The Jacksonville State Gamecocks football program is the intercollegiate American football team for Jacksonville State University (JSU) located in Jacksonville, Alabama 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.

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.

History

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 main 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.

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.

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

Conference affiliations Independent (1904–1937) Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Association (1938–1940) Alabama Intercollegiate Conference (1945–1949) Independent (1950–1959) Alabama Collegiate Conference (1960–1969) Mid-South Athletic Conference/Gulf South Conference (1970–1992) Division II Independent (1993–1995) Southland Conference (1996–2002) Ohio Valley Conference (2003–2020) AQ7 (2021) ASUN Conference (2022) Conference USA (2023 and beyond)

Championships National championships 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.

1992 Bill Burgess NCAA Division II 12–1–1

Conference championships Jacksonville State has won 25 conference championships, 18 outright and four shared. 1962† Alabama Collegiate Conference Don Salls 4–3–2 3–0–1 1963† 4–4–1 3–0–1 1964 4–4–1 3–0 1965 Jim Blevins 7–2 3–0 1966 8–2 3–0 1970 Mid-South Conference Charley Pell 10–0 5–0 1974 Gulf South Conference Clarkie Mayfield 7–4 7–1 1977 Jim Fuller 11–3 7–1 1978 7–3 6–1 1981 8–3 6–0 1982 10–2 7–0 1988† Bill Burgess 10–2 7–1 1989 13–1 8–0 1991 12–1 6–0 1992 12–1–1 5–0–1 2003 Ohio Valley Conference Jack Crowe 8–4 7–1 2004 9–2 7–1 2011† 7–4 6–2 2014 John Grass 10–2 8–0 2015 13–2 8–0 2016 10–2 7–0 2017 10–2 8–0 2018 9–4 7–1 2020 10–3 6–1 2022ASUN Conference Rich Rodriguez 9–2 5–0 2024Conference USA 9-4 7-1 † Co-championship

Bowl games 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. Consequently, after joining Division I FBS, they participated in three bowl games, and have a record of 2–1. 1948 Don Salls Paper Bowl Troy W 19–0 1949 Paper Bowl West Alabama W 12–7 1950 Paper Bowl Pensacola Naval Alumni L 6–7 1955 Refrigerator Bowl Rhode Island W 12–10 1966 Jim Blevins Space City Classic Arkansas–Monticello W 41–30 1970 Charley Pell Orange Blossom Classic Florida A&M W 21–7 1977 Jim Fuller Grantland Rice Bowl North Dakota State W 31–7 Jim Fuller Pioneer Bowl Lehigh L 0–33 2023 Rich Rodriguez New Orleans Bowl Louisiana W 34–31 2024 Rod Smith Cure Bowl Ohio L 27–30 2025 Charles Kelly Salute to Veterans Bowl Troy W 17–13

non-Division I bowl game

Playoff history

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

2003 First round Western Kentucky L 7–45 2004 First round Furman L 7–49 2010 Second round Wofford L 14–17 2013 First roundSecond roundQuarterfinals SamfordMcNeese StateEastern Washington W 55–14W 31–10L 24–35 2014 Second round Sam Houston State L 26–37 2015 Second roundQuarterfinalsSemifinalsNational championship game ChattanoogaCharleston SouthernSam Houston StateNorth Dakota State W 41–35 OTW 58–38W 62–10L 10–37 2016 Second round Youngstown State L 24–40 2017 Second round Kennesaw State L 7–17 2018 First roundSecond round East Tennessee StateMaine W 34–27L 27–55 2020 First roundQuarterfinals DavidsonDelaware W 49–14L 14–20

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

1977 QuarterfinalsSemifinalsNational championship game Northern ArizonaNorth Dakota StateLehigh W 35–0W 31–7L 0–33 1978 Quarterfinals Delaware L 21–42 1980 Quarterfinals Cal Poly–SLO L 0–15 1981 Quarterfinals Southwest Texas State L 22–38 1982 QuarterfinalsSemifinals Northwest Missouri StateSouthwest Texas State W 34–21L 14–19 1988 First roundQuarterfinals West ChesterPortland State W 63–24L 13–20 1989 First roundQuarterfinalsSemifinalsNational championship game Alabama A&MNorth Dakota StateAngelo StateMississippi College W 33–9W 21–17W 34–16L 0–3 1990 First roundQuarterfinals North AlabamaMississippi College W 38–14L 7–14 1991 First roundQuarterfinalsSemifinalsNational championship game Winston-Salem StateMississippi CollegeIndiana (PA)Pittsburg State W 49–24W 35–7W 27–20L 6–23 1992 First roundQuarterfinalsSemifinalsNational championship game Savannah StateNorth AlabamaNew HavenPittsburg State W 41–16W 14–12W 46–35W 17–13

Rivalries Samford

This unnamed rivalry started in 1904, 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.

Troy

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.

Notable former players Notable alumni include: Orlando Adams (drafted by Philadelphia Eagles) Jesse Baker (drafted by Houston Oilers) Alan Bonner (drafted by Houston Texans) Dieter Brock (signed by Los Angeles Rams) A.J. Davis (signed by New Orleans Saints) Eric Davis (drafted by San Francisco 49ers) Casey Dunn (signed by Washington Redskins) Riley Green (country music singer, played quarterback) David Gulledge (drafted by Washington Redskins) Jaylen Hill (signed by Baltimore Ravens) Peter Little Horn (signed by Detroit Lions) Delvin Hughley (signed by Denver Broncos) Chris Landrum (signed by San Diego Chargers) Darrell Malone (drafted by Kansas City Chiefs) Keith McKeller (drafted by Buffalo Bills) Siran Neal (drafted by Buffalo Bills) Ryan Perrilloux (signed by New York Giants) Troymaine Pope (signed by Seattle Seahawks) Taureen Rhetta (signed by Kansas City Chiefs) David Robinson (drafted by Kansas City Chiefs) James Shaw (signed by Pittsburgh Steelers) Roc Thomas (signed by Minnesota Vikings) Mike Wallace (drafted by Cleveland Browns) Pierre Warren (signed by New Orleans Saints) Mark Word (signed by Cleveland Browns) Alvin Wright (signed by Los Angeles Rams)

Future non-conference opponents Announced schedules as of October 6, 2026.

at Indiana UAB at Auburn at Ole Miss at UAB at Buffalo North Dakota State Buffalo South Alabama at South Alabama  

References

External links