The Butler Bulldogs will play at Northern Iowa over the opening weekend of the 2025 college football season. The Kevin Lynch Era will officially begin on Aug. 30 when the Bulldogs face the Panthers at the UNI-Dome in Cedar Falls. The kick-off time will be released at a later date.
 
"We are excited for the start of the 2025 season," Head Coach Kevin Lynch stated. "Going to Northern Iowa and competing against a quality opponent from one of the best conferences in all of FCS football will be a great test for us as we prepare for a run at a PFL Championship!"
 
The contest slated for Aug. 30 will be the first-ever meeting between Butler and Northern Iowa. Two first-year head coaches will be on the sidelines as UNI moved forward this off-season to hire Todd Stepsis after his six-year stint as the head coach at Drake. Coach Lynch takes over at Butler after serving as the assistant head coach and offensive coordinator at Ball State.
 
This will be the 136th season of football at Butler and the 127th at UNI.
 
The Bulldogs reached nine wins in 2024, marking their highest win total in a single-season since 2013. Butler became nationally-ranked in the AFCA Coaches Poll for the first time in program history, moving as high as No. 23 after the Senior Day win over St. Thomas.
 
Last season was the third-straight year for Butler to post a winning record. They went 7-4 in 2023 and in 2022. Their PFL record was steady at 5-3 over the last three years.
 
Bulldog fans interested in attending games can fill out a 2025 season ticket deposit form. A Butler ticket office representative will then connect with you once season tickets go on sale later this year.