Dayton Flyers
PioneerDayton, OHWelcome Stadium
2026: 5–1 (2–1 Pioneer). Last: won at Butler 19–9. Next: San Diego, Saturday, Oct 24, noon ET.
- W 43–20Fairmont State
- W 30–7Thomas More
- W 17–14at Eastern Kentucky
- L 22–30at Drake
- W 56–28Morehead State
- W 19–9at Butler
- Oct 24San Diego
- Oct 31at Stetson
- Nov 7Valparaiso
- Nov 14Davidson
- Nov 21at Presbyterian
Dayton has played football since 1905 and is officially 718–400–25; 471 of its 1,143 games are in our file. They have won 12 Pioneer Football League titles (the last in 2015), counting shared titles. The College Football Hall of Fame holds 2 coaches from Dayton. John McVay (1965–1972) won more games here than any other coach: 37. The most-played rival is Drake: 22 meetings, Dayton leads 14–8. This season, they’re 5–1.
Résumé
- All-time record
- 718–400–25 official; 239–222–10 on file; how we count
- Postseason
- 0–1 matches the official bowl record
- AP No. 1 finishes
- 0
- Weeks at No. 1
- 0 of 0 ranked
- Elo now
- 1360
- Computer rankings
- Massey No. 80 · Composite No. 82 in FCS, Oct 17; up 10 since Oct 11. From Massey Ratings
- Conference titles
- 12 last in 2015
- Seasons
- 63 since 1923, 471 games
2026 season 5–1
RosterFull 2026 season| Date | Opponent | Result | Elo |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aug 29 | vsFairmont State | W 43–20 | 79% |
| Sep 12 | vsThomas More | W 30–7 | 88% |
| Sep 19 | at Eastern Kentucky | W 17–14 | 47% |
| Oct 3 | at Drake | L 22–30 | 49% |
| Oct 10 | vs Morehead State | W 56–28 | 78% |
| Oct 17 | at Butler | W 19–9 | 38% |
| Oct 24 | vs San Diego | Preview | 67% |
| Oct 31 | at Stetson | Preview | 76% |
| Nov 7 | vs Valparaiso | Preview | 79% |
| Nov 14 | vs Davidson | Preview | 86% |
| Nov 21 | at Presbyterian | Preview | 48% |
Elo: a pregame chance from scores alone.
This season, game by game
Players
The 2026 rosterThe moneyOn the 2026 team
- Bryce Schondelmyer1,236 passing yards, 11 TD (leads Dayton in passing yards)
- Luke Hansen352 rushing yards, 4 TD (leads Dayton in rushing yards)
- Michael Mussari34 catches, 447 yards, 3 TD (leads Dayton in receiving yards)
- Gavin Lochow37 catches, 270 yards, 3 TD (leads Dayton in receiving touchdowns)
- Joe Kingsbury36 tackles, 2.5 sacks, 1 INT (leads Dayton in sacks)
- Javawn Brooks25 tackles, 4 INT (leads Dayton in interceptions)
Program strength since 1923
Best seasons everHead coaches
| Coach | Years | Record |
|---|---|---|
| Ron Marciniak | 1973–1976 | 17–26–1 |
| John McVay | 1965–1972 | 37–41–4 |
| Pete Ankney | 1963–1964 | 4–14–2 |
| Stan Zajdel | 1960–1962 | 5–25 |
| Bud Kerr | 1956–1959 | 15–24–1 |
Most-played series
All rivalries- Drake
14–8 in 22
- 2014 L 30–34
- 2015 L 17–27
- 2016 W 35–10
- 2017 W 20–10
- 2018 L 17–28
- 2019 W 46–29
- 2021 W 28–10
- 2022 W 27–14
- 2025 L 6–14
- 2026 L 22–30
Lost the last two.
- Butler
14–8 in 22
- 2016 W 31–16
- 2017 W 27–22
- 2018 W 38–28
- 2019 W 51–38
- 2021 W 38–31
- 2022 L 0–31
- 2023 L 10–37
- 2024 W 21–14
- 2025 L 17–23
- 2026 W 19–9
Won the last one.
- Miami (OH)
3–17–2 in 22
- 1968 L 0–14
- 1969 L 9–19
- 1970 L 0–17
- 1971 L 0–14
- 1972 L 7–34
- 1973 L 0–32
- 1975 L 0–10
- 1976 L 8–28
- 1977 L 23–26
- 1978 T 10–10
Tied the last meeting.
| Opponent | Games | DAY record |
|---|---|---|
| Drake | 22 | 14–8 |
| Butler | 22 | 14–8 |
| Miami (OH) | 22 | 3–17–2 |
| Louisville | 21 | 9–12 |
| Morehead State | 20 | 13–7 |
| Valparaiso | 20 | 17–3 |
| San Diego | 18 | 6–12 |
| Xavier | 18 | 6–10–2 |
Rivals the program names: Drake.
