Central State Marauders
SIACXenia, OHMcPherson Memorial Stadium
2026: 4–3 (4–1 SIAC). Last: beat Tuskegee 27–19 at home. Next: at Miles, Saturday, Oct 24, 3 p.m. ET.
- L 14–41Kentucky State
- L 26–48at Grambling
- W 49–21at Morehouse
- L 35–41at Arkansas–Pine Bluff
- W 38–6at Lane College
- W 45–32Fort Valley State
- W 27–19Tuskegee
- Oct 24at Miles
- Oct 31Edward Waters
- Nov 7at Benedict
Central State has played football since at least 1974 and is 20–60 in the 80 games on record. The College Football Hall of Fame holds 1 coach from Central State. This season, they’re 4–3.
On this date in 2024Central State lost to Lane College 27–24 on the road.
Résumé
- Record on file
- 20–60 .250; how we count
- Postseason
- 0–0 bowls, title games, playoff
- AP No. 1 finishes
- 0
- Weeks at No. 1
- 0 of 0 ranked
- Elo now
- 1117
- Seasons
- 22 since 1974, 80 games
2026 season 4–3
RosterFull 2026 season| Date | Opponent | Result | Elo |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aug 29 | vsKentucky State | L 14–41 | 37% |
| Sep 5 | at Grambling | L 26–48 | 14% |
| Sep 12 | atMorehouse | W 49–21 | 47% |
| Sep 19 | at Arkansas–Pine Bluff | L 35–41 | 27% |
| Sep 26 | atLane College | W 38–6 | 63% |
| Oct 3 | vsFort Valley State | W 45–32 | 49% |
| Oct 10 | vsTuskegee | W 27–19 | 60% |
| Oct 24 | atMiles | Preview | 45% |
| Oct 31 | vsEdward Waters | Preview | 45% |
| Nov 7 | atBenedict | Preview | 20% |
Elo: a pregame chance from scores alone.
This season, game by game
Players
The 2026 rosterOn the 2026 team
Program strength since 1974
Best seasons everMost-played series
All rivalries- Dayton
1–6 in 7
Lost the last six.
- Kentucky State
2–5 in 7
Lost the last three.
- Tuskegee
1–5 in 6
Won the last one.
| Opponent | Games | CNSU record |
|---|---|---|
| Dayton | 7 | 1–6 |
| Kentucky State | 7 | 2–5 |
| Tuskegee | 6 | 1–5 |
| Lane College | 6 | 3–3 |
| Miles | 5 | 0–5 |
Every opponent (35)
Every program Central State has played, A to Z, with Central State’s record against it. Each links to the series, game by game.
- Akron 0–1
- Alabama A&M 0–3
- Albany State 0–2
- Allen 1–3
- Arkansas–Pine Bluff 1–1
- Austin Peay 0–1
- Benedict 0–1
- Bluefield State 0–1
- Clark Atlanta 1–1
- Dayton 1–6
- Edward Waters 1–2
- Fort Valley State 2–2
- Grambling 0–1
- Grand Valley State 0–1
- Hampton 0–1
- Kentucky Christian 0–1
- Kentucky State 2–5
- Lane College 3–3
- Lincoln (PA) 1–1
- Miles 0–5
- Mississippi Valley State 1–0
- Morehead State 0–1
- Morehouse 1–1
- Morgan State 0–1
- North Carolina Central 0–2
- Northern Iowa 0–1
- Robert Morris 0–1
- Savannah State 3–0
- Shaw 0–1
- Southern 0–1
- Tennessee State 0–1
- Texas Southern 0–2
- Tuskegee 1–5
- Winston-Salem State 1–0
- Youngstown State 0–1
Black college football
Black college national titles 7
- 1983
- 1986
- 1987
- 1988
- 1989
- 1990
- 1992
Who named them
- 1983 12–1: Jet (Frank T. Bannister, Jr.)—Paul Robeson Perpetual Trophy (NCAA Division II)
- 1986 10–1–1: Atlanta Daily World & 100% Wrong Club–W. A. Scott II Memorial Trophy (1953–1992, 2010); Coca-Cola National Historical Black College Football Championship Award (1993–2009); Jet (Frank T. Bannister, Jr.)—Paul Robeson Perpetual Trophy; Sheridan Broadcasting Network (Sheridan Poll) (NCAA Division II)
