Willamette
1-9 2025 finalThe Bearcats of Salem, Oregon, a founding member of the Northwest Conference whose football history runs more than a century deep and whose every fall turns on the rivalry with Linfield.
Bearcats country waits.
The Bearcats of Salem, Oregon, a founding member of the Northwest Conference whose football history runs more than a century deep and whose every fall turns on the rivalry with Linfield.
Reclaim the Northwest Conference and beat Linfield when it matters most — proving the oldest university in the West still plays championship football.
Offseason
69 days
until kickoff · Sun Aug 30 · 17:00 UTC
The 2026 Outlook
Willamette sits 8th in the Northwest Conference and 226th of 240 in the CFB Zeitgeist — outside the at-large picture — the path runs through the conference title.
| Team | Conf | Overall | Index | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Whitworth | 7-0 | 8-3 | 61.2 |
| 2 | Linfield College | 6-1 | 7-2 | 59.9 |
| 3 | Pacific Lutheran | 5-2 | 6-4 | 51.6 |
| 4 | Lewis & Clark College | 5-4 | 6-4 | 52.0 |
| 5 | NEWBERG | 4-4 | 4-6 | 44.8 |
| 6 | Pacific (OR) | 3-5 | 3-7 | 40.6 |
| 7 | Puget Sound | 1-7 | 1-9 | 33.5 |
| 8 | Willamette | 0-8 | 1-9 | 32.7 |
Win the Northwest Conference for the automatic berth into the 40-team NCAA Division III bracket. Miss it and the path is an at-large bid, selected by NPI — the metric the CFB Index mirrors. Six wins survive the bracket to the Stagg Bowl.
Signature win 29-14 over La Verne; toughest day 19-65 against Linfield College.
The Pulse on Willamette
What moved it — offseason · last 30 days
Aspiration Ladder
Brief Part III §33.4 · Willamette
The baseline for a successful season.
The primary goal and national bracket path.
One of 32 national tournament entries.
The Division III national championship game.
Willamette · Next-Season Outcome Band
Floor / Base / Ceiling
Variance assumed at ±2 wins from last-season record. Replace with the season-path projection once preview data is built.
Who We Are
Home-Field Advantage · Willamette · 2018-present
Above-Average
15% home win rate vs 10% on the road. margin runs +7.5 better at home.
Act IIILast Season Reviewed
2025 season · tap to expand
Recent Form · last 10 games
Hibernating
Zero of five. Reset territory.
Schedule Strength · Willamette · 2025
Balanced
Average opponent win rate 45% across 9 finalized games. Balanced slate across the conference slate.
Moment of the Year · Willamette · 2025
Won 29-14 at La Verne
Week 4 of 2025. The single game that defined the season's arc.
From the Archive — Willamette
2024: Lost 7-28 vs NEWBERG
In 2024, the program lost 7-28 vs NEWBERG — a stinging home result, 21 points either way.
Go Bearcats.