Long gone are the days of collegiate athletic conferences consisting primarily of teams that are geographically close and convenient for conference games and tournaments – at least at the NCAA Division I level, where there are rivals on both coasts and scattered in between.

But well before any recent realignments to the most prominent conferences, there was the football-only Pioneer Football League – formed in 1991 and consisting of teams from schools of various sizes, locations and football backgrounds.

Among the charter members of the PFL was Butler University, which played its first college football game in the 1880s. For other sports, Butler now plays in the BIG EAST.

Over the past decade, the Bulldogs have been settled more toward the middle or bottom half of the PFL standings, though things have been trending upward lately, including a tie for third place in 2024.

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Butler is coming off a 9-3 campaign in 2024 that included a 5-3 mark in the Pioneer Football League. 

The Bulldogs rallied late in the year with four consecutive conference victories, before ending the season with a 30-27 loss to Presbyterian in their PFL finale.

Butler’s upward trajectory includes going 7-4 overall in 2022 and again in 2023, while finishing fourth in the PFL both years, too.

When the Bulldogs take the field in 2025 looking to keep their momentum moving forward, they’ll be doing so under the guidance of a new head coach – Kevin Lynch – who was hired in December to replace Mike Uremovich, who took the same role at Ball State after three years at Butler.

Lynch made the opposite move, going from the Ball State coaching staff, where he was since 2016, to Butler.

His debut season with the Bulldogs will begin on the road at Northern Iowa on Aug. 30. The team’s first conference game will be at home against Marist on Sept. 27.

The Bulldogs will play a 12-game slate, and they’ll again compete at the Division I FCS level. 

Butler has won four PFL titles, but it has been more than a decade since the Bulldogs have hoisted the trophy (1994, 2009, 2012, 2013).

How To Watch Butler University Football Games In 2025

Every home Butler football game will stream live on FloCollege and the FloSports app. 

Game replays, highlights and breaking news will also be available on both platforms.

Butler Football Schedule 2025

Note Time Zones

• Aug. 30 (Sat): 2 p.m. ET/1 p.m. CT at Northern Iowa
• Sept. 6 (Sat): 1 p.m. ET vs. Truman State
• Sept. 13 (Sat): 1:30 p.m. ET at Hanover
• Sept. 20 (Sat): 8 p.m. ET/6 p.m. MT at Weber State – TV: ESPN+
• Sept. 27 (Sat): 1 p.m. ET vs. Marist 
• Oct. 4 (Sat): 2 p.m. ET/1 p.m. CT at St. Thomas
• Oct. 11 (Sat): 1 p.m. ET vs. Presbyterian
• Oct. 18 (Sat): Noon ET at Dayton
• Nov. 1 (Sat): 1 p.m. ET vs. Drake
• Nov. 8 (Sat): 1 p.m. ET at Morehead State
• Nov. 15 (Sat): 4 p.m. ET/1 p.m. PT at San Diego
• Nov. 22 (Sat): 1 p.m. ET vs. Valparaiso

What Was The Butler Football Record In 2024?

9-3 (5-3 PFL)

• Butler 40, Upper Iowa 7
• Butler 19, Murray State 17
• Butler 53, Hanover 0
• Butler 63, Virginia-Lynchburg 0
• Butler 40, Morehead State 6
• Drake 27, Butler 17
• Dayton 21, Butler 14
• Butler 48, Davidson 38
• Butler 46, Stetson 13
• Butler 24, Valparaiso 17
• Butler 36, St. Thomas 20
• Presbyterian 30, Butler 27

When Do The 2025 NCAA Division I FCS College Football Playoffs Start?

The bracket selections for the 2025-2026 NCAA Division I FCS Championship will be announced Nov. 23, 2025. There will be a formal selection show.

The FCS playoffs will include 24 teams and begin on Nov. 29, 2025.

The 2025-2026 Division I FCS College Football Championship game will be played Jan. 5, 2026, at the First Bank Stadium on the campus of Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tennessee.

College Football Rankings 2025 – AFCA FCS Coaches Preseason Poll

August 2025

Team/2024 Record/Previous Ranking

1. North Dakota State (26) – 14-2 (Prev: 1)
2. Montana State – 15-1 (Prev: 2)
3. South Dakota State – 12-3 (Prev: 3)
4. Incarnate Word – 11-3 (Prev: 6)
5. South Dakota – 11-3 (Prev: 4)
6. Illinois State – 10-4 (Prev: 9)
7. UC Davis – 11-3 (Prev: 5)
8. Tarleton State – 10-4 (Prev: 12)
9. Montana – 9-5 (Prev: 13)
10. Rhode Island – 11-3 (Prev: 11)
11. Mercer – 11-3 (Prev: 7)
12. Idaho – 10-4 (Prev: 8)
13. Villanova – 10-4 (Prev: 10)
14. Sacramento State – 3-9 (Prev: NR)
15. Lehigh – 9-4 (Prev: 22)
16. Abilene Christian – 9-5 (Prev: 15)
17. Jackson State – 12-2 (Prev: 14)
18. Northern Arizona – 8-5 (Prev: 21)
19. Western Carolina – 7-5 (Prev: NR)
20. Southern Illinois – 4-8 (Prev: NR)
21. Monmouth – 6-6 (Prev: NR)
22. Richmond – 10-3 (Prev: 17)
23. Tennessee Tech – 7-5 (Prev: NR)
24. Stephen F. Austin – 7-5 (Prev: NR)
25. Stony Brook – 8-4 (Prev: NR)

Others receiving votes: Tennessee-Martin 50, Harvard 40, Southeastern Louisiana 36, South Carolina St. 25, Southeast Missouri St. 25, East Tennessee St. 24, New Hampshire 21, Eastern Kentucky 19, North Dakota 19, Youngstown St. 16, Chattanooga 14, Tennessee St. 14, Dartmouth 13, North Carolina Central 13, Central Connecticut St. 11, Southern Utah 9, Lafayette 6, Central Arkansas 5, Northern Iowa 5, San Diego 5, Indiana St. 4, Lindenwood 4, Lamar 3, Holy Cross 2, Southern 2, Yale 2, Bucknell 1, Eastern Washington 1, Samford 1.

Highlights: Upper Iowa vs. Butler | 2024 Butler Football

Watch game highlights from Upper Iowa vs. Butler Football from Aug. 31, 2024.

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