Posted: Jun 13, 2023

Ferris State Football Honored During Memorable National Championship Trip To The White House

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Big Rapids, Mich. - The back-to-back NCAA Division II National Champion Ferris State University football squad had a memorable trip Monday (June 12) to the nation's capital where the Bulldogs were honored along with other national championship teams from across the country during a special ceremony at the White House in Washington, D.C.

National Championship programs from Division I, II and III were invited to attend the celebration by President Joe Biden and nearly 50 championship teams from across the country were represented with more than 1,000 student-athletes on hand for the first-ever "College Athlete Day" celebration.

The Bulldogs, who received an invitation from the 46th President of the United States along with First Lady Jill Biden, sent a group of 23 FSU student-athletes in addition to head coach Tony Annese and Associate Athletics Director Rob Bentley, who made the round-trip trek on Monday.

"This honor is amazing and it's a once in a lifetime experience for all of us," said FSU head coach Tony Annese. "This is an incredible opportunity for our guys to be here. It's an honor not only for us, but also for Ferris State University and the Big Rapids community."

The group arrived late Monday morning in Washington, D.C., for the ceremony on the South Lawn followed by sightseeing opportunities at historic landmarks before returning home. The trip covered nearly a 24-hour span after a lengthy flight delay in Chicago on the trip back to West Michigan.

Student-athletes from across all three NCAA divisions converged on the the White House on Monday celebrating College Athlete Day, a milestone event created by the Biden administration to recognize NCAA national champions from the past year. Vice President Kamala Harris addressed the student-athletes in the absence of President Biden while each team also had a selected student-athlete appear behind her on stage. FSU was represented by senior defensive end Olalere Oladipo, who earned Academic All-America First Team honors for the Bulldogs this past fall.

The NCAA Division II National Champion Ferris State Bulldogs, who claimed a second consecutive national title this past fall, were previously honored back in March by the state of Michigan during a special visit to the State Capital in Lansing.

This past fall, the Bulldogs captured a second consecutive NCAA Division II National Championship, finishing with a 14-1 overall record. Over the past two seasons of action, the Bulldogs own a 28-1 overall record and FSU has reached the NCAA Division II Playoffs eight consecutive years and counting. Ferris State has also reached the NCAA Division II National Semifinals five times in the past six seasons of action and ranks as the country's winningest program over the past eight full seasons in D2 Football. FSU is 55-3 over the last three seasons of on-field action.

The Bulldogs are also the country's preseason #1 team heading into the 2023 campaign according to Lindy's Sports.

Fans can follow social media coverage from the trip on the Bulldogs' twitter page @FerrisFootball or on instragram @ferrisstatefb.

Please visit the links below for additional coverage:

White House Address - Webstream

Ferris State Interviews: