Early history (1893–1970)

San Jose State first fielded a football team in 1893 under head coach James E. Addicott. Addicott also served as a math professor at the California State Normal School (now San José State University). The team played a local YMCA club in 1893 and 1894 and garnered its first tie in 1896, a 6–6 decision against nearby rival College of the Pacific.

The first regular football seasons began in 1898 and mostly consisted of games against local high schools and some colleges and junior colleges.^[3]

During the 1920s the football program began playing home games at "Spartan Field," future home of Spartan Stadium. In the 1930s and 1940s, the Spartan football program was considered a powerhouse, posting 12 consecutive winning seasons and earning eight conference championship titles over an 18-year span. The 1932 and 1939 teams went 7–0–2 and 13–0 respectively, the only undefeated seasons in school history.^[3][2]

San Jose State first appeared in the national rankings in 1939 when the AP Poll ranked the Spartans No. 19 in week seven. The team would climb to No. 18 in week eight. Lloyd Thomas was the first San Jose State player to receive first-team All-America honors. Thomas played as a defensive end on the 1936, 1937 and 1938 teams that fielded a combined win-loss record of 27–7–1. As of 2022, SJSU has produced over 90 All-America team members, including seven first-team selections.^[4]

Spartan Stadium (now known as CEFCU Stadium) was built on the original Spartan Field site and completed in 1933 with a capacity of 18,000. The Spartans won the first football game played in the stadium 44–6 over San Francisco State on October 7, 1933.

The San Jose State Spartans football team served unexpectedly with the Honolulu Police Department during World War II. The team had just arrived in Hawaii to play a series of post-season bowl games against Hawaii and the Willamette University Bearcats when the U.S. Navy base at Pearl Harbor was attacked on December 7, 1941. The team was stranded on the islands for a number of weeks following the attack, and players were employed by the local police department to help improve island defenses against a possible Japanese amphibious assault and as guards for military bases on the island.^[2][5]

The Spartan football program posted just six winning seasons in the 1950s and 1960s, but the 1970s would usher in a string of successful seasons spanning 20 years.

Winning era (1971–1992)

From 1971 to 1992, San Jose State posted 15 winning seasons, won eight conference titles, appeared in four bowl games and sent nearly 50 players to the NFL.^[6]

SJSU's first win over a nationally ranked opponent occurred in 1971 when the Spartans defeated No. 10 Stanford 13–12 on November 13. Stanford would go on to defeat Michigan in the Rose Bowl that season.^[7] SJSU's second win over a ranked opponent occurred four years later in 1975, when the Spartans defeated No. 15 Stanford 36–34 in a nationally televised game on September 27.^[2] San Jose State also had victories over No. 10 Baylor in 1980, No. 19 Fresno State in 1986, and No. 23 Fresno State in 1990.^[2]

From 1971 to 1992, SJSU garnered 23 victories over current Power Five conference opponents. These victories included eight wins over Stanford, five wins over Cal and three over Oregon.^[8]

In 1975, San Jose State appeared in the national rankings for the first time in over 30 years when the team was ranked No. 20 in the AP Poll in week 13.^[9] SJSU later earned its first post-season national ranking in 1990 when the Spartans finished No. 20 in the Coaches Poll.^[3]

Two stadium expansions and renovations in the 1980s increased the Spartan Stadium seating capacity from 18,000 to 31,218.

Decline (1993–2004)

From 1993 to 2004, San Jose State had just one winning season when the team finished 7–5 in 2000; however, the team did earn two wins over ranked opponents during this period. The Spartans claimed a 25–22 victory over No. 24 Air Force in 1997 and a 27–24 win over No. 9 TCU in a nationally televised game in 2000.^[2] The Spartans also defeated rival Stanford three consecutive years from 1998 to 2000.

By the spring of 2004, the combination of rising costs for the football program and budget cuts from the state led some San Jose State faculty members to advocate dropping football.^[10][11]

In 2004, San Jose State defeated the Rice Owls 70–63 in a game that set the NCAA Division I record for total points scored and total touchdowns in a non-overtime game.^[12]

Dick Tomey era (2005–2009)

Coach Dick Tomey took over the program in 2005 amid Academic Progress Rate (APR) shortcomings that would result in severe penalties imposed by the NCAA.^[13] After showing moderate improvement that year, the Spartans had a breakout season in 2006. It was the team's best season since joining the WAC ten years prior. Tomey guided the Spartans to a 9–4 record, a win over rival Fresno State, and a win over New Mexico in the 2006 New Mexico Bowl, thus ending the team's 16-year bowl drought. The 2006 Spartan squad produced two 2007 NFL draft picks in wide receivers James Jones and John Broussard.

From 2007 through the 2009 seasons, the program was hit with heavy NCAA sanctions for failing to meet APR standards. By the start of the 2009 season, the Spartans had lost 57 scholarships over a four-year period. By the spring of 2010, the NCAA penalties were lifted and a full complement of 85 scholarships was restored.^[13]

The 2007 team was not as successful as the previous year's team, with the Spartans finishing 5–7 and fifth in the WAC. The post-season showed a positive result, however, with several players being named to all-star games including Dwight Lowery, Marcus Teland, Matt Castelo and Adam Tafralis. The Spartans produced another draft pick in the 2008 NFL draft, in defensive back Dwight Lowery. Lowery was named a 1st-team All-America winner in 2007.

