# Alcorn State Braves football

The Alcorn State Braves are the college football team of Alcorn State University. The Braves play in NCAA Division I Football Championship Subdivision as a member of the Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC).

## History
### Classifications

* 1964–1969: NAIA
* 1970–1983: NAIA Division I
* 1965–1972: NCAA College Division
* 1973–1976: NCAA Division II
* 1977: NCAA Division I
* 1978–present: NCAA Division I–AA/FCS

### Conference memberships

* 1921–1935: Independent
* 1935–1962: South Central Athletic Conference
* 1962–present: Southwestern Athletic Conference

## Championships
### Black college national championships

Alcorn State has won five Black college football national championships.
| Year | Championship | Coach | Overall record | Conference |
| 1968 | Black College National Champions | Marino Casem | 9–1 | SWAC |
| 1969 | Black College National Champions | Marino Casem | 8–0–1 | SWAC |
| 1974 | Black College National co-champions | Marino Casem | 9–2 | SWAC |
| 1984 | Black College National Champions | Marino Casem | 9–1 | SWAC |
| 2014 | Black College National Champions | Jay Hopson | 10–3 | SWAC |

### SWAC championships

Alcorn joined the Southwestern Athletic Conference SWAC in 1962. Since then, the Braves have won thirteen conference championships, nine outright and four shared.
| Season | Conference | Coach | Overall record | Conference record |
| 1968* | Southwestern Athletic Conference | Marino Casem | 9–1 | 6–1 |
| 1969 | Southwestern Athletic Conference | Marino Casem | 8–0–1 | 6–0–1 |
| 1970 | Southwestern Athletic Conference | Marino Casem | 8–1 | 6–0 |
| 1974* | Southwestern Athletic Conference | Marino Casem | 9–2 | 5–1 |
| 1976 | Southwestern Athletic Conference | Marino Casem | 8–2 | 5–1 |
| 1979* | Southwestern Athletic Conference | Marino Casem | 8–2 | 5–1 |
| 1984 | Southwestern Athletic Conference | Marino Casem | 9–1 | 7–0 |
| 1992 | Southwestern Athletic Conference | Cardell Jones | 7–4 | 7–0 |
| 1994* | Southwestern Athletic Conference | Cardell Jones | 8–3–1 | 6–1 |
| 2014 | Southwestern Athletic Conference | Jay Hopson | 10–3 | 7–2 |
| 2015 | Southwestern Athletic Conference | Jay Hopson | 9–4 | 7–2 |
| 2018 | Southwestern Athletic Conference | Fred McNair | 9–4 | 6–1 |
| 2019 | Southwestern Athletic Conference | Fred McNair | 9–4 | 6–1 |

## Playoff appearances
### NCAA Division I FCS

The Braves have appeared in the I-AA/FCS playoffs three times with an overall record of 0–3.
| Year | Round | Opponent | Result |
| 1984 | Quarterfinals | Louisiana Tech | L 21–44 |
| 1992 | First Round | Northeast Louisiana | L 27–78 |
| 1994 | First Round | Youngstown State | L 20–63 |

### NCAA Division II

The Braves appeared in the Division II playoffs one time, with an overall record of 0–1.
| Year | Round | Opponent | Result |
| 1974 | Quarterfinals | UNLV | L 22–35 |

## Rivalry game

The Alcorn State Braves biggest rival is against the Jackson State Tigers in the Soul Bowl. The rivalry was previously named the Capital City Classic, but Alcorn ended the Classic in 2012 so that it could be brought back to Lorman, Mississippi.

## College Football Hall of Fame members

* Marino Casem
* Steve McNair
* Dennis Thomas

## Alumni in the NFL

Over 50 Alcorn State alumni have played in the NFL, including:
* Milton Barney
* Charles Coleman
* Donald Driver
* Smith Reed
* Leonard Fairley
* Leslie Frazier
* Marcus Hinton
* Billy Howard
* Nate Hughes
* Garry Lewis
* Steve McNair
* Bryant Mix
* Lawrence Pillers
* Elex Price
* Jack Spinks
* John Thierry
* Roynell Young
* Henry Bradley
* Willie Young
* Jimmie Giles

## Head coaches

Alcorn State has seen 21 head football coaches over its history. The program was most recently led by Fred McNair.
| Coach | Seasons | Record | Win Pct. |
| Octavius T. Henderson | 1921 | 4–0 | 1.000 |
| O.A. Ross | 1922–1933 | 44–15–11 | 0.629 |
| W. Morton | 1934–1935 | 1–7–1 | 0.125 |
| A. A. Abraham | 1936, 1938, 1941–1942 | 14–8–7 | 0.483 |
| L. Harris | 1937, 1939–1940 | 10–10–1 | 0.476 |
| J. Anderson | 1945 | 0.2 | 0.000 |
| Reuben Alba | 1946 | 1–8 | 0.111 |
| W. Felix "Lerroy" Harris | 1947 | 9–1 | 0.900 |
| Dwight Fisher | 1948–1956 | 52–35–7 | 0.553 |
| W. Broadus | 1957 | 0–5 | 0.000 |
| E. E. Simmons | 1958–1959 | 3–14 | 0.176 |
| Franklin Purnell | 1960–1963 | 14–20 | 0.412 |
| Marino Casem | 1964–1985 | 138–71–8 | 0.636 |
| Theo Danzy | 1986–1990 | 26–22 | 0.542 |
| Cardell Jones | 1991–1997 | 41–32–3 | 0.539 |
| Johnny Thomas | 1998–2007 | 48–61 | 0.440 |
| Ernest T. Jones | 2008 | 2–10 | 0.167 |
| Earnest Collins | 2009–2010 | 8–12 | 0.400 |
| Melvin Spears | 2011 | 2–8 | 0.200 |
| Jay Hopson | 2012–2015 | 19–17 | 0.528 |
| Fred McNair | 2016–2023 | 48–33 | 0.593 |

## Future non-conference opponents

Announced schedules as of February 27, 2025
| 2025 | 2026 | 2027 | 2028 |
| at Northwestern State | at Southern Miss | at McNeese | at Ole Miss |
| at Alabama A&M | McNeese | | |
| at Mississippi State | | | |
| Lincoln (CA) | | | |