Butler Bulldogs football
The Butler Bulldogs football program is the intercollegiate American football team for Butler University located in the U.S. state of Indiana. The team competes in the NCAA Division I Football Championship Subdivision and is a member of the Pioneer Football League. Butler's first football team was fielded in 1887. The team plays its home games at the 7,500 seat Bud and Jackie Sellick Bowl in Indianapolis. The Bulldogs are coached by Kevin Lynch.
History
Classifications
- 1962–1972: NCAA College Division
- 1973–1992: NCAA Division II
- 1993–present: NCAA Division I–AA/FCS
Conference memberships
- 1884–1915: Independent
- 1916–1917: Indiana College Athletic League
- 1918–1931: Independent
- 1932–1933: Missouri Valley Conference
- 1934–1947: Indiana Intercollegiate Conference
- 1947–1949: Mid-American Conference
- 1951–1989: Indiana Collegiate Conference
- 1990–1992: Midwest Intercollegiate Football Conference
- 1993–present: Pioneer Football League
Notable former players
Notable alumni include:- Bill Lynch
- Arnold Mickens
- Chris Salvi
- Joseph "The Gentle Giant" Holzmer
- David "Mr. Automatic" Lang
Playoff appearances
NCAA Division I-AA/FCS playoffs
The Bulldogs have appeared in the FCS playoffs once, with an overall record of 0–1.| 2013 | First Round | Tennessee State | L, 0–31 |
NCAA Division II playoffs
The Bulldogs made three appearances in the Division II playoffs, with a combined record of 0–3.| 1983 | Quarterfinals | UC Davis | L, 6–25 |
| 1988 | First Round | Tennessee–Martin | L, 6–23 |
| 1991 | First Round | Pittsburg State | L, 16–26 |
PFL Gridiron Classic results
From 2006 through 2009, the PFL and Northeast Conference staged the Gridiron Classic, an exempted postseason football game that matched the champions of the two conferences which were technically members of Division I FCS, but which were not the recipients of automatic invitations to the football championship playoff at the time. The Bulldogs appeared in the PFL Gridiron Classic once, with an overall record of 1–0.| 2009 | Central Connecticut | W, 28–23 |
Future non-conference opponents
Announced schedules as of January 23, 2026.| Georgetown (KY) | at Northern Iowa |
| at Montana State | |
| Franklin College (IN) | |
| Chicago State |