Jacksonville State Gamecocks football


The Jacksonville State Gamecocks football program is the intercollegiate American football team for Jacksonville State University located in the U.S. state of Alabama. The team competes in the Division I Football Bowl Subdivision 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 of the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision beginning with the 2023 season.
WWW jsugamecocksports.com/spo...

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 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 in July 2021, with the team temporarily competing in the Western Athletic Conference '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

Conference affiliations

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, 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.
1992Bill BurgessNCAA Division II12–1–1

Conference championships

Jacksonville State has won 25 conference championships, 18 outright and four shared.
1962†Alabama Collegiate ConferenceDon Salls4–3–23–0–1
1963†Alabama Collegiate ConferenceDon Salls4–4–13–0–1
1964Alabama Collegiate ConferenceDon Salls4–4–13–0
1965Alabama Collegiate ConferenceJim Blevins7–23–0
1966Alabama Collegiate ConferenceJim Blevins8–23–0
1970Mid-South ConferenceCharley Pell10–05–0
1974Gulf South ConferenceClarkie Mayfield7–47–1
1977Gulf South ConferenceJim Fuller11–37–1
1978Gulf South ConferenceJim Fuller7–36–1
1981Gulf South ConferenceJim Fuller8–36–0
1982Gulf South ConferenceJim Fuller10–27–0
1988†Gulf South ConferenceBill Burgess10–27–1
1989Gulf South ConferenceBill Burgess13–18–0
1991Gulf South ConferenceBill Burgess12–16–0
1992Gulf South ConferenceBill Burgess12–1–15–0–1
2003Ohio Valley ConferenceJack Crowe8–47–1
2004Ohio Valley ConferenceJack Crowe9–27–1
2011†Ohio Valley ConferenceJack Crowe7–46–2
2014Ohio Valley ConferenceJohn Grass10–28–0
2015Ohio Valley ConferenceJohn Grass13–28–0
2016Ohio Valley ConferenceJohn Grass10–27–0
2017Ohio Valley ConferenceJohn Grass10–28–0
2018Ohio Valley ConferenceJohn Grass9–47–1
2020Ohio Valley ConferenceJohn Grass10–36–1
2022ASUN ConferenceRich Rodriguez9–25–0
2024Conference USARich Rodriguez9-47-1

† 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.
1948Don SallsPaper BowlTroyW 19–0
1949Don SallsPaper BowlWest AlabamaW 12–7
1950Don SallsPaper BowlPensacola Naval AlumniL 6–7
1955Don SallsRefrigerator BowlRhode IslandW 12–10
1966Jim BlevinsSpace City ClassicArkansas–MonticelloW 41–30
1970Charley PellOrange Blossom ClassicFlorida A&MW 21–7
1977Jim FullerGrantland Rice BowlNorth Dakota StateW 31–7
1977Jim FullerPioneer BowlLehighL 0–33
2023Rich RodriguezNew Orleans BowlLouisianaW 34–31
2024Rod SmithCure BowlOhioL 27–30
2025Charles KellySalute to Veterans Bowl[2025 2025 Troy Trojans football team|Troy Trojans football team|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.
2003First roundWestern KentuckyL 7–45
2004First roundFurmanL 7–49
2010Second roundWoffordL 14–17
2013First round
Second round
Quarterfinals		Samford
McNeese State
Eastern Washington		W 55–14
W 31–10
L 24–35
2014Second roundSam Houston StateL 26–37
2015Second round
Quarterfinals
Semifinals
National championship game		Chattanooga
Charleston Southern
Sam Houston State
North Dakota State		W 41–35 OT
W 58–38
W 62–10
L 10–37
2016Second roundYoungstown StateL 24–40
2017Second roundKennesaw StateL 7–17
2018First round
Second round		East Tennessee State
Maine		W 34–27
L 27–55
2020First round
Quarterfinals		Davidson
Delaware		W 49–14
L 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.
1977Quarterfinals
Semifinals
National championship game		Northern Arizona
North Dakota State
Lehigh		W 35–0
W 31–7
L 0–33
1978QuarterfinalsDelawareL 21–42
1980QuarterfinalsCal Poly–SLOL 0–15
1981QuarterfinalsSouthwest Texas StateL 22–38
1982Quarterfinals
Semifinals		Northwest Missouri State
Southwest Texas State		W 34–21
L 14–19
1988First round
Quarterfinals		West Chester
Portland State		W 63–24
L 13–20
1989First round
Quarterfinals
Semifinals
National championship game		Alabama A&M
North Dakota State
Angelo State
Mississippi College		W 33–9
W 21–17
W 34–16
L 0–3
1990First round
Quarterfinals		North Alabama
Mississippi College		W 38–14
L 7–14
1991First round
Quarterfinals
Semifinals
National championship game		Winston-Salem State
Mississippi College
Indiana
Pittsburg State		W 49–24
W 35–7
W 27–20
L 6–23
1992First round
Quarterfinals
Semifinals
National championship game		Savannah State
North Alabama
New Haven
Pittsburg State		W 41–16
W 14–12
W 46–35
W 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:

Future non-conference opponents

Future non-conference opponents announced as of January 21, 2026.
Eastern Kentuckyat UABUABat Auburnat Ole MissSan Jose State
Georgia SouthernSouth Alabamaat BuffaloBuffalo
at San Jose Stateat South Alabama