TERRE HAUTE, Ind. – Indiana State football is set to make its 2026 season debut under the lights at Memorial Stadium as the Sycamores welcome Southeast Missouri State on Saturday, August 29. Kickoff is set for 6 p.m. ET with the game to be carried live on ESPN+ and 105.5 The Legend.
Tickets & Tailgating
Tailgating and Clear Bag Policies
Indiana State Athletics tailgating and clear bag policies are in effect for the 2025-26 athletic year. The policies are consistent with other members in both the Missouri Valley Conference and Missouri Valley Football Conference.
Tailgating Policies |
Clear Bag Policy
2026 Indiana State Football Tickets On Sale Now
For information on season tickets, fans can contact Assistant Manager of Athletic Ticketing
Mason LaGrange by phone at 812-237-8972 or via email at
Mason.LaGrange@indstate.edu. Fans can also call 877-ISU-TIXS or email
ISU-Tickets@indstate.edu.
Game Day Activities and Promotions
Gates Open at 6 p.m.
Memorial Stadium Games will open one hour prior to kickoff this season with the exception of Homecoming (90 minutes prior).
Kids Club Day
Indiana State Athletics will host Kids Club pregame activities, including a Kid's Fan Tunnel on the field prior to the team running out of the tunnel.
Dr. Pepper Football Tailgate with JKO Media
Joey O'Rourke will be live outside the gates at Memorial Stadium with the 105.5 The Legend pregame show and will feature special guests throughout the evening leading up to gates opening.
Ford Tailgate and Game Day Sponsor
Ford Central Indiana Dealers is Saturday's Game Day Sponsor and will bring back out the Ford Superscreen to Memorial Stadium in the tailgate area. The massive screen will be parked outside the stadium showing video, highlights, and more with a vehicle display parked out front.
Buddy Walk/Nora's Warriors Honorary Coin Toss
Indiana State will have an honorary coin toss member as Nora Tanoos will join the Indiana State and SEMO captains on the field.
Game Preview
About the Matchup
Saturday's contest marks the first time Indiana State and SEMO have lined up against each other since the 2016 season and the 10th time overall in their respective program histories. The Sycamores are 5-4 all-time against the Redhawks dating back to the series opener in 1935.
The contest features the fifth time Indiana State will host SEMO at Memorial Stadium with the previous dates coming back in 1944, 1999, 2008, and 2015. The Sycamores are 3-1 all-time in Terre Haute against SEMO including winning back-to-back contests in 2015 and 2016 by scores of 29-28 and 27-24.
Against the Ohio Valley Conference
The Sycamores have lined up against four current members of the Ohio Valley Conference with Indiana State taking on Eastern Illinois, SEMO, Tennessee Tech, and Western Illinois over their program history.
Indiana State has a winning record over SEMO (5-4), is tied with Tennessee Tech (1-1), and is below .500 all-time against Eastern Illinois (41-46-4) and Western Illinois (19-26).
The Sycamores will take on Eastern Illinois on September 12 in Charleston, Ill. in their second contest against an Ohio Valley institution in the 2026 season. Indiana State and EIU have lined up nearly annually since the 2017 season with the Sycamores winning four of their last seven against the Panthers.
Sycamores in Home Openers
Indiana State is 5-3 all-time in their home openers under head coach
Curt Mallory dating back to his first season in 2017. The Sycamores have taken four of their last five home opening games dating back to the 2021 season, including last season's 41-24 win over McKendree.
The Sycamores picked up wins over Quincy (49-0, 2018), Eastern Illinois (26-21, 2021), North Alabama (17-14 (OT), 2022), Dayton (24-13, 2024), and McKendree (41-24, 2025) in their home opening contests over Mallory's tenure.
Sycamores in Season Openers
Indiana State is 4-4 in true season openers over Mallory's tenure, snapping a two-season losing streak last year with their 41-24 win over McKendree at Memorial Stadium. The Sycamores have lined up against two Power 4 opponents in their season opener in 2019 (Kansas) and 2024 (Purdue).
Indiana State is 4-2 overall in their season openers at home dating back to the 2017 season. The Sycamores fell to Eastern Illinois, 22-20, in 2017, while claiming wins over Quincy (2018), Eastern Illinois (2021), North Alabama (2022), and McKendree (2025).
2026 Team Captains Announced
Indiana State head football coach
Curt Mallory announced the 2026 football team captains following the player vote in the Sycamores' final team meeting of the fall preseason.
The six captains for the upcoming season are quarterback
Elijah Owens, wide receiver KeShon Singleton, offensive lineman
Drew Page, linebackers
Braxton Sampson and
Alex Rose, and defensive lineman
Kolten Gajewski. Owens, Page, and Sampson all repeat as captains after serving in the role in the 2025 season, with Owens garnering the nod for the third consecutive year after being selected prior to the 2024 season. Singleton, Rose, and Gajewski all receive the honor for the first time.
Phil Steele Preseason All-Missouri Valley Football Conference Team
Indiana State football placed eight on the Phil Steele Preseason All-MVFC Team announced in early August headlined by sophomore safety
Nic Yatsko.
Yatsko was the Sycamores lone First Team selection as the Freshman All-American safety returns to the field following a standout campaign. The Jerry Rice Award finalist was seventh in the MVFC in tackles per game (7.45) despite not earning a starting role until midway through the season.
The Terre Haute, Ind. native was joined on the list by seven Sycamores honored on the Second Team with KeShon Singleton (WR),
Drew Page (OL),
Jayden Childers (DL),
Xavian Andrews (DL),
Sebastian Lopez (PK),
Carson Weed (LS), and
Torey French (PR) all receiving recognition.
Eleven Sycamores Recognized on the MVFC Preseason Watch List
Indiana State football had 11 players recognized on the MVFC Preseason Watch List including Freshman All-American safety
Nic Yatsko.
Elijah Owens (QB),
Jayden Childers (DL),
Nic Yatsko (DB),
Kolten Gajewski (DL),
Jorge Valdes (DB), KeShon Singleton (WR),
Xavian Andrews (DB),
Braxton Sampson (LB),
Zach Simpson (OL),
Drew Page (OL), and
Mason Knipp (DL) all received recognition on the Watch List announced during the MVFC Media Day in Sioux Falls, S.D. in mid-July.
About SEMO
SEMO heads into the season receiving votes in both major NCAA FCS polls, sitting just outside the top 25 in both the STATS Perform and the AFCA. The Redhawks were selected second overall in the OVC Preseason Poll, accumulating 38 total points and one first-place vote. SEMO will take on a second MVFC opponent this season when they travel to Southern Illinois on September 12.
The Redhawks roster features 53 newcomers to the roster in the 2026 season. Six players were recognized on the OVC Preseason Player Watch List including running back Khyair Spain, offensive lineman Rashad Turner, wide receiver/kick returner Jobe Bryant, kicker Justin Keller, lineback Cole Dutkovich, and cornerback Adrian Patterson. SEMO is expected to start transfer quarterback Braylen Ragland after the signal caller came to the Redhawks following his time at Alabama State.
The Redhawks have posted a winning record in OVC play during six of the last eight seasons.
Follow the Sycamores
For the latest information on Sycamore Football, visit
GoSycamores.com. You can also find the team on social media, including
Twitter,
Facebook,
Instagram and
YouTube. Fans can also receive updates on Sycamore Athletics by downloading the March On App from both the
App Store and the
Google Play Store.
