UT Martin Skyhawks football
| UT Martin Skyhawks football | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| |||
| First season | 1925 | ||
| Athletic director | Kurt McGuffin | ||
| Head coach | Jason Simpson 20th season, 129–96 (.573) | ||
| Location | Martin, Tennessee | ||
| Stadium | Graham Stadium (capacity: 7,500) | ||
| NCAA division | Division I FCS | ||
| Conference | OVC–Big South | ||
| Colors | Navy blue, orange, and white[1] | ||
| All-time record | 295–388–6 (.433) | ||
| Bowl record | 1–0 (1.000) | ||
| Conference championships | |||
| MVC: 1936, 1937 VSAC: 1960 GSC: 1988 OVC: 2006, 2021, 2022 OVC–Big South: 2023, 2024 | |||
| Website | utmsports.com | ||
The UT Martin Skyhawks football program is the intercollegiate American football team for the University of Tennessee at Martin in Martin, Tennessee. The team competes in the NCAA Division I Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) as a member of the Ohio Valley Conference (OVC). The school's first football team was fielded in 1925, while known as Hall-Moody Junior College (later changing it to University of Tennessee Junior College in 1927, which they kept until 1950). The team plays its home games at the 7,500 seat Graham Stadium. They are coached by Jason Simpson.[2]
UT Martin's official mascot became the Skyhawks in 1995. The school lists three references regarding the name, such as the fact that when the school's first site was a Bible institute, the school's athletic teams were called "sky pilots", a frontier term for preachers. During World War II, UT Junior College contracted with the Naval War Training Service to help train pilots, who completed their flight training at a nearby general aviation airport now near a high school. Also, Red-tail hawks are indigenous to the West Tennessee region. The previous names of the athletic team were the Junior Volunteers and the Pacers.
History
Classifications
- 1961–1972: NCAA College Division
- 1973–1991: NCAA Division II
- 1992–present: NCAA Division I–AA/FCS
Conference memberships
- 1925–1927: Independent
- 1928–1950: Mississippi Valley Conference
- 1951–1970: Volunteer State Athletic Conference
- 1970–1971: Mid-South Athletic Conference
- 1972–1989: Gulf South Conference
- 1990–1991: NCAA Division II Independent
- 1992–present: Ohio Valley Conference
Conference championships
UT Martin has won seven conference championships, four outright and three shared.[3]
| Season | Conference | Coach | Overall Record | Conference Record |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1936 | Mississippi Valley Conference | W. E. Derryberry | 8–0 | n/a |
| 1937 | 6–2–1 | n/a | ||
| 1960 | Volunteer State Athletic Conference | Bob Carroll | 7–3 | n/a |
| 1988† | Gulf South Conference | Don McLeary | 11–2 | 7–1 |
| 2006† | Ohio Valley Conference | Jason Simpson | 9–3 | 6–1 |
| 2021 | 10–3 | 5–1 | ||
| 2022† | 7–4 | 5–0 | ||
| 2023† | Big South–OVC Football Association | 8–3 | 5–1 | |
| 2024† | 8–4 | 6–2 |
† denotes co-championship
Playoff appearances
NCAA Division I-AA/FCS
The Skyhawks have appeared in the FCS playoffs three times with an overall record of 2–3.
| Year | Round | Opponent | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006 | First Round | Southern Illinois | L 30–36 |
| 2021 | First Round Second Round |
Missouri State Montana State |
W 32–31 L 7–26 |
| 2024 | First Round Second Round |
New Hampshire Montana State |
W 41–10 L 17–49 |
NCAA Division II
The Skyhawks have appeared in the Division II playoffs one time with an overall record of 1–1.
| Year | Round | Opponent | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1988 | First Round Quarterfinals |
Butler Texas A&I |
W 23–6 L 0–34 |
Notable former players
Notable alumni include:
Future non-conference opponents
Announced schedules as of January 13, 2026.[4]
| 2026 | 2027 | 2028 | 2029 | 2030 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Central Arkansas | at Central Arkansas | at Central Arkansas | Central Arkansas | at North Alabama |
| Chicago State | Indiana State | at Alabama | North Alabama | at Indiana State |
| at West Virginia | at UCF | |||
| at Memphis | at Ball State | |||
| at Austin Peay |
References
- ^ "UT Martin Artsheet" (PDF). UTMSports.com. March 10, 2022. Retrieved May 2, 2022.
- ^ "2017 UT Martin Football Media Guide by UT Martin Skyhawk Athletics - Issuu". Archived from the original on February 28, 2023. Retrieved February 13, 2018.
- ^ "2017 UT Martin Football Media Guide by UT Martin Skyhawk Athletics - Issuu". Archived from the original on February 28, 2023. Retrieved February 13, 2018.
- ^ "UT Martin Skyhawks Football Future Schedules". FBSchedules.com. Retrieved January 13, 2026.