| Year: | 2011 |
| Team: | Saint Xavier Cougars |
| Sport: | football |
| Conference: | Mid-States Football Association |
| Division: | Mideast League |
| Short Conf: | MSFA |
| Record: | 14–1 |
| Conf Record: | 4–1 |
| Head Coach: | Mike Feminis |
| Hc Year: | 13th |
| Stadium: | Deaton Field |
| Champion: | NAIA national champion |
| Bowl: | NAIA National Championship Game |
| Bowl Result: | W 24–20 vs. |
The 2011 Saint Xavier Cougars football team was an American football team that represented Saint Xavier University as a member of the Mideast League of the Mid-States Football Association (MSFA) during the 2011 NAIA football season. In their 13th season under head coach Mike Feminis, the Cougars compiled a 14–1 record and won the NAIA national championship, defeating, 24–20, in the NAIA National Championship Game.[1]
The team ran a no-huddle spread offense that led the NAIA with an average of 45.9 points per game. The national championship was the first for a Chicago college team in nearly a century (dating to the 1913 Chicago Maroons football team).[2]
Key players included quarterback Jimmy Coy, running back Nick Pesek, kicker Tom Lynch (two-time winner of the Fred Mitchell Outstanding Place Kicker Award), and brothers Ryan Fejedelem (linebacker) and Clayton Fejedelem (safety).[3] [4]
The Saint Xavier football program was established 18 years earlier in 1993. Coach Feminis played linebacker on the first Saint Francis team.[2] The entire athletic budget for Saint Francis was $3.9 million with 24 scholarships shared among 88 players.[2]