Sport Football Meetings total 49 | Next meeting 2017 | |
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First meeting September 30, 1932
Pittsburg State 25, Northwest 0 Latest meeting October 29, 2016
Northwest Missouri 69, Pittsburg State 10 All-time series Northwest Missouri State, 26–24 | ||
The Northwest Missouri State−Pittsburg State football rivalry, formerly known as the Fall Classic at Arrowhead, is a college football game at Arrowhead Stadium that was held twelve times in Kansas City, Missouri from 2002–2013 between Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association (MIAA) rivals Northwest Missouri State University and Pittsburg State University. The games are now played at the teams' home field, due to being unable to reach terms with the Kansas City Chiefs.
Overview
While at Arrowhead, the Fall Classic drew more than 20,000 fans each year (including 26,695 in 2004), the largest attendance of any regular-season NCAA Division II sporting event.
Since 1991 the two MIAA rivals have appeared in 15 NCAA Division II National Football Championship title games. Pittsburg State is 2–3 winning in 1991 and 2011, and was runner up in 1992, 1995 and 2004 (in addition it polled #1 in 1961). Northwest is 6–4, winning the titles in 1998, 1999, 2009, 2013, 2015 and 2016 and was runner up in 2005, 2006, 2007 and 2008. In addition to the regular season games the two teams have also played each other in 2004, 2005, 2008 and 2011 in Division II playoff games. The two teams have combined for at least a share of all but two MIAA championships since 1989.
In every matchup at Arrowhead except 2003, at least one of the teams was ranked in the Top 10 in Division II. In 2013, 2012, 2011, 2009, 2008, 2006 and 2004 both teams were in the Top 10 including 2004 when they were #1 and #2.
On February 11, 2014 Northwest Missouri State announced on their website that they were unable to reach terms with the Kansas City Chiefs to continue the use of Arrowhead Stadium for the contest.
Northwest won nine of the twelve games played at Arrowhead Stadium.