Northwestern

FBS

Big Ten · Evanston, Chicago, Illinois

568-709-40

All-time

0.431

Win %

National titles

Conf titles

Major bowls

Playoff apps

Weeks at #1

Heismans

Rivalries

Illinois-Northwestern RivalryIllinois

Greatest games

Northwestern's top games of all time by Game Score.

#	Date	Season	Bowl	Match	Designation	Game Score
1	Oct 31, 1936	1936		#3 Northwestern 6-0 #1 Minnesota Dyche Stadium, Chicago, Illinois Conf Game	Conf Game	1.28
2	Nov 13, 1948	1948		#8 Northwestern 7-12 #2 Notre Dame Notre Dame Stadium, South Bend, Indiana		0.89
3	Jan 1, 1949	1948	Rose Bowl	#7 Northwestern 20-14 #4 California Rose Bowl, Los Angeles, California Major Bowl	Major Bowl	0.89
4	Nov 2, 1940	1940		#8 Northwestern 12-13 #4 Minnesota Dyche Stadium, Chicago, Illinois Conf Game	Conf Game	0.83
5	Oct 3, 1959	1959		#2 Northwestern 14-10 #5 Iowa Iowa Stadium, Iowa City, Iowa Conf Game	Conf Game	0.78
6	Nov 1, 1941	1941		#9 Northwestern 7-8 #1 Minnesota Minnesota Memorial Stadium, Minneapolis, Minnesota Conf Game	Conf Game	0.75
7	Oct 18, 1941	1941		#5 Northwestern 7-14 #6 Michigan Dyche Stadium, Chicago, Illinois Conf Game	Conf Game	0.72
8	Oct 9, 1948	1948		#3 Northwestern 19-16 #8 Minnesota Dyche Stadium, Chicago, Illinois Conf Game	Conf Game	0.72
9	Nov 7, 1959	1959		#2 Northwestern 19-24 #9 Wisconsin Dyche Stadium, Chicago, Illinois Conf Game	Conf Game	0.72
10	Oct 29, 1938	1938		#12 Northwestern 6-3 #2 Minnesota Dyche Stadium, Chicago, Illinois Conf Game	Conf Game	0.71

Season by season (major seasons)

