Adrian Bulldogs football
| Adrian Bulldogs football | |
|---|---|
 | |
| First season | 1892 |
| Athletic director | Craig Rainey |
| Head coach | Joe Palka 2nd season, 6–4 (.600) |
| Stadium | Docking Stadium (capacity: 3,000) |
| Year built | 2006 |
| Field surface | FieldTurf |
| Location | Adrian, Michigan |
| NCAA division | Division III |
| Conference | MIAA |
| Past conferences | MOCC |
| Colors | Black and gold[1] |
| Mascot | Bulldogs |
| Website | adrianbulldogs.com |
The Adrian Bulldogs football team represents Adrian College in college football at the NCAA Division III level. The Bulldogs are members of the Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association (MIAA), fielding its team in the MIAA since 1937. The Bulldogs play their home games at Docking Stadium in Adrian, Michigan.
Their head coach is Joe Palka, who took over the position for the 2024 season.[2]
Championships
[edit]Conference championships
[edit]Adrian claims 18 conference titles, the most recent of which came in 2014.
| Year | Conference | Overall Record | Conference Record | Coach |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1911 | Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association | 7–1 | 3–1 | Tom Leith |
| 1930 | Michigan-Ontario Collegiate Conference | 5–4 | N/A | Dale R. Sprankle |
| 1931[3] | 5–4 | 4–0 | ||
| 1932†[4] | 2–6–1 | 2–0–1 | ||
| 1933†[5] | 5–3–1 | N/A | ||
| 1934 | 3–5–1 | N/A | ||
| 1935[6] | 7–3 | 3–0 | ||
| 1936[7] | 3–7 | N/A | Frank Ballenger | |
| 1970† | Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association | 6–3 | 4–1 | William C. Davis |
| 1971† | 5–4 | 4–1 | ||
| 1972† | 5–4 | 4–1 | ||
| 1980 | 9–0 | 5–0 | Tom Heckert Sr. | |
| 1983 | 8–2 | 5–0 | Ron Labadie | |
| 1988† | 7–3 | 4–1 | ||
| 1989† | 5–4 | 4–1 | ||
| 1997† | 8–1 | 5–1 | Jim Lyall | |
| 2012 | 9–2 | 6–0 | Jim Deere | |
| 2014 | 8–3 | 5–1 |
† Co-champions
Postseason games
[edit]NCAA Division III playoff games
[edit]Adrian has appeared in the Division III playoffs four times, with an overall record of 0–4.
| Year | Round | Opponent | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1983 | Quarterfinal | Augustana (IL) | L, 21–22 |
| 1988 | First Round | Augustana (IL) | L, 7–25 |
| 2012 | First Round | Franklin (IN) | L, 10–42 |
| 2014 | First Round | Mount Union | L, 3–63 |
List of head coaches
[edit]References
[edit]- ^ "Adrian College Brand Guidelines" (PDF). Retrieved September 17, 2019.
- ^ Wickliffe, Greg (November 17, 2023). "'Tough to say goodbye': Joe Palka bids farewell as Saline's football coach". MLive. Retrieved December 3, 2023.
- ^ "Assumption To Play at Flint". The Border Cities Daily Star. Windsor, Ontario. November 17, 1931. p. 3, section 2. Retrieved December 27, 2024 – via Newspapers.com
.
- ^ "Vindal Elected M. O. C. Official". The Battle Creek Enquirer and The Evening News. Battle Creek, Michigan. November 17, 1932. p. 13. Retrieved December 27, 2024 – via Newspapers.com .
- ^ "M.-O. Circuit Heads Convene". The Battle Creek Moon-Journal. Battle Creek, Michigan. November 20, 1933. p. 6. Retrieved December 27, 2024 – via Newspapers.com .
- ^ "Michigan College Season Is Ended". The Grand Rapids Press. Grand Rapids, Michigan. Associated Press. November 25, 1935. p. 17. Retrieved December 27, 2024 – via Newspapers.com .
- ^ "Kalamazoo, Undefeated, Wins Title". The New-Palladium. Benton Harbor, Michigan. Associated Press. November 9, 1936. p. 8. Retrieved March 22, 2024 – via Newspapers.com .
