Ferris State Bulldogs Prepare for 2024 Season with Big Expectations

Strategic Insights -

The Ferris State University football team is set to begin the 2024 campaign with high hopes, having been ranked preseason #4 by Lindy's Sports. As fall camp opens in Big Rapids, the Bulldogs welcome newcomers and veterans to campus, marking the start of a rigorous training period. Under the guidance of head coach Tony Annese, a two-time D2Football.com National Coach of the Year, Ferris State aims to contend for its nation-leading 10th-straight NCAA Division II playoff appearance.

Key Takeaways:

  • The Ferris State Bulldogs, ranked preseason #4 by Lindy's Sports, are expected to contend for their nation-leading 10th-straight NCAA Division II playoff appearance.
  • The team will begin the 2024 season with a national showdown at preseason #3 Pittsburg State on Saturday, Aug. 31, in Pittsburg, Kan.
  • Ferris State has made the D2 National Semifinals five times in the past seven seasons, including three trips to the D2 National Championship game.
  • The Bulldogs, led by head coach Tony Annese, have achieved a 36-4 overall record over the past three seasons and a 63-6 record over the last four seasons, including back-to-back NCAA D2 National Championships in 2021 and 2022.
  • Ferris State ranks as the country's winningest program over the past nine full seasons in D2 Football and holds the GLIAC's best mark and the best overall record of all collegiate programs in Michigan at 123-20 (.860) overall since Tony Annese's arrival in 2012.
  • The team will hold its first full team practice on Wednesday, Aug. 7, morning starting at 9 a.m. (ET) and will practice once per day under NCAA guidelines.

Statistics:

  • Grand total of wins since 2012: 123
  • Grand total of losses since 2012: 20
  • Overall record over the past three seasons: 36-4
  • Overall record over the last four seasons: 63-6
  • Years with NCAA Division II playoff appearances: 9 and counting
  • Times in D2 National Semifinals: 5
  • Times at D2 National Championship game: 3

Sources:

  • "Lindy's Sports" [full reference not provided]
  • "The Sports News Release" from Ferris State University