Jackson State Tigers football

Classifications

• 1958–1969: NAIA
• 1970–1982: NAIA Division I
• 1956–1972: NCAA College Division
• 1973–1976: NCAA Division II
• 1977: NCAA Division I
• 1978–present: NCAA Division I–AA/FCS

Conference memberships

• 1911–1912: Independent
• 1913: Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference
• 1914-1934 Independent
• 1935-1940 South Central Athletic Conference
• 1941-1946 Independent
• 1947–1950: South Central Athletic Conference
• 1951: Independent
• 1952–1957: Midwest Athletic Association
• 1958–present: Southwestern Athletic Conference

JSU fanbase

Jackson State is widely noted for its strong football support and culture. Jackson State fans have led the Division I FCS in attendance for multiple seasons and are the 2025 regular-season leaders.

Championships

National championships

Jackson State has been named a recipient of the black college football national championship five times.

Conference championships

Jackson State has earned a total of 21 conference championships and has won the SWAC (Southwestern Athletic Conference) title 19 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, Bethune-Cookman, Florida A&M and Mississippi Valley. The SWAC Western Division includes Alcorn State, the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff, Grambling, Prairie View A&M, Southern University, and Texas Southern. Each season, the SWAC East and SWAC West divisional champions face off in the SWAC Championship Game. Jackson State University claims ten SWAC Eastern Division championships and has won eight outright to advance to the title game.

† Co–champions

^ win vacated by Southern University due to NCAA violations

NCAA I-AA/FCS playoff results

The Tigers have appeared in the I-AA/FCS playoffs 12 times with a record of 0–12.

Bowl games

Head coaches

Coach of the Year Honors

Rivalries

During the early years of Jackson State's football history, rivalries were established with in-state foes Rust College and Tougaloo. Stillman College was also a common opponent which brought excitement and high interest 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.

Alcorn State

Main article: Soul Bowl

Southern

Main article: Jackson State–Southern football rivalry {{!}} BoomBox Classic

All-Americans

Over 50 Jackson State players have been named All-Americans.

Player of the Year

Jackson State players that received Player of the Year honors.

College Football Hall of Fame members

• Kevin Dent
• W. C. Gorden
• John Merritt
• Walter Payton
• Willie Richardson
• Robert Brazile

Pro football alumni

:See: List of Jackson State Tigers in the NFL draft

, Jackson State has produced over 90 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:

Economic impact

In 2021, Jackson State football was responsible for having a $30 million positive economic impact on Jackson's economy. Jackson State's football program is considered the most powerful in the Division I FCS in regards to generating a notable economic impact and drawing public interest.

Facilities

Jackson State University owns and operates Mississippi Veterans Memorial Stadium affectionately known as "The Vet". The 60,492-seat stadium has been the home field of Jackson State football since 1970. For many years, the stadium was the largest in Mississippi until 2016. In 2024, The Vet won the championship in the College Football Campus Tour Best FCS Stadium Invitational, beating out the Kibbie Dome in Idaho in the title round with 58% of nearly 12,000 votes.

Future non-conference opponents

Announced schedules as of January 13, 2026

1. John A. Merritt Classic, Nissan Stadium, Nashville, TN
2. MEAC/SWAC Challenge, Atlanta, GA

References

References

1. (25 August 1990). "Jackson State Football 1990 Season Preview 8". Columbian-Progress.
2. (2024-12-14). "Jackson State defeats South Carolina State in Celebration Bowl".
3. Bromberg, Nick. (2023-10-29). "Jackson State's Leilani Armenta becomes first woman to score in HBCU football game".
4. (October 2020). "'Coach Prime' draws big JSU football ticket sales nearly five months from kickoff".
5. "March to the Joyous, Raucous Beat of the Sonic Boom of the South {{!".
6. (25 March 2020). "FCS HBCU Football Attendance 2019: Jackson State, SWAC stay on top".
7. (3 December 2022). "2022 FCS Attendance Leaders".
8. (19 November 2023). "2023 FCS Regular-Season Attendance Leaders".
9. https://herosports.com/fcs-football-2025-attendance-leaders-bzbz
10. (March 2022). "Jackson State University on Facebook".
11. (July 2025). "Southern University faces 5 years of probation, other penalties from NCAA".
12. (4 December 2019). "Hampton named SWAC Defensive Player of the Year".
13. (2024-12-10). "BOXTOROW Announces 2024 HBCU Football Superlatives".
14. (6 February 2024). "12 Players Earn All-SWAC Football Honors".
15. (14 December 2022). "Jackson State leads the BOXTOROW HBCU Superlative Awards".
16. (2024-12-02). "Jackson State Coach, Players Dominate SWAC Postseason Honors".
17. "Jackson St. Players/Alumni". pro-football-reference.com.
18. (10 December 2021). "JSU football breaks record for economic impact to city".
19. (10 December 2021). "Visit Jackson reports record-breaking economic impact during 2021 JSU football season". WJTV.
20. (20 September 2023). "Jackson State returns home to play in their first night game at the Vet since 2019". CW39 Houston.
21. "Facilities".
22. "Vaught-Hemingway Stadium Information | Vaught-Hemingway Stadium | Oxford, Mississippi".
23. (19 April 2024). "Veterans Memorial Stadium recognized as one of the best in the US".
24. "Future Jackson State Tigers Football Schedules". FBSchedules.com.
25. "John A. Merritt Classic Weekend".