Lincoln Oaklanders football

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Lincoln Oaklanders football
AmericanFootball current event.svg 2025 Lincoln Oaklanders football team
First season2021 (2021)
Athletic directorDesmond Gumbs
Head coachDesmond Gumbs
5th season, 3–43 (.065)
StadiumNone
Location Oakland, California
ConferenceIndependent
All-time record3–43–0 (.065)
Conference titlesNone
MascotOaklander
Marching bandOaklander Marching Band
Website athletics.lincolnuca.edu

The Lincoln Oaklanders are the college football team representing Lincoln University of Oakland, California. The team is Independent and plays as a traveling team. The school's first football team was fielded in 2021. Athletic director Desmond Gumbs has been the head football coach since the 2021 season.

Contents

History

The Oaklanders began play in the 2021 season as an independent, hoping to join the NCAA by 2022. [1] [2]

Athletic director Desmond Gumbs was named head coach for the Oaklanders' inaugural season, while former Super Bowl XLV champion Desmond Bishop served as defensive coordinator. [3] On September 11, 2021, the Oaklanders made their debut against the Whitworth Pirates where they were defeated 31-29. Lincoln earned their first win as a program the following week defeating Willamette 34–9. Lincoln proceeded to lose the following seven games, ending their season with a 1–8 record.

In 2022, the Oaklanders faced a Southland Conference opponent, losing to Texas A&M Commerce, [4] as well as a Big Sky Conference opponent, falling to Portland State, [5] and then a WAC opponent, losing to Southern Utah. [6] The Oaklanders showed slight improvement, finishing the season 2–8. In week 6, they set a program record by scoring 70 points in a 70–0 shutout win against Hilbert College. Lincoln's other win came in week 9 against Bluefield State University where they defeated the Big Blues 20–17.

The Lincoln Oaklanders football team practices before a 2023 road game against Cal Poly. LincolnUOaklandersFootballIn2023.jpg
The Lincoln Oaklanders football team practices before a 2023 road game against Cal Poly.

The early portion of the 2023 season saw Lincoln play its first in-state game, [7] taking on a Big Sky program for a second time in its history when facing Cal Poly. Led by upperclassmen including former Ohio State defensive back Amir Riep, former UTEP quarterback T.J. Goodwin, and former North Dakota running back Otis Weah, [8] [9] the Oaklanders briefly held a first-half lead before the Mustangs rallied to ultimately win 41–20. [10]

During its first three unaffiliated seasons, Lincoln played its games exclusively as the visitor. In the offseason of 2023, following the departure of the nearby Oakland Raiders, columnist Omar-Rashon Borja of Redshirt Sports opined that RingCentral Coliseum ought to be repurposed into a facility to host Lincoln games. [11]

On February 2, 2024, USA Today published an article critical of the Oaklanders football program, largely characterizing it as being ill-prepared to compete against either NCAA or NAIA schools (as the Oaklanders do not belong to either association and are thus not regulated by any set of outside standards) and having inadequate player support systems and facilities, with one former player calling the Oaklanders "the college Bishop Sycamore". School officials pushed back against allegations of neglect or fraud by some former players, stating that the problems surrounding the program were due to a lack of resources. [12]

Season-by-season results

YearCoachConferenceOverall Record
2021 Desmond GumbsIndependent1–8
2022 2–8
2023 0–12
2024 0–11
2025 0–4
Totals3–43 (.065)

2021

2021 Lincoln Oaklanders football
ConferenceIndependent
Record1–8
Head coach
  • Desmond Gumbs (1st season)
Co-defensive coordinators
Seasons
← 2020
2022 →
DateTimeOpponentSiteTVResultAttendance
September 111:00 p.m.at Whitworth
L 29–311,760
September 181:00 p.m.at Willamette
W 34–9300
September 254:00 p.m.at Stephen F. Austin
ESPN+ L 13–615,346
October 25:00 p.m.at Eastern New Mexico
L 6–523,880
October 94:00 p.m.at UT Permian Basin
L 0–753,560
October 165:00 p.m.at Texas A&M–Kingsville
L 21–515,023
October 306:00 p.m.at Central Washington
L 0–923,872
November 612:00 p.m.at No. 20 (Div. II) Western Colorado
L 6–72438
November 131:00 p.m.at Western Oregon
L 16–552,025

2022

2022 Lincoln Oaklanders football
ConferenceIndependent
Record2–8
Head coach
  • Desmond Gumbs (2nd season)
Defensive coordinatorPat Henderson (1st season)
Seasons
← 2021
2023 →
DateTimeOpponentSiteTVResultAttendanceSource
September 15:00 p.m.at Texas A&M–Commerce
ESPN+ L 7–522,130
September 101:00 p.m.at Western Oregon
L 10–421,123
September 174:00 p.m.at No. 2 (Div. II) Grand Valley State
FloSports L 7–6616,624 [13]
September 2411:00 a.m.at St. Thomas (MN)
L 6–434,359
October 82:00 p.m.at Portland State
ESPN+L 6–482,921
October 144:00 p.m.at Hilbert
W 70–0200
October 229:00 a.m.at No. 22 (Div. II) Davenport
L 14–581,300
October 2912:00 p.m.at Texas Southern
L 2–376,500
November 59:00 a.m.at Bluefield
W 20–17327
November 1210:00 a.m.at Southern Utah
ESPN+L 0–553,556

