Mount Union Purple Raiders football

The Mount Union Purple Raiders football team is the varsity intercollegiate football team representing the University of Mount Union, located in Alliance, Ohio, United States. They compete in the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) at the Division III level and are members of the Ohio Athletic Conference (OAC). The team was established in 1893 and plays their home games at the 5,600 seat Mount Union Stadium. They are coached by Vince Kehres. Through the 2012 season, Mount Union football has won 11 Division III National Championships and 24 OAC titles, which includes a streak of 21 consecutive conference titles dating back to 1992. Additionally, the Purple Raiders own the NCAA football record for consecutive victories, with 55, set from 2000–2003, which broke their previous record of 54, set from 1996–1999.

History
The first football game played by Mount Union was on the schools baseball field in 1893 against Kenyon College. Over the course of eight consecutive seasons from the start of the 1996 season through 2003, the team went 109–2 (.980), won six national titles, eight straight conference championships, and had winning streaks of 54 and 55 games. On October 16, 1999, the team broke the NCAA football record for consecutive victories with their 48th straight win, a 44–20 home win over Otterbein College. The previous record of 47, set by the Oklahoma Sooners, had stood since 1957. The Purple Raiders' winning streak, which began in 1996, reached 54 games before coming to an end December 11, 1999 in an overtime loss in the Division III playoffs. In 2003, the team broke their own record by winning their 55th consecutive game, a 66–0 home win over Bridgewater College, a streak that began September 2, 2000, and ended the following week on December 20, 2003, with a loss in the Stagg Bowl.

Championships
The Purple Raiders won their first OAC title in 1985 and repeated in 1986. After winning the title again in 1990, the team began a streak of consecutive conference titles in 1992 that reached 21 following their 2012 OAC championship.
 * Ohio Athletic Conference championships: 1985, 1986, 1990, 1992, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012

Through the 2012 season, Mount Union has won 11 Division III National Championships and has 16 total appearances in the Stagg Bowl, including the last 8 consecutively, along with 24 playoff appearances.


 * National Championships: 1993, 1996, 1997, 1998, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2005, 2006, 2008, 2012
 * National Runner-up: 2003, 2007, 2009, 2010, 2012

Notable alumni

 * Dom Capers
 * Wilmer Fleming
 * Harry March
 * Pierre Garcon
 * Cecil Shorts III
 * Kyle Miller