View source for Gardner–Webb Runnin' Bulldogs football

{{Short description|Intercollegiate American football team}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=September 2024}}{{Infobox college football team
| CurrentSeason = 2024 Gardner–Webb Runnin' Bulldogs football team
| TeamName = Gardner–Webb Runnin' Bulldogs football
| Image = Gardner-Webb Athletic Wordmark - full'22.jpg
| ImageSize = 250
| FirstYear = {{Start date and age|1970}}
| AthleticDirector = [[Andrew T. Goodrich]]
| HeadCoach = [[Cris Reisert]]
| HeadCoachYear = 1st
| HCWins = 4
| HCLosses = 8
| Stadium = [[Ernest W. Spangler Stadium]]
| StadCapacity = 9,000
| StadSurface = [[Artificial turf|Turf]]
| Location = [[Boiling Springs, North Carolina]]
| NCAAdivision = I FCS
| Conference = [[Big South–OVC Football Association|Big South–OVC]]
| ATWins = 270
| ATLosses = 309
| ATTies = 2
| ConfTitles = 6
| AllAmericans =
| uniform =
| FightSong =
| MascotDisplay =
| MascotLink =
| MarchingBand = The Sounds of the Springs
| WebsiteName = gwusports.com
| WebsiteURLv= http://www.gwusports.com/
}}
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 [[NCAA Division I Football Championship Subdivision|Division I FCS]] and are members of the [[Big South–OVC Football Association]].<ref name="record">{{cite web| title=Gardner-Webb Historical Data| publisher=[[College Football Data Warehouse]]| url=http://cfbdatawarehouse.com/data/div_iaa/bigsouth/gardner_webb/index.php| access-date=February 13, 2014| archive-date=March 28, 2014| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140328100945/http://cfbdatawarehouse.com/data/div_iaa/bigsouth/gardner_webb/index.php| url-status=dead}}</ref> 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]].
==History==
{{See also|List of Gardner–Webb Runnin' Bulldogs football seasons}}
===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==
{| class="wikitable"
{{CollegePrimaryHeader|team=Gardner–Webb Runnin' Bulldogs|Year|Coach|Conference|Overall record|Conference record}}
|-
| 1987 || rowspan="2"|[[Woody Fish]] || rowspan="2"|[[South Atlantic Conference]] || 11–2 || 6–1
|-
| 1992 || 12–2 || 7–0
|-
| 2002 || rowspan="2"|[[Steve Patton]] || rowspan="3"|[[Big South Conference]] || 9–1 || 3–0
|-
| 2003 || 8–4 || 4–0
|-
| 2022 || rowspan="2"|[[Tre Lamb]] || 7–6 || 5–0
|-
| 2023† || [[Big South–OVC Football Association]] || 7–5 || 5–1
|-align="center"
| colspan=3 style="{{CollegePrimaryStyle|Gardner–Webb Runnin' Bulldogs|border=0|color=white}}" | '''Conference Championships'''
| colspan=3 style="{{CollegePrimaryStyle|Gardner–Webb Runnin' Bulldogs|border=0|color=white}}" | '''6'''
|}
† denotes co-championship
==Playoff results==
===NAIA===
The Runnin' Bulldogs appeared in the NAIA playoffs two times, with an overall record of 3–2.
{| class="wikitable"
|-
{{CollegePrimaryHeader|team=Gardner–Webb Runnin' Bulldogs|Year|Round|Opponent|Result}}
|-
| [[1987 NAIA Division I football season#Postseason|1987]] || First Round<br>Quarterfinals || [[Moorhead State Dragons football|Moorhead State]]<br>[[Carson–Newman Eagles football|Carson–Newman]] || '''W, 27–7'''<br>L, 24–27
|-
| [[1992 NAIA Division I football season#Postseason|1992]] || Quarterfinals<br>Semifinals<br>National Championship Game || [[Concord Mountain Lions football|Concord]]<br>[[Shepherd Rams football|Shepherd]]<br>[[Central State Marauders football|Central State]] || '''W, 28–21'''<br>'''W, 22–7'''<br>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.
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
{{CollegePrimaryHeader|team=Gardner–Webb Runnin' Bulldogs|Year|Round|Opponent|Result}}
|- align="center"
| [[2022 NCAA Division I FCS football season#Postseason|2022]]
| First Round<br />Second Round
| [[2022 Eastern Kentucky Colonels football team|Eastern Kentucky]]<br />[[2022 William & Mary Tribe football team|William & Mary]]
| '''W, 52–41'''<br />L, 14–54
|-
| [[2023 NCAA Division I FCS football season#Postseason|2023]]
| First Round
| [[2023 Mercer Bears football team|Mercer]]
| L, 7–17
|}
==Notable former players==
{{see also|List of Gardner–Webb Runnin' Bulldogs in the NFL draft}}
Notable alumni include:
* [[Jim Garrison (American football)|Jim Garrison]] - American football head coach
* [[Bobby Hopkins]] - American football player and world champion arm-wrestler, [[Tampa Bay Bandits]] (1983)
* [[Gabe Wilkins]] - [[Defensive tackle|DT]], [[Green Bay Packers]] (1994–1997), [[San Francisco 49ers]] (1998–1999)<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.nfl.com/player/gabewilkins/2503655/profile|title = Gabe Wilkins Stats, News and Video - DE| website=[[NFL.com]] }}</ref>
* [[Cole Proctor]] – NFL Scout with [[Tennessee Titans]] and [[Arizona Cardinals]]
== Future non-conference opponents ==
Future non-conference opponents announced as of January 19, 2023.<ref name="nonconfopp">{{cite web| title=Gardner–Webb Runnin' Bulldogs Football Future Schedules|publisher=FBSchedules.com|url=https://fbschedules.com/ncaa/gardner-webb/|access-date=January 19, 2023}}</ref>
{| class="wikitable"
|-
{{CollegePrimaryHeader|team=Gardner–Webb Runnin' Bulldogs|2023|2024|2025|2026|2027|2028}}
|-
| at [[Appalachian State Mountaineers football|Appalachian State]]
| at [[James Madison Dukes football|James Madison]]
| at [[Western Carolina Catamounts football|Western Carolina]]
|
|
| at [[The Citadel Bulldogs football|The Citadel]]
|-
| [[Elon Phoenix football|Elon]]
| at [[Charlotte 49ers football|Charlotte]]
| at [[Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets football|Georgia Tech]]
|
|
|
|-
| at [[East Carolina Pirates football|East Carolina]]
|
| [[The Citadel Bulldogs football|The Citadel]]
|
|
|
|-
| at [[Austin Peay Governors football|Austin Peay]]
|
| at [[Ohio Bobcats football|Ohio]]
|
|
|
|-
| [[Eastern Kentucky Colonels football|Eastern Kentucky]]
|
|
|
|
|
|}
==References==
{{reflist}}
==External links==
* {{Official website|https://gwusports.com/sports/football}}
{{Gardner–Webb Runnin' Bulldogs football navbox}}
{{Big South Conference football navbox}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Gardner-Webb Runnin' Bulldogs Football}}
[[Category:Gardner–Webb Runnin' Bulldogs football| ]]
[[Category:American football teams established in 1970]]
[[Category:1970 establishments in North Carolina]]
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