Gettysburg has a long football history dating back 130 years. The team has won three Centennial Conference championships, and has traditionally had one of the conference's best offenses. Gettysburg has led the CC in team rushing 17 times, total offense eight times, and scoring offense nine times. The Bullets have also boasted the conference's leading individual rusher 10 times and the all-purpose yardage leader 11 times. No other school has had the leading rusher or all-purpose yard leader more than seven times.
Gettysburg held its own against much larger Division I schools in the University Division in the 1950s and 1960s, even winning the Middle Atlantic Conference University Division championship in 1964 and claiming the Lambert Memorial Cup two years later. In the 1980s, the Bullets ran off the first three Centennial Conference titles from 1983-85, culminating in the only undefeated regular season in program history and a trip to the NCAA Division III semifinals in 1985.
Beginning in 1978, Barry Streeter started his tenure at the helm of the program and remained on the sidelines for 40 years. He developed the innovative "Spread Wing" offense, which is derived from the Delaware Wing-T and combined power running with aggressive passing. It used multiple formations and personnel groupings, all aimed at attacking a defense's weakest point. Dozens of players rose to national status in this system, not the least of which was Paul Smith '00, who set an all-divisions NCAA record with 527 all-purpose yards against Muhlenberg College in 1999.
Gettysburg's long and storied history has led to the development of several trophy games with local programs. The creation of the "Lincoln Football Trophy" marked the 100th meeting between the Bullets and Franklin & Marshall College in 2014. The team also features the "Little Brown Bucket" with Dickinson College and the "Old Tin Cup" with Muhlenberg.
The Bullets practice and play at one of the finest facilities in all of college football. Shirk Field at Musselman Stadium was dedicated in 1965, renovated in time for the 2003 season, and resurfaced following the 2019 campaign. The field now features a state-of-the-art RootZone 3D3 Trionic Blend Turf, which is the same material used at Ohio State University and Texas Tech University. The stadium also features ample seating, with a capacity of over 6,000.
First Season: 1890
All-Time Record: 573-561-42 (.505)
NCAA Division III Tournament Appearances: 1985
NCAA Division III Semifinalists: 1985
Centennial Conference Championships: 1983, 1984, 1985
Middle Atlantic Conference (University Division) Champions: 1964
Lambert Memorial Cup Champions: 1966
ECAC Champions: 1925, 1927, 1928, 1929, 1932, 1934, 1939, 1941
NCAA Division III All-Americans: 53
Academic All-Americans: Craig Swanson '80 (1979, Second Team), Richard Swartz 80 (1979, First Team), Cliff Mason '03 (2002, First Team), Larry DelViscio '13 (2012, Second Team), Kodie McNamara '16 (2015, Second Team), Cordell Boggs '17 (2016, First Team), Justin Lessel '21 (2021, Second Team)
Centennial Conference First Team Selections: 80
Centennial Conference Players of the Year: QB Chris Adams '95 (1994, Offensive), FB Paul Smith '00 (1999, Co-Offensive), TB Tom Sturges '08 (2007, Offensive)