Year	School	Record	Conference	Div	Conf	Champ App	Conf Champ	AP	Coach	High	Bowl
2026	Northwestern	0-0	Big Ten
2025	Northwestern	7-6	Big Ten		4-5						GameAbove Sports Bowl (W)
2024	Northwestern	4-8	Big Ten		2-7
2023	Northwestern	8-5	Big Ten	West	5-4						Las Vegas Bowl (W)
2022	Northwestern	1-11	Big Ten	West	1-8
2021	Northwestern	3-9	Big Ten	West	1-8
2020	Northwestern	7-2	Big Ten	West	6-2	✓		#10	#10	#10	Citrus Bowl (W)
2019	Northwestern	3-9	Big Ten	West	1-8
2018	Northwestern	9-5	Big Ten	West	8-1	✓		#21	#19	#20	Holiday Bowl (W)
2017	Northwestern	10-3	Big Ten	West	7-2			#17	#17	#17	Music City Bowl (W)
2016	Northwestern	7-6	Big Ten	West	5-4						Pinstripe Bowl (W)
2015	Northwestern	10-3	Big Ten	West	6-2			#23	#22	#12	Outback Bowl (L)
2014	Northwestern	5-7	Big Ten	West	3-5
2013	Northwestern	5-7	Big Ten	Legends	1-7					#16
2012	Northwestern	10-3	Big Ten	Legends	5-3			#17	#16	#17	Gator Bowl (W)
2011	Northwestern	6-7	Big Ten	Legends	3-5						Meineke Car Care Bowl of Texas (L)
2010	Northwestern	7-6	Big Ten		3-5						TicketCity Bowl (L)
2009	Northwestern	8-5	Big Ten		5-3						Outback Bowl (L)
2008	Northwestern	9-4	Big Ten		5-3					#22	Alamo Bowl (L)
2007	Northwestern	6-6	Big Ten		3-5
2006	Northwestern	4-8	Big Ten		2-6
2005	Northwestern	7-5	Big Ten		5-3					#21	Sun Bowl (L)
2004	Northwestern	6-6	Big Ten		5-3
2003	Northwestern	6-7	Big Ten		4-4						Motor City Bowl (L)
2002	Northwestern	3-9	Big Ten		1-7
2001	Northwestern	4-7	Big Ten		2-6					#14
2000	Northwestern	8-4	Big Ten		6-2		★			#12	Alamo Bowl (L)
1999	Northwestern	3-8	Big Ten		1-7
1998	Northwestern	3-9	Big Ten		0-8
1997	Northwestern	5-7	Big Ten		3-5					#22
1996	Northwestern	9-3	Big Ten		7-1		★	#15	#16	#10	Citrus Bowl (L)
1995	Northwestern	10-2	Big Ten		8-0		★	#8	#7	#3	Rose Bowl (L)MajorBA
1994	Northwestern	3-7-1	Big Ten		2-6
1993	Northwestern	2-9	Big Ten		0-8
1992	Northwestern	3-8	Big Ten		3-5
1991	Northwestern	3-8	Big Ten		2-6
1990	Northwestern	2-9	Big Ten		1-7
1989	Northwestern	0-11	Big Ten		0-8
1988	Northwestern	2-8-1	Big Ten		2-5-1
1987	Northwestern	2-8-1	Big Ten		2-6
1986	Northwestern	4-7	Big Ten		2-6
1985	Northwestern	3-8	Big Ten		1-7
1984	Northwestern	2-9	Big Ten		2-7
1983	Northwestern	2-9	Big Ten		2-7
1982	Northwestern	3-8	Big Ten		2-7
1981	Northwestern	0-11	Big Ten		0-9
1980	Northwestern	0-11	Big Ten		0-9
1979	Northwestern	1-10	Big Ten		0-9
1978	Northwestern	0-10-1	Big Ten		0-8-1
1977	Northwestern	1-10	Big Ten		1-8
1976	Northwestern	1-10	Big Ten		1-7
1975	Northwestern	3-8	Big Ten		2-6
1974	Northwestern	3-8	Big Ten		2-6
1973	Northwestern	4-7	Big Ten		4-4
1972	Northwestern	2-9	Big Ten		1-8
1971	Northwestern	7-4	Big Ten		6-3					#19
1970	Northwestern	6-4	Big Ten		6-1					#18
1969	Northwestern	3-7	Big Ten		3-4
1968	Northwestern	1-9	Big Ten		1-6
1967	Northwestern	3-7	Big Ten		2-5
1966	Northwestern	3-6-1	Big Ten		2-4-1
1965	Northwestern	4-6	Big Ten		3-4
1964	Northwestern	3-6	Big Ten		2-5
1963	Northwestern	5-4	Big Ten		3-4					#4
1962	Northwestern	7-2	Big Ten		4-2				#16	#1
1961	Northwestern	4-5	Big Ten		2-4
1960	Northwestern	5-4	Big Ten		3-4					#6
1959	Northwestern	6-3	Big Ten		4-3					#2
1958	Northwestern	5-4	Big Ten		3-4				#17	#4
1957	Northwestern	0-9	Big Ten		0-7
1956	Northwestern	4-4-1	Big Ten		3-3-1
1955	Northwestern	0-8-1	Big Ten		0-6-1
1954	Northwestern	2-7	Big Ten		1-5
1953	Northwestern	3-6	Big Ten		0-6					#18
1952	Northwestern	2-6-1	Big Nine		2-5
1951	Northwestern	5-4	Big Nine		2-4					#13
1950	Northwestern	6-3	Big Nine		3-3					#9
1949	Northwestern	4-5	Big Nine		3-4					#13
1948	Northwestern	8-2	Big Nine		5-1			#7		#3	Rose Bowl (W)Major
1947	Northwestern	3-6	Big Nine		2-4
1946	Northwestern	4-4-1	Big Nine		2-3-1					#6
1945	Northwestern	4-4-1	Big Nine		3-3-1					#20
1944	Northwestern	1-7-1	Big Nine		0-5-1
1943	Northwestern	6-2	Big Nine		5-1			#9		#8
1942	Northwestern	1-9	Big Nine		0-6
1941	Northwestern	5-3	Big Nine		4-2			#11		#5
1940	Northwestern	6-2	Big Nine		4-2			#8		#4
1939	Northwestern	3-4-1	Big Ten		3-2-1
1938	Northwestern	4-2-2	Big Ten		2-1-2			#17		#7
1937	Northwestern	4-4	Big Ten		3-3					#7
1936	Northwestern	7-1	Big Ten		6-0		★	#7		#1
1935	Northwestern	4-3-1	Big Ten		2-3-1
1934	Northwestern	3-5	Big Ten		2-3
1933	Northwestern	1-5-2	Big Ten		1-4-1
1932	Northwestern	3-4-1	Big Ten		2-3-1
1931	Northwestern	7-1-1	Big Ten		5-1		★
1930	Northwestern	7-1	Big Ten		5-0		★
1929	Northwestern	6-3	Big Ten		3-2
1928	Northwestern	5-3	Big Ten		2-3
1927	Northwestern	4-4	Big Ten		2-3
1926	Northwestern	7-1	Big Ten		5-0		★
1925	Northwestern	5-3	Big Ten		3-1
1924	Northwestern	4-4	Big Ten		1-3
1923	Northwestern	2-6	Big Ten		0-6
1922	Northwestern	3-3-1	Big Ten		1-3-1
1921	Northwestern	1-6	Big Ten		0-5
1920	Northwestern	3-4	Big Ten		2-3
1919	Northwestern	2-5	Big Ten		1-4
1918	Northwestern	2-2-1	Big Ten		1-1
1917	Northwestern	5-2	Big Ten		3-2
1916	Northwestern	6-1	Big Nine		4-1
1915	Northwestern	2-5	Big Nine		0-5
1914	Northwestern	1-6	Big Nine		0-6
1913	Northwestern	1-6	Big Nine		0-6
1912	Northwestern	2-3-1	Western Intercollegiate		2-3
1911	Northwestern	3-4	Western Intercollegiate		1-4
1910	Northwestern	1-3-1	Western Intercollegiate		0-2-1
1909	Northwestern	1-3-1	Western Intercollegiate		1-3
1908	Northwestern	2-2	Western Intercollegiate		0-2
1905	Northwestern	8-2-1	Western Intercollegiate		0-2
1904	Northwestern	8-2	Western Intercollegiate		1-2
1903	Northwestern	10-1-3	Western Intercollegiate		1-0-2		★
1902	Northwestern	6-6	Western Intercollegiate		0-4
1901	Northwestern	8-2-1	Western Intercollegiate		3-2
1900	Northwestern	7-2-3	Western Intercollegiate		2-1-2
1899	Northwestern	7-6	Western Intercollegiate		2-2
1898	Northwestern	9-4-1	Western Intercollegiate		0-4
1897	Northwestern	5-3	Western Intercollegiate		0-2
1896	Northwestern	6-1-2	Western Intercollegiate		2-1-1
1895	Northwestern	6-5	Independent
1894	Northwestern	4-5	Independent
1893	Northwestern	2-5-3	Independent
1892	Northwestern	6-4-2	Independent

