After a losing season, the team decided that Furpaw was the harbinger of bad luck and Willie made his debut ten years later in 1933.

Willie initially debuted as a logo, coming to life later in 1947, when members of the Alpha Delta fraternity dressed up as him during the Homecoming parade.

In the wake of the incident, head coach Jenny Haigh resigned and was replaced by Stephanie Erickson, the school's all-time leader in goals and points.

On July 7, 2023, Northwestern University announced that football head coach Pat Fitzgerald would be put on a two-week suspension after an independent investigation into hazing allegations revealed that a whistleblower's claims "were largely supported by evidence.

The investigation was conducted by Washington, D.C. law firm Arent Fox Schiff and led by Maggie Hickey, a former Illinois inspector general.

"[14] Following The Daily's reporting, Northwestern University president Michael H. Schill wrote in a letter to the community that he "failed to sufficiently consider [Fitzgerald's] failure in levying a sanction.

[18] In July 2023, Northwestern fired the baseball head coach, Jim Foster, after one season due to engaging in bullying and abusive behavior.

Northwestern scored a 98-percent in the latest Graduation Success Rate (GSR), a figure which led all FBS schools for the second consecutive year.

Moreover, Northwestern Athletics launched the ongoing "Chicago's Big Ten Team" campaign and the first master facility plan study with Phillips at the helm.

Under Phillips' direction, Northwestern sports programs have hosted games at U.S. Cellular Field (home of the Chicago White Sox) and Wrigley Field (home of the Chicago Cubs), in addition to partnering with the White Sox, Cubs, Blackhawks, and Arlington Park to host Northwestern-themed promotional days throughout the year.

It includes "exclusive access" inside team meetings and road trips in addition to hearing from the coaches and players on the sidelines and in the locker room.

"The Foundation: Expect Victory" was an eight-episode series that reviewed Northwestern Football's run to the 1995 Big Ten Championship and Rose Bowl game.

Perhaps the most memorable Northwestern Football season was in 1995 as the Wildcats won the Big Ten Championship and saw their first Rose Bowl berth in nearly 50 years.

Despite recent success, the Wildcats still hold the record for the longest losing streak in Division I-A football with 34 consecutive losses between 1979 and 1982.

[43][44] He was replaced by David Braun, who was originally hired as Northwestern's defensive coordinator in January 2023, and subsequently interim-head coach in July 2023.

[45] Former Wildcats active in the National Football League going into the 2020 season include Ibraheim Campbell, Austin Carr, Garrett Dickerson, Joe Gaziano, Nate Hall, Blake Hance, Montre Hartage, Justin Jackson, Joe Jones, Tyler Lancaster, Dean Lowry, Sherrick McManis, Ifeadi Odenigbo, Trevor Siemian, Clayton Thorson, Dan Vitale, and Anthony Walker Jr.

The four best career stroke averages in school history are held by Luke Donald, Tom Johnson, Jess Daley, and David Lipsky.

[68] In June 2020, Northwestern Athletics elevated Katie Robinson to Director of Swimming and Diving, making her the second female to hold the position overseeing both men's[35] and women's[39] programs in the Power-5 conferences.

Three-time All-American Olivia Rosendahl won the NCAA Women's Platform Diving championship in both 2017 and 2018, and the Wildcats have been represented in each of the last three Summer Olympic Games, most recently by swimmers Valerie Gruest-Slowing and Jordan Wilimovsky in Rio in 2016.

[70] During the Melbourne 1956 Olympic Games, Northwestern alum, Nancy Simons Peterson won a silver medal in the 4 x 100-meter freestyle relay event.

[70] At the Los Angeles 1932 Olympic Games, Northwestern alum, Albert Schwartz won a bronze medal in the 100-meter freestyle event.

Pollard has led the Wildcats to the NCAA tournament 21 consecutive times, the fifth-longest streak by an active head coach at the same program.

Miller attended Wake Forest University and was a four-time NCAA Cross Country Championships qualifier and was part of the program's first Atlantic Coach Conference title in 2002.

The Walter Athletics Center allows for plenty of natural light and has unobstructed views of Lake Michigan, the Chicago skyline, and other Northwestern facilities including Martin Stadium and Lakeside Field.

Wilson Field is striped for NCAA regulation football, soccer, and lacrosse, with movable bleacher seating and an automated netting system designed to subdivide the space for use by multiple groups.

On April 10, 2024, the university announced that a temporary facility will be constructed as part of the complex to serve as the football team's home stadium for the 2024 and 2025 seasons while a replacement for Ryan Field is built.

The recreation facility includes basketball, swimming, squash, racquetball, tennis, group exercise, cycling, weight lifting, and general cardio along with exercise-related activities and programs.

[96] The home of Northwestern Baseball is Rocky and Berenice Miller Park, located along Ashland Avenue near Welsh-Ryan Arena and the West Lot.

The Wildcats softball team plays home games at Sharon J. Drysdale Field,[97] located immediately east of Welsh-Ryan Arena.

In 2006, the facility received new outfield turf and, in 2007, underwent final renovation phases that included sunken dugouts, permanent seating, a new game operations booth, and a plaza down the third-base line.