Football

The Illinois State football team came up one point short in the national championship game in Nashville two weeks ago, but athletics director Jeri Beggs says the university came out a winner in many ways.

ISU Athletics hosted the event to commemorate the record-breaking season and a feat that has only been achieved once before in school history. At the Jan. 5 game, No. 2 Montana State bested the Redbirds 35-34 in overtime.

From a three-win program to a second national championship appearance, Brock Spack has redefined Redbird football through a decade and a half of culture-shifting leadership. Hear from the players and voices who have been there since the beginning as ISU prepares for a historic title game in Nashville.

Dozens of fans in red used signs, noisemakers and chants to show support as ISU players walked through the stadium concourse on the way to their buses Friday.

From lakeside resets to record-setting catches, Illinois State star receiver Daniel Sobkowicz has gone from preferred walk-on to playoff touchdown machine, leading the Redbirds into Monday night’s FCS national championship game.

Although it’s the first-ever meeting between these two programs, the Redbirds will face a familiar, tough Missouri Valley-style of play as they battle for the FCS title.

From heartbreak in 2014 to a historic run in 2025, the Illinois State "road warriors" are headed back to the national championship. Former Redbird stars are passing the torch and heading to Nashville to watch this resilient team finish what they started a decade ago.

The Illinois State football team is headed to the FCS national championship game on Monday, Jan. 5, in Nashville. Here’s what fans should know if they plan to watch or travel to the game.

On the heels of Illinois State football’s trip to the Football Championship Subdivision title game, the athletics department has announced a $2.5 million gift to the football program.

The Redbirds will next face Montana State in the FCS national championship game Jan. 5 in Nashville. Coach Brock Spack said Saturday's win is a real "shot in the arm" for the ISU Athletics program.