The Ohio Bobcats football team is a major intercollegiate varsity sports program of Ohio University. The team represents the university as the senior member of the Mid-American Conference (MAC), playing at the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision level. The Bobcats have played their home games in Peden Stadium in Athens, Ohio, since 1929.
Ohio's first football game is reported in 1894, an 8–0 loss to Marietta College. Since then, the Bobcats have posted an over 500 wins over their 125-year existence and over 200 wins in their 72 years in MAC games. The Bobcats have won six MAC championships, in 1953, 1960, 1963, 1967, 1968, and 2024, and five MAC East Division championships, in 2006, 2009, 2011, 2016, and 2022. Prior to joining the MAC, the Bobcats won six Buckeye Athletic Association championships, in 1929, 1930, 1931, 1935, 1936, and 1938. During that era, "All State" Bobcat player Chris Stefan broke all collegiate records by running for an amazing 104 yards touchdown, by first faking a kick from behind his own end zone, and rushing unabated to score against Xavier of Ohio (as documented by conference officials, and reported by both AP and Ohio Press). In 1960, the Bobcats were crowned National Small College Champions after compiling a 10–0 record under Bill Hess.
The Bobcats have appeared in twelve bowl games, losing 15–14 to West Texas State in the 1962 Sun Bowl, losing 49–42 to Richmond in the 1968 Tangerine Bowl, falling 28–7 to Southern Mississippi in the 2007 GMAC Bowl, losing 21–17 to Marshall in the 2009 Little Caesars Pizza Bowl, and a defeat at the hands of Troy in the 2010 New Orleans Bowl.
Ohio won their first bowl game on December 17, 2011, with a 24–23 victory over the Utah State Aggies in the Famous Idaho Potato Bowl. Ohio followed up that bowl win with another in 2012 over Louisiana–Monroe in the 2012 Independence Bowl, by the score 45–14. In 2013, Ohio played in their fifth consecutive bowl game, losing to East Carolina in the 2013 Beef 'O' Brady's Bowl. Ohio lost in the 2015 Camellia Bowl and the 2016 Dollar General Bowl, before defeating UAB in the 2017 Bahamas Bowl and San Diego State in the 2018 Frisco Bowl. Ohio University is also the first team to produce a shut out during a MAC Bowl game.
Ohio went on to win the 2019 Famous Idaho Potato Bowl 30-21 over Nevada. The Bobcats only played 3 games during the 2020 season due to the 2020 NCAA Division I FBS football season disruptions, and failed to qualify for any bowl games during the 2020 and 2021 seasons.
In 2021, the Ohio Bobcats broke the NCAA all-time record for the longest ever TD Run by a Quarterback in a 99-yard run against MAC foe Buffalo.
Ohio returned to postseason play in 2022, claiming victory over Wyoming 30-27 after one overtime in the Arizona Bowl. Next, Ohio defeated Georgia Southern 41-21 in the 2023 Myrtle Beach Bowl, following up with another bowl game win against Jacksonville State in 2024, winning the Cure Bowl 30-27. Then, the Bobcats won their 3rd straight bowl game appearance in 2025, beating UNLV 17-10 in the Frisco Bowl.
History
Early history (1892–1978) In 1892, Ohio University became a member of a four-school conference—the Athletic League of Ohio Colleges—which included Otterbein College, Wittenberg University, and Marietta College. A football schedule never materialized, however, and the league dissolved before even a single game was played, though a baseball championship was held in the spring of 1892, with Wittenberg claiming the pennant. In preparation, though, a team was formed on Ohio's campus and H.R. Higley was elected captain. He soon began coaching the team, according to the student newspaper, the Panorama. For the first time, the football team was given space in the Athena yearbook in 1892. The entire team was listed by position and name. The local newspaper reports that a team was organized and had the "expectation" to compete against other colleges in the "not distant future." In 1893, coaches are reported to have watched a game in Gambier. The first intercollegiate football game involving an Ohio University team was played in Athens in 1894 against Marietta College. It was the only contest played that year by Ohio, with Marietta winning by a score of 8–0. The next year the Bobcats faced a five-game schedule, under the leadership of coach Harvey Deme. The 1895 squad was 2–3, with wins against Parkersburg High School [abbreviated Parker H.S. in some early records] and Lancaster High School, and losses against Ohio Wesleyan and Marietta College (twice).
From 1896 to 1905, the football program was in a state of flux, with a new coach taking over the reins every year. Injuries and the untimely death of the Ohio University quarterback, on the field, in December 1898, was a sombering event, with severe injuries often taking place in early collegiate football as uniforms of the era provided little physical protection. The coaches during this time period included Frank Remsberg, Warwick Ford, Peter McLaren, Fred Sullivan, Karl Core, Art Jones, Henry Hart, Joseph Railsback, and Harold Monosmith, with Sullivan being coach in both 1899 and 1903. The best records of this time period were forged in 1897 and 1901 under Warwick Ford and Art Jones, respectively. The 'Cats were 7–2 in their 1897 campaign, and posted a 6–1–2 record in 1901. The 1897 season, which produced the best record of any of the 19th Century campaigns, started with two straight losses—to Marietta College and Cincinnati. The team then reeled off seven straight with victories over Muskingum College, Dennison College, Ohio Medical University, West Virginia University, Otterbein College, Marietta College, and Ohio Deaf and Dumb Institute. The home victory over WVU inspired a poem that appeared in The Athens Messenger and Herald newspaper.The Athens Messenger and Herald, November 11, 1897, p. 1.