The 2008 roster gave the school its best start since joining the WAC. The Spartans jumped to 5–2 and led the WAC for three weeks until losing to Boise State. The Spartans finished the season in sixth place in the WAC with a conference record of 4–4 and a 6–6 overall record. Three players were picked in the 2009 NFL draft, those being defensive tackle Jarron Gilbert, defensive back Christopher Owens and defensive back Coye Francies

After playing an unusually tough non-conference schedule, the 2009 Spartans finished 2–10 with wins over Cal Poly and New Mexico State. Head Coach Dick Tomey announced in November he would retire at the close of the season, thus ending his legendary coaching career. Tomey's record at SJSU was 25–35.

Mike MacIntyre era (2010–2012)

On December 17, 2009, Mike MacIntyre was formally introduced as Tomey's replacement. MacIntyre was previously the defensive coordinator at Duke University.^[14]

San Jose State finished 1–12 in 2010 and 5–7 in 2011 under MacIntyre. In MacIntyre's third season, the 2012 San Jose State Spartans football team finished 11–2 including a win over Bowling Green in the 2012 Military Bowl. The 2012 team earned top-25 post-season rankings in the Associated Press (AP), Coaches and BCS polls. Kent Baer served as interim head coach for the Military Bowl because MacIntyre resigned to accept the head coach position at Colorado.

Ron Caragher era (2013–2016)

Ron Caragher, previously the head coach at the University of San Diego, became the SJSU head coach following the conclusion of the 2012 football season. Caragher's team finished a disappointing 6–6 in 2013, however, that season did include a 62–52 upset win over No. 16 Fresno State to close out the year. The team finished 3–9 in 2014, 6–7 in 2015 and 4–8 in 2016. On November 27, 2016, Caragher was relieved of his duties as head coach after compiling a 19–30 (.388) win-loss record and only one bowl appearance over four seasons.

Brent Brennan era (2017–2023)

Oregon State wide receivers coach Brent Brennan, who was a San Jose State assistant under Tomey and MacIntyre from 2005 to 2010, took over as head coach in 2017.^[15]

In Brennan's first two years as head coach, the Spartans won just three games. This included a 1–11 season in 2018.^[16] Despite the poor record, five of the team's losses in 2018 were by fewer than nine points. Three of those losses were by a field goal, including a 5 overtime 44-41 loss to the Hawaii Rainbow Warriors on September 29, 2018.^[17][18]

The 2019 team improved to 5–7, missing bowl eligibility by one win.^[19] The Spartans also showed promise by defeating Arkansas on the road in 2019 for the program's first win over a Southeastern Conference team. Additionally, the 2019 Spartan team defeated Army, making the Spartans one of only 20 teams in college football to defeat all three FBS service academies (Army, Air Force, and Navy).^[20] Brennan received a contract extension at the close of the 2019 season.^[21]

The COVID-19 pandemic impacted the 2020 season, with restrictions imposed by Santa Clara County prompting the team to conduct preseason practice at Humboldt State University. The pandemic also resulted in the cancellation of all four non-conference games and two games against Mountain West Conference opponents. Santa Clara County public health orders also forced the Spartans' last two home games to be relocated to Aloha Stadium in Hawaii and Sam Boyd Stadium in Las Vegas.^[22]

The abbreviated 2020 campaign would be a breakout year for the Spartans, who won each of their six regular season games for their first 6–0 start since 1939. The Spartans also cracked the AP Poll top-25 for the first time since 2012 and debuted in the College Football Playoff ranking at No. 24.^[23][24]

The Spartans qualified for the Mountain West Conference championship game for the first time, where they defeated Boise State 34–20. In addition to giving San Jose State its maiden win over Boise State, the victory gave the Spartans their first conference championship title since 1991.^[25] Brennan was named the Mountain West Conference Coach of the Year and also received the 2020 Lombardi Foundation national Coach of the Year award.^[24][26]

In 2023, the Spartans, along with Boise State and UNLV, finished tied for first in the conference standings.^[27] All three teams finished 6–2 in conference play, but the Spartans were left out of the MWC championship game after a computer tiebreaker placed UNLV and Boise State higher in the rankings.

In January 2024, Brennan left San Jose State to join the Arizona Wildcats as head coach.^[28]

Ken Niumatalolo era (2024–present)

Ken Niumatalolo took over as head coach on January 21, 2024,^[29] becoming the 30th head football coach in the program's history. Niumatalolo was previously the head coach at Navy and won a program-best 109 games, appeared in ten bowl games over 15 seasons, and was a three-time American Athletic Conference (AAC) Coach of the Year (2015, 2016, 2019).

