Indiana State University (ISU) is a public university in Terre Haute, Indiana. It was founded in 1865 and offers over 100 undergraduate majors and more than 75 graduate and professional programs. Indiana State is classified among "D/PU: Doctoral/Professional Universities".
Michael Charles Sanford is an American football coach and former player. He served as the head football coach at University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV) from 2005 to 2009 and at Indiana State University from 2013 to 2016. He is a graduate of the University of Southern California (USC), where he played quarterback for the Trojans from 1973 through 1976. He is the father of former Western Kentucky head coach Mike Sanford Jr.
The Indiana State Sycamores are the NCAA Division I intercollegiate athletic teams of Indiana State University. Since the 1977–78 academic year, Indiana State has been a member of the Missouri Valley Conference (MVC). The Indiana State football team has competed in Division I FCS since the 1982 season, and has been a member of the Missouri Valley Football Conference (MVFC) since it was spun off from the Gateway Collegiate Athletic Conference (Gateway) when the latter league merged into the MVC in 1992. Past conference memberships include the Indiana College Athletic League (1895–1922), the Indiana Intercollegiate Conference (1922–1950), the Indiana Collegiate Conference (1950–1968) and the Midwestern Conference (1970–1972). The women's teams were Gateway members from the league's 1982 founding until its absorption by the MVC. In 1986, a year after the Gateway took on football as its only men's sport, the Sycamores football team joined that conference.
"March On! " is the official school fight song of Indiana State University. The song and lyrics were written by ISU professor of music Joseph A. Gremelspacher as a pep song.
The 1978–79 Indiana State Sycamores men's basketball team is considered the greatest in the school's history. The Sycamores competed as members of the Missouri Valley Conference during the 1978–79 NCAA Division I men's basketball season, playing their home games at the Hulman Center in Terre Haute, Indiana. Led by first-year head coach Bill Hodges and National Player of the Year Larry Bird, Indiana State was unranked to begin the season, but swept through the regular season unbeaten. Bird led the #1 ranked Sycamores to the national title game versus the Magic Johnson-led #3 Michigan State Spartans, and ended the season as National runner-up with a record of 33–1. To date, the 1978–79 Sycamores are the only team to advance this far in their first-ever NCAA appearance. They had been the last unbeaten team to reach the national title game until Gonzaga in 2021.
The Indiana State Sycamores football team is the NCAA Division I football program of Indiana State University in Terre Haute, Indiana. They compete in the Missouri Valley Football Conference. The team last played in the NCAA Playoffs in the 2014 NCAA Division I Football Championship. Their first season was 1896. The Sycamore's greatest season was 1983, when coach Dennis Raetz led them to the 2nd round of the 1983 NCAA Division I Football Championship and ended the season with a record of 9–4. The Sycamores also appeared in 1984 NCAA Division I Football Championship playoffs. The Indiana State Sycamores play their home games at Memorial Stadium, which seats 12,764.
The Indiana State Sycamores baseball team is the NCAA Division I baseball program of Indiana State University, located in Terre Haute, Indiana. It is a member of the Missouri Valley Conference. The team last played in the NCAA Division I Baseball Championship in 2023. Their first season was 1896. The Sycamores have had 12 All-Americans, 26 Major Leaguers, and more than 2,070 victories. The team's most successful season was in 1986, when the team appeared in the College World Series and finished with a record of 48–21. The Sycamores have appeared in the NCAA Division I Baseball Championship in 1979, 1983, 1984, 1987, 1989, 1995, 2012, 2014, 2019, 2021, and 2023.
Trent Gaylord Miles is an American football coach and former player. He was most recently the head football coach at Georgia State University, a position he assumed in November 2012 and held until he was fired on November 12, 2016. From 2008 to 2012, Miles was the head coach at his alma mater Indiana State University, from which he holds a bachelor's degree in criminology."
