The Austin Peay Governors football program is the intercollegiate American football team for Austin Peay State University (Peay or APSU), located in the U.S. state of Tennessee. The team competes in the NCAA Division I Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) and played the most recent 2022 season as members of the ASUN Conference. For the 2023 season and beyond, Peay will play in the United Athletic Conference, created shortly after the 2022 season by the merger of the football leagues of the ASUN and Western Athletic Conference.[2][3] The school's first football team was fielded in 1930. They were previously a member of the Ohio Valley Conference (1963–1996, 2007–2021) and the Pioneer Football League (2001–2005). Austin Peay Governors football plays its home games at the 10,000 seat Fortera Stadium.
| Austin Peay Governors football | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| |||
 | |||
| First season | 1930 | ||
| Head coach | Jeff Faris 1st season, 0–0 (–) | ||
| Stadium | Fortera Stadium (capacity: 10,000) | ||
| Field surface | AstroTurf | ||
| Location | Clarksville, Tennessee | ||
| NCAA division | Division I FCS | ||
| Conference | United Athletic Conference | ||
| All-time record | 325–562–16 (.369) | ||
| Conference titles | 3 | ||
| Colors | Red and white[1] | ||
| Website | letsgopeay.com | ||
History
Classifications
- 1957–1972: NCAA College Division
- 1973–1977: NCAA Division II
- 1978–present: NCAA Division I–AA/FCS
Conference memberships
- 1930–1946: Independent
- 1947–1962: Volunteer State Athletic Conference
- 1963–1996: Ohio Valley Conference
- 1997–2000: NCAA Division I–AA Independent
- 2001–2005: Pioneer Football League
- 2006: NCAA Division I FCS Independent
- 2007–2021: Ohio Valley Conference
- 2022: ASUN Conference
- 2023–present: United Athletic Conference
Though not competing in OVC football from 1997 to 2006, Peay remained a full OVC member during this period.
Rivalries
The trophy goes to the team in Tennessee that has the best record against the other three teams. Austin Peay has won the trophy three times, in 2017, 2018, and 2019.
Battle of the Border
The battle of the border is a trophy awarded to the team with the most points based on wins between all the sporting events between Austin Peay and Murray State. Murray State leads the series 36–16.
Notable former players
Notable alumni include:
- Jeff Gooch
- Michael Swift
- Kirk Pointer
- Kyran Moore
- Bonnie Sloan, first deaf player in NFL history
- Percy Howard (whose only NFL TD catch came in Super Bowl X, as a member of the Dallas Cowboys)
- Lewis Lastik, featured actor in Remember the Titans, offensive lineman. (Also member of the APSU track and field teams, shot put, and javelin.)
Retired numbers
| Austin Peay Governors retired numbers | ||||
| No. | Player | Pos. | Tenure | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 30 | John Ogles | RB | 1963–1966 | [4] |
| 84 | Harold Roberts | WR | 1967–1970 | [4] |
Honored jerseys
Numbers honored, but not retired and available for any player:
| Austin Peay Governors honored jerseys | |||
| No. | Player | Pos. | Tenure |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3 | Terrence Holt | RB | 2007–2010 |
| 44 | Jay Bailey | RB | 2000–2002 |
| 46 | Bob Bible | LB | 1974–1978 |
Conference championships
Austin Peay has won five conference championships, three outright, and two shared with Southeast Missouri State[5] in the OVC, Central Arkansas and Eastern Kentucky in the ASUN
| Year | Coach | Conference | Record | Conference record |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1948 | David B. Aaron | Volunteer State Athletic Conference | 8–2 | 2–0 |
| 1977 | Boots Donnelly | Ohio Valley Conference | 8–3 | 6–1 |
| 2019 | Mark Hudspeth | 11–4 | 7–1 | |
| 2022 | Scotty Walden | ASUN Conference | 7–4 | 3–2 |
| 2023 | United Athletic Conference | 9–3 | 6–0 |
Postseason
FCS playoffs
The Governors have made two appearances in the FCS Playoffs, their first being in 2019; their record is 2–2.
| Year | Round | Opponent | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | First Round Second Round Quarterfinals | Furman Sacramento State Montana State | W 42–6 W 42–28 L 10–24 |
| 2023 | First Round | Chattanooga | L 21–24 |