2023

2023 Lincoln Oaklanders football
ConferenceIndependent
Record0–12
Head coach
  • Desmond Gumbs (3rd season)
Offensive coordinatorNy'ika Long (1st season)
Defensive coordinatorPat Henderson (2nd season)
Seasons
← 2022
2024 →
DateTimeOpponentSiteResultAttendance
August 2612:00 p.m.at No. 12 (NAIA) College of Idaho
L 7–372,849
September 25:00 p.m.at Adams State
L 16–352,876
September 91:00 p.m.at Western Oregon
L 14–292,323
September 165:00 p.m.at Cal Poly
L 20–419,238
September 234:00 p.m.at Lamar
L 0–384,873
September 3012:00 p.m.at Texas Southern
L 7–526,352
October 710:00 a.m.at New Haven
L 0–381,131
October 142:00 p.m.at Southern
L 18–4521,492
October 2110:00 a.m.at Tennessee State
L 0–542,727
October 2812:00 p.m.at Kennesaw State
L 12–286,013
November 412:00 p.m.at Southern Utah
L 6–353,023
November 113:00 p.m.at No. 13 (FCS) Florida A&M
L 0–2811,314

2024

2024 Lincoln Oaklanders football
ConferenceIndependent
Record0–11
Head coach
  • Desmond Gumbs (4th season)
Offensive coordinatorNy'ika Long (2nd season)
Defensive coordinatorPat Henderson (3rd season)
Seasons
← 2023
2025 →
DateTimeOpponentSiteResultAttendance
August 246:00 p.m.at No. 4 (NAIA) College of Idaho
L 7–453,735
August 3112:00 p.m.at Northern Arizona
L 6–667,342
September 71:00 p.m.at Southern Oregon
L 7–46N/A
September 144:00 p.m.at Missouri S&T
L 6–452,567
September 2110:30 a.m.at Webber International
L 20–63469
October 512:00 p.m.at Lincoln (MO)
L 14–404,124
October 124:00 p.m.at Savannah State
L 18–301,760
October 264:00 p.m.at Northeastern State
L 0–484,976
November 210:00 a.m.at West Georgia
L 12–881,812
November 98:00 a.m.at Mercyhurst
L 0–66540
November 1610:00 a.m.at Florida Memorial
L 8–48898

2025

2025 Lincoln Oaklanders football
ConferenceIndependent
Record0–4
Head coach
  • Desmond Gumbs (5th season)
Offensive coordinatorNy'ika Long (3rd season)
Defensive coordinatorPat Henderson (4th season)
Seasons
← 2024
2026 →
DateTimeOpponentSiteTVResultAttendance
August 304:30 p.m.at Lincoln (MO)
L 6–55888
September 65:00 p.m.at Texas A&M–Kingsville
L 12–60
September 133:00 p.m.at Arkansas–Pine Bluff
SWAC TVL 8–347,542
September 203:00 p.m.at Idaho State
ESPN+ L 0–906,203
September 254:30 p.m.at Davenport
FloSports
October 44:00 p.m.at West Alabama
FloSports
October 1112:00 p.m.at Alcorn State
SWAC TV
October 1812:00 p.m.at Mississippi Valley State
SWAC TV
October 2512:00 p.m.at Prairie View A&M
SWAC TV
November 14:00 p.m.at Northeastern State

References

  1. ↑ Nowels, Michael (June 4, 2021). "Gary Payton hired to coach at Oakland's Lincoln University" . The Mercury News . Retrieved July 6, 2023.
  2. ↑ Glenn, Vern (September 8, 2021). "Lincoln University Trots Out Oakland's Newest Football Team". KPIX 5 TV (CBS News Bay Area).
  3. ↑ Ostler, Scott (June 19, 2021). "Intrigue for potential Coliseum sale". San Francisco Chronicle. pp. C1.
  4. ↑ "College football: Thursday's results - Southwest". San Francisco Chronicle. September 3, 2022. pp. B4.
  5. ↑ "College football scores: Far West". San Jose Mercury News. October 9, 2022. pp. C3.
  6. ↑ "Scores: Far West". San Jose Mercury News. November 13, 2022. pp. C3.
  7. ↑ Almanza, Tony; Roose, Kevin (September 16, 2023). "Cal Poly defeats Lincoln University". KEYT News Channel.
  8. ↑ Talbot, Damond (June 25, 2023). "2024 NFL Draft Prospect Interview: Otis Weah, RB, Lincoln University (CA)". NFL Draft Diamonds.
  9. ↑ Wheeler, Wyatt D. (June 16, 2022). "Missouri State football rescinds offer to Otis Weah, sources say". Springfield News-Leader . Retrieved January 8, 2025.
  10. ↑ "Sam Huard ties Cal Poly record with 6 TD passes as Mustangs beat Lincoln (CA) 41–20". AP News. The Associated Press. September 16, 2023.
  11. ↑ Borja, Omar-Rashon (May 4, 2023). "Let's Repurpose the Oakland Coliseum for Lincoln University". Redshirt Sports.
  12. ↑ Schad & Peter, Tom & Josh (February 2, 2024). "A Scrappy Football Startup, or the 'college Bishop Sycamore'?". USA Today.
  13. ↑ Steve Kaminski (September 18, 2022). "Second-ranked Grand Valley State crushes Lincoln for third win of season". Mlive.com .
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