Programs / History / Northwestern
NW

FBS PROGRAM EXPLORER

Northwestern

latest conference era: Big Ten

Loaded Seasons13
Latest Season2026
Peak Power2026 | +26.4
Best Finish#11 in 2026
Program Explorer

Program Arc

Win rate shows the results layer. End-of-season power shows the strength layer. A serious history page needs both.

Bars: win rate Line: public power vs average team
100% 50% 0% PWR +26.4 PWR +4.0 2017: 10-3, margin +119, power +9.3, resume 91 / 100, final rank #412018: 9-5, margin +14, power +8.8, resume 87 / 100, final rank #452019: 3-9, margin -87, power +4.1, resume 41 / 100, final rank #822020: 7-2, margin +79, power +4.0, resume 90 / 100, final rank #412021: 3-9, margin -149, power +5.1, resume 37 / 100, final rank #1462022: 1-11, margin -175, power +13.9, resume 43 / 100, final rank #1302023: 8-5, margin -6, power +20.3, resume 91 / 100, final rank #592024: 4-8, margin -102, power +17.3, resume 87 / 100, final rank #882025: 7-6, margin +46, power +22.2, resume 89 / 100, final rank #492026: 1-0, margin +16, power +26.4, resume 65 / 100, final rank #11 2017: 10-3, margin +119, power +9.3, resume 91 / 100, final rank #41+9.32018: 9-5, margin +14, power +8.8, resume 87 / 100, final rank #45+8.82019: 3-9, margin -87, power +4.1, resume 41 / 100, final rank #82+4.12020: 7-2, margin +79, power +4.0, resume 90 / 100, final rank #41+4.02021: 3-9, margin -149, power +5.1, resume 37 / 100, final rank #146+5.12022: 1-11, margin -175, power +13.9, resume 43 / 100, final rank #130+13.92023: 8-5, margin -6, power +20.3, resume 91 / 100, final rank #59+20.32024: 4-8, margin -102, power +17.3, resume 87 / 100, final rank #88+17.32025: 7-6, margin +46, power +22.2, resume 89 / 100, final rank #49+22.22026: 1-0, margin +16, power +26.4, resume 65 / 100, final rank #11+26.4 201710-320189-520193-920207-220213-920221-1120238-520244-820257-620261-0

Historical Snapshot

A fast read on what this program usually is, what its peak looks like, and how the latest season compares.

Loaded Seasons 13

The number of fully modeled seasons currently attached to this program.

Program Baseline +19.9

A recent multi-year closing-power average. This is the kind of anchor that should matter in preseason priors.

Current Vs. Baseline +6.4

How the current season's closing power stacks up against the program's recent standard.

Gap To Peak 0.0

How far the current season finished below the strongest loaded team in program history.

Peak Loaded Season 2026 | +26.4

The strongest closing power this program has posted in the loaded archive.

Best Power Since Best loaded season

No earlier loaded season beat the current closing power.

Best Resume Since Since 2025

This is the program's best resume season since 2025.

Best Finish 2026 | #11

The highest loaded all-level board finish currently attached to this program.

Best Resume Season 2015 | 93 / 100

The strongest body-of-work season currently attached to this program in the loaded archive.

Current Season Standing Resume #9 | Power #1

Where the current season sits inside this program's loaded history on the two main scales.

Program Percentile Resume 38th | Power 100th

A cleaner fan-facing answer to the question: is this near the top of the program's arc or just another solid year?

Best Record 2026 | 1-0

The cleanest results season in the loaded archive, regardless of whether it was also the strongest by power.

Current Context

The premium fan question is not only "how good is this team?" It is "how good is this season relative to the program I know?"

Current board #11 Where the latest loaded season sits on today's all-level board.
Latest season 2026 1-0
Program baseline +19.9 Recent multi-year closing-power standard.
Gap to peak 0.0 How far the latest season sits below the program's strongest loaded team.

Program Signals

The clearest historical takeaways, written for scan speed.

Strongest Loaded Team

2026 Season

Ended at power +26.4, record 1-0, and final loaded-board rank #11.

Best Loaded Resume

2015 Season

Resume 93 / 100 with 10 wins and a 77% win rate.

Year-Over-Year Swing

+4.2 power

From 2025 to 2026, the program moved from +22.2 to +26.4.

Best Record

1-0

The cleanest loaded season by results came in 2026, with a margin of +16.

Best Resume Season

2015 | 93 / 100

Latest Vs. Standard

+6.4

Season Explorer

Every loaded season, with conference era attached to the correct year and filters built for the questions fans actually ask.

13 seasons visible
Season Conference Lens Record Final Rank End Power End Resume Margin Season Page
2026 Big TenFBS CurrentThis season anchors the current board. 1-0 #11 +26.4 65 +16 Open season page
2025 Big TenFBS Above standardClosed comfortably above the program's recent baseline. 7-6 #49 +22.2 89 +46 Program view
2024 Big TenFBS Down yearFinished meaningfully below the program's recent standard. 4-8 #88 +17.3 87 -102 Program view
2023 Big TenFBS In rangeA season that landed inside the normal historical band. 8-5 #59 +20.3 91 -6 Program view
2022 Big TenFBS Down yearFinished meaningfully below the program's recent standard. 1-11 #130 +13.9 43 -175 Program view
2021 Big TenFBS Down yearFinished meaningfully below the program's recent standard. 3-9 #146 +5.1 37 -149 Program view
2020 Big TenFBS Down yearFinished meaningfully below the program's recent standard. 7-2 #41 +4.0 90 +79 Program view
2019 Big TenFBS Down yearFinished meaningfully below the program's recent standard. 3-9 #82 +4.1 41 -87 Program view
2018 Big TenFBS Down yearFinished meaningfully below the program's recent standard. 9-5 #45 +8.8 87 +14 Program view
2017 Big TenFBS Down yearFinished meaningfully below the program's recent standard. 10-3 #41 +9.3 91 +119 Program view
2016 Big TenFBS Down yearFinished meaningfully below the program's recent standard. 7-6 #46 +8.6 77 +49 Program view
2015 Big TenFBS Best resumeBest body-of-work season in the loaded archive. 10-3 #77 +5.4 93 +12 Program view
2014 Big TenFBS Down yearFinished meaningfully below the program's recent standard. 5-7 #75 +6.1 49 -26 Program view