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.
Indiana State Sycamores football | |||
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First season | 1896 | ||
Athletic director | Sherard Clinkscales | ||
Head coach | Curt Mallory 2nd season, 7–15 (.318) | ||
Stadium | Memorial Stadium (Capacity: 12,764) | ||
Year built | 1924 | ||
Field surface | Field Turf | ||
Location | Terre Haute, Indiana | ||
NCAA division | Division I FCS | ||
Conference | Missouri Valley Football Conference | ||
All-time record | 391–523–23 (.430) | ||
Bowl record | 0–1 (.000) | ||
Playoff appearances | 3 (Div. I FCS) 1983, 1984, 2014 | ||
Playoff record | 2–3 (Div. I FCS) | ||
Conference titles | 1 1964 Indiana Collegiate | ||
Rivalries | Ball State (rivalry) | ||
Consensus All-Americans | 16 | ||
Colors | Royal Blue and White[1] | ||
Fight song | March On! | ||
Mascot | Sycamore Sam | ||
Marching band | Marching Sycamores | ||
Outfitter | Under Armor | ||
Website | GoSycamores.com |
- For information on all Indiana State University sports, see Indiana State Sycamores
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 (Division I)
- 1978–1981: Missouri Valley Conference (Division I-A)
- 1982–1985: Missouri Valley Conference (Division I-AA)
- 1986–present: Gateway Football Conference / Missouri Valley Football Conference
Conference championships
The 1964 Indiana State Sycamores football team shared the Indiana Collegiate Conference (ICC) title in 1964 with four other teams (Ball State, Butler, Evansville, Valparaiso, with the Sycamores finishing with a 4–2 conference record and a 6–2 overall mark.[2]
Bowls and playoffs
Bowl games
The Sycamores have participated in one bowl game, garnering a record of 0–1.
Year | Bowl | Opponent | Result |
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1949 | Shrine Bowl | Southern Illinois | L 14–41 |
Division I NCAA Playoffs
The Sycamores have appeared in 3 NCAA Division I Football Championships. Their combined record is 2–3.
Date played | Round | Winner | Runner-Up | ||
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1983 | NCAA Division I First Round | Indiana State | 16 | Eastern Illinois | 13 |
1983 | Pecan Bowl | Southern Illinois | 23 | Indiana State | 7 |
1984 | Pecan Bowl | Middle Tennessee State | 42 | Indiana State | 41 |
2014 | NCAA Division I First Round | Indiana State | 36 | Eastern Kentucky | 16 |
2014 | NCAA Division I Second Round | Chattanooga | 35 | Indiana State | 14 |
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:[3]
Coach (Alma Mater) | Seasons | Tenure | Games | Record | Pct. |
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Dennis Raetz (Nebraska, 1968) | 18 | 1980–1997 | 200 | 94–105–1 | .473 |
Wally Marks (Chicago, 1927) | 16 | 1927–1930, 1933–1941, 1946–1948 | 125 | 62–56–7 | .524 |
Jerry Huntsman (Wabash, 1952) | 7 | 1966–1972 | 68 | 43–24–1 | .640 |
Bill Jones (Ohio Wesleyan, 1939) | 9 | 1957–1965 | 70 | 32–37–1 | .464 |
Tim McGuire (Nebraska, 1975) | 7 | 1998–2004 | 79 | 24–55 | .304 |
Art Strum (Wisconsin-LaCrosse, 1916) | 6 | 1923–1926, 1932, 1942 | 43 | 21–20–2 | .512 |
Tom Harp (Muskingum, 1951) | 5 | 1973–1977 | 51 | 20–31 | .392 |
Trent Miles (Indiana State, 1987) | 5 | 2008–2012 | 56 | 20–36 | .357 |
Mike Sanford (Southern California, 1976) | 4 | 2013–2016 | 48 | 18–30 | .375 |
Mark Dean (Northern Illinois, 1938) | 5 | 1951–1954, 1956 | 39 | 15–20–4 | .436 |
Curt Mallory (Michigan, 1990) | 4 | 2017–present | 34 | 12–22 | .353 |
Dick Jamieson (Bradley, 1961) | 2 | 1978–1979 | 22 | 11–11 | .500 |
Phil Brown (Butler, 1923) | 1 | 1944 | 8 | 5–2–1 | .688 |
J. Roy Goodlad (Wisconsin, 1929) | 1 | 1931 | 7 | 4–3 | .571 |
CPO Bob LeCray[lower-alpha 1] (SE Okla St, 19--) | 1 | 1945 | 6 | 2–4 | .333 |
Paul Selge (Indiana State, 1943) | 1 | 1955 | 9 | 2–7 | .222 |
George Ashworth (Indiana State, 1935) | 2 | 1949–1950 | 19 | 2–16–1 | .132 |
Lou West (Cincinnati, 1976) | 3 | 2005–2007 | 33 | 1–32 | .030 |
various (7 others) | 13 | 1896–1909, 1920, 1943 | 42 | 9–28–5 | .274 |
- Chief Petty Officer (CPO) LeCroy was member of US Navy's V-12 program staff during World War II
Rivalries
Ball State
From 1924 to 2014, the Sycamores played Ball State (Ind.) 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 (Kappa Kappa) was elected ISUs first Homecoming Queen.[4] 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 (59–24) the Sycamores now own a 5–2 mark vs. Illinois State in Homecoming games.
