| Mount Union Purple Raiders football | |
|---|---|
| First season | 1893 |
| Athletic director | Mike Parnell |
| Head coach | Geoff Dartt 4th season, 42–3 (.933) |
| Stadium | Kehres Stadium (capacity: 5,600) |
| Location | Alliance, Ohio |
| NCAA division | Division III |
| Conference | Ohio Athletic Conference |
| All-time record | 854–397–38 (.677) |
| Playoff appearances | 34 (NCAA D-III) |
| Playoff record | 104–18 (NCAA D-III) |
| Claimed national titles | 13 (1993, 1996, 1997, 1998, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2005, 2006, 2008, 2012, 2015, 2017) |
| Conference titles | 34 |
| Rivalries | John Carroll Blue Streaks Wisconsin–Whitewater Warhawks |
| Consensus All-Americans | 123 |
| Colors | Purple and white[1] |
| Fight song | On, Mount to victory! |
| Mascot | MUcaw |
| Marching band | Purple Raider Marching Band |
| Website | athletics.mountunion.com |
The Mount Union Purple Raiders football program represents the University of Mount Union in college football at the NCAA Division III level as members of the Ohio Athletic Conference (OAC). Mount Union have played their home games at Mount Union Stadium in Alliance, Ohio since 1913, which makes it the oldest college football stadium in Ohio. The Purple Raiders have claimed 13 NCAA Division III Football Championship and 34 OAC titles and have 12 undefeated seasons.[2]
Mount Union's first game was an 18–0 loss at home to Kenyon College, from Gambier, Ohio, on November 7, 1893. The first program victory came 11 days later in a 20–0 win over Salem University in Salem, West Virginia. The team competed as an independent from 1893 until 1913, and joined the OAC in 1914.[2]
The Purple Raiders played in the OAC for 71 years before winning their first conference title, which came in 1985 under coach Ken Wable. Since then, the program has won 30 titles in 35 years, including a 24-year streak from 1992 to 2015. During this run, the Purple Raiders went 214–2 versus OAC opponents. The title-streak spanned two coaches, Larry Kehres and Vince Kehres. John Carroll University ended the streak by winning the OAC title in 2016 where they defeated Mount Union 31–28 on November 12, 2016.[3][4]
- ^ University of Mount Union Identity Program (PDF). Retrieved September 11, 2016.
- ^ a b "Year-by-Year Results". Mount Union Athletics website. University of Mount Union. 2021. Retrieved December 28, 2021.
- ^ Des Bieler (November 12, 2016). "Mount Union's 112-game winning streak snapped by jubilant John Carroll". The Washington Post. Retrieved December 21, 2022.
- ^ "John Carroll ends Mount Union's 112-game regular-season win streak". ESPN.com. ESPN. November 12, 2016. Retrieved December 21, 2022.