CLEVELAND, Miss. – The 2025 football season marks the 25-year anniversary of Delta State's NCAA Division II National Championship on Dec. 9, 2000. Football alumni have been invited back to campus for Homecoming on Oct. 18, as athletics celebrates the historic milestone.

A reception will be held in the Dorgan Center starting at 12 p.m. for former players and their families. The 2000 team players will be recognized on the field during the game.

Click HERE to register for the reunion and to purchase a 25th anniversary t-shirt.



A Look Back at Greatness: Excerpts from the News
In its 75th year, Delta State University claimed the school's first football national championship with a 63-34 victory over Bloomsburg (Pa.) University. Delta State went into the contest 14-1 overall with a Gulf South Conference Championship, broke NCAA Division II championship game records for first downs (36), rushing yards (524), total yards (649) and points (63). Josh Bright, who the week prior was awarded the Conerly Trophy as Mississippi's top collegiate player, put an exclamation point on the end of his amazing season, rushing for 175 yards and three touchdowns. A near-perfect offensive assault, the Statesmen racked up 649 yards of offense, 524 on the ground, before a crowd of 7,000 at Braly Stadium in Florence, Ala., and an ESPN televised audience.

How dominating was the victory? Delta State scored on eight of its first nine possessions. Punter Blake Koenigsberger punted only once, and a penalty erased it. At the time, an option or Veer team had won 13 of the last 18 Division II national championships; however, none of those teams had one that executed any better than Delta State.

"It feels great!" said Delta State linebacker Andre Brown, as he clung to the trophy. "This is what you dream about, being No. 1. It's been remarkable the way this team has come together. We believed in Coach Campbell, and we made it where we wanted to go. And we're at the top of the mountain now!"

Delta State's Scoring Summary
1^st Quarter

• Bright scored on a 35-yard run with 9:55 left to cap a 5-play, 62-yard drive. Kicker Billy Dorgan missed the PAT. Key play: an 18-yard run by slot back Tanny Flowers (BU 7, DSU 6)
• Bright scored on a 7-yard run with 5:04 left to cap an 11-play, 54-yard drive. Bright completed 2-point conversion pass to WR James Grubbs. Key play: The Statesmen recovered an onside kick (DSU 14, BU 7)

2^nd Quarter

• Flowers scored on a 1-yard run with 12:17 left to cap an 11-play, 75-yard drive. Dorgan kicked the PAT. Key play: a 21-yard pass from QB Jeff Smith to WR Jason Franklin (DSU 21, BU 14)
• FB Rico McDonald, scored on a 1-yard run with 7:26 left to cap a 9-play, 50-yard drive. Dorgan kicked the PAT. Key play: a 15-yard pass from Bright to McDonald on 3^rd-and 14. (DSU 28, BU 14)
• Franklin scored on a 9-yard run with 2:15 left to cap a 10-play, 65-yard drive. Dorgan kicked the PAT. Key play: Brown recovered a fumble by BU (DSU 35, BU 14)

3^rd Quarter

• RB Deforest Hart scored on a 2-yard run with 8:28 left to cap a 7-play, 65-yard drive. Dorgan kicked the PAT. Key play: A 28-yard run by Bright (DSU 42, BU 21)
• Bright scored on a 25-yard run with 3:51 left to cap a 4-play, 62-yard drive. Dorgan kicked the PAT. Key play: a 32-yard run by Hart (DSU 49, BU 28)

4^th Quarter

• Flowers scored on a 7-yard run with 12:03 left to cap a 12-play, 74-yard drive. Dorgan kicked the PAT. Key play: Bright threw a 22-yard pass to Jody Jennings (DSU 56, BU 28)
• FB Gary Smith scored on an 18-yard run with 5:26 left to cap a 6-play, 73-yard drive. Dorgan kicked the PAT. Key play: 29-yard run by Hart (DSU 63, BU 38)