- 1987 10–1–1: Jet (Frank T. Bannister, Jr.)—Paul Robeson Perpetual Trophy; Sheridan Broadcasting Network (Sheridan Poll) (NAIA)
- 1988 11–2: Atlanta Daily World & 100% Wrong Club–W. A. Scott II Memorial Trophy (1953–1992, 2010); Coca-Cola National Historical Black College Football Championship Award (1993–2009); Los Angeles Football Classic Foundation (Fred H. Cooper)–Eddie G. Robinson Trophy; Sheridan Broadcasting Network (Sheridan Poll) (NAIA)
- 1989 10–3: Atlanta Daily World & 100% Wrong Club–W. A. Scott II Memorial Trophy (1953–1992, 2010); Coca-Cola National Historical Black College Football Championship Award (1993–2009); Sheridan Broadcasting Network (Sheridan Poll) (NAIA)
- 1990 11–1: Atlanta Daily World & 100% Wrong Club–W. A. Scott II Memorial Trophy (1953–1992, 2010); Coca-Cola National Historical Black College Football Championship Award (1993–2009); Jet (Frank T. Bannister, Jr.)—Paul Robeson Perpetual Trophy; Sheridan Broadcasting Network (Sheridan Poll) (won NAIA Division I Champion Bowl National Championship)
- 1992 12–1: Atlanta Daily World & 100% Wrong Club–W. A. Scott II Memorial Trophy (1953–1992, 2010); Coca-Cola National Historical Black College Football Championship Award (1993–2009) (won NAIA Division I Champion Bowl National Championship)
Black College Football Hall of Fame: 3 inductees from Central State.
Black college national champions as Wikipedia’s list gives each season’s selections since 1920 (the black press’s polls, bowls and later media polls; some seasons have several). Black college football history: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA).
In the Hall of Fame
Every inductee- Players
- 0
- Coaches
- 1
| 2007 | Billy Joe coach, career 1972–2004 |
In the NFL Draft
By college- Drafted, rounds 1–7
- 8 since 1972
- First-round picks
- 1
| 1995 | Hugh Douglas DE | No. 16, New York Jets |
Season by season
National champions| Season | Record | Conf. | AP pre | AP final | Coach | Elo | SP+ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 4–3 | 4–1 | 1117 | ||||
| 2025 | 3–7 | 3–5 | 1005 | ||||
| 2024 | 1–9 | 1–7 | 964 | ||||
| 2023 | 5–5 | 4–4 | 1085 | ||||
| 2022 | 3–7 | 2–5 | 952 | ||||
| 2021 | 1–9 | 0–8 | 957 | ||||
| 2019 | 0–1 | 1119 | |||||
| 2018 | 0–1 | 1134 | |||||
| 2017 | 1–0 | 1149 | |||||
| 2016 | 0–1 | 1119 | |||||
| 2014 | 0–1 | 1115 | |||||
| 2012 | 0–1 | 1103 | |||||
| 2011 | 0–4 | 1064 | |||||
| 2010 | 0–2 | 1120 | |||||
| 2009 | 0–2 | 1118 | |||||
| 2008 | 0–3 | 1139 | |||||
| 2007 | 0–1 | 1170 | |||||
| 2006 | 0–1 | 1180 | |||||
| 2005 | 1–0 | 1186 | |||||
| 1977 | 0–1 | 1173 | |||||
| 1975 | 0–1 | 1180 | |||||
| 1974 | 1–0 | 1213 |
No season on file for 1976, 1978–2004, 2013, 2015, 2020: the program may not have played, or our source may be missing them.
All 22 seasons on file are complete, game by game: every win and loss in the record has its game here.
Records are computed from every game on file at CollegeFootballData.com, whose coverage of the earliest seasons can be incomplete. Elo is this site’s own rating; see how it works on the records page.