The Jackson State Tigers football program is one of the most storied in the nation among HBCUs. Shortly after becoming the school’s first African American president, Dr. Zachary T. Hubert began to develop Jackson College’s athletics program. The football team was first organized in 1911 by Coach John Pinkett. Jubie Bragg served as the team's second coach from 1913 to 1915. Other coaches who helped to shape the program in its early days include Earnest Richards, Belford Lawson Jr., Charles Clark, John H Young. Following World War II, T.B. Ellis became coach and athletics director at Jackson College. Ellis only served as football coach from 1946-1951, but his impact on JSU's overall athletics program and institution is far-reaching. John Merritt was named head coach in 1952, ushering in the era that would elevate Jackson College into a championship program. After joining the Southwestern Athletic Conference in 1958, the program exploded into national prominence. Since 1958, Jackson State has won 26% of the conference’s football championships and is a perennial powerhouse program among HBCUs. The Tigers have produced 93 pro football players and 4 NFL Hall of Famers - Only 13 college football teams have produced more NFL Hall of Famers than JSU.
Jackson State is widely noted for its strong football fanbase and support. Jackson State has led the FCS in attendance for multiple seasons, the most recent being in 2019.
Jackson State has earned a total of eighteen conference championships and has won the SWAC title sixteen times since joining in 1958. Conference championships include:
Division championships
The Southwestern Athletic Conference instituted a divisional system for football in 1999. Jackson State plays in the Eastern Division of the conference along with Alabama A&M, Alabama State, Alcorn State, and Mississippi Valley. The SWAC Western Division includes the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff, Grambling, Prairie View A&M, Southern U, and Texas Southern. Each season, the SWAC East and SWAC West divisional champions face off in the SWAC Championship Game. Jackson State University claims seven SWAC Eastern Division Championships: 1999, 2007, 2008, 2010, 2011, 2012, and 2013 and has won five outright to advance to the title game. † Co–champions ^
NCAA I-AA/FCS Playoff Results
The Tigers have appeared in the I-AA/FCS playoffs 12 times with a record of 0–12.
This table reflects the results of SWAC match-ups when both Jackson State and its opponent were members of the conference. Jackson State began SWAC play in 1958. Examples of excluded results are Grambling 1937-1957, Alabama A&M contest, and 1910s/1950s contests vs Alabama State. See the for more complete series records. Updated through December 31, 2018 of the 2018 NCAA Division I FCS football season.
Rivalries
During the early years of Jackson State’s football history, rivalries were established with in-State foes like Rust College and Tougaloo. Stillman College of Alabama was also a common opponent which brought excitement to games played at the Mississippi Fairgrounds and later at Alumni Field on the campus of Jackson State. Since then, JSU has formed several traditional rivalries with long-time foes. "The Soul Bowl" - Jackson State vs. Alcorn State The Soul Bowl is an American college football rivalry between Jackson State and Alcorn State. Mississippi's two largest historically black colleges and universities have played over 80 times in the game dating back to the late 1920s. The game has carried the unofficial moniker "the Soul Bowl" since the late 1970s. has JSU holds a 45-36-2 lead in the series which has included some of the greatest names in college football. From 1993-2011, the game was dubbed the "Capital City Classic" and held in Jackson annually. The following series data reflects only those games played in the post-World War II era: "The BoomBox Classic" - Jackson State vs. Southern Jackson State's annual meeting with rival Southern University, is informally called the "BoomBox Classic" - a portmanteau of the two schools' marching bands. The heated contest between the teams is matched only by the battle between the celebrated marching bands. Southern holds a 33-29 lead in the series. The Southern Heritage Classic - Jackson State vs. Tennessee State Jackson State's series with Tennessee State dates back more than 70 years. Most recently, the rivalry matchup has been held annually in Memphis, Tennessee and is officially named the Southern Heritage Classic. The following series data reflects only those games played in the post-World War II era: 1 I-AA Playoffs 2 Postponed following 9/11
All-Americans
51 Jackson State players have been named All-Americans.
, Jackson State has produced 94 pro football players including four who have been inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame and 16 who have been selected to play in the Pro Bowl. . Notable players include: Kenny Bryant DB 2001 Cincinnati Bengals 2
Facilities
Jackson State University owns and operates Mississippi Veterans Memorial Stadium. The 60,492-seat venue has been the home field of Jackson State Football since 1970.
Fan support
JSU's average home attendance reached its peak in 1997 when the Tigers outdrew both of Mississippi's SEC teams. JSU has averaged 24,000+ fans at home games from 1970-2018.
