eligible?
More at NCAAF College Football News, Photos, Stats, Scores, Schedule & Videos