Indiana State Sycamores football


The Indiana State Sycamores football team is the NCAA Division I football program of Indiana State University in Terre Haute, Indiana. They compete in the Missouri Valley Football Conference. The team last played in the NCAA Playoffs in the 2014 NCAA Division I Football Championship. Their first season was 1896. The Sycamore's greatest season was [1983 Indiana Hoosiers football|Indiana State Sycamores football team|1983], when coach Dennis Raetz led them to the 2nd round of the 1983 NCAA Division I Football Championship and ended the season with a record of 9–4. The Sycamores also appeared in the 1984 and 2014 NCAA Division I Football Championship playoffs. The Indiana State Sycamores play their home games at Memorial Stadium, which seats 12,764.
WWW gosycamores.com/index.asp...

History

Classifications

  • 1896–1951: NCAA open classification
  • 1952–1964: NCAA / NAIA
  • 1965–1972: NCAA College Division
  • 1970–1973: NAIA Division I
  • 1973–1975: NCAA Division II
  • 1976–1977: NCAA Division I
  • 1978–1981: NCAA Division I–A
  • 1982–present: NCAA Division I–AA/FCS

Conference membership

Conference championships

The 1964 Indiana State Sycamores football team shared the Indiana Collegiate Conference title in 1964 with four other teams ([1964 Ball State Cardinals football|Ball State Cardinals football team|Ball State],,,, with the Sycamores finishing with a 4–2 conference record and a 6–2 overall mark.

Bowls and playoffs

Bowl games

The Sycamores have participated in one bowl game, garnering a record of 0–1.
1949Shrine BowlSouthern IllinoisL 14–41

Division I NCAA Playoffs

The Sycamores have appeared in the NCAA Division I Football Championship three times. Their combined record is 2–3.
1983NCAA Division I First Round
Quarterfinals		Eastern Illinois
Southern Illinois		W 16–13
L 7–23
1984Pecan BowlMiddle Tennessee StateL 41–42
2014NCAA Division I First Round
NCAA Division I Second Round		Eastern Kentucky
Chattanooga		W 36–16
L 14–35

Rankings

The Sycamores reached the AP and United Press International Top Ten mid-way through the 1974 season; they would not return to the Top Ten until the 1983 season. The Sycamores were ranked for nine weeks of the 2014 season and an additional four weeks during the 2015 season. The 2018 Sycamores finished #25 in the final FCS coaches poll.

Head coaches

All Indiana State Coaching Records are available at:
Dennis Raetz 181980–199720094–105–1
Wally Marks 161927–1930, 1933–1941, 1946–194812562–56–7
Jerry Huntsman 71966–19726843–24–1
Bill Jones 91957–19657032–37–1
Curt Mallory 92017–present9127–64'
Tim McGuire 71998–20047924–55
Art Strum 61923–1926, 1932, 19424321–20–2
Tom Harp 51973–19775120–31
Trent Miles 52008–20125620–36
Mike Sanford 42013–20164818–30
Mark Dean 51951–1954, 19563915–20–4
Dick Jamieson 21978–19792211–11
Phil Brown 1194485–2–1
J. Roy Goodlad 1193174–3
CPO Bob LeCray 1194562–4
Paul Selge 1195592–7
George Ashworth 21949–1950192–16–1
Lou West 32005–2007331–32
various 131896–1909, 1920–1922, 1943429–28–5
PROGRAM TOTALS116-yrs1896-Pres.1,013412–578–23'

Rivalries

Ball State

From 1924 to 2023, the Sycamores played Ball State University 66 times; the series stands at 39–24–1 in favor of Ball State.
In 1940, the respective Blue Key chapters sponsored a trophy presentation, the 'Victory Bell' to reward the winner of the annual game between Indiana State and Ball State. The Sycamores lost the last game in Muncie. The game finished with a 45–7 loss for the Sycamores

Traditions

Homecoming

The term Homecoming was first used in print announcements for the Alumni-Varsity Basketball Game on December 9, 1916. By the year 1919, this event became known as Blue and White Day and featured dances and entertainment for alumni of the Normal School.
In 1921 the events were organized around a football game scheduled earlier in the autumn. A bonfire and pep rally were added to the festivities in 1922; the Blue-and-White Parade in 1923; and in 1937, Bette Whitmore was elected ISUs first Homecoming Queen.
The 2010 season will mark the 106th season of Sycamore football and the 91st Homecoming; the Sycamores will face conference foe, Illinois State, on October 9. This will mark the 7th time that Illinois State has been the Homecoming opponent; following a tremendous victory the Sycamores now own a 5–2 mark vs. Illinois State in Homecoming games.
As of 2012; Indiana State owns a 50–36–2 record in Homecoming games; the outcomes of the remaining 5 games are unknown.

Victory Bell

A symbol of the traditional rivalry in football between Indiana State and Ball State, the Victory Bell tradition was inaugurated in 1940 when the Blue Key chapters at both schools arranged to donate a bell to be presented to the victor of the football game. The idea was to start a traditional exchange of the bell as a means of improving relationships between the two student bodies. The Victory Bell series is 34–19–1 in favor of Ball State, though the Sycamores won their last meeting in 2014.

