The 2016 Northwest Missouri State Bearcats football team represented Northwest Missouri State University as a member of the Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association (MIAA) during the 2016 NCAA Division II football season. Led by sixth-year head coach

Adam Dorrel Adam Dorrel (born December 2, 1974) is an American football coach and former player. He is the current head coach of the Central Oklahoma Bronchos football team in Edmond, Oklahoma, a position he will begin in 2022. Previously Dorrel was the head ...

, the Bearcats compiled an overall record of 15–0 with a mark of 11–0 in conference play, winning the MIAA title. They won the program's sixth

NCAA Division II Football Championship The NCAA Division II Football Championship is an American college football tournament played annually to determine a champion at the NCAA Division II level. It was first held in 1973, as a single-elimination tournament with eight teams. The tourna ...

with a win over

North Alabama North Alabama is a region of the U.S. state of Alabama. Several geographic definitions for the area exist, with all descriptions including the nine counties of Alabama's Tennessee Valley region. The North Alabama Industrial Development Associ ...

in the NCAA Division II Championship Game. The Bearcats played their home games on the newly-renovated

Bearcat Stadium Bearcat Stadium (formerly Memorial Stadium and Rickenbrode Stadium) is the football stadium of the Northwest Missouri State University Bearcats in Maryville, Missouri and is the oldest continuous site for any NCAA Division II school. It has a ca ...

Maryville, Missouri Maryville is a city and county seat of Nodaway County, Missouri, United States. Located in the "Missouri Point" region, As of the 2020 census, the city population was 10,633. Maryville is home to Northwest Missouri State University and Northwes ...

. 2016 was the 100th season in school history.

Preseason

The Bearcats entered the 2016 season as the defending NCAA Division II National Champions, after finishing the 2015 season with a 15–0 record overall and in conference play. On August 2, 2016 at the MIAA Football Media Day, the Bearcats were chosen to finish in 1st place in both the Coaches Poll and in the Media Poll. '' Sporting News'' released their Top-25 on May 25, 2016, landing Northwest Missouri State at #1. On June 15, 2016, Lindy's NCAA Division II Preseason Top 25 released its poll ranking Northwest Missouri State at #1. On August 15, the

American Football Coaches Association The American Football Coaches Association (AFCA) is an association of over 11,000 American football coaches and staff on all levels. According to its constitution, some of the main goals of the American Football Coaches Association are to "mainta ...

released the Preseason Division II Poll, landing Northwest Missouri State at #1. On August 22, D2football.com released its Top 25 poll, ranking Northwest Missouri State 1st.

Personnel

Coaching staff

Along with Dorrel, there are 12 assistants.

Roster

Schedule

Game summaries

Regular season

Emporia State

Washburn

Nebraska–Kearney

Missouri Southern

Central Missouri

Central Oklahoma

Northeastern State

Lindenwood

Pittsburg State

Fort Hays State

Missouri Western

With their win over Missouri Western, the Bearcats clinched their fourth straight conference title.

Postseason

Emporia State

Entering postseason as the No. 1 team, the Bearcats earn a bye during the first week of playoffs and will play the winner of the Emporia State and Minnesota–Duluth game.

Harding

Ferris State

References

{{Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association football champions Northwest Missouri State Northwest Missouri State Bearcats football seasons NCAA Division II Football Champions Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association football champion seasons College football undefeated seasons

Northwest Missouri State Bearcats football The Northwest Missouri State Bearcats football program represents Northwest Missouri State University in college football. They participate in Division II sports within the NCAA. The team plays their home games at Bearcat Stadium, located on ...