| Delta State Statesmen | |
|---|---|
| First season | 1926 [1] |
| Head coach | Todd Cooley 7 season, 42–34 (.553) |
| Stadium | McCool Stadium (capacity: 8000) |
| Field | Travis E. Parker Field |
| Year built | 1970 |
| Field surface | Artificial turf |
| Location | Cleveland, Mississippi |
| NCAA division | Division II |
| Conference | Gulf South Conference |
| All-time record | 481–406–23 (.541) |
| Claimed national titles | 1 (2000) |
| Colors | Forest green and white [2] |
| Website | Statesmen Football |
The Delta State Statesmen football team represents Delta State University, located in Cleveland, Mississippi, in NCAA Division II college football.
The Statesmen, who began playing football in 1926, currently compete as members of the Gulf South Conference (GSC).
Delta State plays its home games on campus at McCool Stadium
Delta State has won one national championship at the Division II level (2000).
Delta State won the 2000 NCAA Division II national football championship. Delta State's football team won the Gulf South Conference Championship in 1998, 2000, 2007, 2008, 2010, 2011, 2014, 2022, and 2024. They were runner-up in the D-2 National Championship in 2010. They were national semi-finalists and regional champions in 2011.
| Gulf South Conference Champions | 1998, 2000, 2007, 2008, 2010, 2011, 2014, 2022, 2023 |
| NCAA Division II Team Playoff Participants | 1998, 2000, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2010, 2011, 2014, 2017, 2022, 2023 |
| NCAA Division II Regional Championships | 2000, 2006, 2010, 2011 |
| NCAA Division II National Championships | 2000 |
The Gulf South Conference (GSC) is a college athletic conference affiliated with the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) at the Division II level, which operates in the Southeastern United States.
Delta State University (DSU) is a public university in Cleveland, Mississippi, a city in the Mississippi Delta.
The North Alabama Lions football program represents the University of North Alabama (UNA) in college football as the NCAA Division I Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) level as a member of the United Athletic Conference (UAC). The conference, which played its first season in 2023, is a merger of the football leagues of UNA's primary home of the ASUN Conference and the Western Athletic Conference (WAC). UNA had played the 2022 season in the ASUN, and before that had played football in the Big South Conference for three seasons. UNA plays its home games at Braly Municipal Stadium in Florence, Alabama. The team's head coach is Brent Dearmon. UNA was an NCAA Division II member from 1972 to 2017.
The Valdosta State Blazers football program represents Valdosta State University in American football. The Blazers are a member of the Gulf South Conference (GSC) in NCAA Division II. Valdosta State University has had a football team since 1982. The Blazers play in Bazemore–Hyder Stadium in Valdosta, Georgia, which has a capacity of 11,249. The stadium is also the home of the historical Valdosta High School Wildcats. The Blazers have won a total of four Division II National Championship titles.
Steve Campbell is an American football coach and former player. Campbell was the head football coach at the University of South Alabama from 2018 to 2020. Campbell has previously served as head football coach at Southwest Mississippi Community College from 1997 to 1998, Delta State University from 1999 to 2001, Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College from 2004 to 2013 and the University of Central Arkansas from 2014 until 2017.
David Dean is an American college football coach and former player. He is the head coach at Lanier County High School in Lakeland, Georgia, a position he has held since 2024. He was the head football coach for the University of West Georgia from 2017 to 2023. Dean served as the head football coach at Valdosta State University from 2007 to 2015, compiling a record of 79–27 in nine seasons. His team won the NCAA Division II Football Championship in 2007 and in 2012.
The North Alabama Lions are the athletic teams of the University of North Alabama, located in Florence, Alabama. The Lions are a member of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I and compete within the ASUN Conference for all sports except football, which plays in the United Athletic Conference. The university has a total of 14 varsity sports teams, six men's teams and eight women's teams. The fall of 2018 marked the Lion's first year of their transition into Division I. They have a storied tradition in Division II and have earned numerous national titles competing in NCAA Division II's Gulf South Conference.
The Valdosta State Blazers are the athletic teams that represent the Valdosta State University, located in Valdosta, Georgia, in intercollegiate sports at the Division II level of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA). The Blazers have primarily competed in the Gulf South Conference since the 1981–82 academic year.
Will Hall is an American college football coach. He most recently served as the head coach for the University of Southern Mississippi. Hall served as the head football coach at the University of West Alabama from 2011 to 2013 and at the University of West Georgia 2014 to 2016. He also served as offensive coordinator for the University of Louisiana at Lafayette in 2017. He grew up in Mississippi and attended the University of North Alabama where he played quarterback from 2002 to 2003. He won the Harlon Hill Trophy in 2003. He began his coaching career in 2004 and held assistant coaching positions at Presbyterian, Henderson State, Southwest Baptist, Arkansas-Monticello and West Alabama.
The Delta State Statesmen and Lady Statesmen are the athletic teams that represent Delta State University, located in Cleveland, Mississippi, in intercollegiate sports at the Division II level of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA). The Statesmen have primarily competed in the Gulf South Conference since the 1970–71 academic year.
The Delta State–Mississippi College football rivalry, commonly known as the Heritage Bell Classic, is a college football rivalry game between a public university and a private Christian college in the U.S. state of Mississippi, the Delta State University Statesmen and the Mississippi College Choctaws. The current winner is Delta State, who won, 20–14, on November 16, 2024. Delta State leads the all-time series, 26–16–2.
The 2017 Delta State Statesmen football team represented Delta State University in the 2017 NCAA Division II football season. They were led by fifth-year head coach Todd Cooley. The Statesmen played their home games at McCool Stadium and were members of the Gulf South Conference. They advanced to the Division II Football Championship playoffs, where they were eliminated in the second round by West Alabama.
The Delta State Lady Statesmen basketball team is the women's basketball team that represents Delta State University in Cleveland, Mississippi, United States. The school's team currently competes in the Gulf South Conference.
Stephen Thomas Golding known as Pete Golding, is an American football coach who is the defensive coordinator and inside linebackers coach for Ole Miss.
The 2018 Delta State Statesmen football team represented Delta State University in the 2018 NCAA Division II football season. They were led by sixth-year head coach Todd Cooley. The Statesmen played their home games at McCool Stadium and were members of the Gulf South Conference.
The 2019 Delta State Statesmen football team represented Delta State University in the 2019 NCAA Division II football season. They were led by seventh-year head coach Todd Cooley. The Statesmen played their home games at McCool Stadium and were members of the Gulf South Conference.
The 2000 Delta State Statesmen football team was an American football team that represented Delta State University (DSU) as a member of the Gulf South Conference (GSC) during the 2000 NCAA Division II football season. In their second year under head coach Steve Campbell, the team compiled a 14–1 record and tied with Valdosta State for the GSC championship. The Statesmen advanced to the NCAA Division II playoffs and defeated Bloomsburg in the championship game.
The 2021 Valdosta State Blazers football team represented Valdosta State University as a member of the Gulf South Conference (GSC) during the 2021 NCAA Division II football season. They were led by third-year head coach Gary Goff. The Blazers played their home games at Bazemore–Hyder Stadium in Valdosta, Georgia.
The 2021 Delta State Statesmen football team represented Delta State University as a member of the Gulf South Conference (GSC) during the 2021 NCAA Division II football season. They were led by ninth-year head coach Todd Cooley. The Statesmen played their home games at Parker Field at Horace McCool Stadium in Cleveland, Mississippi.
The 2022 Gulf South Conference football season was the season of college football played by the eight member schools of the Gulf South Conference (GSC) as part of the 2022 NCAA Division II football season.