The Samford Bulldogs football team competes at the NCAA Division I Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) level as a member of the Southern Conference (SoCon). Samford’s first football team was fielded in 1902. The team was known as the Howard Bulldogs through the 1965 season when Howard College was renamed as Samford University. The Bulldogs have won 4 conference championships, with three coming in the Dixie Conference and two in the Southern Conference. The Bulldogs have appeared in the I-AA/FCS playoffs six times.