Teams / Big Ten / Northwestern
Index · this season
75
▲ Above its 5-year level +14▲ Up 3 this season
Career64since 1936
Peak881940
Last 561seasons
#31 nationally · 4-1 (1-1 conf)
Résumé #24
Schedule so far #65
Margin ±5 pts (tightens with games)
Northwestern Wildcats
Big Ten · Evanston, IL · Lanny and Sharon Martin Stadium · Head coach David Braun
55-59-5 all time (119 meetings since 1892)
Illinois leads
Last: lost 20-13 (2025) · Illinois has won 2 straight
Wants it back
program traits are earned from history
0national titles
0Heisman
6AP top-10
8All-Americans
68NFL picks
41.1%win pct
History since 1936 · football since 1892. Every season →
Chemistry
65
62Foundation
69Gel
gel counts 40% so far
at its usual level
early · #32 of 138
HC year4
Ret. starters46%
QB yrs w/ OC1
| Season | Record | Conference | AP final | Season rank | Rating | Head coach |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026in progress | 4-1 | Big Ten | — | #31 | 75 | David Braun |
| 2025 | 7-6 | Big Ten | — | #49 | 70 | David Braun |
| 2024 | 4-8 | Big Ten | — | #84 | 61 | David Braun |
| 2023 | 8-5 | Big Ten | — | #64 | 64 | David Braun |
| 2022 | 1-11 | Big Ten | — | #96 | 56 | Pat Fitzgerald |
| 2021 | 3-9 | Big Ten | — | #96 | 56 | Pat Fitzgerald |
| 2020 | 7-2 | Big Ten | #10 | #13 | 78 | Pat Fitzgerald |
| 2019 | 3-9 | Big Ten | — | #78 | 61 | Pat Fitzgerald |
| 2018 | 9-5 | Big Ten | #21 | #43 | 71 | Pat Fitzgerald |
| 2017 | 10-3 | Big Ten | #17 | #22 | 77 | Pat Fitzgerald |
| 2016 | 7-6 | Big Ten | — | #29 | 75 | Pat Fitzgerald |
| 2015 | 10-3 | Big Ten | #23 | #56 | 68 | Pat Fitzgerald |
| 2014 | 5-7 | Big Ten | — | #64 | 64 | Pat Fitzgerald |
| 2013 | 5-7 | Big Ten | — | #61 | 66 | Pat Fitzgerald |
| 2012 | 10-3 | Big Ten | #17 | #30 | 74 | Pat Fitzgerald |
| 2011 | 6-7 | Big Ten | — | #57 | 66 | Pat Fitzgerald |
| 2010 | 7-6 | Big Ten | — | #79 | 59 | Pat Fitzgerald |
| 2009 | 8-5 | Big Ten | — | #73 | 61 | Pat Fitzgerald |
| 2008 | 9-4 | Big Ten | — | #44 | 69 | Pat Fitzgerald |
| 2007 | 6-6 | Big Ten | — | #79 | 57 | Pat Fitzgerald |
| 2006 | 4-8 | Big Ten | — | #77 | 59 | Pat Fitzgerald |
| 2005 | 7-5 | Big Ten | — | #33 | 74 | Randy Walker |
| 2004 | 6-6 | Big Ten | — | #56 | 66 | Randy Walker |
| 2003 | 6-7 | Big Ten | — | #61 | 64 | Randy Walker |
| 2002 | 3-9 | Big Ten | — | #93 | 53 | Randy Walker |
| 2001 | 4-7 | Big Ten | — | #66 | 63 | Randy Walker |
| 2000 | 8-4 | Big Ten | — | #28 | 74 | Randy Walker |
| 1999 | 3-8 | Big Ten | — | #81 | 58 | Randy Walker |
| 1998 | 3-9 | Big Ten | — | #78 | 58 | Gary Barnett |
| 1997 | 5-7 | Big Ten | — | #55 | 66 | Gary Barnett |
| 1996 | 9-3 | Big Ten | #15 | #33 | 72 | Gary Barnett |
| 1995 | 10-2 | Big Ten | #8 | #7 | 86 | Gary Barnett |
| 1994 | 3-7-1 | Big Ten | — | #62 | 63 | Gary Barnett |
| 1993 | 2-9 | Big Ten | — | #70 | 60 | Gary Barnett |
| 1992 | 3-8 | Big Ten | — | #83 | 56 | Gary Barnett |
| 1991 | 3-8 | Big Ten | — | #83 | 55 | Francis Peay |
| 1990 | 2-9 | Big Ten | — | #83 | 55 | Francis Peay |