<poem>And they came and they were conquer'd With swift dispatch and ease, And they felt that twinging sorrow which In vain they could appease Thought not that woe awaited them Across Ohio's stream. And like the poet found that things Aren't ever what they seem.
And they came from fair Virginia The place of Morgantown. Where swift Monogahela flows Past mountains looking down: Proud and boasting came they hither To wrestle for the goals Which they found almost as quickly As disembodied souls.
Badly battered left they homeward In vain could they conceal The awful havoc of their bucks Gainst O.U.'s pointed steel:And they left here sad but wiserOf many manly tricks,For the gridiron here is hotAs Athens politics.</poem>
Beginning in 1906, the Bobcats began to assert themselves as a more permanent entity on campus with the hiring of Arthur McFarland as head coach. The 1906 squad exploded for a 7–1 record, with wins over respected programs such as West Virginia University and the University of Cincinnati. The program tailed off considerably in 1907, however, and would not post a .500 record until 1911 under coach Arthur Hinaman. The 1911 squad outscored all opponents 88–44, but only managed to post a 3–3–2 record. Arguably the greatest Ohio team of the early era was Mark Bank's 1915 squad. This storied club posted an 8–1 record and outscored all opponents by a combined 175–33. Beating such teams as the University of Cincinnati, Marshall University, and Transylvania University, the Bobcats' only loss was a 13–6 affair against archrival Miami University.
Following the explosion of the 1915 team, the Bobcats experienced a period of success during the late 1910s. The 1916 team posted a record of 5–2–1, and the 1918 squad went an undefeated 4–0–1, with wins over the Ohio State freshman team and Denison University. In 1920, Russ Finsterwald was hired to lead the 'Cats into a new decade. His tenure, however, was marked by relative mediocrity, with records of 4–3, 4–4–1, and 5–3 in his three years at the helm. F.B. Heldt was named coach in 1923 and posted a record of 3–5–1. His lack of success against challenging opponents lead to a quick dismissal, and ultimately forced the hiring of Bobcat legend Don Peden.
Through its football history, Ohio University has had 28 head coaches. Of these, Don Peden has the longest tenure, 21 seasons. Over that period, he compiled a record of 121 wins, 46 losses and 11 ties. To this day, his .711 winning percentage is by far the best of any Bobcats coach with more than twenty games of competition. As part of Peden's legacy, the Bobcats' present-day stadium (known as Ohio Stadium in Peden's time) now dons the name Peden Stadium. Peden's tenure began rather unceremoniously in 1924, with a 4–4 record. The next year, however, Peden led the 'Cats to a 6–2 season and wins over the Cincinnati and Toledo.
From 1926 to 1928, the Bobcats posted winning records every season, with the 1928 team forging a 6–3 season and a marquee 66–6 victory over the Cincinnati. Peden oversaw one of the Bobcats' best-ever spans — seven seasons from 1929 through 1935 — in which Ohio compiled a cumulative record of 49–9–3. In that period, Peden's squads won four Buckeye Athletic Association championships and enjoyed three undefeated seasons. In 1929, the Bobcats moved into brand new Ohio Stadium, and celebrated with a 9–0 record, while giving up just seven points all season (a lone touchdown to Ohio Wesleyan). The 1935 team upset the University of Illinois in the season opener, 6–0, on its way to a perfect 8–0 season. That year, the Bobcats were led by All-American Art Lewis, a sturdy tackle who became a first-round selection of the New York Giants in the first-ever National Football League draft in 1936. Lewis would go on to become a very successful college coach himself at West Virginia. Peden continued his legacy of success following the graduation of Lewis and the other seniors of the 1935 team. He won a Buckeye Athletic Association title in 1936 and another in 1938, with the 1938 team being one of the best under Peden. That team upset Illinois yet again, and also earned victories over Xavier, Marshall, and arch-rival Miami. The Bobcats would never win another Buckeye Athletic Association title under Peden, though he still led the team through many winning seasons and thrilling victories. His storied 1941 team posted a record of 5–2–1 while outscoring all opponents 108–42. Bobcat football was interrupted by World War II, with Ohio not fielding a team in either the 1943 or 1944 seasons. The 1945 team was 3–4 while struggling to recruit new members after the war and facing a challenging schedule. In his final year as head coach, 1946, Peden steered the Bobcats into the Mid-American Conference as a charter member. Today, the Bobcats are the only team still in the conference from the original five-team league that included Butler, Cincinnati, Wayne State, and Case Western. The 1946 squad was 6–3, and posted impressive wins over Western Michigan and Murray State.