Colgate Raiders football


The Colgate Raiders football team represents Colgate University in NCAA Division I Football Championship Subdivision college football competition as a member of the Patriot League.

History

In 1915, Colgate recorded its 100th victory with a win over Army and also beat Yale on their way to a 5–1 finish. The following season, they compiled an 8–1 record, with the lone loss coming against Yale, 7–3.
During the Great Depression, there was a proliferation of postseason benefit games to raise money for the unemployed. On December 6, 1930, Colgate traveled to New York City's Yankee Stadium to play New York University in one of these games and won, 7–0. In 1932, Colgate finished undefeated, untied and unscored upon with a 9–0 record. They outscored their opponents 234–0. Parke H. Davis selected the 1932 Red Raiders to share the national championship. They did not, however, receive an invitation to the 1933 Rose Bowl, and as such, have been referred to as "undefeated, untied, unscored upon, and uninvited." The team was considered as a candidate to play in the first Sugar Bowl in January 1935 but the honor went to Temple University.
In 1982, Colgate football was relegated from the Division I-A to Division I-AA level. Since then, the team has advanced to the playoffs numerous times. In 2003, Colgate advanced to the Division I-AA final, having won 15 straight games that season, becoming the first and only Patriot League team to ever do so. There, the Raiders lost to Delaware, 40–0. Two Raiders have received the Walter Payton Award for most outstanding player in Division I-AA: Kenny Gamble in 1987 and Jamaal Branch in 2003.

Classifications

  • 1937–1972: NCAA University Division
  • 1972–1977: NCAA Division I
  • 1978–1981: NCAA Division I–A
  • 1982–present: NCAA Division I–AA/FCS

Conference memberships

  • 1890–1972: Independent
  • 1973–1977: Division I Independent
  • 1978–1981: Division I–A Independent
  • 1982–1985: Division I–AA Independent
  • 1986–present: Patriot League

Division I-AA/FCS Playoffs results

The Raiders have appeared in the I-AA/FCS playoffs 11 times with a record of 7–11.
1982 [NCAA Division I-AA football season#Postseason|1982]First Round
Quarterfinals		Boston University
Delaware		W 21–7
L 13–20
1983First RoundWestern CarolinaL 23–24
1997First RoundVillanovaL 28–49
1998First RoundGeorgia SouthernL 28–49
1999First RoundIllinois StateL 13–56
2003First Round
Quarterfinals
Semifinals
National Championship Game		 Massachusetts
Western Illinois
Florida Atlantic
Delaware		W 19–7
W 28–27
W 36–24
L 0–40
2005First RoundNew HampshireL 21–55
2008 [NCAA Division I FCS football season#Postseason|2008]First RoundVillanovaL 28–55
2012First RoundWagner Seahawks football team|Wagner]L 20–31
2015First Round
Second Round
Quarterfinals		2015 [New Hampshire Wildcats football team|New Hampshire]
2015 [James Madison Dukes football team|James Madison]
2015 [Sam Houston State Bearkats football team|Sam Houston State]		W 27–20
W 44–38
L 21–48
2018Second Round
Quarterfinals		2018 [James Madison Dukes football team|James Madison]
2018 [North Dakota State Bison football team|North Dakota State]		W 23–20
L 0–35

Notable players

Future non-conference opponents

Announced schedules as of January 2, 2026.
at Central Michiganat Coloradoat Albanyat Kansasat Maine
Cornellat Cornellat Syracuse
at HarvardHarvardCornell