The Central State Marauders football team represents Central State University, located in Wilberforce, Ohio, in NCAA Division II college football. Under prior university names and nicknames, the team was previously known as the Wilberforce State Green Wave and the Central State Green Wave.
The Marauders, who began playing football in 1947, compete as members of the Great Midwest Athletic Conference.
Central State experienced much success in Division II and NAIA during the 1980s through 1995 under then head football coaches, William "Billy" Joe (1981 to 1993) and Rick Comegy (1993 to 1996).
Under Billy Joe, the Marauders were NCAA Division II runners-up in 1983 and won the NAIA Football National Championship (Division I) in 1990 and 1992. Under Comegy, a former assistant coach under Joe, the Marauders won the NAIA Football National Championship (Division I) in 1995. The heyday of Central State football ended in the late 1990s when the university administration was forced to drop the football program in 1997 due to financial difficulties and a significant drop of enrollment. In 2005, under new administration leadership of president Dr. John W. Garland, Esq, (Class of 1971), the university reinstated the Central State Marauder football program.
The Marauders have made four appearances in the NCAA Division II playoffs, with a combined record of 3âÂÂ4.
The Marauders made nine appearances in the NAIA playoffs, with a combined record of 14âÂÂ6 and three national championships.
Notable Marauder alumni who went on to play in the National Football League include: