Saginaw Valley State Cardinals football, 2010–2019

The Saginaw Valley State Cardinals football program, 2010–2019 represented Saginaw Valley State University during the 2010s in NCAA Division II college football as a member of the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC). The team was led during the decade by two head coaches: Jim Collins, who held the post for 11 years from 2008 to 2018 and compiled a 65–56 record; and Ryan Brady, who took over as head coach in 2019 and continues in the position as of 2025. Highlights of the decade included:

• The 2011 Saginaw Valley State Cardinals football team compiled a 7–4, tied for the GLIAC North Division championship, and advanced to the NCAA Division II playoffs where they lost in overtime to Minnesota Duluth.
• The 2012 team compiled an 8–3 record and tied for the GLIAC North championship.
• The 2013 team compiled a 9–3 record, won the GLIAC North championship, and advanced to the NCAA Division II playoffs where they lost to Grand Valley State in the first round.
• The 2018 team, in its final season under Jim Collins, compiled an 8–3 record and finished fourth in the GLIAC.
• Under new head coach Ryan Brady, the 2019 team compiled a 5–6 record.

2010–2019 Saginaw Valley State Cardinals football
Conference	Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference
Head coach	Jim Collins (2008–2018) Ryan Brady (2019)
Home stadium	Harvey Randall Wickes Memorial Stadium
Seasons ← 2009 2021 →

The team played its home games at Harvey Randall Wickes Memorial Stadium, commonly shortened to Wickes Stadium, in University Center, Michigan.

Decade overview

Year	Head coach	Overall record	Conf. record	Conf. rank	Points scored	Points against
2010	Jim Collins	4–7	4–6	7 (North)	303	312
2011	Jim Collins	7–4	7–3	T1 (North)	346	306
2012	Jim Collins	8–3	7–3	T1 (North)	360	284
2013	Jim Collins	9–3	9–1	1 (North)	453	381
2014	Jim Collins	2–9	2–8	13	152	291
2015	Jim Collins	1–10	1–9	14	182	335
2016	Jim Collins	5–5	5–5	8	265	286
2017	Jim Collins	5–6	3–6	8	255	263
2018	Jim Collins	8–3	5–3	4	296	183
2019	Ryan Brady	5–6	3–5	T5	337	265
TOTAL		54–56

2010

2010 Saginaw Valley State Cardinals football
Conference	Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference
Record	4–7 (4–6 GLIAC)
Head coach	Jim Collins (3rd season)
Defensive coordinator	Todd Stepsis (3rd season)
Home stadium	Harvey Randall Wickes Memorial Stadium
Seasons ← 2009 2011 →

2010 Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference football standings

v t e	Conf.							Overall
Team		W		L					W		L
North
No. 10 Grand Valley State $^		9	–	1					11	–	2
No. 25 Michigan Tech		8	–	2					8	–	2
Indianapolis		5	–	5					6	–	5
Ferris State		5	–	5					5	–	6
Northern Michigan		5	–	5					5	–	6
Northwood		5	–	5					5	–	6
Saginaw Valley State		4	–	6					4	–	7
South
No. 21 Wayne State (MI)		8	–	2					9	–	2
No. 16 Hillsdale ^		8	–	2					9	–	3
Ashland		7	–	3					8	–	3
Lake Erie		3	–	7					3	–	8
Ohio Dominican *		2	–	8					2	–	8
Findlay		1	–	9					1	–	10
Tiffin		0	–	10					1	–	10
$ – Conference champion ^ – NCAA Division II playoff participant * – Provisional Division II member Rankings from AFCA poll

The 2010 Saginaw Valley State Cardinals football team represented Saginaw Valley State University (SVSU) as a member of the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC) during the 2010 NCAA Division II football season. In their third year under head coach Jim Collins, the Cardinals compiled a 4–7 record (4–7 in conference games), finished in last place in the GLIAC's North Division, and were outscored by a total of 312 to 303. It was SVSU's worst season since 1993 and one of only three losing seasons in the program's 23-year history.^[1]

In a pre-season coaches poll, SVSU was picked to finish third in the conference.^[2]

