Presbyterian Blue Hose football

{{short description|Football program representing Presbyterian College}}

{{For|information on all Presbyterian College sports|Presbyterian Blue Hose}}{{Use mdy dates|date=September 2024}}{{Infobox college football team

| CurrentSeason = 2024 Presbyterian Blue Hose football team

| TeamName = Presbyterian Blue Hose football

| Image = Presbyterian Blue Hose logo.png

| ImageSize = 150

| FirstYear = 1913; {{Years or months ago|1913}}

| AthleticDirector = Dee Nichols

| HeadCoach = Steve Englehart

| HeadCoachYear = 3rd

| HCWins = 11

| HCLosses = 23

| Stadium = Bailey Memorial Stadium

| StadCapacity = 6,500

| StadSurface = Grass

| Location = Clinton, South Carolina

| NCAAdivision = I FCS

| Conference = Pioneer Football League

| WebsiteName = GoBlueHose.com

| WebsiteURL = https://www.gobluehose.com/

| ATWins = 509

| ATLosses = 481

| ATTies = 35

| BowlWins = 0

| BowlLosses = 1

| BowlTies =

| NatlTitles =

| ConfTitles = 1 (SAC, 2005)

| DivTitles =

| Heismans =

| AllAmericans =

| uniform =

| FightSong =

| MascotDisplay =

| MascotLink =

| MarchingBand =

| Rivalries = Newberry Wolves
(Bronze Derby)

}}

The Presbyterian Blue Hose football program is the intercollegiate American football team for Presbyterian College located in the U.S. state of South Carolina. The team competes in the NCAA Division I Football Championship Subdivision (FCS); while Presbyterian is a full member of the Big South Conference, it plays football in the Pioneer Football League. Presbyterian's first football team was fielded in 1913. The team plays its home games at the 6,500 seat Bailey Memorial Stadium in Clinton, South Carolina. The Blue Hose were coached by Kevin Kelley, who was hired to lead the program on May 6, 2021,{{cite web |title=Presbyterian hiring anti-punting HS coach Kelley |url=https://www.espn.com/college-football/story/_/id/31400500/presbyterian-hiring-successful-unconventional-hs-coach-kevin-kelley-new-head-coach |website=ESPN.com |access-date=May 6, 2021 |language=en |date=May 6, 2021}} but who left at the end of the season. The current coach is Steve Englehart. The Blue Hose began a transition to non-scholarship football in 2017 and left Big South football after the 2019 season, while otherwise remaining a full Big South member. The Blue Hose football program played the 2020–21 season as an independent and joined the Pioneer League in July 2021 upon completion of its transition.

History

The Presbyterian Blue Hose name originates from the blue stockings the players wore in the early 1900s.{{cite web |title=Traditions & Mission |url=https://www.presby.edu/about/traditions-mission/ |website=Presbyterian College |access-date=28 October 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230512145410/https://www.presby.edu/about/traditions-mission/ |archive-date=12 May 2023 |quote=What's a Blue Hose? It began in the early 1900s when sportswriters referred to the Presbyterian College sports teams as the “Blue Stockings” because of the blue socks (or hose) they wore. ... “The sports nickname was shortened to ‘Blue Hose’ in 1954,” Hammet wrote, “presumably under the assumption that it sounded somewhat fiercer to carry onto the field of athletic battle.” These days it also stands for fierce Scottish warriors, giving a nod to the College’s Scottish heritage. |url-status=live}}

=Classifications=

1938–1950: NCAA College Division
1951–1956: Unknown
1957–1969: NAIA
1970–1992: NAIA Division I
1993–2010: NCAA Division II
2011–present: NCAA Division I FCS