Award winners

24 major award winners and consensus All-Americans.

Year	Player	Pos	Award
2022	Peter Skoronski	OL	Consensus All-American
2020	Brandon Joseph	DB	Consensus All-American
2020	Paddy Fisher	LB	Lott Trophy
2000	Damien Anderson	RB	Consensus All-American
1996	Pat Fitzgerald	LB	Bronko Nagurski Award
1996	Pat Fitzgerald	D	Chuck Bednarik Award
1996	Pat Fitzgerald	LB	Consensus All-American
1995	Gary Barnett	Coach	AFCA Coach of the Year Award
1995	Pat Fitzgerald	LB	Bronko Nagurski Award
1995	Pat Fitzgerald	D	Chuck Bednarik Award
1995	Pat Fitzgerald	LB	Consensus All-American
1995	Darnell Autry	RB	Heisman Finalist
1962	Jack Cvercko	G	Consensus All-American
1959	Ron Burton	B	Consensus All-American
1945	Max Morris	E	Consensus All-American
1943	Otto Graham	QB	Heisman Finalist
1940	Alf Bauman	T	Consensus All-American
1936	Steve Reid	G	Consensus All-American
1935	Lynn Waldorf	Coach	AFCA Coach of the Year Award
1931	Dallas Marvil	T	Consensus All-American
1931	Jack Riley	T	Consensus All-American
1931	Pug Rentner	B	Consensus All-American
1930	Frank Baker	E	Consensus All-American
1926	Ralph Baker	B	Consensus All-American