Schedule

Date	Time	Opponent	Rank	Site	Result	Attendance	Source
September 4	12:00 p.m.	No. 5 California (PA)*	No. 11	Wickes Stadium University Center, MI	L 41–42	5,837
September 11	6:00 p.m.	at Ferris State	No. 16	Top Taggart Field Big Rapids, MI	L 17–21	3,201
September 18	12:00 p.m.	Lake Erie		Wickes Stadium University Center, MI	W 49–17	5,411
September 25	12:00 p.m.	at Northwood		Hantz Stadium Midland, MI (Axe Bowl)	L 26–30	4,319	[3][4]
October 2	1:00 p.m.	at No. 11 Hillsdale		Muddy Waters Stadium Hillsdale, MI	L 21–35	1,279	[5]
October 9	12:00 p.m.	Michigan Tech		Wickes Stadium University Center, MI	W 43–31	0	[6]
October 16	12:00 p.m.	Indianapolis		Wickes Stadium University Center, MI	W 24–20	3,416
October 23	1:00 p.m.	at Ashland		Jack Miller Stadium Ashland, OH	L 24–30	3,137
October 30	12:00 p.m.	Wayne State (MI)		Wickes Stadium University Center, MI	L 27–41	3,127
November 6	1:00 p.m.	at Northern Michigan		Superior Dome Marquette, MI	W 24–17 OT	1,987	[7]
November 13	12:00 p.m.	No. 6 Grand Valley State		Wickes Stadium University Center, MI (Battle of the Valleys)	L 7–28	8,927	[8]
*Non-conference game Homecoming Rankings from AFCA Poll released prior to the game All times are in Eastern time

2011

2011 Saginaw Valley State Cardinals football
GLIAC North co-champion
2011 NCAA Division II playoffs, round one, L 27–30 <OT> vs. Minnesota Duluth
Conference	Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference
Record	7–4 (7–3 GLIAC)
Head coach	Jim Collins (4th season)
Defensive coordinator	Todd Stepsis (4th season)
Home stadium	Harvey Randall Wickes Memorial Stadium
Seasons ← 2010 2012 →

2011 Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference football standings

v t e	Conf.							Overall
Team		W		L					W		L
North
Grand Valley State		7	–	3					8	–	3
Saginaw Valley State ^		7	–	3					7	–	4
Indianapolis		6	–	4					7	–	4
Michigan Tech		6	–	4					7	–	4
Ferris State		5	–	5					6	–	5
Northern Michigan		3	–	7					4	–	7
Northwood		1	–	9					2	–	9
South
Hillsdale $		8	–	2					8	–	3
No. 2 Wayne State (MI) ^		7	–	3					12	–	4
Ohio Dominican		6	–	4					7	–	4
Ashland		6	–	4					6	–	5
Findlay		6	–	4					6	–	5
Lake Erie		2	–	8					3	–	8
Tiffin		0	–	10					0	–	11
$ – Conference champion ^ – NCAA Division II playoff participant Rankings from AFCA poll

The 2011 Saginaw Valley State Cardinals football team represented Saginaw Valley State University (SVSU) as a member of the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC) during the 2011 NCAA Division II football season. In their fourth year under head coach Jim Collins, the Cardinals compiled a 7–4 record (7–3 in conference games), tied for the GLIAC's North Division championship, and outscored opponents by a total of 346 to 306. They advanced to the Division II playoffs, losing in overtime to Minnesota Duluth in the first round.

SVSU played in its first nationally-televised game, as the Ashland game was televised on CBS College Sports Network as well as Fox Sports Detroit.^[9][10]

Schedule

Date	Opponent	Site	Result	Attendance	Source
September 10	Ferris State	Wickes Stadium University Center, MI	W 30–27	8,173
September 17	at Lake Erie	Jack Britt Memorial Stadium Painesville, OH	W 35–20	2,642
September 24	Northwood	Wickes Stadium University Center, MI (Axe Bowl)	W 28–20	7,726
October 1	Hillsdale	Wickes Stadium University Center, MI	L 35–38	6,984	[11]
October 8	at Michigan Tech	Sherman Field Houghton, MI	W 44–41	3,092
October 15	at Indianapolis	Key Stadium Indianapolis, IN	L 20–29	2,678
October 20	Ashland	Wickes Stadium University Center, MI	W 27–6	2,913
October 29	at No. 15 Wayne State (MI)	Tom Adams Field Detroit, MI	W 28–20	3,099
November 5	Northern Michigan	Wickes Stadium University Center, MI	W 48–26	7,068
November 12	at Grand Valley State	Lubbers Stadium Allendale, MI (Battle of the Valleys)	L 24–49	11,163	[12]
November 19	at Minnesota Duluth*	Malosky Stadium Duluth, MN	L 27–30 OT	1,012
*Non-conference game Homecoming Rankings from Coaches' Poll released prior to the game

