The start of the college football season is quickly approaching and Bulldog fans have a reason to be excited for the fall slate of games ahead with Butler receiving votes in the AFCA FCS Coaches Poll. Butler was the only Pioneer Football League team to appear in the poll. They kick-off the regular season on Aug. 31 with a home game against Upper Iowa.
 
The Bulldogs have posted a 7-4 record in each of the last two seasons under the tutelage of head coach Mike Uremovich. Butler was picked to finish fourth in the PFL Preseason Poll, but the team is certainly trending in the right direction with three of last year's four losses coming to the top three teams in the league standings. Each PFL loss came down to wire and were one possession games. The three losses came by a combined total of just 13 points. Butler's only other loss in 2023 came opening weekend at Montana, a team that came in at third in the first FCS Poll.
 
Over the off-season, Butler added 45 newcomers to the 2024 roster. Incoming transfers arrived on campus from Ball State, Dartmouth, Elon, Georgetown, Illinois State, Mercer, Missouri Southern State, Northern Illinois, Southern Illinois, and Wabash.
 
The Bulldogs return five starters from last year's defensive unit that led the PFL and ranked second in the FCS in red zone defense. BU also ranked seventh in the nation in scoring defense (17.5).
 
South Dakota State received 25 first-place votes to lead the FCS Poll with 649 points. North Dakota State came in at second (614) and Montana rounded out the top three (576). Other programs to top 500 points included Montana State, South Dakota and Villanova.