Fresno State

The Battle for the Valley

San Jose State's biggest rival is California State University, Fresno, due in large part to the two schools' geographic proximity and long history of competing in the same conferences.^[33]

Fresno is the largest city in the agriculturally rich San Joaquin Valley. San Jose is the largest city in the metropolitan capital of the high-tech Silicon Valley. The two schools are separated by approximately 150 driving miles. Beginning in 2013, the winner of the game is awarded the Valley Trophy.^[34][35]

San Jose State led the series from 1949 to 2001, but Fresno State tied it at 32–32–3 with a victory in 2002 and recaptured the lead in 2003. The Bulldogs and Spartans first played each other in 1921.

As of 2023, Fresno State leads the football series 44–39–3. The two schools have met on the gridiron 86 times. ^[36]

Stanford

Bill Walsh Legacy Game

The Bill Walsh Legacy Game is the name given to the rivalry between the Spartans and the Stanford Cardinal football team of Stanford University.^[37][38]

The rivalry is likely rooted in the two schools' close geographical proximity to one another, with the Stanford University campus being located just 23 driving miles northwest of the San Jose State campus on Interstate 280. The two teams have played each other 67 times since 1900. The rivalry is currently on hiatus due to non-conference scheduling conflicts, however, on June 22, 2022, Stanford and San Jose State announced an agreement to renew the rivalry with a six game home-and-home series beginning in 2024.^[39][40]

Stanford currently leads the series 52–14–1.

Hawai'i

Dick Tomey Legacy Game

The two schools first met in 1936, and each team was previously led by legendary coach Dick Tomey. Tomey was a successful head coach at Hawaii from 1977 to 1986 and was a successful head coach at San Jose State from 2005 to 2009. The winner of the rivalry game each year takes possession of the Dick Tomey Legacy Trophy. The Rainbow Warriors and Spartans have played each other 46 times as of the 2023 season.

In 1941, the San Jose State Spartans football team served unexpectedly with the Honolulu Police Department during World War II. The team had just arrived in Hawaii to play a series of postseason bowl games against the Hawaii Rainbow Warriors and the Willamette University Bearcats when the U.S. Navy base at Pearl Harbor was attacked on December 7, 1941. The team was stranded on the islands for a number of weeks following the attack, and players were employed by the local police department to help improve island defenses against a possible Japanese amphibious assault and as guards for military bases on the island.^[2][5]

As of 2023, the Spartans lead the series 23–22–1.

San Diego State

El Camino Real Rivalry

The rivalry between the two Cal State schools dates back to 1935. The matchup is named after the historic 600-mile Camino Real that connects the 21 Spanish missions in California, stretching from San Diego Bay in the south to San Francisco Bay in the north. The San Diego State Aztecs and San Jose State Spartans have played each other 47 times as of the 2023 season.

In 2014, there were conversations between the two programs about creating a trophy using an old mission bell or a replica of an old Spanish mission bell to be awarded to the winner of the rivalry game, but no trophy ever materialized.^[41]

The Spartans currently have the longest win streak in the series with 11 consecutive wins from 1938 to 1952.

As of 2023, San Diego State leads the series 24–22–2.

Nevada

The University of Nevada, Reno and San Jose State first played each other in 1899. The Wolf Pack won the first meeting 6–0 in Reno on Thanksgiving Day. Bob Brule scored the game’s only touchdown and fell into an irrigation ditch behind the end zone, followed by three Cal State Normal School players.^{[citation needed]}

The series was tied at seven wins apiece at the close of the 2001 season, but SJSU fell to 4–16 against Nevada over the following 20 seasons (2002–2022). The two schools did not play each other from 1901 to 1930 and again from 1949 to 1991. Nevada leads the series 23–11–2 as of 2022.

The SJSU and Nevada campuses are located approximately 250 miles apart. The football teams have competed in the same conferences since 1992, first in the Big West Conference in the 1990s and then in the 2000s as members of the WAC. Since 2013, the two teams are West Division rivals in the Mountain West.

Both schools are the oldest public institutions of higher education in their respective states of California and Nevada. SJSU was founded in 1857 while UNR was founded in 1874.

University of the Pacific

Battle for the Victor's Bell

The now defunct, 100-year rivalry matchup between the SJSU Spartans and the Pacific Tigers began in 1895 and ended in 1995 when Pacific dropped its football program. The Spartan-Tiger football game was played 72 times between 1895 and 1995.

Due to the "private vs. public" institutional competitiveness and the close geographical proximity of the two schools, a natural "cross-town" rivalry was born. University of the Pacific was founded in 1851 in Santa Clara, California, and claims to be the first institution of higher education in California.^[42] San José State University was founded in 1857 and is California's first public institution of higher education.

In 1949, in a game which drew national attention, the "Victor's Bell" was unveiled.^[43] The Victor's Bell would go to the winner of subsequent Tiger-Spartan games. The bell was two feet tall and waist-high on a rolling cart. The bell was half black with an orange "P" for Pacific and half blue with a gold "SJ" for San Jose.^[44]

The Spartans led the series 43–23–6 when the rivalry ended at the close of the 1995 season.

National awards

Conference awards

Current athletes in the NFL

As of late August 2023, there are seven former SJSU players in the NFL.^[111]