Northwestern
Program history, streaks, and signature seasons.
Lanny and Sharon Martin Stadium • Evanston • IL
Program History
Explore the program's most dominant seasons, toughest stretches, and era-by-era trends.
Use the snapshot to scan program-wide benchmarks, standout seasons, and decade-level performance trends.
Total Wins
568
Across 133 seasons
Winning Seasons
38%
Share of winning records
Average Record
4.3-5.3
Per season
Last 10 Seasons
47.3%
Win rate since 2026
Signature Season
1995
10-2 (83.3% win rate)
Toughest Season
1989
0-11 (0.0% win rate)
Peak Seasons
Most wins in program history
Highlights the seasons that produced the biggest win totals for the program.
| Year | Record | Win % |
|---|---|---|
| 1995 | 10-2 | 83.3% |
| 1903 | 10-1-3 | 82.1% |
| 2017 | 10-3 | 76.9% |
| 2015 | 10-3 | 76.9% |
| 2012 | 10-3 | 76.9% |
Challenging Seasons
Years that tested the fan base
Surfaces the seasons with the heaviest loss totals and weakest win rates.
| Year | Record | Win % |
|---|---|---|
| 1989 | 0-11 | 0.0% |
| 1981 | 0-11 | 0.0% |
| 1980 | 0-11 | 0.0% |
| 2022 | 1-11 | 8.3% |
| 1978 | 0-10-1 | 4.5% |
Era Performance
Win rate by decade
Buckets every season into decade groups so long-run rises and dips are easier to spot.
| Decade | Record | Win % |
|---|---|---|
| 2020s | 30-41 | 42.3% |
| 2010s | 72-56 | 56.3% |
| 2000s | 61-61 | 50.0% |
| 1990s | 43-70-1 | 38.2% |
| 1980s | 18-90-2 | 17.3% |
| 1970s | 28-80-1 | 26.1% |