Every opponent (85)
Every program Dayton has played, A to Z, with Dayton’s record against it. Each links to the series, game by game.
- Abilene Christian 1–0
- Akron 2–2
- Austin Peay 2–0
- Ave Maria University 1–0
- Ball State 1–2
- Boston College 0–1
- Bowling Green 1–15–1
- Brown 0–1
- Buffalo 2–1–1
- Butler 14–8
- Campbell 4–1
- Carnegie Mellon 0–1
- Central Michigan 0–2
- Central State 6–1
- Chattanooga 0–3
- Cincinnati 5–10–1
- Davidson 14–2
- Detroit Mercy 3–7–1
- Drake 14–8
- Duquesne 3–9
- East Carolina 0–2
- Eastern Illinois 1–1
- Eastern Kentucky 3–2
- Fairmont State 1–0
- Fordham 2–0
- Georgetown 1–0
- Holy Cross 1–7
- Houston 0–1
- Illinois State 0–2
- Indiana State 2–2
- Iowa State 0–1
- Jacksonville 6–4
- Kennesaw State 1–0
- Kent State 2–6
- Kentucky 0–1
- Kentucky State 1–0
- Lafayette 0–1
- Louisville 9–12
- Marist 11–3
- Marshall 4–2
- McNeese 1–0
- Miami (OH) 3–17–2
- Morehead State 13–7
- NC State 0–1
- Nevada 1–0
- North Dakota State 1–0
- Northern Illinois 2–0
- Northern Michigan 1–0
- Ohio 3–8
- Presbyterian 3–2
- Quantico Marines 0–1
- Richmond 4–0
- Robert Morris 16–1
- Saint Francis 1–0
- Saint Louis 1–0
- Saint Mary’s (CA) 0–0–1
- San Diego 6–12
- Southeast Missouri State 1–1
- Southern Illinois 2–4–1
- Southern Miss 0–1
- St. Joseph’s (IN) 1–0
- St. Joseph’s (Pennsylvania) 1–0
- St. Peter’s 1–0
- St. Thomas (MN) 0–2
- Stetson 6–1
- Tampa 0–1
- Taylor 1–0
- Temple 2–2
- Tennessee 0–4
- Thomas More 2–0
- Tiffin 1–0
- Toledo 5–8
- UAlbany 1–0
- UL Monroe 1–0
- Urbana 1–1
- Valparaiso 17–3
- Villanova 4–5
- VMI 1–0
- Western Illinois 0–1
- Western Kentucky 0–2
- Wichita State 5–3
- Wittenberg 2–0
- Xavier 6–10–2
- Yale 0–1
- Youngstown State 4–2
Conference titles
12, counting shared titles- Pioneer Football League 12
- 1993, 1994 (shared), 1996, 1997, 1999, 2000 (shared), 2001, 2002, 2007 (shared), 2009 (shared), 2010, 2015 (shared)
- PFL North 2
- 2001, 2002
As the program counts them in its Wikipedia article, shared titles included, and listed under each conference’s current name (a Western Conference title of the 1900s counts as a Big Ten title); season pages use the name the conference had that year. A title the article files under a conference the team wasn’t in that season is listed under the one it was. Division titles include years the team tied for its division.
Conferences
- Independent 1905–1925
- Buckeye Athletic Conference 1935–1938
- Independent 1939–1942 and 1946–1992
- Pioneer Conference 1993–2019 and since 2021
- 1993Joined the Pioneer Conference from independence in football. Source
Dayton’s football conferences by season, from CollegeFootballData.com’s memberships (renamed conferences keep the name of the time). The moves and their announcement dates from Wikipedia’s lists of NCAA Division I conference changes; the year is the first season in the new conference. Conference realignment: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA).
Led the nation 2
| 1975 | Kelvin Kirk yards per catch (24.5) |
| 1970 | Brian Bream points per game (12.012) |
The NCAA’s official national leaders since 1937, from Wikipedia’s yearly leader lists.
In the Hall of Fame
Every inductee- Players
- 0
- Coaches
- 2
| 2011 | Mike Kelly coach, career 1981–2007 |
| 1990 | Harry Baujan coach, career 1923–1946 |
In the NFL Draft
By college- Drafted, rounds 1–7
- 9 since 1950
- First-round picks
- 0
The school
University of Dayton- Enrollment
- 10,506 7,740 undergraduates, fall 2024
- Where
- Dayton, Ohio
- Public or private
- Private nonprofit; Research 1
- Founded
- 1850
- Graduates’ median earnings
- $75,537 10 years after starting
Enrollment, place and Carnegie research tier from the National Center for Education Statistics (IPEDS, public domain). Earnings from the US Department of Education’s College Scorecard (CC BY 4.0): the median for students who received federal aid and were working, not in school. Founding year from Wikidata. Every school’s in the data.
