Illinois State Redbirds football

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Illinois State Redbirds football
AmericanFootball current event.svg 2024 Illinois State Redbirds football team
Illinois State Redbirds Wordmark.png
First season1887;138 years ago (1887)
Head coach Brock Spack
16th season, 110–73 (.601)
Stadium Hancock Stadium
(capacity: 13,391)
Location Normal, Illinois
NCAA division Division I FCS
Conference Missouri Valley
All-time record486–526–68 (.481)
Bowl record0–1 (.000)
Playoff appearances9
1998, 1999, 2006, 2012, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2019, 2024
Conference titles10
1937, 1940, 1941, 1945, 1950, 1967, 1968, 1999, 2014, 2015
Rivalries Eastern Illinois (rivalry)
ColorsRed and white [1]
   
Fight song"Go, You Redbirds"
Marching bandBig Red Marching Machine
Website goredbirds.com

The Illinois State Redbirds football program is the intercollegiate American football team for Illinois State University located in the U.S. state of Illinois. The team competes in the NCAA Division I Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) as a member of the Missouri Valley Football Conference (MVFC). The school's first football team was fielded in 1887. The team plays its home games at the 13,391 seat Hancock Stadium. They are coached by Brock Spack.

Contents

History

Prior to 1923, the Illinois State football team was known as the Teachers or Fighting Teachers. When Clifford E. Horton began coaching the team in 1923, he proposed the Cardinals as the team's new nickname, after its red and white colors. The Pantagraph sports editor Fred Young changed the name to the Redbirds to distinguish the team from the nearby St. Louis Cardinals. [2]

Classifications

Conference memberships

Conference championships

Illinois State has won 10 conference titles, four outright.

YearConferenceCoachOverall recordConference record
1937† Illinois Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Howard Hancock 5–1–23–1–1
19405–3–13–0–1
1941†3–4–13–0–1
1945 Edwin Struck 4–33–0
1950 Interstate Intercollegiate Athletic Conference 7–1–25–0–1
1967† Larry Bitcon 8–22–1
1968†6–42–1
1999 Missouri Valley Football Conference Todd Berry 11–36–0
2014† Brock Spack 13–27–1
2015†10–37–1

† Co-championship

Postseason appearances

NCAA Division I-AA/FCS playoffs

The Redbirds have made nine appearances in the Division I–AA/FCS playoffs, with a combined record of 11–9.

YearRoundOpponentResult
1998 First RoundNorthwestern StateL 28–48
1999 First Round
Quarterfinals
Semifinals		Colgate
Hofstra
Georgia Southern		W 56–13
W 37–20
L 17–31
2006 First Round
Quarterfinals		Eastern Illinois
Youngstown State		W 24–13
L 21–28
2012 Second Round
Quarterfinals		Appalachian State
Eastern Washington		W 38–37 OT
L 35–51
2014 Second Round
Quarterfinals
Semifinals
Championship		Northern Iowa
Eastern Washington
New Hampshire
North Dakota State		W 41–21
W 59–46
W 21–18
L 27–29
2015 Second Round
Quarterfinals		Western Illinois
Richmond		W 36–19
L 27–39
2016 First RoundCentral ArkansasL 24–31
2019 First Round
Second Round
Quarterfinals		Southeast Missouri State
Central Arkansas
North Dakota State		W 24–6
W 24–14
L 3–9
2024 First Round
Second Round		Southeast Missouri State
UC Davis 		W 35–27
L 10–42

Bowl games

Illinois State has one bowl appearance, going 0-1. [3]

YearCoachBowlOpponentResult
1950 Edwin Struck Corn Bowl Missouri-Rolla L 6–7

Wins over FBS teams

SeasonOpponentResult
1987 Western Michigan 20–6
1991 Akron 25–3
2012 Eastern Michigan 31–14
2016 Northwestern 9–7
2018 Colorado State 35–19

