Jackson State Tigers

The Jackson State Tigers and Lady Tigers represent Jackson State University, Jackson, Mississippi, in NCAA intercollegiate athletics.

Conference affiliation
Jackson State University's athletic teams participate in the Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) which is a part of the NCAA Division I. Football participates in the Football Championship Subdivision (formerly Division I-AA). Jackson State University's colors are royal blue and white. The nickname of the men's teams is the Tiger; the nickname of the women's teams is the Lady Tigers.

Baseball
The university plays their home games at the Jackson State University Baseball Stadium, constructed in 2006.

Notable alumni

 * Oil Can Boyd
 * Wes Chamberlain
 * Dave Clark
 * Marvin Freeman

Men's Basketball
The Tigers have appeared in three NCAA tournaments: 1997, 2000, & 2007. They play their games at Williams Assembly Center.

Notable alumni

 * Lindsey Hunter
 * Trey Johnson
 * Ed Manning
 * Audie Norris
 * Purvis Short
 * Dwayne Whitfield
 * Gene Short
 * Cleveland Buckner
 * Cornell Warner

Capital City Classic
Every Thanksgiving weekend, Jackson State plays rival Alcorn State University in the Capital City Classic at Veterans Memorial Stadium in Jackson, MS. Every year, the Tigers play their archrival Southern University in the "Boombox Classic". Every year, the Tigers take part in the annual Southern Heritage Classic against the Tennessee State Tigers. In 2007, the Tigers defeated the Tigers of Grambling State University 42-31 to lock up the 2007 SWAC Championship.

Notable alumni

 * Lem Barney
 * Corey Bradford
 * Robert Brazile
 * Leslie "Speedy" Duncan
 * Harold Jackson
 * Eddie Payton
 * Walter Payton
 * Jackie Slater
 * Jimmy Smith

Marching band
Often accompanying the JSU athletic teams is the university's marching band and dance line. They are nicknamed the Sonic Boom of the South and J-Settes. The band was first organized in the early 1940s. As early as the mid-1920s, the University had a well-organized orchestra. The group was given the nickname, “The Sonic Boom of the South” by band members in 1971. In 1971, the majorettes abandoned their batons and became a dance team known as the Prancing J-Settes. In 1974, “Get Ready,” an old Motown favorite was selected as the band’s theme song. Also, during the mid 1970s, the “Tiger Run-On” was perfected. The “Tiger Run-On” is a fast, eye-catching shuffle step that blends an adagio step with an up-tempo shuffle (200 steps per minute), then back to adagio—a “Sonic Boom” trademark that brings fans to their feet during halftime performances. In 2003 the marching band was in enshrined in the NCAA Hall of Champions. Also, the marching band was filmed by Electronic Art Sports (EA Sports) for inclusion in the 2005 version of the video game "EA Sports NCAA Football 2005."

NFL Halftime Appearances

 * Atlanta Falcons
 * Detroit Lions
 * New Orleans Saints
 * New York Jets
 * Houston Oilers
 * Philadelphia Eagles
 * Cincinnati Bengals
 * Indianapolis Colts

Other appearances

 * The 1991 NBA All-Star Game
 * The Motown’s 30th Anniversary television special.
 * The NAACP 34th Image Awards television special.