As of 2012; Indiana State owns a 50–36–2 (.580) 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.[5] The Victory Bell series is 34–19–1 in favor of Ball State, though the Sycamores won their last meeting in 2014.
Stadiums
Year | Home |
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1896–1948 | Multiple Venues; including Thompson Park, aka, Parsons Field. |
1949–present | Memorial Stadium, constructed in 1924. |
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 (via a 99-year lease) 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 (Top 2 vote receiver)
- Johnny Towalid – 2012 Co-National FCS Defensive Back of the Year (by College Football Performance)[6]
Conference
- Edgar Freese – 1965 Indiana Collegiate Conference DT (Lineman)[7]
- Reggie Allen – 1979 Missouri Valley Conference QB (Offense)
- Gerry Gluscic – 1979 Missouri Valley Conference DE (Defense)
- Craig Shaffer – 1981 Missouri Valley Conference LB (Defense)
- Jeff Miller – 1984 Missouri Valley Conference QB (Offense)
- Wayne Davis – 1984 Missouri Valley Conference DB (Defense)
- Jeff Miller – 1985 Missouri Valley Conference QB (Offense)
- Vencie Glenn – 1985 Missouri Valley Conference DB (Defense)
- Derrick Franklin – 1991 Missouri Valley Football Conference RB (Offense)
- Julian Reese - 2001 Missouri Valley Football Conference QB (Newcomer of the Year)
- Shakir Bell – 2011 Missouri Valley Football Conference RB (Offense)
- Ryan Boyle - 2018 Missouri Valley Football Conference QB (Newcomer of the Year)
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,[8] The Sports Network
- Ben Obaseki, DL – 2011 Associated Press[9]
- Joshua Appel, LS – 2015 STATS All-American[10]
Academic All-American
- Gary Brown, E – 1971
- Michael Eads, E – 1972
- Mark Maley E −1973
- Daniel Millington, DE – 2009
- Alex Sewall, DB – 2011[11]
NCAA Post-Graduate Scholarship
- Jeffrey Miller, QB – 1986
All-Conference
All-Indiana Collegiate Conference
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All-Missouri Valley Conference
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All-Missouri Valley Football Conference
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Career leaders
Passing
Player | Years | Comp | Att | TD | Yds | Pct. | Int |
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Mike Perish | 2012–2014 | 618 | 1,050 | 45 | 6,696 | .590 | 28 |
Jeff Miller | 1982–1985 | 555 | 1,016 | 40 | 6,448 | .552 | 33 |
John Sahm | 1986–1989 | 341 | 668 | 30 | 5,139 | .496 | 38 |
Reggie Allen | 1978–1981 | 367 | 782 | 29 | 5,094 | .469 | 46 |
Ronnie Fouch | 2010–2011 | 322 | 544 | 38 | 4,316 | .592 | 15 |
Kip Hennelly | 1991–1993 | 249 | 490 | 19 | 3,158 | .508 | 27 |
Julian Reese | 2001–2002 | 267 | 499 | 20 | 2,961 | .535 | 21 |
Kevin Cox | 1993–1996 | 238 | 528 | 20 | 2,885 | .45 | 22 |
Kyle Frondorf | 1986–1988 | 208 | 391 | 8 | 2,778 | .532 | 24 |
Blayne Baggett | 2005 | 284 | 473 | 15 | 2,741 | .600 | 13 |
Rushing
Player | Years | Att | Yds | Avg. | TD |
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Vincent Allen | 1973–1977 | 832 | 4,335 | 5.21 | 31 |
Shakir Bell | 2010–2013 | 672 | 4,214 | 6.3 | 28 |
David Wright | 1992–1995 | 784 | 4,181 | 5.33 | 22 |
Derrick Franklin | 1989–1991 | 710 | 3,231 | 4.55 | 23 |
Eric Robinson | 1979–1982 | 443 | 2,169 | 4.90 | 22 |
Jake Shields | 2001–2004 | 521 | 2,119 | 4.07 | 19 |
Darrius Gates | 2006–2010 | 396 | 2,010 | 5.08 | 20 |
Jim Brumfield | 1967–1969 | 448 | 1,998 | 4.46 | 23 |
Darrold Clardy | 1981–1984 | 355 | 1,594 | 4.49 | 19 |
Tori Vactor | 1987–1988 | 312 | 1,545 | 4.95 | 12 |
Receiving
Player | Years | Rcpt | Yds | Avg. | TD |
