Cal State Northridge Matadors football
The Cal State Northridge Matadors football team represented California State University, Northridge in the sport of American football from the 1962 through 2001 seasons. Between 1962 and 1992, Cal State Northridge competed at the NCAA Division II level prior to moving to Division I-AA in 1993. The Matadors played their home games at multiple stadiums throughout their history, with the most recent being North Campus Stadium in Northridge, California.
Until 1972, the school's name was "San Fernando Valley State College." The team disbanded after 2001 due to budget concerns, with the cost of the program outweighing a department that was thousands of dollars in the red. The scholarships were honored by the school.
Conference championships
The Matadors won three conference championships in their time playing college football.| [1981 Cal State Northridge Cal State Northridge Matadors|Matadors football team|1981] | Tom Keele | California Collegiate Athletic Association | 6–4–1 | 2–0 |
| 1983† | Tom Keele | Western Football Conference | 6–4 | 2–1 |
| 1990† | Bob Burt | Western Football Conference | 7–4 | 4–1 |
† denotes shared championship.
Playoff appearances
NCAA Division II playoffs
The Matadors made one appearance in the Division II playoffs, with a combined record of 0-1.| 1990 | First Round | Cal Poly | L, 7–14 |
Notable players
- Sherdrick Bonner
- Joe Rice
- Eric Treibatch
- Lon Boyett
- Daved Benefield
- Marcus Brady
- D.J. Hackett
- Armando Diaz
- Aaron Arnold
- Doug Jones (American football)
- Chris Parker
- Alo Sila
- Bryan Wagner
- Keith Watkins
- Bruce Lemmerman
- Melvin Wilson
- Andrew Amerson
- Derek Sage
- Pat Cerruti
- Kip Dukes
- Mario Hull