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Jacksonville State Gamecocks football

(Redirected from Jacksonville State Eagle Owls football)

The Jacksonville State Gamecocks football program is the intercollegiate American football team for Jacksonville State University (JSU) located in the U.S. state of Alabama. The team competes in the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) as a member of the Conference USA. Jacksonville State's first football team was fielded in 1904. The team plays its home games at the 24,000-seat AmFirst Stadium in Jacksonville, Alabama.[3]

Jacksonville State Gamecocks football
2026 Jacksonville State Gamecocks football team
First season1904; 122 years ago
Athletic directorGreg Seitz
General managerCody Spoon
Head coachCharles Kelly
1st season, 9–5 (.643)
LocationJacksonville, Alabama
StadiumAmFirst Stadium
(capacity: 22,500)
NCAA divisionDivision I FBS
ConferenceConference USA
ColorsRed and white[1]
   
All-time record630–432–39 [2] (.590)
Bowl record2–1 (.667)
NCAA Division II championships
1992
Conference championships
ACC: 1962, 1963, 1964, 1965, 1966
GSC: 1970, 1974, 1977, 1978, 1981, 1982, 1988, 1989, 1991, 1992
OVC: 2003, 2004, 2011, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2020
ASUN: 2022
C-USA: 2024
RivalriesKennesaw State
Troy (rivalry)
Sam Houston
Marching bandMarching Southerners
WebsiteJaxStateSports.com

On November 5, 2021, the university accepted an invitation to join Conference USA (C-USA) of the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) beginning with the 2023 season.[4]

History

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Jacksonville State University's first football team, the Eagle Owls, was formed in the late 19th century. During the first half century of play, Troy University and Samford University became their rivals. Before the start of the 1947 season, not only did the team change their colors from blue and gold to red and white, but their nickname changed to the Fighting Gamecocks.

Jacksonville State joined the NCAA in 1973, and played at the NCAA Division II level from 1973 to 1994. In 1995, the team moved up to the NCAA Division I Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) and competed in the Southland Conference from 1996 to 2002 before moving to the Ohio Valley Conference from 2003 to 2020. Jacksonville State University planned to leave the Ohio Valley Conference for the Atlantic Sun Conference (ASUN) in July 2021, with the team temporarily competing in the Western Athletic Conference (WAC)'s "ASUN–WAC Challenge" partnership league.[5]

A few months later on November 5, 2021, the school accepted an invitation to join Conference USA beginning with the 2023 season, moving to Division I FBS in the process.[4]

Classifications

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  • NAIA (1966–1969)
  • NAIA Division I (1970–1981)
  • NCAA Division II (1973–1994)
  • NCAA Division I FCS (1995–2022)
  • NCAA Division I FBS (2023–)

Conference affiliations

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Championships

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National championships

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Jacksonville State has made four appearances in the NCAA Division II national championship game. The Gamecocks were defeated in their first three championship game appearances, losing 33–0 to Lehigh in 1977, 3–0 to Mississippi College in 1989 (later vacated), and 23–6 to Pittsburg State in 1991. In 1992, the Gamecocks defeated Pittsburg State 17–13, reversing the results in a rematch of their 1991 championship game.

Season Coach Selector Record
1992Bill BurgessNCAA Division II12–1–1

Conference championships

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Jacksonville State has won 25 conference championships, 18 outright and four shared.

Season Conference Coach Overall record Conference record
1962†Alabama Collegiate ConferenceDon Salls4–3–23–0–1
1963†4–4–13–0–1
19644–4–13–0
1965Jim Blevins7–23–0
19668–23–0
1970Mid-South ConferenceCharley Pell10–05–0
1974Gulf South ConferenceClarkie Mayfield7–47–1
1977Jim Fuller11–37–1
19787–36–1
19818–36–0
198210–27–0
1988†Bill Burgess10–27–1
198913–18–0
199112–16–0
199212–1–15–0–1
2003Ohio Valley ConferenceJack Crowe8–47–1
20049–27–1
2011†7–46–2
2014John Grass10–28–0
201513–28–0
201610–27–0
201710–28–0
20189–47–1
202010–36–1
2022ASUN ConferenceRich Rodriguez9–25–0
2024Conference USA9-47-1

† Co-championship

Bowl games

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Jacksonville State has participated in eleven bowl games, and has a record of 8–3. However, most of them are not Division I bowl games.[6] Consequently, after joining Division I FBS, they participated in three bowl games, and have a record of 2–1.