2012

2012 Saginaw Valley State Cardinals football
GLIAC North co-champion
Conference	Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference
Record	8–3 (7–3 GLIAC)
Head coach	Jim Collins (5th season)
Defensive coordinator	Todd Stepsis (5th season)
Home stadium	Harvey Randall Wickes Memorial Stadium
Seasons ← 2011 2013 →

2012 Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference football standings

v t e	Conf.							Overall
Team		W		L					W		L
North
Grand Valley State		7	–	3					8	–	3
Saginaw Valley State		7	–	3					8	–	3
Michigan Tech		7	–	3					7	–	3
Hillsdale		7	–	3					7	–	4
Ferris State		6	–	4					7	–	4
Wayne State (MI)		5	–	5					5	–	5
Northwood		4	–	6					5	–	6
Northern Michigan		4	–	6					5	–	6
South
No. 9 Ashland $^		10	–	0					11	–	1
Ohio Dominican		7	–	3					8	–	3
Findlay		7	–	3					7	–	3
Lake Erie		3	–	7					3	–	8
Notre Dame (OH)		2	–	8					3	–	8
Tiffin		2	–	8					3	–	8
Walsh *		2	–	8					3	–	8
Malone *		1	–	9					1	–	9
$ – Conference champion ^ – NCAA Division II playoff participant * – Provisional Division II member Rankings from AFCA poll

The 2012 Saginaw Valley State Cardinals football team represented Saginaw Valley State University (SVSU) as a member of the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC) during the 2012 NCAA Division II football season. In their fifth year under head coach Jim Collins, the Cardinals compiled an 8–3 record (7–3 in conference games), tied for the GLIAC's North Division championship, and were outscored by a total of 360 to 284.^[13]

Junior wide receiver Jeff Janis caught 106 passes for 1,635 yards and 17 touchdowns. He set GLIAC single-game records with 300 receiving yards against Lake Eries and 18 receptions against Michigan Tech. He was selected as the GLIAC offensive back of the year for 2012.^[14]

Janis and two other SVSC players received first-team honors on the 2012 All-GLIAC team. The other first-team honorees were senior linebacker Grant Caserta and safety Jeff Heath. Caserta led the team with 109 tackles. Heath tied for the GLIAC lead with five interceptions. Four Cardinals received second-team All-GLIAC honors: quarterback Jonathon Jennings, tailback Tim Hogue, offensive lineman Christian Babini; and defensive lineman Ryan Busch.^[14]

Schedule

Date	Time	Opponent	Rank	Site	Result	Attendance	Source
September 1	7:00 p.m.	No. 8 Valdosta State*		Wickes Stadium University Center, MI	W 28–24	4,891
September 8		at Malone	No. 18	Fawcett Stadium Canton, OH	W 37–14
September 15		Findlay	No. 10	Wickes Stadium University Center, MI	L 27–29
September 22		at Lake Erie	No. 20	Jack Britt Memorial Stadium Painesville, OH	W 51–24
September 29		Ferris State	No. 16	Wickes Stadium University Center, MI	W 31–24 OT	8,357
October 6	12:00 p.m.	at Northwood	No. 15	Hantz Stadium Midland, MI (Axe Bowl)	W 28–20	2,732
October 11	8:00 p.m.	No. 18 Wayne State (MI)	No. 17	Wickes Stadium University Center, MI	W 24–7	6,631	[15]
October 20		at Hillsdale	No. 15	Muddy Waters Stadium Hillsdale, MI	L 17–34	2,317
October 27		Michigan Tech		Wickes Stadium University Center, MI	W 34–23	3,782	[16]
November 3	1:00 p.m.	at Northern Michigan		Superior Dome Marquette, MI	L 28–33	1,733	[17]
November 10		No. 15 Grand Valley State		Wickes Stadium University Center, MI (Battle of the Valleys)	W 55–52	9,607	[18][19]
*Non-conference game Rankings from AFCA Poll released prior to the game All times are in Eastern time