| 1989 | 0-11 | Big Ten | — | #97 | 47 | Francis Peay |
| 1988 | 2-8-1 | Big Ten | — | #84 | 53 | Francis Peay |
| 1987 | 2-8-1 | Big Ten | — | #79 | 55 | Francis Peay |
| 1986 | 4-7 | Big Ten | — | #73 | 57 | Francis Peay |
| 1985 | 3-8 | Big Ten | — | #85 | 52 | Dennis Green |
| 1984 | 2-9 | Big Ten | — | #88 | 52 | Dennis Green |
| 1983 | 2-9 | Big Ten | — | #100 | 34 | Dennis Green |
| 1982 | 3-8 | Big Ten | — | #88 | 52 | Dennis Green |
| 1981 | 0-11 | Big Ten | — | #116 | 33 | Dennis Green |
| 1980 | 0-11 | Big Ten | — | #116 | 46 | Rick Venturi |
| 1979 | 1-10 | Big Ten | — | #113 | 48 | Rick Venturi |
| 1978 | 0-10-1 | Big Ten | — | #119 | 35 | Rick Venturi |
| 1977 | 1-10 | Big Ten | — | #104 | 52 | John Pont |
| 1976 | 1-10 | Big Ten | — | #95 | 56 | John Pont |
| 1975 | 3-8 | Big Ten | — | #97 | 54 | John Pont |
| 1974 | 3-8 | Big Ten | — | #96 | 52 | John Pont |
| 1973 | 4-7 | Big Ten | — | #58 | 63 | John Pont |
| 1972 | 2-9 | Big Ten | — | #78 | 57 | Alex Agase |
| 1971 | 7-4 | Big Ten | — | #26 | 72 | Alex Agase |
| 1970 | 6-4 | Big Ten | — | #17 | 77 | Alex Agase |
| 1969 | 3-7 | Big Ten | — | #70 | 59 | Alex Agase |
| 1968 | 1-9 | Big Ten | — | #85 | 54 | Alex Agase |
| 1967 | 3-7 | Big Ten | — | #69 | 60 | Alex Agase |
| 1966 | 3-6-1 | Big Ten | — | #69 | 60 | Alex Agase |
| 1965 | 4-6 | Big Ten | — | #43 | 68 | Alex Agase |
| 1964 | 3-6 | Big Ten | — | #55 | 66 | Alex Agase |
| 1963 | 5-4 | Big Ten | — | #13 | 79 | Ara Parseghian |
| 1962 | 7-2 | Big Ten | — | #4 | 85 | Ara Parseghian |
| 1961 | 4-5 | Big Ten | — | #25 | 74 | Ara Parseghian |
| 1960 | 5-4 | Big Ten | — | #20 | 76 | Ara Parseghian |
| 1959 | 6-3 | Big Ten | — | #11 | 78 | Ara Parseghian |
| 1958 | 5-4 | Big Ten | — | #10 | 80 | Ara Parseghian |
| 1957 | 0-9 | Big Ten | — | #72 | 55 | Ara Parseghian |
| 1956 | 4-4-1 | Big Ten | — | #39 | 69 | Ara Parseghian |
| 1955 | 0-8-1 | Big Ten | — | #75 | 54 | Lou Saban |
| 1954 | 2-7 | Big Ten | — | #37 | 69 | Robert Voigts |
| 1953 | 3-6 | Big Ten | — | #48 | 65 | Robert Voigts |
| 1952 | 2-6-1 | Western | — | #54 | 64 | Robert Voigts |
| 1951 | 5-4 | Western | — | #37 | 70 | Robert Voigts |
| 1950 | 6-3 | Western | — | #32 | 72 | Robert Voigts |
| 1949 | 4-5 | Western | — | #30 | 72 | Robert Voigts |
| 1948 | 8-2 | Western | #7 | #13 | 79 | Robert Voigts |
| 1947 | 3-6 | Western | — | #34 | 72 | Robert Voigts |
| 1946 | 4-4-1 | Western | — | #17 | 77 | Pappy Waldorf |
| 1945 | 4-4-1 | Western | — | #16 | 75 | Pappy Waldorf |
| 1944 | 1-7-1 | Western | — | #28 | 66 | Pappy Waldorf |
| 1943 | 6-2 | Western | #9 | #5 | 86 | Pappy Waldorf |
| 1942 | 1-9 | Western | — | #41 | 67 | Pappy Waldorf |
| 1941 | 5-3 | Western | #11 | #4 | 80 | Pappy Waldorf |
| 1940 | 6-2 | Western | #8 | #3 | 88 | Pappy Waldorf |
| 1939 | 3-4-1 | Western | — | #45 | 67 | Pappy Waldorf |
| 1938 | 4-2-2 | Western | #17 | #14 | 79 | Pappy Waldorf |
| 1937 | 4-4 | Western | — | #34 | 71 | Pappy Waldorf |
