The Jackson State Tigers football team represents Jackson State University in college football at the NCAA Division I Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) level as a member of the Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC). After joining the Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) in 1958, the program exploded into national prominence. In the 1980s, the program enjoyed its greatest success. Under head coach W. C. Gorden, the Tigers won eight conference championships between 1980 and 1990, including four straight from 1985 to 1988. Since 1958, Jackson State has won about 25 percent of the conference's football championships (18) and is a perennial powerhouse program among HBCUs. The Tigers have produced 93 professional football players and four

Pro Football Hall of Fame The Pro Football Hall of Fame is the hall of fame for professional American football, located in Canton, Ohio. Opened on September 7, , the Hall of Fame enshrines exceptional figures in the sport of professional football, including players, coac ...

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Lem Barney Lemuel Joseph Barney (September 8, 1945) is a former American football player. A native of Gulfport, Mississippi, he played college football at Jackson State from 1964 to 1966. He was drafted by the Detroit Lions of the National Football Lea ...

Walter Payton Walter Jerry Payton (July 25, 1953Although most sources at the time of his death gave Payton's birth year as 1954, reliable sources subsequently state he was born in 1953. – November 1, 1999) was an American football running back who played ...

Robert Brazile Robert Lorenzo Brazile Jr. (born February 7, 1953) is an American former professional football player who was a linebacker in the National Football League (NFL). Nicknamed "Dr. Doom", Brazile played from 1975 to 1984 for the Houston Oilers and wa ...

, and

Jackie Slater Jackie Ray Slater (born May 27, 1954), nicknamed "Big Bad Jackie", is an American former professional football player who was an offensive tackle for 20 seasons in the National Football League (NFL). He played his entire career with the Rams fra ...

. Only 13 college football teams at any level have produced more Pro Football Hall of Famers than Jackson State.

Classifications

* 1958–1969: NAIA * 1970–1982: NAIA Division I * 1956–1972: NCAA College Division * 1973–1976: NCAA Division II * 1977: NCAA Division I * 1978–present: NCAA Division I–AA/FCS

Conference memberships

* 1911–1912: Independent * 1913:

Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference The Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SIAC) is a college athletic conference affiliated with the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) at the Division II level. Formed in 1913, it consists mostly of historically black c ...

* 1914-1934 Independent * 1935-1940 South Central Athletic Conference * 1941-1946 Independent * 1947–1950: South Central Athletic Conference * 1951: Independent * 1952–1957: Midwest Athletic Association * 1958–present: Southwestern Athletic Conference

JSU fanbase

Jackson State is widely noted for its strong football support and culture. Jackson State fans have led the Division I FCS in attendance for multiple seasons, the most recent being in 2022.

Championships

National Championships

* HBCU football national championships:

1962 Events January * January 1 – Western Samoa becomes independent from New Zealand. * January 3 – Pope John XXIII excommunicates Fidel Castro for preaching communism. * January 8 – Harmelen train disaster: 93 die in the wor ...

, 1985, 1996

Conference championships

Jackson State has earned a total of 18 conference championships and has won the SWAC (Southwestern Athletic Conference) title 17 times since joining in 1958. Conference championships include:

Division championships

The Southwestern Athletic Conference instituted a divisional system for football in 1999. Jackson State plays in the Eastern Division of the conference along with Alabama A&M, Alabama State, Alcorn State, and Mississippi Valley. The SWAC Western Division includes the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff, Grambling, Prairie View A&M, Southern U, and Texas Southern. Each season, the SWAC East and SWAC West divisional champions face off in the SWAC Championship Game. Jackson State University claims seven SWAC Eastern Division championships: 1999, 2007, 2008, 2010, 2011, 2012, and 2013 and has won five outright to advance to the title game. † Co–champions ^ win vacated by Southern University due to NCAA violations

NCAA I-AA/FCS playoff results

The Tigers have appeared in the I-AA/FCS playoffs 12 times with a record of 0–12.

Bowl games

Head coaches

Coach of the Year Honors

All-time SWAC records

This table reflects the results of SWAC (Southwestern Athletic Conference) match-ups when both Jackson State and its opponent were members of the conference. Jackson State began SWAC play in 1958. Examples of excluded results are Grambling 1937–1957, Alabama A&M contests (1948–1995), and 1910s/1950s contests vs Alabama State. See the
College Football Data Warehouse
'' for ''more'' complete series records. ''Updated through December 12, 2022 of the

2022 NCAA Division I FCS football season The 2022 NCAA Division I FCS football season, part of college football in the United States, was organized by the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) at the Division I Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) level. The regular season ...

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Rivalries

During the early years of Jackson State’s football history, rivalries were established with in-State foes like Rust College and Tougaloo. Stillman College of Alabama was also a common opponent which brought excitement to games played at the Mississippi Fairgrounds and later at Alumni Field on the campus of Jackson State. Since then, JSU has formed several traditional rivalries with long-time foes.

Alcorn State

Southern

Tennessee State

All-Americans

Over 50 Jackson State players have been named All-Americans.

Player of the Year

Jackson State players that received Player of the Year honors.

College Football Hall of Fame members

* Kevin Dent * W. C. Gorden * John Merritt *

Willie Richardson Willie Louis Richardson (November 17, 1939 – February 8, 2016) was an American professional football wide receiver who played in the National Football League. He played nine seasons with the Baltimore Colts (1963–1969, 1971) and the Miami ...

Pro football alumni

:''See: List of Jackson State Tigers in the NFL Draft'' , Jackson State has produced over 90 pro football players including four who have been inducted into the

and 16 who have been selected to play in the

Pro Bowl The National Football League All-Star Game (1939–1942), Pro Bowl (1951–2022), or Pro Bowl Games (starting in 2023) is an annual event held by the National Football League (NFL) featuring the league's star players. The format has changed thro ...

. Notable players include:

Economic impact

In 2021, Jackson State football was responsible for having a $30 million positive economic impact on Jackson's economy. Jackson State's football program is considered the most powerful in the Division I FCS in regards to generating a notable economic impact and drawing public interest.

Facilities

Jackson State University owns and operates

Mississippi Veterans Memorial Stadium Mississippi Veterans Memorial Stadium is an outdoor football stadium in Jackson, Mississippi, United States. Mississippi Veterans Memorial Stadium has been the home stadium of the Jackson State Tigers football team since 1970. Originally known as ...

. The 60,492-seat venue has been the home field of Jackson State Football since 1970.

References

External links

* {{Southwestern Athletic Conference football navbox American football teams established in 1956 1956 establishments in Mississippi