College Sports Established
1950
Location
Itta Bena, Mississippi
College Name
Mississippi Valley State University
Collegiate History
1973 - Present / NCAA Division I
1968 - 1973 / University Division of the NCAA
Conference History
1968 - Present / Southwestern Athletic Conference
Nickname
Delta Devils - As sports fans, we often take our favorite teams' names for granted. We cheer on the Mississippi Valley State Delta Devils without thinking twice about their unusual name and mascot. But have you ever wondered how this team got its nickname?
The story dates back to 1947 when a group of students at Mississippi Valley State University (MVSU) were discussing what to call their school’s new athletic teams. After tossing around several ideas, they eventually settled on “Delta Devils” – a reference to the nearby Yazoo-Mississippi Delta region known as "the Devil's Back Porch" because of its harsh conditions and challenging terrain. The name also pays homage to African American folklore in which it is believed that devilish creatures live in swamps and other wetlands areas throughout the delta region – hence why some locals refer to it as “Devil Country."
This unique moniker has stuck with MVSU since then, becoming an integral part of their identity over time - so much so that many people now associate them exclusively with being called "Delta Devils." As NCAA Division I athletics program members, these brave athletes proudly bear this namesake each year while competing against some tough opponents from across America!
NCAA Championships
Baseball 0
Men's Basketball 0
Women's Basketball 0
Football 0
Soccer 0
- 1954
- 1980
- 2006
- 2021
-
South Central Athletic Conference
Delta Devils have the membership of South Central Athletic Conference from 1954–1961: -
NCAA Division I Southwestern Athletic Conference Joining
The Mississippi Valley State Delta Devils are a college team that plays in the NCAA Division I Southwestern Athletic Conference. The school is located in Itta Bena, Mississippi, and has been part of the conference since its inception in 1980. -
Carl Byrum Delta Devils Hall of Fame Player
Byrum played for the Mississippi Valley State Delta Devils. He was teammates with Jerry Rice under coach Archie Cooley. Carl was inducted into the Mississippi Valley State University Athletic Hall of Fame in 2006. -
Head Coach of the Delta Devils Baseball Team
On July 27, 2021, Stanley Stubbs was named the head coach of the Delta Devils. With the Delta Devils improving by 10 wins over the pervious season, Stubbs had done a good job helping turn around the Delta Devils fortunes, but on June 15, 2022, head coach he resigned due to health concerns.
To qualify as the greatest player for this team, the player must have played one season for this team. If not, we will remove the player.
* verifies that player has played for this team as an added player by a fan.
History of the Delta Devils
The Delta Devils first made their mark on college basketball with an appearance at the 1982 NCAA tournament. Led by All-American guard Rickey Brown, Mississippi Valley State won its first-round game against Oregon before falling to eventual national champion North Carolina State in double overtime of the second round. In 1987, led by future NBA star Jerry Stackhouse and two other All-Americans—Carlos Strong and Larry Smith—the Delta Devils made another run to March Madness but were eliminated after two rounds of play that year.
On the gridiron, Mississippi Valley State has had no shortage of success either over its nearly fifty years competing at Division I level athletics under head coach Archie Cooley from 1979–1995, who compiled an impressive record of 94 wins - 65 losses during his tenure with four consecutive conference titles between 1988 – 1991 along with three appearances (1989 – 1991)in Division I AA playoffs where they reached semi-finals twice during this time frame. From 2001–2004, former NFL Super Bowl Champion Anthony Pleasant served as Head Coach for MVSU Football, leading them to back-to-back SWAC championships in 2003 & 2004, followed by 3rd place finish 2005 season. The current leader is Vincent Dancy, who took over the program 2018 season, compiling 10 wins overall since taking charge while making it all way championship game 2019 season, only losing out due to last-minute heroics of opponent Alcorn St Braves.
Overall, there’s plenty for fans of MVSU Athletics to be proud of past and present-day successes achieved on hardwood court gridiron alike!
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