Mississippi College Choctaws football

Mississippi College Choctaws football
First season	1907; 117 years ago
Last season	2024;0 years ago (2024)
Head coach	Mike Kershaw 1st season, 2–8 (.200)
Stadium	Robinson-Hale Stadium
Location	Clinton, Mississippi
NCAA division	Division II
Conference	Gulf South Conference
Past conferences	Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Association
All-time record	510–472–37 (.519)
Conference titles	5
Colors	Blue and gold [1]
Website	GoChoctaws

The Mississippi College Choctaws football team represented Mississippi College. The school's teams are known as the Choctaws. Its major rivals are Millsaps College in nearby Jackson and Delta State in Cleveland, Mississippi, in the Delta. After a more than 40-year hiatus, MC and Millsaps teams began meeting on the football field again in 2000. The rivalry is dubbed the Backyard Brawl.

On November 18, 2024 the school announced the discontinuation of the football program with the conclusion of the 2024 season. ^[2]

History

"Goat" Hale.

The first year of the team was in 1907. ^{[3] [4]} The 1921 team was led by College Football Hall of Fame inductee Edwin "Goat" Hale. ^[5]

The team won the Division II National Championship in 1989, however, Mississippi College's football tournament participation, along with its NCAA Division II national football championship, were vacated by the NCAA Committee on Infractions for recruiting violations.

On November 18, 2024, the Mississippi College Board of Trustees renamed the college as Mississippi Christian University, and approved dissolving the football program following the 2024 season. ^{[2] [6]}

Facilities

Robinson-Hale Stadium, a 8,500-capacity stadium located in Clinton, Mississippi, is home to the Mississippi College Choctaws football team. ^{[7] [8]}

The stadium was built in 1985 and named after two significant contributors to the program, Stanley L. Robinson, who coached the team from 1920 to 1923 and again from 1928 to 1953, and Edwin Hale, who played for the Choctaws between 1915 and 1921 and was later inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame. ^{[9] [10] [11]} The first game at the stadium was played October 12, 1985. The Choctaws defeated Jacksonville State, 50–3. ^{[12] [13]}

Prior to the 2005 season, the stadium saw major renovations that included the installation of a state-of-the art synthetic playing surface. A running track, the James E. Parkman Track, was added in 2006. ^[14] In 2011, the entrance got renovated with a new "Circle of Champions" entrance. ^[15] The turf at the stadium was upgraded in 2015. ^{[16] [17]}

Postseason appearances

NCAA Division II

The Choctaws have four appearances in the NCAA Division II football playoffs, with a combined record of 4–4. This total does not include a vacated national championship in 1989, which included one additional appearance and a 4–0 record.

Year	Round	Opponent	Result
1979	First Round Semifinals	North Dakota Delaware	W, 35–15 L, 10–60
1988	First Round	Texas A&I	L, 15–39
1989	First Round Quarterfinals Semifinals National Championship	Texas A&I St. Cloud State Indiana (PA) Jacksonville State	W, 34–19 W, 55–24 W, 26–14 W, 3–0
1990	First Round Quarterfinals Semifinals	Wofford Jacksonville State Indiana (PA)	W, 70–19 W, 14–7 L, 8–27
1991	First Round Quarterfinals	Wofford Jacksonville State	W, 28–15 L, 7–35

NCAA Division III

The Choctaws made one appearance in the NCAA Division III football playoffs, with a combined record of 1–1.

Year	Round	Opponent	Result
2009	First Round Second Round	Huntingdon Wesley	W, 56–35 L, 9–43

Program achievements

Gulf South Conference Champions	1979, 1988, 1990
American Southwest Conference Champions	1997, 2009
NCAA Division II Team Playoff Participants	1979, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1991
NCAA Division II Regional Championships	1989, 1990
NCAA Division II National Championships	1989
NCAA Division III Team Playoff Participants	2009

References

1. "Colors & Fonts - Identity Manual" . Retrieved May 19, 2016.
2. "Important Message from Mississippi College". mc.edu. Mississippi College. November 18, 2024. Retrieved November 27, 2024.
3. "Choctaws Football Record Book" (PDF). 2015-07-09. Retrieved 2016-05-20.
4. "The Official Site of Mississippi College Choctaws - History of Mississippi College Athletics". Gochoctaws.com. 1963-11-23. Retrieved 2016-05-20.
5. "Edwin Hale". College Football Hall of Fame. Footballfoundation.org. 1983-03-25. Retrieved 2016-05-20.
6. "Mississippi College changing name, shuttering football program". 2024-11-18. Retrieved 2024-11-18.
7. "Six home games highlight Mississippi College 2015 football schedule". WLBT. January 27, 2015. Retrieved November 21, 2021.
8. "Mississippi College releases 2017 football schedule". WLBT. June 19, 2017. Retrieved November 21, 2021.
9. Lightsey, Dick (August 15, 1985). "Budget deficit may have caused Bellard's enthusiasm". Sun Herald . Biloxi, Mississippi. p. D1. Retrieved November 23, 2021– via Newspapers.com .
10. "Stanley L. "Robbie" Robinson". Mississippi Sports Hall of Fame. Retrieved November 22, 2021.
11. "E.W. Hale". Mississippi Sports Hall of Fame. Retrieved November 22, 2021.
12. "2013 Mississippi College Football Media Guide" (PDF). September 2019. p. 8. Retrieved November 21, 2021.
13. Baker, Lee (August 25, 1985). "Choctaws need depth, QB to show off in new stadium". The Clarion-Ledger . Jackson, Mississippi. p. 15I. Retrieved November 23, 2021– via Newspapers.com .
14. "James E. Parkman Track". Mississippi College Athletics. Retrieved 2021-12-04.
15. "Fans Cheer Robinson-Hale Stadium Renovation Plans". Mississippi College. May 25, 2011. Retrieved November 21, 2021.
16. "Turf project underway at Robinson-Hale Stadium". WLBT. July 20, 2015. Retrieved November 21, 2021.
17. "MC stadium getting new turf" (PDF). The Clinton Courier. August 18, 2015. Retrieved November 21, 2021.

External links

• Official website