History
SJSU first fielded a football team in 1893 and has won 16 conference championships dating back to 1932.
The first regular football seasons began in 1898 and mostly consisted of games against local high schools and some colleges and junior colleges. During the 1930s and 1940s, the Spartan football program was considered a powerhouse, winning eight conference championships 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.
Spartan Stadium was 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. Two stadium expansions and renovations in the 1980s increased the seating capacity from 18,000 to 30,456.
The San Jose State Spartans football team served unexpectedly with the Honolulu Police Department during World War II. The team had just arrived in Honolulu to play a series of post-season games (including the Shrine Bowl) against the University of Hawai'i Rainbow Warriors and the Willamette University Bearcats, but the team was stranded on the islands for a number of weeks after the Pearl Harbor attack. The team members were then employed to improve island defenses against a possible Japanese amphibious assault and as guards for military bases on the island.
The San Jose Mercury News reported in March 2004 that budget cuts led some faculty members at San Jose State to advocate removing the SJSU football program from Division IA athletics.
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 for a non-overtime game.
SJSU has produced over 70 All-America team members, including five first-team selections.
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