Morehead State Eagles football
| Morehead State Eagles football | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| |||
| First season | 1927 | ||
| Athletic director | Kelly Wells | ||
| Head coach | Jason Woodman 2nd season, 13–11 (.542) | ||
| Location | Morehead, Kentucky | ||
| Stadium | Phil Simms Stadium (capacity: 10,000) | ||
| NCAA division | Division I FCS | ||
| Conference | Pioneer Football League | ||
| Colors | Blue and gold[1] | ||
| All-time record | 382–520–22 (.425) | ||
| Conference championships | |||
| OVC: 1962, 1966 | |||
| Conference division championships | |||
| PFL South: 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005 | |||
| Website | MSUEagles.com | ||
The Morehead State Eagles football program is the intercollegiate American football team for Morehead State University located in the U.S. state of Kentucky. The team competes in the NCAA Division I Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) and are members of the Pioneer Football League, the only public school in the conference. Morehead State's first football team was fielded in 1927. The team plays its home games at the 10,000 seat Phil Simms Stadium (historically Jayne Stadium) in Morehead, Kentucky.
History
Classifications
- 1962–1972: NCAA College Division
- 1973–1977: NCAA Division II
- 1978–present: NCAA Division I–AA/FCS
Conference memberships
- 1924–1928: Independent
- 1929–1932: West Virginia Intercollegiate Athletic Conference
- 1933: Independent
- 1934–1941: Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Association
- 1942–1945: Independent
- 1946–1947: Kentucky Intercollegiate Athletic Conference
- 1948–1995: Ohio Valley Conference
- 1996–2000: NCAA Division I-AA independent
- 2001–present: Pioneer Football League
Championships
Conference championships
Morehead State has won two conference championships, one shared and one outright.[2]
| Season | Coach | Conference | Overall record | Conference record |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1962† | Guy D. Penny | Ohio Valley Conference | 5–3 | 4–2 |
| 1966 | Guy D. Penny | Ohio Valley Conference | 7–2 | 6–1 |
† co-champions
Divisional championships
From 2001 to 2005, the Pioneer Football League was divided into North and South Divisions. As winners of the Pioneer Football League's South Division, Morehead State has made four appearances in the Pioneer Football League Championship Game, in 2002, 2003, 2004, and 2005. Morehead State shared the Division title with Jacksonville in 2004, but the tie-breaker allowed the Eagles to represent the division in the championship game.
| Season | Coach | Division | Opponent | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2002 | Matt Ballard | PFL South | Dayton | L 0–28 |
| 2003 | Matt Ballard | PFL South | Valparaiso | L 42–54 |
| 2004 | Matt Ballard | PFL South† | Drake | L 17–20 |
| 2005 | Matt Ballard | PFL South | San Diego | L 40–47 |
† Denotes co-champions
Notable former players
Notable alumni include:
- QB Mike Gottfried (1962–1965)
- C Nick Nighswander (1970–1973)
- TE Gary Shirk (1970–1973)
- QB Phil Simms (1975–1978)
- LB Rob Lyttle (1994)
- DB Greg Bright (1976–1980)
- LB Zack Moore (1996–1998)
- QB David Dinkins (1998–2000)
- DB David Hyland (2005–2008)
- DL Derik Steiner (2006–2009)
Future non-conference opponents
Announced schedules as of March 6, 2026.[3]
| 2026 | 2027 | 2028 |
|---|---|---|
| Kentucky Christian | at Tennessee Tech | at Tennessee Tech |
| at Austin Peay | at North Dakota | |
| at Western Illinois | ||
References
- ^ "Morehead State University :: Brand and Style Guide". Retrieved December 27, 2022.
- ^ "FootballRecords_011817 (PDF) - Morehead State University Athletics" (PDF). www.msueagles.com. Retrieved July 14, 2025.
- ^ "Morehead State Eagles Football Future Schedules". FBSchedules.com. Retrieved March 6, 2026.