Season by season
National champions| Season | Record | Conf. | AP pre | AP final | Coach | Elo | SP+ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 5–1 | 2–1 | 1360 | ||||
| 2025 | 7–4 | 5–3 | 1305 | ||||
| 2024 | 6–5 | 4–4 | 1231 | ||||
| 2023 | 4–7 | 2–6 | 1245 | ||||
| 2022 | 8–3 | 6–2 | 1355 | ||||
| 2021 | 6–4 | 5–3 | 1353 | ||||
| 2019 | 8–3 | 6–2 | 1386 | ||||
| 2018 | 6–5 | 5–3 | 1326 | ||||
| 2017 | 5–6 | 4–4 | 1340 | ||||
| 2016 | 9–2 | 7–1 | 1453 | ||||
| 2015 | 10–2 | 7–1 | 1377 | ||||
| 2014 | 7–3 | 5–2 | 1334 | ||||
| 2013 | 7–4 | 5–3 | 1330 | ||||
| 2012 | 6–5 | 5–3 | 1334 | ||||
| 2011 | 6–5 | 4–4 | 1356 | ||||
| 2010 | 9–1 | 7–0 | 1483 | ||||
| 2009 | 8–2 | 6–1 | 1479 | ||||
| 2008 | 9–3 | 6–2 | 1469 | ||||
| 2007 | 11–1 | 6–1 | 1479 | ||||
| 2006 | 4–6 | 1–6 | 1269 | ||||
| 2005 | 9–1 | 7–1 | 1407 | ||||
| 2004 | 1–1 | 1267 | |||||
| 2003 | 1–0 | 1212 | |||||
| 1978 | 0–0–1 | 1267 | |||||
| 1977 | 2–2 | 1393 |
Every season back to 1923 (38 more)
| Season | Record | Conf. | AP pre | AP final | Coach | Elo | SP+ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1976 | 4–7 | Ron Marciniak | 1302 | -14.6 | |||
| 1975 | 5–6 | Ron Marciniak | 1331 | 3.5 | |||
| 1974 | 3–8 | Ron Marciniak | 1229 | -25.0 | |||
| 1973 | 5–5–1 | Ron Marciniak | 1321 | -13.5 | |||
| 1972 | 4–6–1 | John McVay | 1361 | -1.2 | |||
| 1971 | 5–6 | John McVay | 1410 | -0.3 | |||
| 1970 | 5–4–1 | John McVay | 1461 | 2.2 | |||
| 1969 | 3–7 | John McVay | 1409 | ||||
| 1968 | 5–5 | John McVay | 1498 | ||||
| 1967 | 6–3–1 | John McVay | 1483 | ||||
| 1966 | 8–2 | John McVay | 1477 | ||||
| 1965 | 1–8–1 | John McVay | 1261 | ||||
| 1964 | 3–7 | Pete Ankney | 1301 | ||||
| 1963 | 1–7–2 | Pete Ankney | 1295 | ||||
| 1962 | 2–8 | Stan Zajdel | 1290 | ||||
| 1961 | 2–8 | Stan Zajdel | 1280 | ||||
| 1960 | 1–9 | Stan Zajdel | 1253 | ||||
| 1959 | 3–7 | Bud Kerr | 1326 | ||||
| 1958 | 2–8 | Bud Kerr | 1288 | ||||
| 1957 | 6–3–1 | Bud Kerr | 1416 | ||||
| 1956 | 4–6 | Bud Kerr | 1186 | ||||
| 1955 | 2–2 | 1173 | |||||
| 1954 | 0–2 | 1147 | |||||
| 1952 | 1–0 | 1179 | |||||
| 1951 | 0–1 | 1120 | |||||
| 1950 | 0–1 | 1137 | |||||
| 1949 | 1–0 | 1159 | |||||
| 1948 | 1–1 | 1155 | |||||
| 1947 | 0–1 | 1111 | |||||
| 1946 | 1–1 | 1123 | |||||
| 1942 | 0–1 | 1104 | |||||
| 1941 | 0–1 | 1109 | |||||
| 1939 | 0–0–1 | 1116 | |||||
| 1932 | 1–0 | 1111 | |||||
| 1929 | 0–1 | 1090 | |||||
| 1928 | 0–2 | 1089 | |||||
| 1924 | 0–1 | 1095 | |||||
| 1923 | 0–1 | 1098 |
Officially 718–400–25 since 1905 (per Wikipedia, through the 2024 season); game by game here, 239–222–10 (471 of its 1,143 games are on file). Our file starts in 1923; the program began in 1905. Some games are missing from our source.
No season on file for 1925–27, 1930–31, 1933–38, 1940, 1943–45, 1953, 1979–2002, 2020: the program may not have played, or our source may be missing them.
Records are computed from every game on file at CollegeFootballData.com, whose coverage of the earliest seasons can be incomplete. Elo is this site’s own rating; see how it works on the records page.