Stadiums

The Sycamores have played football at venerable Memorial Stadium since the 1949 campaign. Originally constructed in 1922–24, at a cost of $450,000; the 12,764-seat stadium remains a fixture at the intersection of Wabash and Brown Avenues in Terre Haute, IN.
Memorial Stadium's inauguration was on May 5, 1925, as the local minor league baseball team, the Terre Haute Tots, hosted their Three-I League rivals, the Peoria Tractors, before an estimated crowd of 9,000. Among the esteemed visitors were Major League Baseball Commissioner Judge Kenesaw Mountain Landis and Charles Barnard of the Cleveland Indians.
The facility was acquired by Indiana State University in 1967. The installation of Astroturf made Indiana State the first university to own a football stadium with artificial turf.

Player of the year

National

Conference

Retired numbers

One Sycamore player has had his number retired by the school. Vincent Allen is the first, with his number 26 retired by the school on September 6, 2025.

First-team All-Americans

  • Jeff Keller, DE – 1967 American Football Coaches Association
  • Chris Hicks, OT – 1975 American Football Coaches Association
  • Vincent Allen, RB – 1976 American Football Coaches Association
  • Ed Martin, DE – 1983 American Football Coaches Association
  • Wayne Davis, DB – 1984 American Football Coaches Association
  • Vencie Glenn, DB – 1985 American Football Coaches Association
  • Steve Mckeel DB – 1986 Associated Press
  • Mike Simmonds, OT – 1986 American Football Coaches Association
  • Steve McKeel DB – 1987 Associated Press
  • Derrick Franklin, RB – 1991 Walter Camp, The Sports Network
  • Shawn Moore, OG – 1993 American Football Coaches Association
  • Dan Brandenburg, DT – 1994 American Football Coaches Association
  • Dan Brandenburg, DT – 1995 The Sports Network, American Football Quarterly
  • Tom Allison, PK – 1995 Don Hansen's Football Gazette
  • Troy Lefevra, DE – 1998 Don Hansen's Football Gazette
  • DeJuan Alfonzo, DB/RS – 1999 American Football Coaches Association
  • Shakir Bell, RB – 2011 Associated Press, American Football Coaches Association, The Sports Network
  • Ben Obaseki, DL – 2011 Associated Press
  • Joshua Appel, LS – 2015 STATS All-American
  • Elijah Owns, QB – 2024 Phil Steele All-American

Academic All-American

  • Gary Brown, E – 1971
  • Michael Eads, E – 1972
  • Mark Maley E −1973
  • Daniel Millington, DE – 2009
  • Alex Sewall, DB – 2011

NCAA Post-Graduate Scholarship

  • Jeffrey Miller, QB – 1986

Career leaders

Scoring

Career leaders in bold

Coach of the Year

National (1)

District / Region (5)

  • Jerry Huntsman – 1966 NCAA District #1
  • Jerry Huntsman – 1968 NCAA District #2
  • Trent Miles – 2010 AFCA Region #4
  • Trent Miles – 2012 AFCA Region #4
  • Mike Sanford – 2014 AFCA Region #4

Conference (8)

Notable alumni

Sycamores in professional leagues

Fifty former Sycamores have played in professional football leagues. The leagues include the National Football League, Canadian Football League, Arena Football League, the United Football League, and United States Football League. The most notable players are:
PlayerClass YearPositionPrimary TeamCareerHighlight
Jalen Booth2022TackleTampa Bay Bandits2022–present
Jonas Griffith2021OLBDenver Broncos2021–present
Dominique Dafney2020TEGreen Bay Packers2020–present
Robert Tonyan2017TEGreen Bay Green Bay Packers2017–presentLed NFL in 2020 with 'Touchdowns by TE'; tied franchise record
Preston Collier2017OTAmarillo Amarillo Venom2017–2018
Jameer Thurman2016LBCalgary Stampeders2017–present2018 Grey Cup Champion
Shakir Bell2012RBOttawa Redblacks2014–20172015 Grey Cup Champion, All-American
Jamie Petrowski2006TETennessee Titans2006–20123rd Team All-American
Dan Brandenburg1996DTBuffalo Bills1996–199942 Career Games
John Bock1993OLMiami Dolphins1995–200017 Career Starts; Head Coach, Brooklyn Bolts
Vencie Glenn1986DBSan Diego Chargers1986–199535 Career INTs
Wayne Davis1985DBSan Diego Chargers1985–19905 Career INTs
Eric Robinson1983KRWashington Federals1983-8434 Career Games; 1983 All-USFL
Craig Shaffer1982LBSt. Louis Cardinals1982–198418 Career Games
Tunch Ilkin1980OLPittsburgh Steelers1980–1993Pittsburgh Steelers All-Time Team, 2x Pro Bowl Lineman

All-Star Game participants

  • 2013 – FN Lutz, OG
  • 2010 – Pat Burke, OG
  • 2010 – Darrius Gates, RB
  • 2006 – Carl Berman,
  • 2006 – Kyle Hooper, PK
  • 2006 – Madison Miller, DE
  • 2005 – Blayne Baggett, QB
  • 2005 – LaDrelle Bryant, LB
  • 1999 – DeJuan Alfonzo, DB
  • 1995 – Dan Brandenburg, DT
  • 1992 – Charles Swann, WR
  • 1992 – Charles Swann, WR
  • 1990 – Steve Elmlinger, WR
  • 1985 – Vencie Glenn, DB
  • 1986 – Vencie Glenn, DB
  • 1982 – Kirk Wilson, WR
  • 1981 – Craig Shaffer, LB

Future non-conference opponents

Announced schedules as of January 20, 2026.
Southeast Missouriat UT Martinat Ball StateEastern Illinoisat Indiana
at Purdueat Indianaat Eastern Illinoisat Western IllinoisWestern Illinois
at Eastern Illinoisat PurdueUT Martin
Valparaiso