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The first football team in St. Lawrence history to be awarded an NCAA Division III tournament bid, the 1976 football team was also the first to win an NCAA tournament game when it beat Albright 26-7 in a game played on Weeks Field in the quarterfinals.
Selected as the ECAC Team of the Year, the 1976 team set a record for victories in a season with nine, finishing 9-2 after a memorable 38-36 loss to Towson State in Maryland in the NCAA semifinals. The only other setback was a 3-2 loss to Alfred in a driving rain and wind storm. The 1976 team set numerous program records in its march to the playoffs, with quarterback Kirk Dempsey setting all the single season passing records and the total offense record in addition to four single game records and receiver John Crandall establishing three single season receiving records. Three of the team records for a single season established in 1976 still stand as do three of the team single game records.
The team outgained its opposition by over 1700 yards and outscored the opposition by a 302-114 margin scoring 41 touchdowns while allowing just 16. Defensive back Paul Fuzak and tight end Josh Emery were team captains. Three members of team, Mitch Brown, Dempsey and Ron Pelligra earned All America status in 1976 while Emery, Dempsey and defensive lineman Gary Borgosz were named to the ECAC Division III All Star team.
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