The 2011 Indiana State Sycamores football team represented Indiana State University as a member of the Missouri Valley Football Conference (MVFC) during the 2011 NCAA Division I FCS football season. Led by fourth-year head coach Trent Miles, the Sycamores compiled an overall record of 6–5 with a mark of 4–4 in conference play, tying for fourth place in the MVFC. Indiana State played home games at Memorial Stadium in Terre Haute, Indiana.
The 2012 Indiana State Sycamores football team represented Indiana State University as a member of the Missouri Valley Football Conference (MVFC) during the 2012 NCAA Division I FCS football season. Led by Trent Miles in his fifth and final season as head coach, the Sycamores compiled an overall record of 7–4 with a mark of 5–3 in conference play, placing in a three-way tie for third in the MVFC. Indiana State played home games at Memorial Stadium in Terre Haute, Indiana.
The Blue Key Victory Bell is presented to the winner of the college football game between Indiana State University and Ball State University. The two schools met regularly between 1924 and 1991 but sporadically since that season. They have competed for the Victory Bell since 1940; from 1924 to 1947 they were Indiana Intercollegiate Conference rivals and from 1951 to 1967 they were Indiana Collegiate Conference rivals. Ball State was a regional campus of Indiana State University from 1918 to 1961; since the 1961–62 academic year, Ball State has operated independently.
The 1968 Indiana State Sycamores football team represented Indiana State University in the 1968 NCAA College Division football season. It was the third season of head coach Jerry Huntsman's tenure and his finest season as the head of the ISU program. It was the first nine-win season in the history of the program and remains only one of three such seasons. It is the winningest season in the history of the program with a .900 winning percentage. Future NFLer Jim Brumfield was a member of the squad as was future Indiana State University Hall of Famer Verbie Walder
The 1983 Indiana State Sycamores football team represented Indiana State University as a member of the Missouri Valley Conference (MVC) during the 1983 NCAA Division I-AA football season. The Sycamores were led by fourth-year head coach Dennis Raetz and played their home games at Memorial Stadium. Indiana State finished the season 8–3 overall and 3–2 in MVC play to tie for third place. They were invited to the NCAA I-AA playoffs, where they defeated Eastern Illinois in the first round before losing (23–7) in the quarterfinals to eventual national champion Southern Illinois.
The 1979 Indiana State Sycamores football team represented Indiana State University as a member of the Missouri Valley Conference (MVC) during the 1979 NCAA Division I-A football season. Led by second-year head coach Dick Jamieson, the Sycamores compiled an overall record of 8–3 with a mark of 3–2 in conference play, placing third in the MVC. Indiana State played home games at Memorial Stadium.
The 1980 Indiana State Sycamores football team was an American football team that represented Indiana State University in the 1980 NCAA Division I-A football season. They were led by first-year head coach Dennis Raetz and played their home games at Memorial Stadium. They were a member of the Missouri Valley Conference (MVC) and finished the season 6–5, 4–2 in MVC play to finish in third place.
The 1951 Ball State Cardinals football team was an American football team that represented Ball State Teachers College in the Indiana Collegiate Conference (ICC) during the 1951 college football season. In its 16th season under head coach John Magnabosco, the team compiled a 0–6–1 record and finished in last place in the ICC.
The 1970 Indiana State Sycamores football team represented Indiana State University as an independent during the 1970 NCAA College Division football season. Led by fourth-year head coach Jerry Huntsman, the Sycamores compiled a record of 5–5.
Jonas Griffith is an American football linebacker for the Denver Broncos of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Indiana State Sycamores.
The 1975 Indiana State Sycamores football team represented Indiana State University as an independent during the 1975 NCAA Division II football season. The team was led by third-year head coach Tom Harp and played their home games at Memorial Stadium in Terre Haute, Indiana. The Sycamores finished the season with a 5–5 record.
The 1951 Indiana State Sycamores football team was an American football team that represented Indiana State Teachers College—now known as Indiana State University—as a member of the Indiana Collegiate Conference (ICC) during the 1951 college football season. Led by first-year head coach Mark Dean, the Sycamores compiled an overall record of 0–6–1 with a mark of 0–3–1 in conference play, placing fifth in the ICC.