Season Coach Bowl Opponent Result
1948Don SallsPaper Bowl†TroyW 19–0
1949Paper Bowl†West AlabamaW 12–7
1950Paper Bowl†Pensacola Naval AlumniL 6–7
1955Refrigerator Bowl†Rhode IslandW 12–10
1966Jim BlevinsSpace City Classic†Arkansas–MonticelloW 41–30
1970Charley PellOrange Blossom Classic†Florida A&MW 21–7
1977 Jim FullerGrantland Rice Bowl†North Dakota StateW 31–7
Jim FullerPioneer Bowl†LehighL 0–33
2023Rich RodriguezNew Orleans BowlLouisianaW 34–31 OT
2024Rod SmithCure BowlOhioL 27–30
2025Charles KellySalute to Veterans BowlTroyW 17–13

† non-Division I bowl game

Playoff history

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Division I-AA/FCS playoffs results

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The Gamecocks have appeared in the I-AA/FCS playoffs ten times, with an overall record of 7–10.

Year Round Opponent Result
2003First roundWestern KentuckyL 7–45
2004First roundFurmanL 7–49
2010Second roundWoffordL 14–17
2013First round
Second round
Quarterfinals		Samford
McNeese State
Eastern Washington		W 55–14
W 31–10
L 24–35
2014Second roundSam Houston StateL 26–37
2015Second round
Quarterfinals
Semifinals
National championship game		Chattanooga
Charleston Southern
Sam Houston State
North Dakota State		W 41–35 OT
W 58–38
W 62–10
L 10–37
2016Second roundYoungstown StateL 24–40
2017Second roundKennesaw StateL 7–17
2018First round
Second round		East Tennessee State
Maine		W 34–27
L 27–55
2020First round
Quarterfinals		Davidson
Delaware		W 49–14
L 14–20

Division II playoffs results

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The Gamecocks have appeared in the Division II playoffs ten times, with an overall record of 15–9. They were national champions in 1992.

Year Round Opponent Result
1977Quarterfinals
Semifinals
National championship game		Northern Arizona
North Dakota State
Lehigh		W 35–0
W 31–7
L 0–33
1978QuarterfinalsDelawareL 21–42
1980QuarterfinalsCal Poly–SLOL 0–15
1981QuarterfinalsSouthwest Texas StateL 22–38
1982Quarterfinals
Semifinals		Northwest Missouri State
Southwest Texas State		W 34–21
L 14–19
1988First round
Quarterfinals		West Chester
Portland State		W 63–24
L 13–20
1989First round
Quarterfinals
Semifinals
National championship game		Alabama A&M
North Dakota State
Angelo State
Mississippi College		W 33–9
W 21–17
W 34–16
L 0–3
1990First round
Quarterfinals		North Alabama
Mississippi College		W 38–14
L 7–14
1991First round
Quarterfinals
Semifinals
National championship game		Winston-Salem State
Mississippi College
Indiana (PA)
Pittsburg State		W 49–24
W 35–7
W 27–20
L 6–23
1992First round
Quarterfinals
Semifinals
National championship game		Savannah State
North Alabama
New Haven
Pittsburg State		W 41–16
W 14–12
W 46–35
W 17–13

Rivalries

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Samford

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This unnamed rivalry started in 1904,[7] when Jacksonville wore blue and gold as the Eagle Owls and Samford University was still named Howard College. Jacksonville State leads the series 23–21–2.[citation needed][when?]

Troy

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Jacksonville State used to play Troy in the annual Battle for the Ol' School Bell. The schools first played in 1924, and this was one of the fiercest rivalries for both schools. The game has not been played since 2001, after Troy moved up to the FBS. Jacksonville State leads the series 32–29–2.[citation needed][when?]

Notable former players

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Notable alumni include:

Future non-conference opponents

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Announced schedules as of March 9, 2026.[8]

2026 2027 2028 2029 2030 2031
at North Dakota State at UAB UAB at Auburn at Ole Miss
Eastern Kentucky South Alabama at Buffalo North Dakota State Buffalo
at Ohio at South Alabama
Georgia Southern

References

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  1. ↑ Jacksonville State University Style Guide & Identification Standards Manual (PDF). Retrieved July 9, 2023.
  2. ↑ NCAA Statistics https://stats.ncaa.org/teams/history?utf8=✓&org_id=315&sport_code=MFB&commit=Search
  3. ↑ "Jacksonville State Historical Data". College Football Data Warehouse. Archived from the original on February 22, 2014. Retrieved February 11, 2014.
  4. 1 2 "Conference USA to add Liberty, Jacksonville State, New Mexico State, Sam Houston State beginning in 2023". ESPN. November 5, 2021. Retrieved November 8, 2021.
  5. ↑ "ASUN, WAC Conferences Announce Football Partnership for 2021" (Press release). ASUN Conference. February 23, 2021. Archived from the original on February 23, 2021. Retrieved February 23, 2021.
  6. ↑ "Jacksonville State's forgotten bowl history". December 14, 2023.
  7. ↑ McCann, Stu (November 25, 2013). "JSU will host Samford in first round of FCS playoffs". WBMA.
  8. ↑ "Jacksonville State Gamecocks Football Future Schedules". FBSchedules.com. Retrieved March 9, 2026.
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