The team competes at the NCAA Division I level in the Football Bowl Subdivision and is a member of the Mid-American Conference.

[2] The team plays its home games at the 31,000 seat UB Stadium on University at Buffalo's north campus in Amherst, New York.

[4] By 1896, they were a local force in Western New York football playing collegiate and club teams and finishing the season with an impressive 9–1–2 record.

Both teams were named the 'Bisons' and used as their logo a caricature of a male American bison, often outfitted in a UB jersey.

[14] UB would go through two coaches in a span of two years – 'Dim' Batterson[15] in 1922 and James Bond in 1923 – before Russ Carrick would take over, serving five seasons despite winning only five games (while losing 30 and garnering two ties).

The team would last be known as the Bisons under the command of Jay "Biffy" Lee, who coached for two seasons (until 1930), leading UB to an 8–7 record.

In 1931, the university changed its mascot to the Bulls in order to distinguish UB from professional teams in the Queen City.

However, the Orlando Elks Lodge, the bowl's sponsor, told the Bulls that they would be allowed to participate only if back-up defensive end Mike Wilson and starting halfback Willie Evans, who were black, did not play.

Philbin and UB's Willie Ross were the first two UB graduates to play on professional football championship teams: Ross with the 1964 AFL Champion Buffalo Bills; and Philbin with the 1968 AFL Champion New York Jets, who went on to win Super Bowl III.

They have been followed by Ramon Guzman who played on two Grey Cup Championship teams with the Montreal Alouettes and James Starks with the Super Bowl XLV champion Green Bay Packers.

The main reason that football was dropped was that the student body voted to stop funding the team.

His coaching career ended because of medical issues and Jim Ward was promoted because of a New York State hiring freeze and ushered in UB's return to Division I football.

However, Hofher's teams were marked by poor discipline and lack of effort, and won only eight games during his five seasons at UB.

Buffalo won only 10 games and lost 69 during this seven-year period, the second-worst record in the Football Bowl Subdivision during that time.

In early December 2005, Hofher was replaced by Green Bay Packers assistant coach and former Heisman Trophy candidate Turner Gill.

On November 21, 2008, the Buffalo Bulls won their first outright MAC Eastern Division Championship, sealing the win with a thrilling 2-OT victory over Bowling Green, 40–34.

In the second OT, running back James Starks ran 25 yards on the first play for a touchdown and a Bulls win.

However, on December 5, at Ford Field in Detroit, Buffalo's defense returned two fumbles for touchdowns and the Bulls defeated the Cardinals, 42–24, to become Mid-American Conference champions for 2008.

Their successful season earned the Bulls an invitation to the International Bowl in Toronto, Ontario to face Connecticut.

The team ultimately went on to play in the Famous Idaho Potato Bowl against San Diego State, losing the game 24–49.

[24] In June 2017, the university received state approval for the construction of an $18 million indoor athletic training facility, slated to be built just north of UB Stadium.

Playing at home on October 7, 2017, the Bulls battled back against the Broncos to tie the game 31–31, scoring 17 points in the 4th quarter.

[30] In 2018, Leipold led the Bulls to a 10–2 regular season and 7–1 overall conference standing en route to the MAC East division championship game.

[31] Unfortunately, the Bulls - led by wide receiver Anthony Johnson with 7 receptions for 140 yards on the day - would lose the division championship 13–14 to the Northern Illinois Huskies, the same result as their 2017 regular season matchup.

Buffalo didn't run a single offensive play in the second half until the first minute of the 4th quarter, with Troy eventually blocking a late field goal attempt to close out the game.

[34] The pandemic-shortened 2020 season saw star running back Jaret Patterson burst on to the national stage, including getting his name floated in Heisman Trophy talk.

[37][38] Despite Buffalo's poor performance in 2021, Linguist's recruiting class for 2022 was described by Sports Illustrated as the second-best in the Mid-American Conference.

As winners of the Mid-American Conference's East Division, Buffalo has made three appearances in the MAC Championship Game, in 2008, 2018, and 2020.

Former WIVB-TV sports anchor Paul Peck on play-by-play and former Navy quarterback Jim Kubiak on color commentary are expected to return.

They are typically only broadcast online via ESPN3, with local radio personality Sal Capaccio on play-by-play, with some games sub-leased to American Sports Network's Buffalo affiliate, WNYO-TV.