Illinois State Redbirds football
Intercollegiate American football team
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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 (FCS) as a member of the Missouri Valley Football Conference (MVFC). 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.
17th season, 123–79 (.609)
| Illinois State Redbirds football | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| |||
| |||
| First season | 1887 | ||
| Athletic director | Dr. Jeri Beggs | ||
| Head coach | Brock Spack 17th season, 123–79 (.609) | ||
| Location | Normal, Illinois | ||
| Stadium | Hancock Stadium (capacity: 13,391) | ||
| NCAA division | Division I FCS | ||
| Conference | Missouri Valley Football | ||
| Colors | Red and white[1] | ||
| All-time record | 541–563–63 (.491) | ||
| Playoff record | 15–10 (.600) | ||
| Bowl record | 0–1–0 (.000) | ||
| NCAA Division I FCS championships | |||
| 0 | |||
| Conference championships | |||
| IIAC: 1937, 1940, 1941, 1945 IIAC 1950, 1967, 1968 MVFC: 1999, 2014, 2015 | |||
| Rivalries | Eastern Illinois (Mid-America Classic) | ||
| Fight song | "Go, You Redbirds" | ||
| Mascot | Reggie Redbird | ||
| Marching band | Big Red Marching Machine | ||
| Website | GoRedbirds.com | ||
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.[2]
Classifications
- 1906–1956: None
- 1956–1972: NCAA College Division (Small College)
- 1973–1975: NCAA Division II
- 1976–1977: NCAA Division I
- 1978–1981: NCAA Division I–A
- 1982–2006: NCAA Division I–AA
- 2006–present: NCAA Division I FCS
Conference memberships
- 1887–1907: Independent
- 1908–1949: Illinois Intercollegiate Athletic Conference
- 1950–1969: Interstate Intercollegiate Athletic Conference
- 1970–1972: Independent
- 1973–1975: Division II Independent
- 1976–1977: Division I Independent
- 1978–1980: Division I–A Independent
- 1981–1985: Missouri Valley Conference
- 1986–present: Gateway Football Conference/Missouri Valley Football Conference
Conference championships
Illinois State has won ten conference titles, four outright.
| Year | Conference | Coach | Overall record |
Conference record |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1937 † | Illinois Intercollegiate Athletic Conference | Howard Hancock | 5–1–2 | 3–1–1 |
| 1940 | 5–3–1 | 3–0–1 | ||
| 1941 † | 3–4–1 | 3–0–1 | ||
| 1945 | Edwin Struck | 4–3 | 3–0 | |
| 1950 | Interstate Intercollegiate Athletic Conference | 7–1–2 | 5–0–1 | |
| 1967 † | Larry Bitcon | 8–2 | 2–1 | |
| 1968 † | 6–4 | 2–1 | ||
| 1999 | Missouri Valley Football Conference | Todd Berry | 11–3 | 6–0 |
| 2014 † | Brock Spack | 13–2 | 7–1 | |
| 2015 † | 10–3 | 7–1 | ||
† 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.
| Year | Round | Opponent | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1998 | First Round | at Northwestern State | L 28–48 |
| 1999 | First Round Quarterfinal Semifinal | Colgate at Hofstra at Georgia Southern | W 56–13 W 37–20 L 17–31 |
| 2006 | First Round Quarterfinal | at Eastern Illinois at Youngstown State | W 24–13 L 21–28 |
| 2012 | Second Round Quarterfinal | at Appalachian State at Eastern Washington | W 38–37 OT L 35–51 |
| 2014 | Second Round Quarterfinal Semifinal Final | Northern Iowa at Eastern Washington at New Hampshire vs North Dakota State | W 41–21 W 59–46 W 21–18 L 27–29 |
| 2015 | Second Round Quarterfinal | Western Illinois Richmond | W 36–19 L 27–39 |
| 2016 | First Round | at Central Arkansas | L 24–31 |
| 2019 | First Round Second Round Quarterfinal | at Southeast Missouri State at Central Arkansas at North Dakota State | W 24–6 W 24–14 L 3–9 |
| 2024 | First Round Second Round | at Southeast Missouri State at UC Davis | W 35–27 L 10–42 |
| 2025 | First Round Second Round Quarterfinal Semifinal Final | at Southeastern Louisiana at North Dakota State at UC Davis at Villanova vs 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.[3]
| Year | Coach | Bowl | Opponent | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1950 | Edwin Struck | Corn Bowl | Missouri School of Mines and Metallurgy | L 6–7 |
Missouri School of Mines and Metallurgy now known as Missouri S&T.
