Northwest Missouri State–Missouri Western football rivalry

Northwest Missouri Bearcats

Missouri Western Griffons

Sport(s)

Football

Total meetings

Series record

Northwest leads, 24–12

First meeting

September 19, 1981
Missouri Western 20, Northwest 8

Last meeting

November 1, 2014
Northwest Missouri 40, Missouri Western 3

Next meeting

October 31, 2015

Largest win

Northwest Missouri, 42–0 (2010)

Longest win streak

Northwest Missouri, 8 (2004–10)

Current win streak

Northwest Missouri, 2 (2013–present)

The Northwest Missouri State–Missouri Western football rivalry between the Northwest Missouri State Bearcats football team and Missouri Western Griffons football team is between two Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association NCAA Division II rivals that are less than 50 miles apart.

The schools off the field are constantly competing for state funds in the same market ever since Missouri Western expanded from a junior college to a four year college in 1969 fulfilling a Missouri governor Warren Hearnes campaign promise to build the school St. Joseph, Missouri (2000 population 73,912).^[1]^[2] At the time Northwest at Maryville (2000 population 10,581) founded in 1905 was the sole four-year state college in northwest Missouri.

In 1988 the state under John Ashcroft recommended that Northwest be closed altogether.^[3]

In the wake of the ultimately abandoned proposal both schools have considerably ramped up their football programs with Northwest appearing in seven NCAA Division II National Football Championships (winning three) while Missouri Western has lured the Kansas City Chiefs to the campus for its summer training camp starting in 2010.

The rivalry on the field is a big draw. The biggest crowds at Spratt Stadium are 10,129 in 2009 and 9,007 in 2007.^[4] A crowd of 9,346 attended the September 13, 2008 game—the second biggest at Northwest's Bearcat Stadium.^[5] The 2010 game was attended by 10,805 the biggest in the stadium history.^[6]

Game results

At the conclusion of the November 16, 2013 game, Northwest has a 23–12 edge.

Date	Winner	Venue	NW Rank	MW Rank	NW Score	MW score	Notes
1981-09-19	Missouri Western	St. Joseph	–	–	8	20
1982-09-18	Missouri Western	Maryville	–	–	14	17
1983-09-17	Northwest	St. Joseph	–	–	19	9
1984-09-22	Northwest	Maryville	–	–	30	27
1985-09-21	Northwest	St. Joseph	–	–	24	18
1986-09-20	Missouri Western	Maryville	–	–	26	27
1987-09-19	Northwest	St. Joseph	–	–	20	17
1988-09-17	Missouri Western	Maryville	–	–	26	27
1989-09-02	Northwest	St. Joseph	–	–	45	29
1990-09-01	Missouri Western	Maryville	–	–	25	27
1991-10-26	Northwest	St. Joseph	–	–	49	26
1992-10-24	Northwest	Maryville	–	–	43	26
1993-09-18	Missouri Western	St. Joseph	–	–	14	21
1994-09-17	Missouri Western	Maryville	–	–	0	20
1995-10-14	Missouri Western	St. Joseph	–	–	20	24
1996-10-19	Northwest	Maryville	8	–	31	24
1997-09-27	Northwest	St. Joseph	6	–	52	13
1998-09-27	Northwest	Maryville	5	–	45	32
1999-10-09	Northwest	St. Joseph	7	–	38	34
2000-10-07	Northwest	Maryville	1	–	46	27
2001-11-03	Missouri Western	Maryville	–	–	30	37	OT
2002-11-09	Northwest	St. Joseph	4	–	13	10
2003-10-25	Missouri Western	St. Joseph	–	–	27	30	OT
2004-10-16	Northwest	Maryville	4	–	31	13
2005-09-17	Northwest	St. Joseph	10	–	31	21
2006-09-23	Northwest	Maryville	2	16	24	21
2007-09-15	Northwest	St. Joseph	11	–	44	20
2008-09-13	Northwest	Maryville	9	–	42	35
2009-10-03	Northwest	St. Joseph	6	12	49	35
2010-10-02	Northwest	Maryville	7	8	42	0
2010-11-20	Northwest	Maryville	3	23	28	24	First-round playoffs
2011-11-05	Missouri Western	St. Joseph	3	25	31	28	Won on a Missouri Western record field goal by Greg Zuerlein of 58 yards
2011-11-19	Northwest	St. Joseph	7	17	35	29	First round playoffs
2012-11-10	Missouri Western	Maryville	4	11	20	21	Missouri Western was down 17 at half and rallied win the game with 1:07 left. The game gave Missouri Western the MIAA title.
2013-11-16	Northwest	St. Joseph	2	19	51	21
2014-11-01	Northwest	Maryville	1	–	40	3

References

Northwest Missouri State Bearcats football

Venue	Bearcat Stadium (1917–present)

Postseason & rivalries	Missouri Western Pittsburg State Truman (Hickory Stick)

People	Head coaches NFL Draftees

Seasons	1908 1909 1910 1911 1912 1913 1914 1915 1916 1917 1918 1919 1920 1921 1922 1923 1924 1925 1926 1927 1928 1929 1930 1931 1932 1933 1934 1935 1936 1937 1938 1939 1940 1941 1942 1943 1944 1945 1946 1947 1948 1949 1950 1951 1952 1953 1954 1955 1956 1957 1958 1959 1960 1961 1962 1963 1964 1965 1966 1967 1968 1969 1970 1971 1972 1973 1974 1975 1976 1977 1978 1979 1980 1981 1982 1983 1984 1985 1986 1987 1988 1989 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014

Missouri Western State University

Academics	Schools: College of Liberal Arts and Sciences College of Professional Studies Steven L. Craig School of Business Graduate School Western Institute Locations: Main Campus – St. Joseph, MO Northland Campus – Kansas City, MO MCC-Penn Valley Campus – Kansas City, MO People: Missouri Western alumni

Athletics	Football Northwest Missouri rivalry Mascot: Max the Griffon Facilities: Spratt Memorial Stadium MWSU Fieldhouse at Lonney Complex Song: "Fight On, Griffons!"

Misc.	National undergraduate research clearinghouse

Established: 1915 – Students: 5,926 (Fall 2014)

Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association football rivalries

Conference	Northwest Missouri–Missouri Western President's Cup (Central Oklahoma–Northeastern State) Northwest Missouri State−Pittsburg State football rivalry

Non-conference	Hickory Stick (Northwest Missouri State–Truman)