In 2017, the Northern Colorado Bears football team finished the regular season with a 6-5 overall record and a 4-4 record in Big Sky Conference play. They won a share of the conference championship and qualified for the FCS playoffs for the first time in school history. However, they lost in the first round to the University of San Diego Toreros with a score of 48-40. The Bears’ head coach Earnest Collins Jr. was named Big Sky Conference Coach of the Year for the team’s accomplishments.