October 17, 2025

‘Come see us play’: Ferris State President Pink challenges national analysts to witness quality DII football – and academic excellence – amid Chambliss’ rise

Ferris State University President Bill Pink has a direct message for national college football analysts in light of former Bulldog Trinidad Chambliss’ meteoric rise: Come see us play—and see how Ferris State prepares students for success, both on and off the field.

Chambliss, who helped lead Ferris State to its third national championship in four years before transferring to the University of Mississippi, has quickly become one of the biggest stories in college football.

Since stepping in as starting quarterback for Ole Miss following an early-season injury to Austin Simmons, Chambliss has guided the Rebels to a 6-0 record and a No. 5 national ranking, drawing attention as a potential dark horse in the Heisman Trophy race.

With major outlets like Forbes, the New York Times, ESPN, and CBS Sports now spotlighting Chambliss, Ferris State’s dominant Division II football program—and its role in developing elite athletes—is finally getting a closer look.

Yet, as President Pink points out, some analysts initially seemed surprised by Chambliss’ origins.

“How did he end up at Ferris State?” asked ESPN analyst Joey Galloway on Football Final. “He is the real deal. 300 yards passing, 112 yards rushing. A couple of touchdowns. He has been amazing.”

Now, national coverage is diving deeper into the coaching, mentorship, and player development that helped transform Chambliss—once a two-sport star at Forest Hills Northern High School—into a nationally recognized quarterback.

While ESPN, CBS, and the New York Times have profiled his athletic evolution, Forbes took a broader approach, exploring how Ferris State continues to thrive as a DII powerhouse—even in a new era of NIL and high transfer mobility.

The article notes Chambliss is one of seven members of the 2024 national championship team now on DI rosters. Despite those departures, Ferris State remains the top-ranked Division II team, riding a 20-game winning streak and coming off three consecutive shutouts. The Bulldogs, ranked No. 1 in preseason polls, haven’t budged from that spot.

A Sports Illustrated columnist recently dubbed Ferris State “the gold standard of Division II football.”

President Pink, appearing on The Huge Show with host Bill Simonson, said Chambliss’ success shines a well-deserved spotlight not just on Ferris State’s football program—but on the broader strength of Division II athletics and academics.

“It should not be a surprise to many people that Trinidad is knocking it out in the SEC, putting up crazy good numbers, doing the kind of work that we saw here at Ferris State,” Pink said. “I love hearing so much of the buzz talking so positively about him, about Ferris State, about Coach Tony Annese—those are well deserved.”

Pink emphasized that Ferris State’s mission goes far beyond athletics.

During the 2024-25 academic year, nearly 200 Ferris State student-athletes earned Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference All-Academic and All-Academic Excellence honors. These students represent 16 of the university’s 17 varsity programs, with men’s NCAA Division I ice hockey (which competes in the CCHA) as the only exception. Including hockey, nearly half of Ferris State’s 400 student-athletes received recognition for academic achievement.

“We do more than just build champions on the field,” Pink said. “They’re at Ferris State for a reason, and we do a great job with them on the field and in the classroom. We build champions in the classroom and they go on to do great things.”

In addition to athletic and academic accolades, Ferris State was recently designated an “Opportunity University” by the Carnegie Foundation and the American Council on Education—highlighting its commitment to accessibility and career-ready education.

With the top-ranked Bulldogs set to host No. 8 Grand Valley State University in the annual Anchor-Bone Classic on Oct. 25—one of the fiercest rivalries in Division II—President Pink is extending an invitation to national media and analysts:

“I would challenge all of those talking heads who we're hearing at the national level, who have all these ideas that (Chambliss’ success) is something out of the blue,” Pink said. “I challenge every last one of them. Why don't you come to Big Rapids on Oct. 25 when we have what is always one of the biggest football games of the season. It's always one of the best Division II football games on the day, and in many cases, it'll be one of the best college football games across the country. Bring ESPN College GameDay. Bring all those guys. Come and see what high-quality Division II football is all about.”

Pink acknowledged that Big Rapids may not boast a 65,000-seat stadium—but believes what the media will find is even more meaningful: a glimpse of what college football has always stood for.

“You are going to see what college football really has been for decades, which is the grind on the field with student-athletes who we're not only concerned about how they perform on the field, but are also concerned with what their career looks like once they're done,” he said. “Because we're building champions in the classroom and on the field.”