=Conference memberships=

1913–1920: Independent
1921–1941: Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Association
1942–1945: Independent
1946–1964: South Carolina Little Three
1964–1972: Carolinas Conference
1973–1974: NAIA independent
1975–2006: South Atlantic Conference
2007: NCAA Division II Independent
2008–2019: Big South Conference
2020: Division I FCS Independent
Presbyterian played the 2020–21 season in a scheduling agreement with the Pioneer Football League. It was not eligible for the conference title, but was eligible for individual awards and honors.
2021–present: Pioneer Football League

Presbyterian vs. in-state NCAA Division I schools

class="wikitable"
style="background: #0060A9; color:white" align=center \| School	Record	Percentage	Streak	First Meeting	Last Meeting
align=center \| Charleston Southern	14–10	{{Winning percentage\|14\|10}}	Lost 2	1993	2016
align=center \| Clemson	3–33–4	{{Winning percentage\|3\|33\|4}}	Lost 15	1916	2010
align=center \| Coastal Carolina	1–9	{{Winning percentage\|1\|9}}	Lost 9	2007	2016
align=center \| Furman	13–42–1	{{Winning percentage\|12\|43\|1}}	Won 1	1913	2014
align=center \| South Carolina	3–12	{{Winning percentage\|3\|12}}	Lost 8	1915	1945
align=center \| South Carolina State	0–2	{{Winning percentage\|0\|2}}	Lost 2	1989	1990
align=center \| The Citadel	11–50–1	{{Winning percentage\|11\|50\|1}}	Lost 12	1915	2010
align=center \| Wofford	41–40–3	{{Winning percentage\|41\|40\|3}}	Won 1	1914	2023
align="center" \| colspan=6 style="background:#0060A9; color:white;"\| Presbyterian 85 – In-State NCAA Division I Schools 198 – Ties 9

Notable former players

Justin Bethel, cornerback and special teams player for the New England Patriots
Rock Ya-Sin, cornerback for the Las Vegas Raiders
Bob Waters, quarterback for the San Francisco 49ers{{cite web |url=http://www.catamountsports.com/genrel/011205aab.html |title=Tribute to a Champion - the Bob Waters' Legacy Western Carolina's legendary football coach and administrator from 1969-88 |publisher=Western Carolina|access-date=1 April 2017}}

Playoff appearances

=NCAA Division II=

The Blue Hose made one appearances in the Division II playoffs, with a combined record of 0–1.

class="wikitable"

{{CollegePrimaryHeader|team=Presbyterian Blue Hose|Year|Round|Opponent|Result}}

align="center"

| 2005

| Second Round

| Central Arkansas

| L, 28–52

= NAIA =

The Blue Hose appeared in the NAIA playoffs two times. Their combined record was 2–2.

class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"

{{CollegePrimaryHeader|team=Presbyterian Blue Hose|Year|Round|Opponent|Result}}

1979

| Quarterfinals
Semifinals

| Saginaw Valley State
Central State (OK)

| W, 36–3
L, 6–28

1987

| First Round
Quarterfinals

| Concord
Pittsburg State

| W, 57–0
L, 21–42

Bowl games

Presbyterian has participated in one bowl game, with the Blue Hose having a record of 0–1

class="wikitable" style="text-align:center; background:white;"
{{CollegePrimaryHeader\|team=Presbyterian Blue Hose\|Season\|Coach\|Bowl\|Opponent\|Result}}
1959	Frank Jones	Tangerine Bowl	Middle Tennessee	L 12–21

Future non-conference opponents

Announced schedules as of March 27, 2025.{{cite web |title=Presbyterian Blue Hose Football Future Schedules |publisher=FBSchedules.com |url=https://fbschedules.com/ncaa/presbyterian/ |access-date=March 27, 2025}}

class="wikitable"

{{CollegePrimaryHeader|team=Presbyterian Blue Hose|2025|2026|2027}}

at Mercer

| at Western Carolina

| at Murray State

at Furman

Erksine

Bluefield

References

External links

{{Official website|https://gobluehose.com/sports/football}}

Category:American football teams established in 1913

Category:1913 establishments in South Carolina