NWC to Honor Larry Korver's First Football Teams Saturday

Northwestern welcomes back members of the 1967 to 1973 Red Raider football teams

ORANGE CITY, Iowa – The home-opener this Saturday, September 10 against Dakota Wesleyan, Northwestern College welcomes back members of the late 1960s and early 1970s football teams, led by legendary head coach – and De Valois Stadium namesake – Larry 'Bub' Korver to campus.

The storied tradition of Northwestern football began over fifty years ago when Coach Larry Korver became the Red Raider head coach. Today, members of the 1967 to 1973 Red Raider football teams return to Orange City to renew friendships, relive those great moments, and to honor their head coach.

"This is a great way to honor Coach Korver," said Vice President for Athletics Dr. Micah Parker. "He is a great example of Honoring Christ through excellence in athletics!"

Among former athletes planning to come back to campus are those who played in Korver's first season and first game in 1967; those played in his first win and winning season in 1968; and those who played in the first-ever win against rival Westmar College in 1970.

Also present are those who played on the first conference championship team in 1971 and members of the 1972 team – that 50 years ago this year – was Northwestern's first-ever undefeated team in program history and the first team to earn a berth to the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) Playoffs, advancing to the NAIA national championship game before falling to then Missouri Southern (today, Missouri Southern State University, NCAA Division II).

Finally, to cap off the former Red Raiders present today, are members of Northwestern's first football national championship team of 1973. The magical 1973 season began with a win over South Dakota State in Brookings, S.D. and the season ended with the national championship win over Glenville State (W.V.), in a game played in Huntington, West Virginia.

In each of these seasons from 1967 and through 1995, and for 295 total games and 212 wins, the Red Raiders were led by Coach Larry "Bub" Korver. In June of this past year, Coach Korver was placed on the docket for the National Football Foundation's College Football Hall of Fame. The announcement of the inductees will come in December.

In those seven seasons, Northwestern became a national-brand football program in the NAIA. Compiling an overall record of 48-11-1, winning 80 percent of their games, and compiled six winning seasons. 1972 marked the first-ever 10-win season in program history, and culminated with the 1973 NAIA national championship.

Don't forget to follow Northwestern College Athletics on Facebook @nwcraiders, Twitter @nwcraiders, and Instagram @nwcraiders! #RaidersStandOut

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