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Harding Bisons football
The Harding Bisons football program represents Harding University in college football as a Division II member of the Great American Conference. Harding is located in Searcy, Arkansas. The Bisons are led by head coach Roddy Mote, a former Harding quarterback, running back, longtime assistant and defensive coordinator. They were NCAA Division II national champions in 2023, and national runner-up in 2025, led by Paul Simmons.
The 2016 and 2017 seasons were some of the most successful runs in the history of the program. Ronnie Huckeba's 2016 squad, before his retirement from coaching, won the conference title and made it to the quarterfinals of the NCAA Division II playoffs. The following year under first-year head coach Paul Simmons, the Bisons won three post-season games to make it to the semifinals of the playoffs before losing to East Texas A&M (the storied football program formerly and widely known as East Texas State, now in NCAA Division I FCS).
Simmons achieved his first undefeated regular season in 2023, with a mark of 11–0. That team later defeated Lenoir–Rhyne in the NCAA Division II semifinals to send Harding to its first-ever national championship game. On December 16, 2023, Harding defeated Colorado School of Mines to win the 2023 NCAA Division II national championship.
On December 13th, 2025, Harding defeated Kutztown 49-27 to make its way to Harding's second national championship game. Harding had traveled 1,100 miles to the Kutztown game in deep eastern Pennsylvania. The next week, Harding lost the national championship game to Ferris State 21-42.
On January 6, 2026, Coach Paul Simmons was promoted to the newly created position of general manager of the Bisons football program, and longtime assistant and defensive coordinator Roddy Mote was promoted to head coach.
Harding's football program began the same year that Harding College came into existence in 1924. The first eight years produced a 19–28–6 record, with most of the wins coming against high schools or college B and C teams. But the Bisons cultivated a steady following of excited students and townspeople, as evidenced in various volumes of Harding's yearbook, The Petit Jean.
Among the opponents in the 1920s were five colleges that would become rivalries lasting into the 21st century. Arkansas State Teacher's College would eventually become the University of Central Arkansas, and Magnolia A&M would become Southern Arkansas University. Henderson State University had begun as Arkadelphia Methodist College and was referred to as Henderson-Brown when Harding began playing them. Harding first played against Arkansas Tech University's Third Team in 1924, and advanced to playing Tech's Second Team the next year. The first matchup against the Ouachita Baptist Tigers was in 1928, ending in a 0–0 tie.
One special moment in Harding football history was a 1926 trip to Fayetteville, Arkansas, and a drubbing by the Arkansas Razorback Freshman Team. The head coach of the Razorbacks was Francis Schmidt, who was nicknamed Francis "Close the Gates of Mercy" Schmidt. He adored running up the score on lesser equipped teams. Harding, with many first-year players itself that year, was beaten badly by the Razorback freshmen, 0–74.
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Harding Bisons football
The Harding Bisons football program represents Harding University in college football as a Division II member of the Great American Conference. Harding is located in Searcy, Arkansas. The Bisons are led by head coach Roddy Mote, a former Harding quarterback, running back, longtime assistant and defensive coordinator. They were NCAA Division II national champions in 2023, and national runner-up in 2025, led by Paul Simmons.
The 2016 and 2017 seasons were some of the most successful runs in the history of the program. Ronnie Huckeba's 2016 squad, before his retirement from coaching, won the conference title and made it to the quarterfinals of the NCAA Division II playoffs. The following year under first-year head coach Paul Simmons, the Bisons won three post-season games to make it to the semifinals of the playoffs before losing to East Texas A&M (the storied football program formerly and widely known as East Texas State, now in NCAA Division I FCS).
Simmons achieved his first undefeated regular season in 2023, with a mark of 11–0. That team later defeated Lenoir–Rhyne in the NCAA Division II semifinals to send Harding to its first-ever national championship game. On December 16, 2023, Harding defeated Colorado School of Mines to win the 2023 NCAA Division II national championship.
On December 13th, 2025, Harding defeated Kutztown 49-27 to make its way to Harding's second national championship game. Harding had traveled 1,100 miles to the Kutztown game in deep eastern Pennsylvania. The next week, Harding lost the national championship game to Ferris State 21-42.
On January 6, 2026, Coach Paul Simmons was promoted to the newly created position of general manager of the Bisons football program, and longtime assistant and defensive coordinator Roddy Mote was promoted to head coach.
Harding's football program began the same year that Harding College came into existence in 1924. The first eight years produced a 19–28–6 record, with most of the wins coming against high schools or college B and C teams. But the Bisons cultivated a steady following of excited students and townspeople, as evidenced in various volumes of Harding's yearbook, The Petit Jean.
Among the opponents in the 1920s were five colleges that would become rivalries lasting into the 21st century. Arkansas State Teacher's College would eventually become the University of Central Arkansas, and Magnolia A&M would become Southern Arkansas University. Henderson State University had begun as Arkadelphia Methodist College and was referred to as Henderson-Brown when Harding began playing them. Harding first played against Arkansas Tech University's Third Team in 1924, and advanced to playing Tech's Second Team the next year. The first matchup against the Ouachita Baptist Tigers was in 1928, ending in a 0–0 tie.
One special moment in Harding football history was a 1926 trip to Fayetteville, Arkansas, and a drubbing by the Arkansas Razorback Freshman Team. The head coach of the Razorbacks was Francis Schmidt, who was nicknamed Francis "Close the Gates of Mercy" Schmidt. He adored running up the score on lesser equipped teams. Harding, with many first-year players itself that year, was beaten badly by the Razorback freshmen, 0–74.