The first national championship appearance for Illinois State football in a decade has cemented the 2025 Redbirds as a team to remember.
While he would not entertain comparisons to the 2014-15 team previously, Coach Brock Spack said after Saturday's win that this year’s team is a special one.
“We've been through a lot and had some adversity, and that's why they're so tough on the road,” said Spack. The Redbirds won four straight games on the road in the FCS playoffs, making them the first to do so in FCS history.
“And now we're going back to the national championship. So I'm just very happy with how these guys come along.”
The team was led by quarterback Tommy Rittenhouse, whose 251 yards and 2 touchdowns were enough to surpass a school record for passing yards in a season [3,221] previously held by Tre Roberson, in 2014-15.
“Tre Roberson is probably the best athlete I've seen at Illinois State as a football player,” said Spack. “Tommy's becoming one of the greatest quarterbacks, you know, and he's having a great run.”
But Rittenhouse said the record is not something he is focused on as his team moves on.
“Definitely look back in a few years, look at those accolades, and really appreciate it,” said Rittenhouse. “But right now, I’m just going to really enjoy this one, enjoy being with the boys and celebrate.”
Many a big play in the Redbirds’ playoff run came from the playmaking ability of Daniel Sobkowicz. The receiver hauled in 7 catches for 97 yards Saturday, including a 53-yard touchdown pass in the first quarter.
“Sobkowicz turned down a lot of money last offseason. I know the number. It's staggering that he stayed because that's what college football is becoming now,” said Spack. “But these are his best friends.”
Impact on ISU
The Redbirds (12-4) will next face No. 2 Montana State in the FCS national championship game at 6:30 p.m. Monday, Jan. 5, in Nashville. The game will be televised on ESPN.
Spack said Saturday's win is a real "shot in the arm" for the ISU Athletics program.
“It's a tough world out here in mid-major sports, it's really hard,” said Spack. “And [with] the money they have to raise to keep our heads afloat, I think it maybe can make fundraising a little easier.”
Spack added it brings a lot of pride to a university to play in a game as big as the one that now lies ahead.
“And just all that publicity your university gets, it's just, it's free advertising that you normally couldn't have, and so that'll be good. I would assume that enrollment will be busting at the seams again.”
Plans for Nashville
The Redbirds’ national championship appearance will come with much more red in the crowd for the neutral-site game at FirstBank Stadium. By comparison, the ISU faithful only took up one section of Villanova Stadium on Saturday.
“We’ve been told we’ll get 4,300 tickets. We'll be sending out an interest form for all of our fans to see who's interested, how many tickets they want, and we'll go from there,” said Jeri Beggs, ISU's athletics director. “We’ve got a lot of planning to do.”
The ISU Ticket Office is now accepting ticket requests for the FCS championship game in Nashville. Tickets will be allocated to donors and season-ticket holders first, then the general public.
Beggs added the team was still in the planning phases of fan travel for the national championship as the team celebrated on the field postgame. ISU Athletics is already offering a charter bus travel package for fans looking to make the trip.
Spack said this opportunity was part of the reason for his staying at Illinois State.
“That was an undone business I've had in my career there,” said Spack. “And I thought it was really important to — I would have been unfulfilled [otherwise] — try and stick around.”
