History of the Raiders

The Colgate Raiders have been a staple of NCAA sports since their inception in 1890. The team has had many great successes, including multiple conference championships and bowl game appearances. In recent history, the Raiders have become known for their strong defense and a high-powered offense under head coach Dan Hunt, who led them to an undefeated regular season record in 2018.

Colgate’s football program began with just one game against Hamilton College in 1890. Since then, they’ve won five conference titles (1921, 1922; 1925; 1927; 1933) and appeared in 17 bowl games throughout its history – most recently at the 2016 FCS Championship Game, where they lost to James Madison University by a score of 31-14. The team also holds several individual records, such as the longest winning streak (25 wins from 1921–23), most consecutive shutouts (5 straight from 1924–26), and highest single-season win percentage (.917).

Offensively speaking, Colgate is no slouch, either! They boast two Heisman Trophy finalists: quarterback Greg Sullivan ('77-'78) was runner-up for his senior year performance while running back Jamaal Branch ('03-'04) finished third overall during his junior campaign before going on to play professionally with the Oakland Raiders organization after college graduation. Additionally, notable players include current NFL wide receiver Nate Eachus who played four seasons at Colgate between 2008-2012, along with defensive lineman Frank Beltre, drafted by New England Patriots last April following his senior year playing Raider football.

Throughout its 130+ years of existence as an NCAA Division I institution - both academically & athletically - there's no denying that Colgate is one school all sports fans should pay attention to! With so much success already achieved, seeing what this storied program can accomplish next will be exciting!