The Northern Michigan Wildcats football program, 2020–present represented Northern Michigan University during the 2010s in NCAA Division II college football as a member of the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC). The team was led during the decade by three head coaches: Kyle Nystrom (2021–2022), Shane Richardson (2023–2025), and Matt Janus (2026-present).
The Wildcats have not had a winning season since going 6–4 in 2009. In their first two seasons under Richardson, the Wildcats lost 22 consecutive games, compiling identical 0–11 records in 2023 and 2024 while being outscored by an average of 30.6 points per game during the two seasons.
The team played its home games at the Superior Dome in Marquette, Michigan.
Decade overview YearHead coachOverall recordConf. recordConf. rankPoints scoredPoints allowedDeltaDelta = the difference between points scored and points allowed2021Kyle Nystrom4–72–55 (tie)233288-552022Kyle Nystrom4–71–56245317-722023Shane Richardson0–110–67144538-3942024Shane Richardson0–110–78172451-2792025Shane Richardson3–82–56296407 -111TOTAL11–445–28 1,0902,001-911
2020 Northern Michigan and the GLIAC did not compete in football during the 2020 season due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
2021
The 2021 Northern Michigan Wildcats football team represented Northern Michigan University as a member of the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC) during the 2021 NCAA Division II football season. In their fourth year under head coach Kyle Nystrom, the Wildcats compiled a 4–7 record (2–5 in conference games), tied for fifth place in the GLIAC, and were outscored by a total of 288 to 233.
Quarterback Drake Davis tallied 1,401 passing yards and 340 rushing yards. Defensive lineman John McMullen tallied 45 tackles, including 10.5 tackles for loss and 6.5 sacks.
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2022
The 2022 Northern Michigan Wildcats football team represented Northern Michigan University in the GLIAC during the 2022 NCAA Division II season. In their fifth and final season uner head coach Kyle Nystrom, the Wildcats compiled a 4–7 record (1–5 in conference games) and finished sixth in the GLIAC.
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2023
The 2023 Northern Michigan Wildcats football team represented Northern Michigan University as a member of the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC) during the 2023 NCAA Division II football season. In their fourth year under head coach Kyle Nystrom, the Wildcats compiled a 0–11 record (0–6 in conference games), finished in last place in the GLIAC, and were outscored by a total of 538 to 144. The season began a 28-game losing streak that continued into the 2025 season.
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2024
The 2024 Northern Michigan Wildcats football team represented Northern Michigan University as a member of the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC) during the 2024 NCAA Division II football season. In their second year under head coach Shane Richardson, the Wildcats compiled a 0–11 record (0–7 in conference games), finished in last place in the GLIAC, and were outscored by a total of 451 to 172. The season was part of a 28-game losing streak that included the entire 2023 and 2024 seasons and continued into the first half of the 2025 season.
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2025
The 2025 Northern Michigan Wildcats football team represents Northern Michigan University as a member of the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC) during the 2025 NCAA Division II football season. They were expected to be led by Shane Richardson before he resigned on November 7. The season was part of a 28-game losing streak that included the entire 2023 and 2024 seasons and continued until October 18.
In February 2023, quarterback Aidan Hoard, a 6'5" quarterback from Frankenmuth, committed to play for Northern Michigan. His father, Matt Hoard, previously played quarterback for the Wildcats and was named NCAA Division II Player of the Year.
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References