The 1997 Bucknell Bison football team was an American football team that represented Bucknell University during the 1997 NCAA Division I-AA football season. It finished second in the Patriot League.

Bucknell played its home games at Christy Mathewson–Memorial Stadium on the university campus in Lewisburg, Pennsylvania.

During its third year under head coach Tom Gadd, the Bison compiled a 10–1 record.^[1] Hunter Adams, Wally Hurdley and Chris Peer were the team captains.^[2]

The Bison outscored opponents 282 to 213. Bucknell's 5–1 conference record placed second in the seven-team Patriot League standings.^[3]

Undefeated through the first ten games of the season, Bucknell did not appear in the national Division I-AA top 25 until the week before its final game, when it was ranked No. 24 for that one week.

Date	Opponent	Site	Result	Attendance	Source
September 6	Duquesne*	Christy Mathewson–Memorial Stadium Lewisburg, PA	W 23–16		[1]
September 20	at Lafayette	Fisher Field Easton, PA	W 23–21	7,428	[4]
September 27	Penn^*	Christy Mathewson–Memorial Stadium Lewisburg, PA	W 20–16	10,172	[5]
October 4	at Harvard*	Harvard Stadium Boston, MA	W 24–20	4,330	[6]
October 11	at Yale*	Yale Bowl New Haven, CT	W 25–24	11,239	[7]
October 18	at Fordham	Coffey Field Bronx, NY	W 36–10	3,296	[8]
October 25	Holy Cross	Christy Mathewson–Memorial Stadium Lewisburg, PA	W 18–6	7,872	[9]
November 1	Lehigh	Christy Mathewson–Memorial Stadium Lewisburg, PA	W 21–14	3,074	[10]
November 8	at Saint Mary's (CA)*	Saint Mary's Stadium Moraga, CA	W 45–38	1,500	[11]
November 15	at Towson	Minnegan Stadium Towson, MD	W 33–0	2,235	[12]
November 22	at Colgate	Andy Kerr Stadium Hamilton, NY	L 14–48	6,000	[13]
*Non-conference game Homecoming ^ Parents Weekend