2013

2013 Saginaw Valley State Cardinals football
GLIAC North champion
NCAA Division II playoffs, round one, L 7–40 vs. Grand Valley State
Conference	Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference
Record	9–3 (9–1 GLIAC)
Head coach	Jim Collins (6th season)
Defensive coordinator	Todd Stepsis (6th season)
Home stadium	Harvey Randall Wickes Memorial Stadium
Seasons ← 2012 2014 →

2013 Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference football standings

v t e	Conf.							Overall
Team		W		L					W		L
North
No. 22 Saginaw Valley State ^		9	–	1					9	–	3
Ferris State		8	–	2					8	–	3
No. 3 Grand Valley State ^		7	–	2					12	–	3
Michigan Tech		6	–	4					6	–	4
Hillsdale		5	–	4					5	–	6
Northern Michigan		3	–	7					3	–	7
Wayne State (MI)		3	–	7					3	–	8
Northwood		1	–	8					2	–	9
South
No. 12 Ohio Dominican $^		9	–	0					10	–	1
Findlay		6	–	3					8	–	3
Ashland		5	–	4					5	–	5
Lake Erie		3	–	6					4	–	7
Walsh		3	–	6					3	–	8
Malone		1	–	8					2	–	9
Tiffin		1	–	8					2	–	9
$ – Conference champion ^ – NCAA Division II playoff participant Rankings from AFCA poll

The 2013 Saginaw Valley State Cardinals football team represented Saginaw Valley State University (SVSU) as a member of the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC) during the 2013 NCAA Division II football season. In their sixth year under head coach Jim Collins, the Cardinals compiled a 9–3 record (9–1 in conference games), won the GLIAC's North Division championship, and outscored opponents by a total of 453 to 381. The Cardinals were ranked No. 23 in the final AFCA Division II poll. Their only three losses were in the season opener against eventual Division II national champion Northwest Missouri State and to Division II semifinalist Grand Valley State to whom they lost in the final game of the regular season and in the first round of the Division II playoffs.^[20]

Wide receiver Jeff Janis caught 83 passes for 1,572 yards and 14 touchdowns. He was named the GLIAC offensive back of the year for the second consecutive year. He was also named to the 2013 Little All-America college football team and invited to play in the 2014 Senior Bowl.^[21] He later played for the Green Bay Packers from 2014 to 2017.

Schedule

Date	Opponent	Rank	Site	Result	Attendance	Source
September 5	at No. 4 Northwest Missouri State*	No. 22	Bearcat Stadium Maryville, MO	L 24–45
September 14	Malone		Wickes Stadium University Center, MI	W 59–20
September 21	at Findlay		Donnell Stadium Findlay, OH	W 35–34
September 28	Lake Erie		Wickes Stadium University Center, MI	W 51–41
October 5	at Ferris State		Top Taggart Field Big Rapids, MI	W 31–28	3,664
October 12	Northwood		Wickes Stadium University Center, MI (Axe Bowl)	W 44–28	11,425	[22]
October 19	at Wayne State (MI)		Tom Adams Field Detroit, MI	W 14–10	2,325
October 26	Hillsdale	No. 25	Wickes Stadium University Center, MI	W 47–34	3,100
November 2	at Michigan Tech	No. 23	Sherman Field Houghton, MI	W 55–35	1,492	[23][24]
November 9	Northern Michigan	No. 19	Wickes Stadium University Center, MI	W 52–17	6,257	[25]
November 16	at Grand Valley State	No. 15	Lubbers Stadium Allendale, MI (Battle of the Valleys)	L 34–49	11,888	[26]
November 23	at No. 22 Grand Valley State	No. 21	Lubbers Stadium Allendale, MI	L 7–40	5,098	[27]
*Non-conference game Rankings from AFCA Poll released prior to the game

