The Lincoln Blue Tigers football program represents Lincoln University in college football and competes in the Division II level of the National Collegiate Athletics Association (NCAA). In 2014, Lincoln became an affiliate member of the Great Lakes Valley Conference, returning to Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association in 2019. Lincoln competed in the Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association from 1970 to 1989 and 2011 to 2013, while primarily remaining as member of that conference. LU's home games are played at Dwight T. Reed Stadium in Jefferson City, Missouri. The programs maintains an all time record of 248–453–25.[2]
| Lincoln Blue Tigers football | |
|---|---|
 | |
| First season | 1898; 126 years ago |
| Athletic director | Tim Abney |
| Head coach | Moses Harper 1st season, 1–4 (.200) |
| Stadium | Dwight T. Reed Stadium (capacity: 5,500) |
| Year built | 1971 |
| Field surface | Astroturf |
| Location | Jefferson City, Missouri |
| NCAA division | Division II |
| Conference | Independent |
| Past conferences | Central States Football League Great Lakes Valley Conference The MIAA |
| All-time record | 248–453–25 (.359) |
| Bowl record | 1–1–0 (.500) |
| Conference titles | 5 |
| Colors | Navy blue and white[1] |
| Website | lubluetigers.com |
Conference affiliations
edit- 1898–1931: Independent
- 1932–1969: Midwest Athletic Association
- 1970–1989: Missouri Intercollegiate Athletic Association
- 1990–1999: No team
- 2000: Central States Football League
- 2001–2006: NCAA Division II Independent
- 2007–2009: Great Lakes Football Conference
- 2010: NCAA Division II Independent
- 2011–2013: Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association
- 2014–2018: Great Lakes Valley Conference
- 2019–2022: Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association
- 2023: NCAA Division II Independent
- 2024–future: Great Lakes Valley Conference
Venues
editPrior to 1936, the Lincoln football team played their home games where Jason Gym is now located. In 1915 this field was known as West Athletic Field.[3] The team played on Lincoln Field from 1936 to 1970. This field was home to four conference championship teams between 1952 and 1962. Lincoln Field is now called the practice field.
The Blue Tigers have played their home games at Dwight T. Reed Stadium since 1971. Reed Stadium was named for a Dwight T. Reed, who coached the team from 1949 to 1972. The current capacity of the stadium is at 3,000 but the university lists it at 5,500.[4][5]
Championships
editConference championship seasons
edit| Year | Conference | Coach | Overall record | Conference record | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1952† | Midwest Athletic Association | 8–0–1 | 4–0–1 | |||
| 1953[6] | Midwest Athletic Association | 8–0–1 | 4–0–1 | |||
| 1958 | Midwest Athletic Association | 7–1 | 3–0 | |||
| 1962 [7] | Midwest Athletic Association | 5–3–1 | 2–0–1 | |||
| 1972† [8] | Missouri Intercollegiate Athletic Association | Dwight T. Reed | 9–1 | 5–1 | ||
| Total conference championships: | 5 | |||||
| † Denotes co-champions | ||||||
Postseason appearances
edit| No. | Season | Game | Result | Opponent | Stadium | Location |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1946 | Prairie View Bowl | L 0–14 [9] | Prairie View | Buffalo Stadium | Houston, Texas |
| 2 | 1958 | Mineral Water Bowl | W 21–0 | Emporia State | Roosevelt Stadium | Excelsior Springs, Missouri |
Retired numbers
edit| Lincoln Blue Tigers retired numberd | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. | Player | Pos. | Tenure | Ref. | |
| 20 | Lemar Parrish | CB | 1966–1969 | [10] | |
Team records and statistics
editIn the national polls
editHBCU polls
edit| Season | Pittsburgh Courier rank | ANP rank | Overall record | Conference record | Head coach |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1946 | 6 | 5–3–1 | 1–1–1 | Ray Kemp | |
| 1947 | 13 | 3–4–1 | 1–3–1 | Ray Kemp | |
| 1951 | 10 | 7–2 | 1–2 | Dwight T. Reed | |
| 1952 | 2 | 8–0–1 | 4–0–1 | Dwight T. Reed | |
| 1953 | 4 | 8–0–1 | 4–0–1 | Dwight T. Reed | |
| 1954 | 16 | 4–3–1 | 3–2 | Dwight T. Reed | |
| 1955 | 10 | 5–3 | 3–1 | Dwight T. Reed | |
| 1957 | 5 | 8–1 | 2–1 | Dwight T. Reed | |
| 1958 | 5 | 4 | 7–1 | 3–0 | Dwight T. Reed |
| 1959 | 11 | 7–2–1 | 0–2–1 | Dwight T. Reed | |
| 1962 | 16 | 5–3–1 | 2–0–1 | Dwight T. Reed | |
| 1964 | 5 | 8–2 | 2–1 | Dwight T. Reed | |
| 1968 | 5 | 8–2 | Dwight T. Reed |
References
edit- ^ This Is Lincoln. A guide to branding our Lincoln University. Retrieved May 1, 2020.
- ^ http://fs.ncaa.org/Docs/stats/football_records/2017/D2.pdf [bare URL PDF]
- ^ Lincoln University, MO (1915). 1915 Lincoln University Yearbook. Senior Class of Lincoln Institute. p. 44-47.
- ^ "2017 Lincoln Blue Tigers Football Media Guide". Lincoln University. 2017. Retrieved March 5, 2018.
- ^ "LU - Lincoln (Mo.) Stadium (Dwight T. Reed Stadium)". www.d2football.com. Archived from the original on 2008-05-11.
- ^ "The Golden Dozen of 1953". The Pittsburgh Courier. 19 December 1953. p. 15.
- ^ "L.U. Grid Defense Ranked High Among NAIA Schools". Jefferson City Post Tribune. Jefferson City, MO. 27 December 1962.
- ^ "Lincoln Romps To 40-0 Win, Ties for Crown". Independence Examiner. Independence, MO. 24 November 1972.
- ^ "Prairie View Takes Lincoln, 14 to 0". Austin, TX. 2 January 1947.
- ^ "Lemar Parrish to Enter the Black College Football Hall of Fame". lubluetigers.com. December 14, 2023. Retrieved June 8, 2024.