Tennessee State Tigers football
College football team
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The Tennessee State Tigers football program represents Tennessee State University in the sport of American football. The Tigers compete in the NCAA Division I Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) as member of the OVC–Big South Football Association.
First season1912
Athletic directorMikki Allen
Head coachReggie Barlow
2nd season, 2–10 (.167)
2nd season, 2–10 (.167)
LocationNashville, Tennessee
| Tennessee State Tigers football | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| |||
| |||
| First season | 1912 | ||
| Athletic director | Mikki Allen | ||
| Head coach | Reggie Barlow 2nd season, 2–10 (.167) | ||
| Location | Nashville, Tennessee | ||
| Stadium | Nissan Stadium and Hale Stadium (capacity: 69,143 and 10,000) | ||
| NCAA division | Division I FCS | ||
| Conference | OVC–Big South | ||
| Colors | Reflex blue and white[1] | ||
| All-time record | 597–339–32 (.633) | ||
| Bowl record | 8–1–1 (.850) | ||
| Small college national championships | |||
| 1973 | |||
| Black college national championships | |||
| 1946, 1947, 1954, 1956, 1965, 1966, 1970, 1971, 1973, 1979, 1982, 2013 | |||
| Conference championships | |||
| Midwestern: 1945, 1946, 1947, 1949, 1954, 1956, 1957, 1959, 1960, 1961, 1963, 1964, 1965, 1966 OVC: 1998, 1999 OVC–Big South: 2024 | |||
| Website | TSUTigers.com | ||
History
NCAA relegation
In 1981, the Tennessee State Tigers were relegated from Division I-A to Division I-AA.
First FBS victory
Tennessee State's first victory over an NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) opponents came in the opening game of the 2017 season, when the Tigers defeated the Georgia State Panthers, 17–10.[2][3]
Championships
National championships
| Year | Coach | Record | Championship |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1946 | Henry A. Kean | 10–1 | Black College National Champions |
| 1947 | Henry A. Kean | 10–0 | Black College National Champions |
| 1954 | Henry A. Kean | 10–1 | Black College National Champions |
| 1956 | Howard C. Gentry | 10–0 | Black College National Champions |
| 1965 | John A. Merritt | 9–0–1 | Black College National Champions |
| 1966 | John A. Merritt | 10–0 | Black College National Champions |
| 1970 | John A. Merritt | 11–0 | Black College National Champions |
| 1971 | John A. Merritt | 9–1 | Black College National Champions |
| 1973 | John A. Merritt | 10–0 | AP & UPI College Division National Champions Black College National Champions |
| 1979 | John A. Merritt | 8–3 | Black College National Champions |
| 1982 | John A. Merritt | 10–1–1 | Black College National Champions |
| 2013 | Rod Reed | 10–4 | Black College National Champions |
Conference championships
| Year | Coach | Conference | Conference record |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1945 | Henry A. Kean | Midwest Athletic Association | 3–0 |
| 1946 | Henry A. Kean | Midwestern Conference | 3–0 |
| 1947 | Henry A. Kean | Midwestern Conference | 3–0 |
| 1949 | Henry A. Kean | Midwestern Conference | 4–0 |
| 1954 | Henry A. Kean | Midwestern Conference | 4–0 |
| 1956 | Howard C. Gentry | Midwestern Conference | 4–0 |
| 1957 | Howard C. Gentry | Midwestern Conference | 3–0 |
| 1959 | Howard C. Gentry | Midwestern Conference | 3–0 |
| 1960 | Howard C. Gentry | Midwestern Conference | 3–0 |
| 1961 | Lawrence E. Simmons | Midwestern Conference | 3–0 |
| 1963 | John A. Merritt | Midwest Conference | 3–0 |
| 1964 | John A. Merritt | Midwestern Conference | 3–0 |
| 1965 | John A. Merritt | Midwestern Conference | 2–0 |
| 1966 | John A. Merritt | Midwestern Conference | 2–0 |
| 1998 | Lawrence C. Cole | Ohio Valley Conference | 6–1 |
| 1999 | Lawrence C. Cole | Ohio Valley Conference | 7–0 |
| 2024 | Eddie George | Big South–OVC Football Association | 6–2 |
Postseason appearances
Bowl games
Tennessee State has competed in ten bowl games and has a record of 8–1–1.[4][5][6][7][8][9][10][11][12][13]
| Season | Bowl | Opponent | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1944 | Vulcan Bowl | Tuskegee | W 12–7 |
| 1945 | Vulcan Bowl | Texas College | W 33–6 |
| 1946 | Vulcan Bowl | Louisville Municipal College | W 32–0 |
| 1954 | National Classic | North Carolina College | L 6–19 |
| 1956 | Orange Blossom Classic | Florida A&M | W 41–39 |
| 1965 | Grantland Rice Bowl | Ball State | T 14–14 |
| 1966 | Grantland Rice Bowl | Muskingum | W 34–7 |
| 1970 | Grantland Rice Bowl | Southwestern Louisiana | W 26–25 |
| 1971 | Grantland Rice Bowl | McNeese State | W 26–23 |
| 1972 | Pioneer Bowl | Drake | W 29–7 |
NCAA Division I-AA/FCS playoffs
The Tigers have made seven appearances in the NCAA Division I FCS Football Championship playoffs, with a combined record of 3–7.
| Year | Round | Opponent | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1981 | Quarterfinals | South Carolina State | L 25–26 OT |
| 1982 | Quarterfinals Semifinals | Eastern Illinois Eastern Kentucky | W 20–19 L 7–13 |
| 1986 | First Round Quarterfinals | Jackson State Nevada | W 32–23 L 6–33 |
| 1998 | First Round | Appalachian State | L 31–45 |
| 1999 | First Round | North Carolina A&T | L 10–24 |
| 2013 | First Round Second Round | Butler Eastern Illinois | W 31–0 L 10–51 |
| 2024 | First Round | Montana | L 27–41 |
College Football Hall of Fame members
| Name | Position | Tenure | Inducted | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| John Merritt | Coach | 1963–1983 | 1994 | [14] |
Alumni in the NFL
Over 100 Tennessee State alumni have played in the NFL,[15] including:
- Richard Dent
- Onzy Elam
- Joe Gilliam
- Mike Hegman
- Sylvester Hicks
- Bennie Anderson
- Claude Humphrey
- Ed "Too Tall" Jones
- Jim Kelly
- Greg Kindle
- Loaird McCreary
- Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie
- Harold Rice
- Anthony Shelton
- Jim Thaxton
- Mike Jones
- Larry Kinnebrew
- Steve Moore
- Herman Hunter
- Gilbert Renfroe
- Malcolm Taylor
Annual Classic
Future non-conference opponents
Announced schedules as of March 16, 2026.[16]
| 2026 | 2027 | 2028 | 2029 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jackson State1 | at Jackson State | at Vanderbilt | at Middle Tennessee |
| at Georgia | at Tennessee | at North Carolina A&T | |
| at Alabama A&M | Alabama A&M | at Alabama A&M | |
| at Florida A&M | at Morgan State | ||
| Morgan State | Florida A&M |
- John A. Merritt Classic[17]