2014

2014 Saginaw Valley State Cardinals football
Conference	Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference
Record	2–9 (2–8 GLIAC)
Head coach	Jim Collins (7th season)
Home stadium	Harvey Randall Wickes Memorial Stadium
Seasons ← 2013 2015 →

2014 Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference football standings

v t e	Conf.							Overall
Team		W		L					W		L
No. 11 Ferris State $^		10	–	0					11	–	1
No. 4 Ohio Dominican ^		9	–	1					11	–	2
No. 21 Michigan Tech ^		9	–	1					9	–	2
Ashland		8	–	2					8	–	2
Wayne State (MI)		6	–	4					7	–	4
Grand Valley State		6	–	4					6	–	5
Findlay		4	–	6					5	–	6
Northwood		4	–	6					5	–	6
Tiffin		4	–	6					5	–	6
Hillsdale		4	–	6					4	–	7
Lake Erie		3	–	7					4	–	7
Walsh		3	–	7					4	–	7
Northern Michigan		2	–	8					3	–	8
Saginaw Valley State		2	–	8					2	–	9
Malone		1	–	9					1	–	10
$ – Conference champion ^ – NCAA Division II playoff participant Rankings from AFCA poll

The 2014 Saginaw Valley State Cardinals football team represented Saginaw Valley State University (SVSU) as a member of the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC) during the 2014 NCAA Division II football season. In their seventh year under head coach Jim Collins, the Cardinals compiled a 2–9 record (2–8 in conference games), tied for 13th place in the GLIAC, and were outscored by a total of 291 to 152.

Schedule

Date	Opponent	Site	Result	Attendance	Source
September 6	Indianapolis	Wickes Stadium University Center, MI	L 10–24
September 13	Tiffin	Wickes Stadium University Center, MI	L 17–28
September 20	at Michigan Tech	Sherman Field Houghton, MI	L 20–26	2,202	[28]
September 27	No. 14 Ferris State	Wickes Stadium University Center, MI	L 13–47	6,250
October 4	Northern Michigan	Wickes Stadium University Center, MI	W 14–7	4,110
October 11	at Ashland	Jack Miller Stadium Ashland, OH	L 7–38
October 18	at Lake Erie	Jack Britt Memorial Stadium Painesville, OH	L 21–24
October 25	Northwood	Wickes Stadium University Center, MI (Axe Bowl)	W 16–14	8,253
November 1	at Hillsdale	Muddy Waters Stadium Hillsdale, MI	L 17–24	906
November 8	at No. 11 Ohio Dominican	Panther Stadium Columbus, OH	L 14–38		[29][30]
November 15	Grand Valley State	Wickes Stadium University Center, MI (Battle of the Valleys)	L 3–21	5,460	[31]
Rankings from AFCA Poll released prior to the game

2015

2015 Saginaw Valley State Cardinals football
Conference	Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference
Record	1–10 (1–9 GLIAC)
Head coach	Jim Collins (8th season)
Home stadium	Harvey Randall Wickes Memorial Stadium
Seasons ← 2014 2016 →

2015 Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference football standings

v t e	Conf.							Overall
Team		W		L					W		L
No. 6 Ferris State +^		10	–	0					11	–	1
No. 10 Ashland +^		10	–	0					10	–	1
No. 4 Grand Valley State ^		8	–	2					12	–	3
Ohio Dominican		7	–	3					8	–	3
Michigan Tech		7	–	3					7	–	3
Findlay		5	–	5					6	–	5
Wayne State (MI)		5	–	5					6	–	5
Hillsdale		5	–	5					5	–	6
Northwood		5	–	5					5	–	6
Northern Michigan		4	–	6					5	–	6
Tiffin		4	–	6					5	–	6
Walsh		2	–	8					2	–	8
Lake Erie		2	–	8					2	–	9
Saginaw Valley State		1	–	9					1	–	10
Malone		0	–	10					0	–	10
$ – Conference champion ^ – NCAA Division II playoff participant Rankings from AFCA poll

The 2015 Saginaw Valley State Cardinals football team represented Saginaw Valley State University (SVSU) as a member of the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC) during the 2015 NCAA Division II football season. In their eighth year under head coach Jim Collins, the Cardinals compiled a 1–10 record (1–9 in conference games), finished in 14th place in the GLIAC, and were outscored by a total of 335 to 182.

