Valdsota State will represent the Gulf South Conference in the 2024 NCAA Division II Football Championship game on Saturday, Dec. 21. Kickoff is scheduled for 1 pm CT from McKinney ISD Stadium in McKinney, Texas. This is the Blazers seventh title game appearance.
GULF SOUTH CONFERENCE FOOTBALL
GSC Stats | GSC Composite Schedule | NCAA Stats
DII Coaches Poll | GSC Record Book (prior to 2024 season)
GSC WEEKLY NOTES
DII PLAYOFF SCHEDULE (Bracket)
Sat., Dec 21 • Valdosta State vs Ferris State (ESPN2) — 1 pm CT
TWO GSC TEAMS IN THE PLAYOFFS
- For the 10th consecutive season, the GSC had two or more teams playing the NCAA Division II Football Championship – Valdosta State and West Alabama.
- In Super Region 2, Valdosta State was the top-seeded team, while West Alabama was the No. 3-seed.
- The Gulf South has had two or more teams participate in 27 of the last 30 playoffs, dating back to 1994. The 2014, 2017 and 2018 seasons had a league-best four teams.
GSC PLAYOFF HISTORY
- Since 2014, the GSC is 42-27 (.609) in the NCAA playoffs with two national titles (2018, 2019) during that time.
- All-time, the GSC is 144-87 (.623) with 13 of its 50 NCAA national titles coming from football.
- Since 1975, the Gulf South has participated in the playoff in each year with the lone exception of 1976.
GSC IN THE TITLE GAME
- The Gulf South is 13-9 all-time in national championship games. It has won three or more national titles in each of the last four decades.
- Including this season, the GSC has participated in six of the last eight national championship games, dating back to 2016. This is the conference’s 23rd national championship game appearance.
- The GSC’s first time title game appearance was in 1977 (Jacksonville State vs. Lehigh).
- The league’s first title was won by Troy State in 1984 against North Dakota State in McAllen, Texas. Valdosta State won the first national title game held in McKinney, Texas (2018). The last football national title for the GSC was won by West Florida in 2019 against Ferris State in McKinney.
NCAA DII CHAMPIONSHIP BREAKDOWN
The GSC has the most football national titles (13) and championship game appearances (22) of any conference in the history of Division II.
DII Championship Game Record (App.)
Gulf South — 13-9 (22)
Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletic — 8-7 (15)
North Central (defunct) — 8-4 (12)
Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic — 7-4 (11)
DII Independents — 3-4 (7)
Lone Star — 3-1 (4)
Northern Sun — 2-2 (4)
Great American — 1-0 (1)
Rocky Mountain — 1-2 (3)
Summit (current DI-FCS) — 1-2 (3)
California Collegiate — 1-0 (1)
Big Sky (current DI-FCS) — 1-0 (1)
Southland (current DI-FCS) — 1-0 (1)
South Atlantic — 0-4 (4)
Pennsylvania State Athletic — 0-3 (3)
Ohio Valley (current DI-FCS) — 0-2 (2)
Western Football (defunct) — 0-2 (2)
Central Intercollegiate Athletic — 0-1 (1)
Mountain East — 0-1 (1)
Northern California (defunct) — 0-1 (1)
AGAINST THE REST
The GSC has faced nine conferences in the national title game and has a .500 or better performance against seven leagues.
GSC vs. Other Leagues in the Title Game
vs. Pennsylvania State Athletic — 2-0 (1.000)
vs. Central Intercollegiate Athletic — 1-0 (1.000)
vs. Western Football (defunct) — 1-0 (1.000)
vs. Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletic — 4-2 (.667)
vs. North Central (defunct) — 1-1 (.500)
vs. Northern Sun — 1-1 (.500)
vs. Lone Star — 1-1 (.500)
vs. Great Lakes Intercollegiate — 1-2 (.333)
vs. DII Independents — 0-1 (.000)
WHAT A VALDOSTA STATE WIN WOULD MEAN...
- ...the GSC’s 56th team national title since it began in 1970 and its 51st NCAA title.
- ...the Blazers tie North Alabama for most playoffs win by a program (35) in GSC history.
- ...the fourth time a GSC team to won a national title and finish 14-0 (1993 North Alabama, 1995 North Alabama, 2018 Valdosta State).
- ...will be the fifth D2 football national title for the Blazers, tying them with North Dakota State for second most all-time.
VALDOSTA STATE’S TREMAINE JACKSON AWARDED AFCA DIVISION II COACH OF THE YEAR
Valdosta State’s Tremaine Jackson became 12th GSC head coach to be named Division II National Coach of the Year by the American Football Coaches Association (AFCA). He is the conference’s first honoree since West Florida’s Pete Shinnick in 2017 and the third Blazer coach, following Chris Hatcher (2004) and David Dean (2007, 2012).
HARLON HILL FINALIST
For second consecutive season Sammy Edwards was named as a finalist for the Harlon Hill Trophy. Among the initial list of nominees, 43 players across Division II were nominated. In addition to Edwards, the GSC was represented by Delta State running back Kelvin Smith and West Alabama defensive lineman Trevon Lambert.
GSC CELEBRATES 54TH SEASON
The 2024 season is the 54th season of Gulf South Conference football. The league was formed as football-only conference in 1970 as the Mid-South Conference, before renaming itself to the Gulf South Conference prior to the 1971 campaign.