| 1936 | 7-1 | Western | #7 | #20 | 75 | Pappy Waldorf |
| 1935 | 4-3-1 | Western | — | #20 | 75 early | Pappy Waldorf |
| 1934 | 3-5 | Western | — | #60 | 60 early | Dick Hanley |
| 1933 | 1-5-2 | Western | — | #27 | 74 early | Dick Hanley |
| 1932 | 3-4-1 | Western | — | #18 | 77 early | Dick Hanley |
| 1931 | 7-1-1 | Western | — | #10 | 79 early | Dick Hanley |
| 1930 | 7-1 | Western | — | #2 | 94 early | Dick Hanley |
| 1929 | 6-3 | Western | — | #30 | 70 early | Dick Hanley |
| 1928 | 5-3 | Western | — | #26 | 71 early | Dick Hanley |
| 1927 | 4-4 | Western | — | #45 | 62 early | Dick Hanley |
| 1926 | 7-1 | Western | — | #6 | 84 early | Glenn Thistlethwaite |
| 1925 | 5-3 | Western | — | #25 | 72 early | Glenn Thistlethwaite |
| 1924 | 4-4 | Western | — | #33 | 68 early | Glenn Thistlethwaite |
| 1923 | 2-6 | Western | — | #53 | 59 early | Glenn Thistlethwaite |
| 1922 | 3-3-1 | Western | — | #36 | 67 early | Glenn Thistlethwaite |
| 1921 | 1-6 | Western | — | #40 | 61 early | Elmer McDevitt |
| 1920 | 3-4 | Western | — | #32 | 68 early | Elmer McDevitt |
| 1919 | 2-5 | Western | — | #42 | 64 early | Charlie Bachman |
| 1918 | 2-2-1 | Western | — | — | — | Fred Murphy |
| 1917 | 5-2 | Western | — | #21 | 71 early | Fred Murphy |
| 1916 | 6-1 | Western | — | #28 | 68 early | Fred Murphy |
| 1915 | 2-5 | Western | — | #31 | 63 early | Fred Murphy |
| 1914 | 1-6 | Western | — | #40 | 58 early | Fred Murphy |
| 1913 | 1-6 | Western | — | #47 | 51 early | Dennis Grady |
| 1912 | 2-3-1 | Western | — | #13 | 73 early | Charles Hammett |
| 1911 | 3-4 | Western | — | #32 | 60 early | Charles Hammett |
| 1910 | 1-3-1 | Western | — | #31 | 59 early | Charles Hammett |
| 1909 | 1-3-1 | Western | — | #43 | 50 early | Bill Horr |
| 1908 | 2-2 | Western | — | #38 | 55 early | Alton Johnson |
| 1905 | 8-2-1 | Western | — | #10 | 75 early | Walter McCornack |
| 1904 | 8-2 | Western | — | #20 | 69 early | Walter McCornack |
| 1903 | 10-1-3 | Western | — | #15 | 68 early | Walter McCornack |
| 1902 | 6-6 | Western | — | #22 | 62 early | Charles Hollister |
| 1901 | 8-2-1 | Western | — | #12 | 61 early | Charles Hollister |
| 1900 | 7-2-3 | Western | — | #10 | 64 early | Charles Hollister |
| 1899 | 7-6 | Western | — | #16 | 54 early | Charles Hollister |
| 1898 | 9-4-1 | Western | — | #13 | 51 early | W.H. Bannard |
| 1897 | 5-3 | Western | — | #11 | 54 early | Jesse Van Doozer |
| 1896 | 6-1-2 | Western | — | — | — | Alvin Culver |
| 1895 | 6-5 | FBS Independents | — | — | — | Alvin Culver |
| 1894 | 4-5 | FBS Independents | — | — | — | A.A. Ewing |
| 1893 | 2-5-3 | Intercollegiate Athletic Association of the Northwest | — | — | — | Paul Noyes |
| 1892 | 6-4-2 | Intercollegiate Athletic Association of the Northwest | — | — | — | Knowlton Ames |
★ = a national title the school claims. Seasons before 1936 (the first AP poll) are the early era: shown in gray and rated on the same yardstick, but the all-time pool and program totals that matter most start in 1936.