1970 Tennessee State Tigers football team

The 1970 Tennessee State Tigers football team represented Tennessee State University as an independent during the 1970 NCAA College Division football season. In their eighth season under head coach John Merritt, the Tigers compiled a perfect 10–0 record, defeated Southwestern Louisiana in the 1970 Grantland Rice Bowl, and outscored all opponents by a total of 396 to 144. The team was also recognized as the 1970 black college national champion and was ranked No. 5 in the final small college rankings issued by both the Associated Press and United Press International.

1970 Tennessee State Tigers football
Black college football national champion
Grantland Rice Bowl, W 26–25 vs. Southwestern Louisiana
Conference	Independent
Record	10–0
Head coach	John Merritt (8th season)
Home stadium	Hale Stadium

1970 NCAA College Division independents football records

	Conf.							Overall
Team	W		L		T			W		L		T
No. 4 Tampa			–					10	–	1	–	0
No. 5 Tennessee State			–					10	–	0	–	0
No. 11 Delaware			–					9	–	2	–	0
Hawaii			–					9	–	2	–	0
Northern Michigan			–					8	–	2	–	0
No. 19 Eastern Michigan			–					7	–	2	–	1
Mankato State			–					7	–	2	–	1
Akron			–					7	–	3	–	0
Central Michigan			–					7	–	3	–	0
Temple			–					7	–	3	–	0
Drake			–					7	–	4	–	0
Wayne State (MI)			–					6	–	2	–	0
Arkansas AM&N			–					6	–	3	–	0
Southern Illinois			–					6	–	3	–	0
St. Norbert			–					6	–	3	–	0
Nevada			–					6	–	3	–	1
Portland State			–					6	–	4	–	0
UNLV			–					6	–	4	–	0
Boston University			–					5	–	4	–	0
Cortland			–					5	–	4	–	0
Indiana (PA)			–					5	–	4	–	0
Santa Clara			–					5	–	4	–	1
Lafayette			–					6	–	5	–	0
Colorado College			–					4	–	4	–	0
Drexel			–					4	–	4	–	0
Hofstra			–					5	–	5	–	0
Indiana State			–					5	–	5	–	0
Samford			–					5	–	5	–	0
Wabash			–					3	–	3	–	2
Saint Mary's			–					3	–	4	–	0
Ashland			–					4	–	6	–	0
Bucknell			–					4	–	6	–	0
Lehigh			–					4	–	6	–	0
Rose Poly			–					3	–	5	–	1
Illinois College			–					3	–	5	–	0
Northeastern			–					3	–	5	–	0
Indiana Central			–					3	–	6	–	0
Lake Forest			–					3	–	6	–	0
Kentucky State			–					3	–	6	–	0
Chicago			–					2	–	5	–	0
Chattanooga			–					3	–	8	–	0
Parsons			–					2	–	7	–	0
Eastern Illinois			–					2	–	8	–	0
Milwaukee			–					1	–	9	–	0
Rankings from AP small college poll

Tackle Vernon Holland received first-team honors on the 1970 Little All-America college football team.

Schedule

Date	Opponent	Rank	Site	Result	Attendance	Source
September 11	vs. Alcorn A&M		Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum Los Angeles, CA (Freedom Classic)	W 24–14	43,772
September 19	vs. Kentucky State		Crump Stadium Memphis, TN	W 62–7	15,000
September 26	vs. Albany State	No. 10	Porter Stadium Macon, GA (Central City Classic)	W 54–7	8,000
October 3	Texas Southern	No. 10	Hale Stadium Nashville, TN	W 41–9	11,000
October 10	at Grambling	No. 6	Grambling Stadium Grambling, LA	W 34–27	12,000
October 24	at Florida A&M	No. 5	Bragg Memorial Stadium Tallahassee, FL	W 21–10	13,500-14,000
October 31	Southern	No. 5	Hale Stadium Nashville, TN	W 38–7	11,000–14,000
November 7	Morris Brown	No. 6	Hale Stadium Nashville, TN	W 36–14	9,000
November 21	vs. Parsons	No. 5	Busch Memorial Stadium St. Louis, MO (Gateway Classic)	W 21–3	7,000
November 26	Bishop	No. 4	Hale Stadium Nashville, TN	W 39–21	12,000
December 12	vs. No. 10 Southwestern Louisiana	No. 5	Memorial Stadium Baton Rouge, LA (Grantland Rice Bowl)	W 26–25	17,000
Rankings from AP Poll released prior to the game