Schedule

Date	Opponent	Site	Result	Attendance	Source
September 3	at Indianapolis*	Key Stadium Indianapolis, IN	L 17–27
September 12	at Tiffin	Frost–Kalnow Stadium Tiffin, OH	L 0–40	830
September 19	Michigan Tech	Wickes Stadium University Center, MI	L 21–35	7,325	[32][33]
September 26	at Ferris State	Top Taggart Field Big Rapids, MI	L 18–35	6,577
October 3	at Northern Michigan	Superior Dome Marquette, MI	L 34–36	1,523
October 10	Ashland	Wickes Stadium University Center, MI	L 7–33
October 17	Lake Erie	Wickes Stadium University Center, MI	W 37–34
October 24	at Northwood	Hantz Stadium Midland, MI (Axe Bowl)	L 14–21	1,825
October 31	Hillsdale	Wickes Stadium University Center, MI	L 0–26	1,012	[34]
November 7	Ohio Dominican	Wickes Stadium University Center, MI	L 17–24		[35]
November 14	at No. 14 Grand Valley State	Lubbers Stadium Allendale, MI (Battle of the Valleys)	L 17–24	12,951	[36]
*Non-conference game Rankings from AFCA Poll released prior to the game

2016

2016 Saginaw Valley State Cardinals football
Conference	Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference
Record	5–5 (5–5 GLIAC)
Head coach	Jim Collins (9th season)
Home stadium	Harvey Randall Wickes Memorial Stadium
Seasons ← 2015 2017 →

2016 Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference football standings

v t e	Conf.							Overall
Team		W		L					W		L
No. 4 Grand Valley State $^		10	–	0					12	–	1
No. 5 Ferris State ^		9	–	2					12	–	3
No. 19 Ashland		7	–	2					9	–	2
Tiffin		7	–	3					8	–	3
Ohio Dominican		7	–	4					7	–	4
Wayne State (MI)		7	–	4					7	–	4
Findlay		6	–	5					6	–	5
Saginaw Valley State		5	–	5					5	–	5
Hillsdale		4	–	5					5	–	5
Michigan Tech		4	–	6					4	–	6
Northern Michigan		3	–	7					3	–	8
Northwood		3	–	8					3	–	8
Walsh		0	–	10					1	–	10
Lake Erie		0	–	11					0	–	11
$ – Conference champion ^ – NCAA Division II playoff participant Rankings from AFCA poll

The 2016 Saginaw Valley State Cardinals football team represented Saginaw Valley State University (SVSU) as a member of the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC) during the 2016 NCAA Division II football season. In their ninth year under head coach Jim Collins, the Cardinals compiled a 5–5 record (5–5 in conference games), finished in eighth place in the GLIAC, and were outscored by a total of 286 to 265.

Ryan Conklin, a reshirt freshman from Standish-Sterling, took over at quartertback.^[37]

Schedule

Date	Time	Opponent	Site	Result	Attendance	Source
September 3	7:00 p.m.	at Findlay	Donnell Stadium Findlay, OH	L 19–37	1,812
September 10	7:00 p.m.	Northwood	Wickes Stadium University Center, MI (Axe Bowl)	W 20–14 OT	6,327	[38]
September 17	12:00 p.m.	at Walsh	Larry Staudt Field North Canton, OH	W 27–17	1,800
September 24	7:00 p.m.	Ohio Dominican	Wickes Stadium University Center, MI	L 10–21	4,143
October 1	1:00 p.m.	at Michigan Tech	Sherman Field Houghton, MI	W 17–16	3,328	[39]
October 8	7:00 p.m.	Northern Michigan	Wickes Stadium University Center, MI	W 41–13	7,103
October 22	12:00 p.m.	at No. 22 Wayne State (MI)	Tom Adams Field Detroit, MI	L 14–42	2,720	[40]
October 29	3:00 p.m.	Lake Erie	Wickes Stadium University Center, MI	W 44–13	4,862
November 5	3:00 p.m.	No. 2 Grand Valley State	Wickes Stadium University Center, MI (Battle of the Valleys)	L 56–62 OT	10,027	[41]
November 12	1:00 p.m.	at No. 18 Ferris State	Top Taggart Field Big Rapids, MI	L 17–51	2,517	[42]
Rankings from AFCA Poll released prior to the game All times are in Eastern time