Wins over FBS teams
| Season | Opponent | Result |
|---|---|---|
| 1987 | Western Michigan | 20–6 |
| 1991 | at Akron | 25–3 |
| 2012 | at Eastern Michigan | 31–14 |
| 2016 | at Northwestern | 9–7 |
| 2018 | at Colorado State | 35–19 |
Head coaches
| Years | Name | Record |
|---|---|---|
| 1895 | George Dygart | 5–3–0 (.625) |
| 1896 | L. H. Galbreath | 2–0–0 (1.000) |
| 1897 | B. C. Edwards | 1–5–0 (.167) |
| 1903–1906 | John P. Stewart | 14–10–1 (.580) |
| 1907 | John A. Keith | 8–0–2 (.900) |
| 1908–1909 | George Binnewies | 7–6–2 (.533) |
| 1912–1922 | Harrison Russell | 15–43–10 (.294) |
| 1923–1924 | Clifford E. "Pop" Horton | 4–8–4 (.375) |
| 1925–1926 | Don Karnes | 6–9–0 (.400) |
| 1927–1930 | Joe Cogdal | 7–23–2 (.250) |
| 1931–1944 | Howard Hancock | 57–46–19 (.545) |
| 1945–1964 | Edwin Struck | 86–78–14 (.522) |
| 1965–1971 | Larry Bitcon | 32–35–2 (.478) |
| 1972–1976 | Gerry Hart | 26–27–1 (.491) |
| 1977–1980 | Charlie Cowdrey | 12–31–1 (.284) |
| 1981–1987 | Bob Otolski | 30–41–3 (.426) |
| 1988–1995 | Jim Heacock | 37–49–2 (.432) |
| 1996–1999 | Todd Berry | 24–24 (.500) |
| 2000–2008 | Denver Johnson | 45–46 (.495) |
| 2009–present | Brock Spack | 123–79 (.609) |
| Overall | 541–563–63 (.491) |
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.[5] 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
Buck Buchanan Award
- Zeke Vandenburgh, 2023
The Buck Buchanan Award is given annually to the College Football Best Defensive Player in the FCS by Stats Perform, from 1995 to present.
Mosi Tatupu Award
- Ryan Hoffman, 2005
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.
Notable former players
Notable alumni include:
- B. J. Bello
- Duane Butler
- Aveion Cason
- Luke Drone
- Chris Faletto
- Jim Fitzpatrick
- Larry Fitzpatrick
- Kevin Glenn
- Matthew Goldsmith (CFL)[6]
- Boomer Grigsby
- Davontae Harris
- Shelby Harris
- Brent Hawkins
- Estus Hood
- Jason Johnson
- Andy King
- John Kropke
- Michael Liedtke
- Cameron Meredith
- Jim Meyer
- Tom Nelson
- James O'Shaughnessy
- Nate Palmer
- Mike Prior
- Tre Roberson
- James Robinson
- Laurent Robinson
- Colton Underwood
- Joe Vodicka
- Cody White
- Mike Zimmer
Redbirds drafted into the NFL
| Draft Year | Player | Position | Round | Overall | NFL Team |
| 2018 | Davontae Harris | CB | 5 | 151 | Cincinnati Bengals |
| 2015 | James O'Shaughnessy | TE | 5 | 173 | Kansas City Chiefs |
| 2014 | Shelby Harris | DE | 7 | 235 | Oakland Raiders |
| 2013 | Nate Palmer | LB | 6 | 193 | Green Bay Packers |
| 2007 | Laurent Robinson | WR | 3 | 75 | Atlanta Falcons |
| 2006 | Brent Hawkins | DE | 5 | 160 | Jacksonville Jaguars |
| 2005 | Boomer Grigsby | LB | 5 | 138 | Kansas City Chiefs |
| 1990 | Bill Miller | WR | 10 | 258 | Detroit Lions |
| 1986 | Jim Meyer | T | 7 | 167 | Cleveland Browns |
| 1985 | Mike Prior | DB | 7 | 176 | Tampa Bay Buccaneers |
| 1984 | Clarence Collins | WR | 3 | 62 | San Diego Chargers |
| 1978 | Estus Hood | DB | 3 | 62 | Green Bay Packers |
| 1976 | Calvin Harper | T | 6 | 172 | Kansas City Chiefs |
| 1973 | Ron Bell | RB | 6 | 140 | Pittsburgh Steelers |
| 1970 | Guy Homoly | DB | 15 | 385 | Cleveland Browns |
| 1969 | Dennis Nelson | T | 3 | 77 | Baltimore Colts |
Future non-conference opponents
Announced schedules as of January 13, 2026.[7]
| 2026 | 2027 | 2028 | 2029 | 2030 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Eastern Illinois | at Eastern Illinois | Eastern Illinois | at Wisconsin | at Northwestern |
| at Northern Illinois | at Missouri | at Illinois | ||
| at Western Illinois | Valparaiso | |||