Tennessee State Tigers football

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Tennessee State Tigers football
AmericanFootball current event.svg 2024 Tennessee State Tigers football team
Tennessee State Tigers wordmark.svg
First season1912
Athletic directorDr. Mikki Allen
Head coach Eddie George
3rd season, 15–18 (.455)
Stadium Nissan Stadium and Hale Stadium
(capacity: 69,143 and 10,000)
Year built1999
Field surfaceTifsport Bermuda Sod
Location Nashville, Tennessee
NCAA division Division I FCS
Conference Big South–OVC
Past conferences SIAC (1926–1929)
MAA (1945–1966)
All-time record55528833 (.652)
Bowl record811 (.850)
Playoff appearances6
Playoff record3–6
Claimed national titles12
(Div. II): 1973 (Poll)
(Black College): 1946, 1947, 1954, 1956, 1965, 1966, 1970, 1971, 1973, 1979, 1982, 2013
Unclaimed national titles4 (Black College):1953, 1983, 1984, 2012
Conference titles16
ColorsReflex blue and white [1]
   
Website TSUTigers.com

The Tennessee State Tigers football program represents Tennessee State University in the sport of American football. The Tigers compete in the NCAA Division I Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) as member of the Ohio Valley Conference.

Contents

History

First FBS Victory

Tennessee State Tigers first FBS victory came in 2017 when they defeated the Georgia State Panthers 17-10 for Georgia State's season home opener. [2] [3]

Championships

National championships

YearCoachRecordChampionship
1946 Henry A. Kean 10–1 Black College National Champions
1947Henry A. Kean10–0Black College National Champions
1954Henry A. Kean10–1Black College National Champions
1956 Howard C. Gentry 10–0Black College National Champions
1965 John A. Merritt 9–0–1Black College National Champions
1966John A. Merritt10–0Black College National Champions
1970John A. Merritt11–0Black College National Champions
1971John A. Merritt9–1Black College National Champions
1973John A. Merritt10–0 AP & UPI College Division National Champions
Black College National Champions
1979John A. Merritt8–3Black College National Champions
1982John A. Merritt10–1–1Black College National Champions
2013 Rod Reed 10–4Black College National Champions

Conference championships

YearCoachConferenceConference Record
1945 Henry A. Kean Midwest Athletic Association 3–0
1946Henry A. KeanMidwestern Conference3–0
1947Henry A. KeanMidwestern Conference3–0
1949Henry A. KeanMidwestern Conference4–0
1954Henry A. KeanMidwestern Conference4–0
1956 Howard C. Gentry Midwestern Conference4–0
1957Howard C. GentryMidwestern Conference3–0
1959Howard C. GentryMidwestern Conference3–0
1960Howard C. GentryMidwestern Conference3–0
1961 Lawrence E. Simmons Midwestern Conference3–0
1963 John A. Merritt Midwest Conference 3–0
1964John A. Merritt Midwestern Conference 3–0
1965John A. MerrittMidwestern Conference2–0
1966John A. MerrittMidwestern Conference2–0
1998 Lawrence C. Cole Ohio Valley Conference 6–1
1999Lawrence C. ColeOhio Valley Conference7–0

Bowl games

Tennessee State has competed in ten bowl games and has a record of 8–1–1. [4] [5] [6] [7] [8] [9] [10] [11] [12] [13]

SeasonBowlOpponentResult
1944 Vulcan Bowl Tuskegee W 12–7
1945 Vulcan Bowl Texas College W 33–6
1946 Vulcan Bowl Louisville Municipal College W 32–0
1954 National Classic North Carolina College L 6–19
1956 Orange Blossom Classic Florida A&M W 41–39
1965 Grantland Rice Bowl Ball State T 14–14
1966 Grantland Rice Bowl Muskingum W 34–7
1970 Grantland Rice Bowl Southwestern Louisiana W 26–25
1971 Grantland Rice Bowl McNeese State W 26–23
1972 Pioneer Bowl Drake W 29–7

NCAA Division I-AA/FCS playoff results

The Tigers have appeared in the NCAA Division I FCS Football Championship playoffs six times with a record of 3–6.

YearRoundOpponentResult
1981 QuarterfinalsSouth Carolina StateL 25–26 OT
1982 Quarterfinals
Semifinals
Eastern Illinois
Eastern Kentucky
W 20–19
L 7–13
1986 First Round
Quarterfinals
Jackson State
Nevada
W 32–23
L 6–33
1998 First RoundAppalachian StateL 31–45
1999 First RoundNorth Carolina A&TL 10–24
2013 First Round
Second Round
Butler
Eastern Illinois
W 31–0
L 10–51

College Football Hall of Fame

NamePositionTenureInductedRef.
John Merritt Coach1963–19831994 [14]

Alumni in the NFL

Over 100 Tennessee State alumni have played in the NFL, [15] including:

Annual Classic

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The 1976 Memphis State Tigers football team represented Memphis State University as an independent during the 1976 NCAA Division I football season. In its second season under head coach Richard Williamson, the team compiled an 7–4 record and outscored opponents by a total of 241 to 182. The team played its home games at Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium in Memphis, Tennessee.

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References

  1. Tennessee State University Brand Guide (PDF). December 31, 2020. Retrieved August 26, 2022.
  2. "Football History vs Georgia State University".
  3. "2017's first FCS-over-FBS upset: Tennessee State vs. Georgia State". August 31, 2017.
  4. "Tennessee State rips Tuskegee". The Tennessean. January 2, 1945. Retrieved September 1, 2023 via Newspapers.com.
  5. "Texas negros lose Vulcan Bowl crown". The Austin American. January 2, 1946. Retrieved September 1, 2023 via Newspapers.com.
  6. "Tennessee State wallops Louisville in Vulcan Bowl". The Tennessean. January 2, 1947. Retrieved September 1, 2023 via Newspapers.com.
  7. "Tennessee State defeated 19 To 6". Bristol Herald Courier. December 5, 1954. Retrieved September 1, 2023 via Newspapers.com.
  8. "Tennessee St. plugs Bulldogs". Wichita Falls Times. December 10, 1972. Retrieved September 1, 2023 via Newspapers.com.
  9. "Fumbling A&M bows, 41–39 In Orange Blossom Classic". Tallahassee Democrat. December 2, 1956. Retrieved September 1, 2023 via Newspapers.com.
  10. "Ball State, A&I battle to tie". The Jackson Sun. December 12, 1965. Retrieved September 1, 2023 via Newspapers.com.
  11. "Tennessee A&I routs Muskingum 34–7". The Daily News Journal. December 11, 1966. Retrieved September 1, 2023 via Newspapers.com.
  12. "Tennessee State nips USL Ragin' Cajuns". The Daily Advertiser. December 13, 1970. Retrieved September 1, 2023 via Newspapers.com.
  13. "TSU denies McNeese an undefeated season". Daily World. December 12, 1971. Retrieved September 1, 2023 via Newspapers.com.
  14. "Inductee John Ayers Merritt 1994 College Football Hall of Fame". www.cfbhall.com.
  15. "Tennessee St. Players/Alumni". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved September 29, 2015.