2017

2017 Saginaw Valley State Cardinals football
Conference	Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference
Record	5–6 (3–6 GLIAC)
Head coach	Jim Collins (10th season)
Home stadium	Harvey Randall Wickes Memorial Stadium
Seasons ← 2016 2018 →

2017 Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference football standings

v t e	Conf.							Overall
Team		W		L					W		L
No. 10 Ashland $^		9	–	0					11	–	2
No. 5 Ferris State ^		8	–	1					11	–	2
Grand Valley State		7	–	2					8	–	3
Tiffin		5	–	4					6	–	5
Northwood		5	–	4					7	–	4
Wayne State (MI)		4	–	5					5	–	6
Michigan Tech		3	–	6					4	–	7
Saginaw Valley State		3	–	6					5	–	6
Northern Michigan		1	–	8					1	–	9
Davenport *		0	–	9					1	–	10
$ – Conference champion ^ – NCAA Division II playoff participant * – Provisional Division II member Rankings from AFCA poll

The 2017 Saginaw Valley State Cardinals football team represented Saginaw Valley State University (SVSU) as a member of the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC) during the 2017 NCAA Division II football season. In their tenth year under head coach Jim Collins, the Cardinals compiled a 5–6 record (3–6 in conference games), finished in eighth place in the GLIAC, and were outscored by a total of 263 to 255.

Schedule

Date	Time	Opponent	Site	Result	Attendance	Source
September 2	12:00 p.m.	at Alderson Broaddus*	Philippi, WV	W 42–24	1,671
September 9	3:00 p.m.	Walsh*	Wickes Stadium University Center, MI	W 28–0	7,912
September 16	6:07 p.m.	at Wayne State (MI)	Tom Adams Field Detroit, MI	L 31–41	3,961
September 23	1:00 p.m.	Michigan Tech	Wickes Stadium University Center, MI	L 24–28	3,891
September 30	7:06 p.m.	at No. 9 Grand Valley State	Lubbers Stadium Allendale, MI (Battle of the Valleys)	L 6–34	15,985	[43]
October 7	3:00 p.m.	Davenport	Wickes Stadium University Center, MI	W 33–0	2,485
October 14	3:00 p.m.	No. 15 Ferris State	Wickes Stadium University Center, MI	L 17–49	4,217	[44]
October 21	1:00 p.m.	at Northern Michigan	Superior Dome Marquette, MI	W 20–12	2,393
October 28	3:00 p.m.	Tiffin	Wickes Stadium University Center, MI	W 14–9	1,758
November 4	1:00 p.m.	at Northwood	Hantz Stadium Midland, MI (Axe Bowl)	L 21–35	2,006	[45]
November 11	1:00 p.m.	at Ashland	Ashland, OH	L 19–31	2,952
*Non-conference game Homecoming Rankings from Coaches' Poll released prior to the game All times are in Eastern time

2018

2018 Saginaw Valley State Cardinals football
Conference	Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference
Record	8–3 (5–3 GLIAC)
Head coach	Jim Collins (11th season)
Home stadium	Harvey Randall Wickes Memorial Stadium
Seasons ← 2017 2019 →

2018 Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference football standings

v t e	Conf.							Overall
Team		W		L					W		L
No. 2 Ferris State $^		8	–	0					15	–	1
No. 14 Grand Valley State ^		7	–	1					10	–	2
Ashland		6	–	2					6	–	4
Saginaw Valley State		5	–	3					8	–	3
Davenport *		3	–	5					6	–	5
Northwood		3	–	5					3	–	7
Michigan Tech		2	–	6					4	–	6
Northern Michigan		1	–	7					3	–	8
Wayne State (MI)		1	–	7					2	–	9
$ – Conference champion ^ – NCAA Division II playoff participant * – Provisional Division II member Rankings from AFCA poll

The 2018 Saginaw Valley State Cardinals football team represented Saginaw Valley State University (SVSU) as a member of the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC) during the 2018 NCAA Division II football season. In their eleventh and final year under head coach Jim Collins, the Cardinals compiled an 8–3 record (5–3 in conference games), finished in fourth place in the GLIAC, and outscored opponents by a total of 296 to 183.

