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Delaware State University Student Center. Author Holzman Moss Bottino Architecture.

Delaware State University Football: All You Need To Know

What is Delaware State University known for?

Delaware State University was founded in 1891 and is accredited by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education. It enjoys a long history as one of America’s Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs)

1. Delaware State University Football Team Is Known As Hornets

Delaware State University Hornets Being Hosted by Hampton University Pirates. Author U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Norfolk District.

Delaware State University Football Team Is Known as Hornets. They represent the University at the NCAA Division I Football Championship Subdivision level as a member of the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) and are housed at the 7,193-seat Alumni Stadium located in Dover, Delaware.

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2. The Hornets Had Their Most Successful Run Under Collick’s Leadership

They have continued to perform well in the competitions that they have been involved in and consider their most successful run under their former renowned coach, Collick’s leadership. An experienced coach, he led the Hornets to the team’s first MEAC championship in his first season.  In 1987, they were lucky to snatch the championship crown from the Howard Bison for the conference championship after their bitter rivals were penalized for fielding three ineligible players during the season, retroactively awarding Delaware State the championship. They got it clean in 1988, sharing the title with Bethune–Cookman and Florida A&M, finishing 5–5 with a 4–2 MEAC record. Having established themselves in the game, they defended the title successfully in the 1989 MEAC championship, their third straight.

 The same coach guided them again in 1991 to another MEAC title after their loss to Bethune-Cookman was forced to forfeit due to an ineligible player.

With an impressive record  In the twelve seasons under Collick’s leadership, they went 81–48, winning 5 MEAC championships.

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3. It Also Had Its Own Controversies

Despite registering huge successes, they also had their fair share of controversies. The most controversial aspect of the DSU football program was their rivalry with University of Delaware. It was highly unusual for two state universities that play on the same athletic tier to not play one another, especially schools that are less than one hour’s drive away from campus. Critics charged that this had to do with the fact that Delaware State is a historically black college.

Furthermore, supporters of a game between Delaware State University and University of Delaware felt that this rivalry was encouraging competition and would be good for the state.

However, this controversy was laid to rest when UD and DSU met on the football field for the first time on November 23, 2007 in Newark, Delaware in the first round of the NCAA FCS Playoffs. The Blue Hens defeated the Hornets 44–7 in front of an attendance of 19,765, the largest playoff crowd in Delaware Stadium history.  In 2009, the teams began playing each other during the regular season, and in 2011 the teams began an annual series (skipping 2015 and 2018), with each of these games played at Delaware Stadium. Delaware has won all nine meetings to date as of 2019.

4. In The 2007 Season The Hornets Made A School Record Of 10 Wins

American Football. Photo by Ryan Reinoso on

From the records of the 2007 season, their brilliant performance did not go unnoticed as they made a school record of 10 wins, their MEAC championship since 1991 and first ever appearance in the NCAA playoffs. In addition, the 2007 Hornets were ranked as high as No. 10 in the weekly Sports Network Football Championship Subdivision poll and were No. 15 in the final poll.

5. In 2003 A Series Of Reforms Were Initiated At the Team

Posting a not so good result at the beginning, Delaware State fired Blacknall who was previously in-charge and hired the experienced Al Lavan as their new head football coach, with the task of rebuilding the program once again. Exhibiting high ambitions Lavan came in with a promise to bring championship football back to Delaware State. True to his word, during his first season at Delaware State in 2004, he led the Hornets to a 4–7 overall record and a 4–3 mark in the MEAC, marking DSU’s first winning record in conference play since 2000.

He undertook various reforms in the team. In addition to installing the team’s first comprehensive strength and conditioning program, Lavan brought changes in the team’s academic, recruiting, practice and discipline policies. The team also secured new audio/visual and computer equipment, thanks to a large donation from prominent alumni.

As part of boosting morale of the team, he is also credited for initiating a program of speakers to address the team to share their life experiences, including: former Hornet offensive lineman Matt Horace, who later became an agent with the Federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms; Joe Purzycki, former DSU head football coach and later a banking executive; former pro quarterback and NFL executive James Harris; and former Heisman Trophy winner Herschel Walker.

6. The Delaware Fightin’ Blue Hens Football Team Represents The University of Delaware in National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA)

The Delaware Fightin’ Blue Hens football team represents the University of Delaware in National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) college football. The team is currently led by head coach Ryan Carty and plays on Tubby Raymond Field at 22,000-seat Delaware Stadium located in Newark, Delaware. The Fightin’ Blue Hens have won six national titles in their 117-year history – 1946 (AP College Division), 1963 (UPI College Division), 1971 (AP/UPI College Division), 1972 (AP/UPI College Division), 1979 (Division II), and 2003 (Division I-AA). They returned to the FCS National Championship game in 2007 and 2010.

The program has produced NFL quarterbacks Rich Gannon, Joe Flacco, Jeff Komlo, Pat Devlin and Scott Brunner. The Blue Hens are recognized as a perennial power in FCS football and Delaware was the only FCS program to average more than 20,000 fans per regular-season home game for each season from 1999 to 2010

7. They Normally Have A Sell-Out Crowd Whenever They Are Playing

Delaware was the only FCS program to average more than 20,000 fans per regular-season home game for each season from 1999 to 2010. The home attendance record was set in 1973 on October 27 against Temple University with 23,619 fans, and attendance has exceeded 22,000 fans frequently. When the Fightin’ Blue Hens have a home game, the stadium population becomes the fourth largest city in Delaware behind Wilmington, Dover, and Newark itself.

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