Ferris State University Athletics

Ferris State competes in the NAIA, which sits between Division I's scholarship-heavy programs and Division III's no-scholarship model. The Bulldogs field 13 varsity sports with 409 total athletes, meaning about 5% of the 8,087 students compete at the varsity level. The university distributes $2.9 million in athletic scholarships across its teams. Ferris State plays in the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference alongside regional rivals like Grand Valley State and Northern Michigan. The Bulldogs have built a reputation for competitive hockey and football programs. Big Rapids provides a classic small-town college sports atmosphere where games become community events. The 15:1 student-faculty ratio extends to personalized attention for student-athletes balancing academics with competition.