The Gardner–Webb Runnin' Bulldogs football program is the intercollegiate American football team for Gardner–Webb University in the U.S. state of North Carolina. The team competes in the Division I FCS and are members of the Big South–OVC Football Association.[2] Gardner–Webb's first football team was fielded in 1970. The team plays its home games at the 9,000-seat Ernest W. Spangler Stadium in Boiling Springs, North Carolina. The Runnin' Bulldogs are coached by Cris Reisert.
| Gardner–Webb Runnin' Bulldogs | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| |||
 | |||
| First season | 1970 | ||
| Athletic director | Andrew T. Goodrich | ||
| Head coach | Cris Reisert 1st season, 0–0 (–) | ||
| Stadium | Ernest W. Spangler Stadium (capacity: 9,000) | ||
| Field surface | Turf | ||
| Location | Boiling Springs, North Carolina | ||
| NCAA division | Division I FCS | ||
| Conference | Big South–OVC Football Association | ||
| All-time record | 270–309–2 (.466) | ||
| Conference titles | 6 | ||
| Colors | Red and black[1] | ||
| Marching band | The Sounds of the Springs | ||
| Website | GWUSports.com | ||
History
Classifications
- 1970–1992: NAIA Division I
- 1991–1999: NCAA Division II
- 2000–present: NCAA Division I-AA/FCS
Conference affiliations
- Independent (1946–1951)
- NAIA Independent (1952–1974)
- South Atlantic Conference (1975–1999)
- NCAA Division I-AA Independent (2000–2001)
- Big South Conference (2002–2022)
- Big South–OVC Football Association (2023–present)
Conference championships
| Year | Coach | Conference | Overall record | Conference record | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1987 | Woody Fish | South Atlantic Conference | 11–2 | 6–1 | |
| 1992 | 12–2 | 7–0 | |||
| 2002 | Steve Patton | Big South Conference | 9–1 | 3–0 | |
| 2003 | 8–4 | 4–0 | |||
| 2022 | Tre Lamb | 7–6 | 5–0 | ||
| 2023† | Big South–OVC Football Association | 7–5 | 5–1 | ||
| Conference Championships | 6 | ||||
† denotes co-championship
Playoff results
NAIA
The Runnin' Bulldogs appeared in the NAIA playoffs two times, with an overall record of 3–2.
| Year | Round | Opponent | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1987 | First Round Quarterfinals | Moorhead State Carson–Newman | W, 27–7 L, 24–27 |
| 1992 | Quarterfinals Semifinals National Championship Game | Concord Shepherd Central State | W, 28–21 W, 22–7 L, 16–19 |
Division I FCS
The Runnin' Bulldogs have appeared in the NCAA Division I FCS playoffs two times, with an overall record of 1–2.
| Year | Round | Opponent | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | First Round Second Round | Eastern Kentucky William & Mary | W, 52–41 L, 14–54 |
| 2023 | First Round | Mercer | L, 7–17 |
Notable former players
Notable alumni include:
- Jim Garrison - American football head coach
- Bobby Hopkins - American football player and world champion arm-wrestler, Tampa Bay Bandits (1983)
- Gabe Wilkins - DT, Green Bay Packers (1994–1997), San Francisco 49ers (1998–1999)[3]
- Cole Proctor – NFL Scout with Tennessee Titans and Arizona Cardinals
Future non-conference opponents
Future non-conference opponents announced as of January 19, 2023.[4]
| 2023 | 2024 | 2025 | 2026 | 2027 | 2028 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| at Appalachian State | at James Madison | at Western Carolina | at The Citadel | ||
| Elon | at Charlotte | at Georgia Tech | |||
| at East Carolina | The Citadel | ||||
| at Austin Peay | at Ohio | ||||
| Eastern Kentucky |