Illinois State Redbirds football

Illinois State Redbirds football
2024 Illinois State Redbirds football team
First season	1887; 137 years ago (1887)
Head coach	Brock Spack 16th season, 110–73 (.601)
Stadium	Hancock Stadium (capacity: 13,391)
Location	Normal, Illinois
NCAA division	Division I FCS
Conference	Missouri Valley
All-time record	486–526–68 (.481)
Bowl record	0–1 (.000)
Playoff appearances	9 1998, 1999, 2006, 2012, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2019, 2024
Conference titles	10 1937, 1940, 1941, 1945, 1950, 1967, 1968, 1999, 2014, 2015
Rivalries	Eastern Illinois (rivalry)
Colors	Red and white[1]
Fight song	"Go, You Redbirds"
Marching band	Big Red Marching Machine
Website	goredbirds.com

The Illinois State Redbirds football program is the intercollegiate American football team for Illinois State University located in the U.S. state of Illinois. The team competes in the NCAA Division I Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) as a member of the Missouri Valley Football Conference (MVFC). The school's first football team was fielded in 1887. The team plays its home games at the 13,391 seat Hancock Stadium. They are coached by Brock Spack.

Prior to 1923, the Illinois State football team was known as the Teachers or Fighting Teachers. When Clifford E. Horton began coaching the team in 1923, he proposed the Cardinals as the team's new nickname, after its red and white colors. The Pantagraph sports editor Fred Young changed the name to the Redbirds to distinguish the team from the nearby St. Louis Cardinals.^[2]

• 1906–1956: None
• 1956–1972: NCAA College Division (Small College)
• 1973–1975: NCAA Division II
• 1976–1977: NCAA Division I
• 1978–1981: NCAA Division I–A
• 1982–2006: NCAA Division I–AA
• 2006–present: NCAA Division I FCS

• 1887–1907: Independent
• 1908–1949: Illinois Intercollegiate Athletic Conference
• 1950–1969: Interstate Intercollegiate Athletic Conference
• 1970–1972: Independent
• 1973–1975: Division II Independent
• 1976–1977: Division I Independent
• 1978–1980: Division I–A Independent
• 1981–1985: Missouri Valley Conference
• 1986–present: Gateway Football Conference/Missouri Valley Football Conference

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Illinois State has won 10 conference titles, four outright.

Year	Conference	Coach	Overall record	Conference record
1937†	Illinois Intercollegiate Athletic Conference	Howard Hancock	5–1–2	3–1–1
1940			5–3–1	3–0–1
1941†			3–4–1	3–0–1
1945		Edwin Struck	4–3	3–0
1950	Interstate Intercollegiate Athletic Conference		7–1–2	5–0–1
1967†		Larry Bitcon	8–2	2–1
1968†			6–4	2–1
1999	Missouri Valley Football Conference	Todd Berry	11–3	6–0
2014†		Brock Spack	13–2	7–1
2015†			10–3	7–1

† Co-championship

The Redbirds have made nine appearances in the Division I–AA/FCS playoffs, with a combined record of 11–9.

Year	Round	Opponent	Result
1998	First Round	Northwestern State	L 28–48
1999	First Round Quarterfinals Semifinals	Colgate Hofstra Georgia Southern	W 56–13 W 37–20 L 17–31
2006	First Round Quarterfinals	Eastern Illinois Youngstown State	W 24–13 L 21–28
2012	Second Round Quarterfinals	Appalachian State Eastern Washington	W 38–37 OT L 35–51
2014	Second Round Quarterfinals Semifinals Championship	Northern Iowa Eastern Washington New Hampshire North Dakota State	W 41–21 W 59–46 W 21–18 L 27–29
2015	Second Round Quarterfinals	Western Illinois Richmond	W 36–19 L 27–39
2016	First Round	Central Arkansas	L 24–31
2019	First Round Second Round Quarterfinals	Southeast Missouri State Central Arkansas North Dakota State	W 24–6 W 24–14 L 3–9
2024	First Round Second Round	Southeast Missouri State UC Davis	W 35–27 L 10–42

Illinois State has one bowl appearance, going 0-1.^[3]

Year	Coach	Bowl	Opponent	Result
1950	Edwin Struck	Corn Bowl	Missouri-Rolla	L 6–7

Season	Opponent	Result
1987	Western Michigan	20–6
1991	Akron	25–3
2012	Eastern Michigan	31–14
2016	Northwestern	9–7
2018	Colorado State	35–19

Years	Name
1895	George Dygert
1896	Louis H. Galbreath
1897	B. C. Edwards
1903–1906	John P. Stewart
1907	John A. H. Keith
1908–1909	George Binnewies
1912–1922	Harrison Russell
1923–1924	Clifford E. Horton
1925–1926	Don Karnes
1927–1930	Joe Cogdal
1931–1944	Howard Hancock
1945–1964	Edwin Struck
1965–1971	Larry Bitcon
1972–1976	Gerry Hart
1977–1980	Charlie Cowdrey
1981–1987	Bob Otolski
1988–1995	Jim Heacock
1996–1999	Todd Berry
2000–2008	Denver Johnson
2009–present	Brock Spack

^[4]

The Mid-America Classic is the rivalry game between Illinois State and Eastern Illinois. The rivalry began in 1901 and is the oldest in the state of Illinois. With the 100th game in the series, representatives from both schools met and developed the Mid-America Classic renaming for the rivalry. The two schools also collaborated on a traveling trophy, which holds plaques with the results of the previous 100 games in the series and has room for results of future games in the series.^[5] The two teams have played 111 times in total, with Illinois State holding a 59–43–9 advantage in the all-time series as of the 2023 season.

Mosi Tatupu Award

• Ryan Hoffman, 2005

The Mosi Tatupu Award was given annually to the College Football Special Teams Player of the Year by the Maui Quarterback Club and the Hula Bowl, from 1997 to 2006.

Buck Buchanan Award

• Zeke Vandenburgh, 2023

The Buck Buchanan Award is given annually to the College Football Best Defensive Player in the FCS by Stats Perform, from 1995 to present.

Notable alumni include:

Draft Year	Player	Position	Round	Overall	NFL Team
2018	Davontae Harris	CB	5	151	Cincinnati Bengals
2015	James O'Shaughnessy	TE	5	173	Kansas City Chiefs
2014	Shelby Harris	DE	7	235	Oakland Raiders
2013	Nate Palmer	LB	6	193	Green Bay Packers
2007	Laurent Robinson	WR	3	75	Atlanta Falcons
2006	Brent Hawkins	DE	5	160	Jacksonville Jaguars
2005	Boomer Grigsby	LB	5	138	Kansas City Chiefs
1990	Bill Miller	WR	10	258	Detroit Lions
1986	Jim Meyer	T	7	167	Cleveland Browns
1985	Mike Prior	DB	7	176	Tampa Bay Buccaneers
1984	Clarence Collins	WR	3	62	San Diego Chargers
1978	Estus Hood	DB	3	62	Green Bay Packers
1976	Calvin Harper	T	6	172	Kansas City Chiefs
1973	Ron Bell	RB	6	140	Pittsburgh Steelers
1970	Guy Homoly	DB	15	385	Cleveland Browns
1969	Dennis Nelson	T	3	77	Baltimore Colts

Announced schedules as of June 9, 2024.^[7]

2024	2025	2026	2027	2028
at Iowa	at Oklahoma	at Northern Illinois	at Missouri	at Illinois
at North Alabama	Morehead State
Western Illinois	at Eastern Illinois
Eastern Illinois	North Alabama

• Official website