2000 Illinois State Redbirds football team

2000 Illinois State Redbirds football
ConferenceGateway Football Conference
Ranking
Sports NetworkNo. 24
Record7–4 (4–2 Gateway)
Head coach
MVPRyan Szokola, Willie Watts
Home stadiumHancock Stadium
Seasons
← 1999
2001 →
2000 Gateway Football Conference standings
Conf Overall
Team   W   L     W   L  
No. 12 Western Illinois $^   5 1     9 3  
No. 11 Youngstown State ^   4 2     9 3  
No. 24 Illinois State   4 2     7 4  
No. 19 Northern Iowa   3 3     7 4  
Southwest Missouri State   2 4     5 6  
Southern Illinois   2 4     3 8  
Indiana State   1 5     1 10  
  • $ – Conference champion
  • ^ – NCAA Division I-AA playoff participant
Rankings from The Sports Network poll

The 2000 Illinois State Redbirds football team represented Illinois State University as a member of the Gateway Football Conference during the 2000 NCAA Division I-AA football season. Led by first-year head coach Denver Johnson, the Redbirds compiled an overall record of 7–4 with a mark of 4–2 in conference play, tying for second place in the Gateway.[1] Illinois State was ranked No. 24 in The Sports Network's postseason ranking of NCAA Division I-AA teams.[2] The team played home games at Hancock Stadium in Normal, Illinois.

In their opening game against West Virginia Tech an NCAA Division II team, the Redbirds scored 75 points, the most the team had scored in a game since 1937.[3]

  1. ^ "2021 Redbird Football Media Guide" (PDF). Illinois State University Athletics Department. p. 70. Retrieved January 22, 2022.
  2. ^ "I-AA poll". The Greenville News. Greenville, South Carolina. December 19, 2000. p. 4C. Retrieved January 22, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
  3. ^ Reinhardt, Randy (September 1, 2000). "Redbirds put boot to foe". The Pantagraph. p. B1. Retrieved January 22, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.