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 currently 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, when coach Dennis Raetz led them to the 2nd round of the 1983 NCAA Division I Football Championship versus the Southern Illinois Salukis and ended the season with a record of 9–4. The Sycamores also appeared in 1984 NCAA Division I Football Championship playoffs. The Indiana State Sycamores play their home games at Memorial Stadium, which seats 12,764.
History
Classifications
- 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 memberships
- 1896–1933: Independent
- 1934–1947: Indiana Intercollegiate Conference
- 1948–1950: Independent
- 1951–1967: Indiana Collegiate Conference
- 1968–1972: Independent
- 1973–1975: Division II Independent
- 1976–1977: Missouri Valley Conference
- 1978–1981: Missouri Valley Conference
- 1982–1985: Missouri Valley Conference
- 1986–present: Gateway Football Conference / Missouri Valley Football Conference
Conference championships
Bowls and playoffs
Bowl games
The Sycamores have participated in one bowl game, garnering a record of 0–1.Division I NCAA Playoffs
The Sycamores have appeared in 3 NCAA Division I Football Championships. Their combined record is 2–3.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 2018 Sycamores finished # 22 in the final Coaches poll & # 25 in the final STATS poll.Head coaches
All Indiana State Coaching Records are available at:Rivalries
Ball State
From 1924 to 2014, the Sycamores played Ball State University 65 times; the series stands at 38–24–1 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 currently hold the Victory Bell, having won the last match 27–20 on the road in 2014.
Traditions
Homecoming
The term Homecoming was first used in print announcements for the Alumni-Varsity Basketball Game on Dec. 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 tremoundous 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 Kennesaw 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
- Shakir Bell – 2011 Walter Payton Award Finalist
- Johnny Towalid – 2012 Co-National FCS Defensive Back of the Year
Conference
- Edgar Freese – 1965 Indiana Collegiate Conference DT
- Reggie Allen – 1979 Missouri Valley Conference QB
- Gerry Gluscic – 1979 Missouri Valley Conference DE
- Craig Shaffer – 1981 Missouri Valley Conference LB
- Jeff Miller – 1984 Missouri Valley Conference QB
- Wayne Davis – 1984 Missouri Valley Conference DB
- Jeff Miller – 1985 Missouri Valley Conference QB
- Vencie Glenn – 1985 Missouri Valley Conference DB
- Derrick Franklin – 1991 Missouri Valley Football Conference RB
- Julian Reese - 2001 Missouri Valley Football Conference QB
- Shakir Bell – 2011 Missouri Valley Football Conference RB
- Ryan Boyle - 2018 Missouri Valley Football Conference QB
All-Americans 1st Team
- 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
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
All-Conference
All-Indiana Collegiate Conference
All-Missouri Valley Conference
All-Missouri Valley Football Conference
Career leaders
Passing
Rushing
Receiving
Scoring
Career leaders in boldCoach of the Year
District / Region
- 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
- Mark Dean – 1952 Indiana Collegiate Conference
- Bill Jones – 1959 Indiana Collegiate Conference
- Bill Jones – 1960 Indiana Collegiate Conference
- Bill Jones – 1963 Indiana Collegiate Conference
- Jerry Huntsman – 1966 Indiana Collegiate Conference
- Dennis Raetz – 1984 Missouri Valley Conference
- Trent Miles – 2010 Missouri Valley Football Conference
- Curt Mallory – 2018 Missouri Valley Football Conference
Notable alumni
Sycamores in Professional Leagues
Fifty former Sycamores have played in professional football leagues. The leagues include the NFL, CFL, AFL. and the UFL.The most notable players are:
| Player | Class Year | Position | Primary Team | Career | Highlight |
| Robert Tonyan | 2017 | TE | Green Bay Packers | 2017–Present | |
| Jameer Thurman | 2016 | LB | Calgary Stampeders | 2017–Present | 2018 Grey Cup Champion |
| Shakir Bell | 2012 | RB | Ottawa Redblacks | 2014–Present | 2015 Grey Cup Champion, All-American |
| Jamie Petrowski | 2006 | TE | Tennessee Titans | 2006–2012 | 3rd Team All-American |
| Dan Brandenburg | 1996 | DT | Buffalo Bills | 1996–1999 | 42 Career Games |
| John Bock | 1993 | OL | Miami Dolphins | 1995–2000 | 17 Career Starts; Head Coach, Brooklyn Bolts |
| Vencie Glenn | 1986 | DB | San Diego Chargers | 1986–1995 | 35 Career INTs |
| Wayne Davis | 1985 | DB | San Diego Chargers | 1985–1990 | 5 Career INTs |
| Craig Shaffer | 1982 | LB | St. Louis Cardinals | 1982–1984 | 18 Career Games |
| Tunch Ilkin | 1980 | OL | Pittsburgh Steelers | 1980–1993 | 2x Pro Bowl Lineman |
All-Star Game participants
- 1981 – Craig Shaffer, LB
- 1982 – Kirk Wilson, WR
- 1985 – Vencie Glenn, DB
- 1986 – Vencie Glenn, DB
- 1990 – Steve Elmlinger, WR
- 1992 – Charles Swann, WR
- 1992 – Charles Swann, WR
- 1995 – Dan Brandenburg, DT
- 1999 – DeJuan Alfonzo, DB
- 2005 – Blayne Baggett, QB
- 2005 – LaDrelle Bryant, LB
- 2006 – Kyle Hooper, PK
- 2006 – Madison Miller, DE
- 2006 – Carl Berman,
- 2010 – Darrius Gates, RB
- 2010 – Pat Burke, OG
- 2013 – FN Lutz, OG
Indiana Football Hall of Fame