Schedule

Date	Opponent	Site	Result	Attendance	Source
August 30	Alderson Broaddus*	Wickes Stadium University Center, MI	W 45–7
September 8	at Walsh*	North Canton, OH	W 41–10
September 15	Truman*	Wickes Stadium University Center, MI	W 21–20
September 22	Wayne State (MI)	Wickes Stadium University Center, MI	W 35–29 OT	3,950
September 29	at Michigan Tech	Sherman Field Houghton, MI	W 10–0
October 6	at Ashland	Jack Miller Stadium Ashland, OH	L 17–21
October 13	Northern Michigan	Wickes Stadium University Center, MI	W 30–10	6,100
October 20	No. 2 Ferris State	Wickes Stadium University Center, MI	L 14–28	1,425
October 27	No. 9 Grand Valley State	Wickes Stadium University Center, MI (Battle of the Valleys)	L 28–31
November 3	at Northwood	Hantz Stadium Midland, MI (Axe Bowl)	W 31–10
November 10	at Davenport	Farmers Insurance Athletic Complex Caledonia Township, MI	W 24–17 OT	651
*Non-conference game Homecoming Rankings from Coaches' Poll released prior to the game

2019

2019 Saginaw Valley State Cardinals football
Conference	Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference
Record	5–6 (3–5 GLIAC)
Head coach	Ryan Brady (1st season)
Home stadium	Harvey Randall Wickes Memorial Stadium
Seasons ← 2018 2020 →

2019 Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference football standings

v t e	Conf.							Overall
Team		W		L					W		L
No. 3 Ferris State $^		8	–	0					12	–	1
Wayne State (MI)		7	–	1					8	–	3
Ashland		6	–	2					7	–	4
Grand Valley State		5	–	3					8	–	3
Davenport		3	–	5					5	–	5
Michigan Tech		3	–	5					5	–	5
Saginaw Valley State		3	–	5					5	–	6
Northwood		1	–	7					1	–	10
Northern Michigan		0	–	8					1	–	9
$ – Conference champion ^ – NCAA Division II playoff participant Rankings from AFCA poll

The 2019 Saginaw Valley State Cardinals football team represented Saginaw Valley State University (SVSU) as a member of the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC) during the 2019 NCAA Division II football season. In their first year under head coach Ryan Brady, the Cardinals compiled a 5–6 record (3–5 in conference games), finished in a three-way tie for fifth place in the GLIAC, and outscored opponents by a total of 337 to 265.

Former head coach Jim Collins left SVSU in February 2019 to become director of player personnel for the Army Cadets football program.^[46] SVSU chose Ryan Brady as its new head coach in March 2019. Brady had been an assistant coach at Ferris State for several years.^[47]

Schedule

Date	Opponent	Site	Result	Attendance	Source
September 7	at Texas A&M–Kingsville*	Javelina Stadium Kingsville, TX	W 35–14	8,517	[48]
September 14	Tiffin*	Wickes Stadium University Center, MI	W 35–20	4,725
September 21	Michigan Tech	Wickes Stadium University Center, MI	W 23–7	4,850
September 28	at Wayne State (MI)	Tom Adams Field Detroit, MI	L 24–20	3,277
October 5	Northwood	Wickes Stadium University Center, MI (Axe Bowl)	W 55–29	4,950	[49][50]
October 12	at No. 19 Grand Valley State	Lubbers Stadium Allendale, MI (Battle of the Valleys)	L 35–28	13,180	[51]
October 19	at Lindenwood*	Hunter Stadium St. Charles, MO	L 35–31	2,068
October 26	at No. 2 Ferris State	Top Taggart Field Big Rapids, MI	L 34–10	3,404
November 2	Ashland	Wickes Stadium University Center, MI	L 24–21	2,119
November 9	at Northern Michigan	Superior Dome Marquette, MI	W 56–10	1,522
November 16	Davenport	Wickes Stadium University Center, MI	L 33–23	1,750
*Non-conference game Homecoming Rankings from Coaches' Poll released prior to the game