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Sam Logan | 2003–2006 | 196 | 2,385 | 12.2 | 9 |
Robert Tonyan | 2013–2016 | 147 | 2,029 | 13.8 | 20 |
Carl Berman | 2003–2006 | 136 | 1,666 | 12.1 | 11 |
Rodney Porter | 1986–1989 | 135 | 1,906 | 14.1 | 9 |
Terry Bell | 1982–1985 | 132 | 2,048 | 15.5 | 13 |
Joe Downing | 1982–1985 | 115 | 1,608 | 14.0 | 15 |
Eddie Ruffin | 1978–1981 | 110 | 1,831 | 16.6 | 11 |
Gary Owens | 2013–2015 | 105 | 1,373 | 13.1 | 13 |
Larry Brown | 1993–1996 | 105 | 1,197 | 11.4 | 6 |
Steve Elminger | 1987–1989 | 102 | 1,823 | 17.9 | 10 |
Steve Schmid | 1967–1969 | 100 | 1,394 | 13.9 | 11 |
Scoring
Player | Years | TD | FG | PAT1 | PAT2 | PTS |
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Kyle Hooper | 2003–2007 | 0 | 42 | 85 | 0 | 221 |
Vincent Allen | 1973–1977 | 33 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 200 |
Tom Allison | 1992–1995 | 0 | 38 | 82 | 0 | 196 |
Scott Bridges | 1983–1985 | 0 | 31 | 87 | 0 | 180 |
Shakir Bell | 2010–2013 | 30 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 180 |
Eric Heidorn | 2013-2015 | 0 | 29 | 81 | 0 | 168 |
Mike Megyesi | 1999–2002 | 0 | 27 | 83 | 0 | 164 |
Jim Brumfield | 1967–1969 | 26 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 156 |
Robert Tonyan, Jr | 2013–2016 | 22 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 140 |
David Wright | 1992–1995 | 23 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 140 |
Career leaders in bold
Coach of the Year
District / Region
Conference
- Mark Dean – 1952 Indiana Collegiate Conference
- Bill Jones – 1959 Indiana Collegiate Conference[19]
- Bill Jones – 1960 Indiana Collegiate Conference[19]
- Bill Jones – 1963 Indiana Collegiate Conference[19]
- Jerry Huntsman – 1966 Indiana Collegiate Conference[20]
- Dennis Raetz – 1984 Missouri Valley Conference[21]
- Trent Miles – 2010 Missouri Valley Football Conference[21]
- Curt Mallory – 2018 Missouri Valley Football Conference[21]
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(s) | Career | Highlight(s) |
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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 (Blue-Gray)
- 1982 – Kirk Wilson, WR (Senior Bowl)
- 1985 – Vencie Glenn, DB (Blue-Gray)
- 1986 – Vencie Glenn, DB (Senior Bowl)
- 1990 – Steve Elmlinger, WR (Senior Bowl)
- 1992 – Charles Swann, WR (Senior Bowl)
- 1992 – Charles Swann, WR (Japan Bowl)
- 1995 – Dan Brandenburg, DT (Blue-Gray)
- 1999 – DeJuan Alfonzo, DB (All-Star Gridiron Classic)
- 2005 – Blayne Baggett, QB (Magnolia Gridiron Classic)
- 2005 – LaDrelle Bryant, LB (Magnolia Gridiron Classic)
- 2006 – Kyle Hooper, PK (East Coast Bowl)
- 2006 – Madison Miller, DE (East Coast Bowl)
- 2006 – Carl Berman, (Magnolia Gridiron Classic)
- 2010 – Darrius Gates, RB (FCS Senior Scout Bowl)
- 2010 – Pat Burke, OG (FCS Senior Scout Bowl)
- 2013 – FN Lutz, OG (FCS Senior Scout Bowl)
Indiana Football Hall of Fame
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Future non-conference opponents
Announced schedules as of July 20, 2019.[36]
2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 | 2026 | 2027 |
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at Kansas | at Eastern Illinois | at West Virginia | at Purdue | vs. Eastern Illinois | at Eastern Illinois | vs. Eastern Illinois | at Eastern Illinois | at Indiana |
vs. Dayton | at Middle Tennessee | at Eastern Kentucky | at Indiana | at Purdue | at Indiana | at Purdue | ||
vs. Eastern Kentucky | vs. Lindenwood | at Ball State | ||||||
vs. Eastern Illinois |
References
- Color Palette (PDF). Indiana State Sycamores Official Style Guide. March 3, 2020. Retrieved March 4, 2020.
