Bridgewater State Bears football


The Bridgewater State Bears football team represents Bridgewater State University in college football at the NCAA Division III level. The Bears are members of the Massachusetts State Collegiate Athletic Conference, fielding its team in the MASCAC since 2013. The Bears play their home games at Swenson Field in Bridgewater, Massachusetts.
The Bridgewater State football team has been one of the most successful athletic teams at the school since the program was started in 1960. Bridgewater State is a member of the MASCAC, which will sponsor football for the first time in its history beginning in 2013. Bridgewater State was formerly a founding member of the New England Football Conference from 1965 to 2012. The new MASCAC football conference will consist of nine schools. These member schools are Bridgewater State University, Fitchburg State University, Framingham State University, Massachusetts Maritime Academy, Westfield State University, Worcester State University, Plymouth State University, UMass-Dartmouth, and Western Connecticut State University. Bridgewater State will begin MASCAC play in 2013.
Their head coach is Joe Verria, who took over the position for the 2016 season.
WWW bsubears.com/sports/fball...

History

Known as Bridgewater Normal, the team played throughout the 1890s and 1920s before being disbanded in 1925. In 1959, athletic director and basketball coach Ed Sweeney announced that football would return as a varsity sport after students voluntarily taxed themselves seven dollars per year to fund the restart of the team.
The team began play in 1960 with a four-game schedule.
Head coach Chuck Denune recently completed his 11th season at the helm in 2015. In 2012, the Bears ended the regular season with a 9–1 record and qualified for the NCAA Division III National Tournament with an at-large bid for the third time in the program's history. Bridgewater State also qualified for the NCAA Division III National Tournament in 1999 and 2000. The Bears lost in the first round of the 2012 NCAA Division III Tournament to Widener University of West Chester, Pennsylvania by a score of 44–14. The Bears football team finished the 2012 season with a 9–2 overall record and finished in 2nd place in the New England Football Conference standings. Bridgewater also hosted the 2011 Eastern College Athletic Conference Northeast Bowl and competed against Alfred University. Unfortunately, the Bears lost 41–10, and finished the 2011 season with a 7–4 record.
The most successful head football coach in Bridgewater State's history is Peter Mazzaferro. Coach Mazzaferro was the head football coach at Bridgewater from 1968 to 2004 and is one of the most successful Division III football coaches in history. During his coaching tenure, he led the Bears to 2 NCAA D-III National Tournament appearances, 8 NEFC League Championships, 3 MASCAC Championships, and 2 ECAC Postseason appearances. With an overall coaching record of 209–157–11, Mazzaferro is the 57th winningest coach in NCAA College Football history, and he is regarded as a coaching legend in the New England region and is further regarded as one of the greatest Division III college football coaches of all time.

Conference affiliations

Championships

Conference championships

Bridgewater State claims 7 conference titles, the most recent of which came in 2023.
1989New England Football Conference9–16–0Peter Mazzaferro
1992New England Football Conference9–1–18–0Peter Mazzaferro
1997†New England Football Conference7–37–1Peter Mazzaferro
1999New England Football Conference10–16–0Peter Mazzaferro
2000New England Football Conference8–35–1Peter Mazzaferro
2016Massachusetts State Collegiate Athletic Conference8–38–0Joe Verria
2023†Massachusetts State Collegiate Athletic Conference7–37–1Joe Verria

† Co-champions

Division championships

Bridgewater State claims 7 division titles, the most recent of which came in 2008.
† Co-champions

Postseason games

NCAA Division III playoff games

Bridgewater State has appeared in the Division III playoffs four times, with an overall record of 0–4.
1999First RoundUrsinusL, 38–43
2000First RoundHobartL, 0–25
2012First RoundWidenerL, 14–44
2016First RoundAlfredL, 27–33

Bowl games

Bridgewater State has participated in nine bowl games, and has a record of 4–5.
1989Peter MazzaferroECAC BowlAlfredL 27–30
1992Peter MazzaferroECAC BowlRPIL 25–28
2005Chuck DenuneECAC BowlFitchburg StateW 34–17
2006Chuck DenuneECAC BowlCoast GuardW 41–22
2007Chuck DenuneECAC BowlPlymouth StateL 21–24
2011Chuck DenuneECAC BowlAlfredL 10–41
2015Chuck DenuneECAC BowlCarnegie MellonL 13–48
2018Joe VerriaNew England BowlSalve ReginaW 34–19
2022Joe VerriaNew England BowlCatholicW 34–24

Notable former players