Illinois State Redbirds football


The Illinois State Redbirds football program is the intercollegiate American football team for Illinois State University in Normal, Illinois. The team competes in the NCAA Division I Football Championship Subdivision as a member of the Missouri Valley Football Conference. 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.
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History

Prior to 1923, the Illinois State football team was known as the Teachers or the 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. Fred Young, the sports editor for The Pantagraph in Bloomington, Illinois, changed the name to the Redbirds to distinguish the team from the nearby St. Louis Cardinals.

Classifications

Conference memberships

Conference championships

Illinois State has won 10 conference titles, four outright.
1937†Illinois Intercollegiate Athletic ConferenceHoward Hancock5–1–23–1–1
1940Illinois Intercollegiate Athletic ConferenceHoward Hancock5–3–13–0–1
1941†Illinois Intercollegiate Athletic ConferenceHoward Hancock3–4–13–0–1
1945Illinois Intercollegiate Athletic ConferenceEdwin Struck4–33–0
1950Interstate Intercollegiate Athletic ConferenceEdwin Struck7–1–25–0–1
1967†Interstate Intercollegiate Athletic ConferenceLarry Bitcon8–22–1
1968†Interstate Intercollegiate Athletic ConferenceLarry Bitcon6–42–1
1999Missouri Valley Football ConferenceTodd Berry11–36–0
2014†Missouri Valley Football ConferenceBrock Spack13–27–1
2015†Missouri Valley Football ConferenceBrock Spack10–37–1

† Co-championship

Postseason appearances

NCAA Division I-AA/FCS playoffs

The Redbirds have made ten appearances in the Division I–AA/FCS playoffs, with a combined record of 15–10.
1998First RoundNorthwestern StateL 28–48
1999First Round
Quarterfinals
Semifinals		Colgate
Hofstra
Georgia Southern		W 56–13
W 37–20
L 17–31
2006First Round
Quarterfinals		Eastern Illinois
Youngstown State		W 24–13
L 21–28
2012Second Round
Quarterfinals		Appalachian State
Eastern Washington		W 38–37 OT
L 35–51
2014Second 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
2015Second Round
Quarterfinals		Western Illinois
Richmond		W 36–19
L 27–39
2016First RoundCentral ArkansasL 24–31
2019First Round
Second Round
Quarterfinals		Southeast Missouri State
Central Arkansas
North Dakota State		W 24–6
W 24–14
L 3–9
2024First Round
Second Round		Southeast Missouri State
UC Davis		W 35–27
L 10–42
2025First Round
Second Round
Quarterfinals
Semifinals
Championship		Southeastern Louisiana
North Dakota State
UC Davis
Villanova
Montana State		W 21–3
W 29–28
W 42–31
W 30–14
L 34–35 OT

Bowl games

Illinois State has one bowl appearance, going 0–1.
1950Edwin StruckCorn BowlMissouri–RollaL 6–7

Wins over FBS teams

1987Western Michigan20–6
1991Akron25–3
2012Eastern Michigan31–14
2016Northwestern9–7
2018Colorado State35–19

Rivalries

Eastern Illinois

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. The two teams have played 113 times in total, with Illinois State holding a 61–43–9 advantage in the all-time series as of the 2025 season.

National award winners

Mosi Tatupu Award
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
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 former players

Notable alumni include:

Future non-conference opponents

Announced schedules as of January 13, 2026.
at Western Illinoisat MissouriEastern Illinoisat Wisconsinat Northwestern
at Northern IllinoisValparaisoat Illinois
Eastern Illinoisat Eastern Illinois