Jacksonville State Gamecocks football

For information on all Jacksonville State University sports, see Jacksonville State Gamecocks.
Not to be confused with Jackson State Tigers football.
Jacksonville State Gamecocks football
2024 Jacksonville State Gamecocks football team
First season1904; 121 years ago
Athletic directorGreg Seitz
Head coachCharles Kelly
1st season, 0–0 (–)
StadiumBurgess–Snow Field at AmFirst Stadium (Capacity: 24,000)
Field surfaceTurf
LocationJacksonville, Alabama
NCAA divisionDivision I FBS
ConferenceConference USA
All-time record621–423–39 [1] (.591)
Bowl record1–1 (.500)
Claimed national titles1 NCAA Division II (1992)
Conference titles25
RivalriesTroy Kennesaw State
ColorsRed and white[2]
   
Marching bandMarching Southerners
WebsiteJaxStateSports.com

The Jacksonville State Gamecocks football program is the intercollegiate American football team for Jacksonville State University (JSU) located in the U.S. state of Alabama. The team competes in the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) as a member of the Conference USA. Jacksonville State's first football team was fielded in 1904. The team plays its home games at the 24,000-seat Burgess–Snow Field at AmFirst Stadium in Jacksonville, Alabama.[3]

On November 5, 2021, the school accepted an invitation to join Conference USA (C-USA) of the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) beginning with the 2023 season.[4]

History

See also: List of Jacksonville State Gamecocks football seasons

Jacksonville State University's first football team, the Eagle Owls, was formed in the late 19th century. During the first half century of play, Troy University and Samford University became their rivals. Before the start of the 1947 season, not only did the team change their colors from blue and gold to red and white, but their nickname changed to the Fighting Gamecocks.

Jacksonville State joined the NCAA in 1973, and played at the NCAA Division II level from 1973 to 1994. In 1995, the team moved up to the NCAA Division I Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) and competed in the Southland Conference from 1996 to 2002 before moving to the Ohio Valley Conference from 2003 to 2020. Jacksonville State University planned to leave the Ohio Valley Conference for the ASUN Conference in July 2021, with the team temporarily competing in the Western Athletic Conference (WAC)'s "ASUN–WAC Challenge" partnership league.[5] However, a few months later on November 5, 2021, the school accepted an invitation to join FBS Conference USA (C-USA) beginning with the 2023 season.[4]

Classifications

  • NAIA (1966–1969)
  • NAIA Division I (1970–1981)
  • NCAA Division II (1973–1994)
  • NCAA Division I FCS (1995–2022)
  • NCAA Division I FBS (2023–)

Conference affiliations

Championships

National championships

Jacksonville State has made four appearances in the NCAA Division II national championship game. The Gamecocks were defeated in their first three championship game appearances, losing 33–0 to Lehigh in 1977, 3–0 to Mississippi College in 1989 (later vacated), and 23–6 to Pittsburg State in 1991. In 1992, the Gamecocks defeated Pittsburg State 17–13, reversing the results in a rematch of their 1991 championship game.

Season Coach Selector Record
1992 Bill Burgess NCAA Division II 12–1–1

Conference championships

Jacksonville State has won 25 conference championships, 18 outright and four shared.

Season Conference Coach Overall record Conference record
1962† Alabama Collegiate Conference Don Salls 4–3–2 3–0–1
1963† 4–4–1 3–0–1
1964 4–4–1 3–0
1965 Jim Blevins 7–2 3–0
1966 8–2 3–0
1970 Mid-South Conference Charley Pell 10–0 5–0
1974 Gulf South Conference Clarkie Mayfield 7–4 7–1
1977 Jim Fuller 11–3 7–1
1978 7–3 6–1
1981 8–3 6–0
1982 10–2 7–0
1988† Bill Burgess 10–2 7–1
1989 13–1 8–0
1991 12–1 6–0
1992 12–1–1 5–0–1
2003 Ohio Valley Conference Jack Crowe 8–4 7–1
2004 9–2 7–1
2011† 7–4 6–2
2014 John Grass 10–2 8–0
2015 13–2 8–0
2016 10–2 7–0
2017 10–2 8–0
2018 9–4 7–1
2020 10–3 6–1
2022 ASUN Conference Rich Rodriguez 9–2 5–0
2024 Conference USA 9-4 7-1

† Co-championship

Bowl games

Jacksonville State has participated in ten bowl games, and has a record of 7–3. However, most of them are not Division I bowl games.[6] Consequently, after joining Division I FBS, they participated in two bowl games, and have a record of 1–1.