- "Indiana College Football Records". Kokomo Tribune. Kokomo, Indiana. Associated Press. November 16, 1964. p. 15. Retrieved November 13, 2019 – via Newspapers.com
. - https://gosycamores.com/sports/2010/6/2/204954465.aspx
- Indiana State University: About ISU: History and Traditions Archived 2012-07-08 at the Wayback Machine
- "Indiana State University Archives Home". Archived from the original on 2010-07-15. Retrieved 2010-05-21.
- "ISU's Towalid named top FCS defensive back". Terre Haute Tribune Star.
- (tm), e-yearbook.com. "E-Yearbook.com - Search and browse yearbooks online!". www.e-yearbook.com.
- "Shakir Bell Named To AFCA FCS Coaches' All-America Team". GoSycamores.com Official Web Site of Indiana State Athletics.
- "Shakir Bell And Ben Obaseki Named First Team Associated Press All-America". GoSycamores.com Official Web Site of Indiana State Athletics.
- "FCS football: STATS releases its 2015 All-America Team". 15 December 2015.
- "Alex Sewall Named First Team Academic All-American". GoSycamores.com – Official Web Site of Indiana State Athletics.
- "The Daily Banner 19 November 1965 — Hoosier State Chronicles: Indiana's Digital Historic Newspaper Program". newspapers.library.in.gov.
- "Archived copy" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2016-10-22. Retrieved 2016-09-13.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
- "Archived copy" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2016-10-22. Retrieved 2016-09-13.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
- "HUNTSMAN, JERRY – Indiana Football Hall of Fame". indiana-football.org.
- "Trent Miles Earns 2010 AFCA Regional Coach Of The Year Honors". GoSycamores.com Official Web Site of Indiana State Athletics.
- http://www.georgiastatesports.com/ViewArticle.dbml?DB_OEM_ID=12700&ATCLID=205820045
- "Mike Sanford Named AFCA Regional Coach Of The Year". GoSycamores.com – Official Web Site of Indiana State Athletics.
- https://www.indiana-football.org/?q=node/420
- https://www.indiana-football.org/?q=node/403
- http://www.mvc.org/football/honors.pdf
- "ALLEN, VINCENT – Indiana Football Hall of Fame". indiana-football.org.
- "ANDRESS, MAX – Indiana Football Hall of Fame". indiana-football.org.
- "ASHWORTH, GEORGE – Indiana Football Hall of Fame". indiana-football.org.
- "BALASH, STEVE – Indiana Football Hall of Fame". indiana-football.org.
- "BECK, PAUL – Indiana Football Hall of Fame". indiana-football.org.
- "BROWN, PHIL – Indiana Football Hall of Fame". indiana-football.org.
- "BUSH, CHARLES "COCKY" – Indiana Football Hall of Fame". indiana-football.org.
- "CLAYTON, BOB – Indiana Football Hall of Fame". indiana-football.org.
- "CONOVER, JAMES "JIM" – Indiana Football Hall of Fame". indiana-football.org.
- "FAUGHT, STEWART "RED" – Indiana Football Hall of Fame". indiana-football.org.
- "JONES, WILLIAM – Indiana Football Hall of Fame". indiana-football.org.
- "KARAZSIA, CHARLIE – Indiana Football Hall of Fame". indiana-football.org.
- "PURICHIA, STEVE – Indiana Football Hall of Fame". indiana-football.org.
- "ROTH, TIM – Indiana Football Hall of Fame". indiana-football.org.
- "Indiana State Sycamores Football Schedules and Future Schedules". Retrieved September 21, 2018.