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Southern Illinois Salukis football

The Southern Illinois Salukis football program represents Southern Illinois University Carbondale in college football. The Salukis are a member of the NCAA and compete at the Division I Football Championship Subdivision level (formerly known as NCAA Division I-AA). The Salukis are a member of the Missouri Valley Football Conference and play in Saluki Stadium on the campus of Southern Illinois University Carbondale in Carbondale, Illinois, which has a seating capacity of 15,000.

The Salukis are coached by Nick Hill, who was the starting quarterback for the Salukis in 2006 and 2007.

History

The first official season of Southern Illinois football took place in 1913. Their first game was a win against Anna High School.

In 1983, the Salukis began the year ranked 8th in the NCAA Division I-AA rankings. They finished the regular season ranked #1 with a record of 10–1. In their three playoff games, they outscored their opponents by an average of 23 points. They defeated Western Carolina 43–7 in the National Championship Game to finish the year with a record of 13–1 and to be crowned national champtions.

In 2006, the Salukis defeated Indiana University in Bloomington, Indiana, 35–28, becoming the first Missouri Valley Football Conference (MVFC) school to win against a Big Ten Conference member. In 2007, the Salukis were victorious against Northern Illinois University. This marked the second consecutive year that SIU had beaten an FBS program.

In the 2000s, SIU set then-MVFC records with 99 consecutive weeks ranked in the top-25 and 14-straight MVFC wins.

Conference affiliations

Postseason games

The Salukis have appeared in two bowl games, compiling a 2–0 record.

Bowl games

Division I-AA/FCS playoffs

The Salukis have appeared in 17 playoff games in I-AA/FCS tournaments, compiling a record of 11–10. They won the I-AA national championship in 1983.

Championships

Conference championships

Southern Illinois has won nine conference championships, five outright.

† denotes co-champion

National championships

Players

Salukis in the NFL

SIU has had 28 players drafted in the NFL Draft, including four since 2010. In total, 36 Saluki football players have gone on to play in the NFL. Some notable Salukis in the NFL are listed below.

2019)

All-Americans

Cornell Craig is the school's all-time leading receiver and first receiver in school history to earn consensus All-American honors (1999). His senior season he led the nation in receiving with 77 receptions for 1,419 yards and 15 touchdowns. He also amassed over 2,000 all-purpose yards as a senior. His career numbers (all Saluki records) are 207 receptions, 3,508 yards, and 37 touchdowns. He was inducted into the SIU Athletic Hall of Fame in 2008 and is also honored on Missouri Valley Conference's 25th anniversary team along with three other Salukis.

Assistant coaches who became head coaches

Home venue

SIU Football plays at the 15,000-seat Saluki Stadium, which replaced McAndrew Stadium, the home of Saluki Football since 1938. Saluki Stadium opened on September 2, 2010 when a sellout crowd of 15,200 watched the Salukis defeat Quincy 70–7.

The Saluki Stadium is part of the university's larger athletic facilities plan, known as "Saluki Way," a comprehensive plan to renovate and restructure the campus athletic facilities.

Future non-conference opponents

Announced schedules as of December 12, 2025.

See also

References

External links