Season Coach Bowl Opponent Result
1948 Don Salls Paper Bowl† Troy W 19–0
1949 Don Salls Paper Bowl† West Alabama W 12–7
1950 Don Salls Paper Bowl† Pensacola Naval Alumni L 6–7
1955 Don Salls Refrigerator Bowl† Rhode Island W 12–10
1966 Jim Blevins Space City Classic† Arkansas–Monticello W 41–30
1970 Charley Pell Orange Blossom Classic† Florida A&M W 21–7
1977 Jim Fuller Grantland Rice Bowl† North Dakota State W 31–7
Jim Fuller Pioneer Bowl† Lehigh L 0–33
2023 Rich Rodriguez New Orleans Bowl Louisiana W 34–31 OT
2024 Rod Smith Cure Bowl Ohio L 27–30

† non-Division I bowl game

Playoff history

Division I-AA/FCS playoffs results

The Gamecocks have appeared in the I-AA/FCS playoffs ten times, with an overall record of 7–10.

Year Round Opponent Result
2003 First round Western Kentucky L 7–45
2004 First round Furman L 7–49
2010 Second round Wofford L 14–17
2013 First round
Second round
Quarterfinals		 Samford
McNeese State
Eastern Washington		 W 55–14
W 31–10
L 24–35
2014 Second round Sam Houston State L 26–37
2015 Second round
Quarterfinals
Semifinals
National championship game		 Chattanooga
Charleston Southern
Sam Houston State
North Dakota State		 W 41–35 OT
W 58–38
W 62–10
L 10–37
2016 Second round Youngstown State L 24–40
2017 Second round Kennesaw State L 7–17
2018 First round
Second round		 East Tennessee State
Maine		 W 34–27
L 27–55
2020 First round
Quarterfinals		 Davidson
Delaware		 W 49–14
L 14–20

Division II playoffs results

The Gamecocks have appeared in the Division II playoffs ten times, with an overall record of 15–9. They were national champions in 1992.

Year Round Opponent Result
1977 Quarterfinals
Semifinals
National championship game		 Northern Arizona
North Dakota State
Lehigh		 W 35–0
W 31–7
L 0–33
1978 Quarterfinals Delaware L 21–42
1980 Quarterfinals Cal Poly–SLO L 0–15
1981 Quarterfinals Southwest Texas State L 22–38
1982 Quarterfinals
Semifinals		 Northwest Missouri State
Southwest Texas State		 W 34–21
L 14–19
1988 First round
Quarterfinals		 West Chester
Portland State		 W 63–24
L 13–20
1989 First round
Quarterfinals
Semifinals
National championship game		 Alabama A&M
North Dakota State
Angelo State
Mississippi College		 W 33–9
W 21–17
W 34–16
L 0–3
1990 First round
Quarterfinals		 North Alabama
Mississippi College		 W 38–14
L 7–14
1991 First round
Quarterfinals
Semifinals
National championship game		 Winston-Salem State
Mississippi College
Indiana (PA)
Pittsburg State		 W 49–24
W 35–7
W 27–20
L 6–23
1992 First round
Quarterfinals
Semifinals
National championship game		 Savannah State
North Alabama
New Haven
Pittsburg State		 W 41–16
W 14–12
W 46–35
W 17–13

Rivalries

Samford

Main article: Jacksonville State–Samford football rivalry

This unnamed rivalry started in 1904,[7] when Jacksonville wore blue and gold as the Eagle Owls and Samford University was still named Howard College. Jacksonville State leads the series 23–21–2.[citation needed][when?]

Troy

Main article: Battle for the Ol' School Bell

Jacksonville State used to play Troy in the annual Battle for the Ol' School Bell. The schools first played in 1924, and this was one of the fiercest rivalries for both schools. The game has not been played since 2001, after Troy moved up to the FBS. Jacksonville State leads the series 32–29–2.[citation needed][when?]

Notable former players

Notable alumni include:

Future non-conference opponents

Future non-conference opponents announced as of July 22, 2024.[8]

2025 2026 2027 2028 2029 2030 2031
at UCF Georgia Southern at UAB UAB Buffalo
at Georgia Southern at Auburn at Buffalo
Murray State
at Southern Miss

References

  1. ^ NCAA Statistics https://stats.ncaa.org/teams/history?utf8=✓&org_id=315&sport_code=MFB&commit=Search
  2. ^ Jacksonville State University Style Guide & Identification Standards Manual (PDF). Retrieved July 9, 2023.
  3. ^ "Jacksonville State Historical Data". College Football Data Warehouse. Archived from the original on February 22, 2014. Retrieved February 11, 2014.
  4. ^ a b "Conference USA to add Liberty, Jacksonville State, New Mexico State, Sam Houston State beginning in 2023". ESPN. November 5, 2021. Retrieved November 8, 2021.
  5. ^ "ASUN, WAC Conferences Announce Football Partnership for 2021" (Press release). ASUN Conference. February 23, 2021. Archived from the original on February 23, 2021. Retrieved February 23, 2021.
  6. ^ "Jacksonville State's forgotten bowl history". December 14, 2023.
  7. ^ McCann, Stu (November 25, 2013). "JSU will host Samford in first round of FCS playoffs". WBMA.
  8. ^ "Jacksonville State Gamecocks Football Future Schedules". FBSchedules.com. Retrieved July 22, 2024.