Alcorn State Braves football
Collegiate American football team in Mississippi
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The Alcorn State Braves are the college football team of Alcorn State University. The Braves play in NCAA Division I Football Championship Subdivision as a member of the Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC).
2nd season, 11–12 (.478)
(capacity: 22,500)
| Alcorn State Braves football | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| |||
| |||
| First season | 1921; 105 years ago | ||
| Head coach | Cedric Thomas 2nd season, 11–12 (.478) | ||
| Location | Lorman, Mississippi | ||
| Stadium | Casem-Spinks Stadium (capacity: 22,500) | ||
| Conference | Southwestern Athletic Conference | ||
| Division | East | ||
| Colors | Purple and gold[1] | ||
| All-time record | 502–396–38 (.557) | ||
| Black college national championships | |||
| 1968, 1969, 1974, 1984, 2014 | |||
| Conference championships | |||
| SWAC: 1968, 1969, 1970, 1974, 1976, 1979, 1984, 1992, 1994, 2014, 2015, 2018, 2019 | |||
| Division championships | |||
| SWAC West: 2003, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2023 | |||
| Rivalries | Jackson State (rivalry) | ||
| Website | alcornsports.com | ||
History
Classifications
- 1964–1969: NAIA
- 1970–1983: NAIA Division I
- 1965–1972: NCAA College Division
- 1973–1976: NCAA Division II
- 1977: NCAA Division I
- 1978–present: NCAA Division I–AA/FCS
Conference memberships
- 1921–?: Independent
- c. 1928: Gulf Coast Athletic Association
- ?–1934: Independent
- 1935–1962: South Central Athletic Conference
- 1961–present: Southwestern Athletic Conference
Championships
Black college national championships
Alcorn State has won five Black college football national championships.
| Year | Championship | Coach | Overall record | Conference |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1968 | Black College National Champions | Marino Casem | 9–1 | SWAC |
| 1969 | Black College National Champions | Marino Casem | 8–0–1 | SWAC |
| 1974 | Black College National co-champions | Marino Casem | 9–2 | SWAC |
| 1984 | Black College National Champions | Marino Casem | 9–1 | SWAC |
| 2014 | Black College National Champions | Jay Hopson | 10–3 | SWAC |
SWAC championships
Alcorn joined the Southwestern Athletic Conference SWAC in 1962. Since then, the Braves have won thirteen conference championships, nine outright and four shared.
| Season | Conference | Coach | Overall record | Conference record |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1968* | Southwestern Athletic Conference | Marino Casem | 9–1 | 6–1 |
| 1969 | 8–0–1 | 6–0–1 | ||
| 1970 | 8–1 | 6–0 | ||
| 1974* | 9–2 | 5–1 | ||
| 1976 | 8–2 | 5–1 | ||
| 1979* | 8–2 | 5–1 | ||
| 1984 | 9–1 | 7–0 | ||
| 1992 | Cardell Jones | 7–4 | 7–0 | |
| 1994* | Cardell Jones | 8–3–1 | 6–1 | |
| 2014 | Jay Hopson | 10–3 | 7–2 | |
| 2015 | Jay Hopson | 9–4 | 7–2 | |
| 2018 | Fred McNair | 9–4 | 6–1 | |
| 2019 | Fred McNair | 9–4 | 6–1 |
Playoff appearances
NCAA Division I FCS
The Braves have appeared in the I-AA/FCS playoffs three times with an overall record of 0–3.
NCAA Division II
The Braves appeared in the Division II playoffs one time, with an overall record of 0–1.
Rivalry game
The Alcorn State Braves biggest rival is against the Jackson State Tigers in the Soul Bowl. The rivalry was previously named the Capital City Classic, but Alcorn ended the Classic in 2012 so that it could be brought back to Lorman, Mississippi.[2]
College Football Hall of Fame members
Alumni in the NFL
Over 50 Alcorn State alumni have played in the NFL,[4] including:
Head coaches
Alcorn State has seen 21 head football coaches over its history. The program was most recently led by Fred McNair.[5]
| Coach | Seasons | Record | Win Pct. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Octavius T. Henderson | 1921 | 4–0 | 1.000 |
| O.A. Ross | 1922–1933 | 44–15–11 | 0.629 |
| W. Morton | 1934–1935 | 1–7–1 | 0.125 |
| A. A. Abraham | 1936, 1938, 1941–1942 | 14–8–7 | 0.483 |
| L. Harris | 1937, 1939–1940 | 10–10–1 | 0.476 |
| J. Anderson | 1945 | 0.2 | 0.000 |
| Reuben Alba | 1946 | 1–8 | 0.111 |
| W. Felix "Lerroy" Harris | 1947 | 9–1 | 0.900 |
| Dwight Fisher | 1948–1956 | 52–35–7 | 0.553 |
| W. Broadus | 1957 | 0–5 | 0.000 |
| E. E. Simmons | 1958–1959 | 3–14 | 0.176 |
| Franklin Purnell | 1960–1963 | 14–20 | 0.412 |
| Marino Casem | 1964–1985 | 138–71–8 | 0.636 |
| Theo Danzy | 1986–1990 | 26–22 | 0.542 |
| Cardell Jones | 1991–1997 | 41–32–3 | 0.539 |
| Johnny Thomas | 1998–2007 | 48–61 | 0.440 |
| Ernest T. Jones | 2008 | 2–10 | 0.167 |
| Earnest Collins | 2009–2010 | 8–12 | 0.400 |
| Melvin Spears | 2011 | 2–8 | 0.200 |
| Jay Hopson | 2012–2015 | 19–17a | 0.528 |
| Fred McNair | 2016–2023 | 48–33 | 0.593 |
Future non-conference opponents
Announced schedules as of April 20, 2026[6]
| 2026 | 2027 | 2028 |
|---|---|---|
| Miles College | at TCU | at Ole Miss |
| at Southern Miss | ||
| at North Alabama | ||
| Arkansas Baptist |