Head coaches

YearsName
1895 George Dygert
1896 Louis H. Galbreath
1897 B. C. Edwards
1903–1906 John P. Stewart
1907 John A. H. Keith
1908–1909 George Binnewies
1912–1922 Harrison Russell
1923–1924 Clifford E. Horton
1925–1926 Don Karnes
1927–1930 Joe Cogdal
1931–1944 Howard Hancock
1945–1964 Edwin Struck
1965–1971 Larry Bitcon
1972–1976 Gerry Hart
1977–1980 Charlie Cowdrey
1981–1987 Bob Otolski
1988–1995 Jim Heacock
1996–1999 Todd Berry
2000–2008 Denver Johnson
2009–present Brock Spack

[4]

Rivalries

Eastern Illinois

The Mid-America Classic is the rivalry game between Illinois State and Eastern Illinois. The rivalry began in 1901 and is the oldest in the state of Illinois. With the 100th game in the series, representatives from both schools met and developed the Mid-America Classic renaming for the rivalry. The two schools also collaborated on a traveling trophy, which holds plaques with the results of the previous 100 games in the series and has room for results of future games in the series. [5] The two teams have played 111 times in total, with Illinois State holding a 59–43–9 advantage in the all-time series as of the 2023 season.

National award winners

Mosi Tatupu Award

The Mosi Tatupu Award was given annually to the College Football Special Teams Player of the Year by the Maui Quarterback Club and the Hula Bowl, from 1997 to 2006.

Buck Buchanan Award

The Buck Buchanan Award is given annually to the College Football Best Defensive Player in the FCS by Stats Perform, from 1995 to present.

Notable former players

Notable alumni include:

Redbirds drafted into the NFL

Draft YearPlayerPositionRoundOverallNFL Team
2018 Davontae Harris CB5151Cincinnati Bengals
2015 James O'Shaughnessy TE5173Kansas City Chiefs
2014 Shelby Harris DE7235Oakland Raiders
2013 Nate Palmer LB6193Green Bay Packers
2007 Laurent Robinson WR375Atlanta Falcons
2006 Brent Hawkins DE5160Jacksonville Jaguars
2005 Boomer Grigsby LB5138Kansas City Chiefs
1990Bill MillerWR10258Detroit Lions
1986 Jim Meyer T7167Cleveland Browns
1985 Mike Prior DB7176Tampa Bay Buccaneers
1984 Clarence Collins WR362San Diego Chargers
1978 Estus Hood DB362Green Bay Packers
1976 Calvin Harper T6172Kansas City Chiefs
1973Ron BellRB6140Pittsburgh Steelers
1970 Guy Homoly DB15385Cleveland Browns
1969 Dennis Nelson T377Baltimore Colts

Future non-conference opponents

Announced schedules as of June 9, 2024. [7]

20242025202620272028
at Iowa at Oklahoma at Northern Illinois at Missouri at Illinois
at North Alabama Morehead State
Western Illinois at Eastern Illinois
Eastern Illinois North Alabama

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The 2010 Illinois State Redbirds football team represented Illinois State University as a member of the Missouri Valley Football Conference (MVFC) during the 2010 NCAA Division I FCS football season. Led by second-year head coach Brock Spack, the Redbirds compiled an overall record of 6–5 with a mark of 4–4 in conference play, placing in a six-way tie for third in the MVFC. Illinois State played home games at Hancock Stadium in Normal, Illinois.

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Cam Grandy is an American professional football tight end for the Cincinnati Bengals of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Missouri Western Griffons and Illinois State Redbirds.

References

  1. ↑ Redbird Athletics Identity Manual (PDF). November 29, 2018. Retrieved September 5, 2019.
  2. ↑ "Redbirds result of teamwork". The Pantagraph . September 16, 1971. p. C-10. Retrieved October 2, 2021.
  3. ↑ DeLassus, David. "Division I-AA All-Time Wins". College Football Data Warehouse. Archived from the original on November 20, 2010. Retrieved April 12, 2011.
  4. ↑ "2021 Redbird Football Media Guide" (PDF). Illinois State University Athletics Department. p. 59. Retrieved October 2, 2021.
  5. ↑ "Illinois State, Eastern Illinois unveil Mid America Classic trophy - WJBC - the Voice of Central Illinois". Archived from the original on October 13, 2011. Retrieved September 10, 2012.
  6. ↑ "Matthew Goldsmith".
  7. ↑ "Illinois State Redbirds Football Future Schedules". FBSchedules.com. Retrieved June 9, 2024.
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