NASHVILLE – Illinois State football was in the spotlight Saturday ahead of its second-ever appearance in the FCS National Championship game, meeting with media members who arrived in the Music City from across the nation.
The Redbirds began Saturday morning with treatment, breakfast and position meetings before heading to FirstBank Stadium, home of the Vanderbilt Commodores, for media day.
After the players put on their white jerseys that featured a fresh 2026 NCAA Championship patch and soaked in the newly renovated stadium that boasted the ISU logo across its video board, the Redbirds lined up in the stands for a team photo.
Then came a surprise, as senior linebacker Mason Kaplan saw his headshot appear on the jumbotron as he was announced the NCAA FCS Elite Scholar Athlete award winner, achieving a 4.0 GPA while studying psychology. This honor recognizes the student-athlete with the highest GPA at each NCAA Championship.
"It meant a lot because my whole life my parents have raised me to put my education at the top of my priorities, so for that award to represent both football and school is huge. I've put a lot of time into both," said Kaplan.
Select players and head coach Brock Spack then split off to participate in the NCAA photo shoot, along with social media and interview opportunities, to reflect on their journey thus far and preview Monday night's matchup with the Montana State Bobcats.
Illinois State, listed as one of the last four squads selected in the 24-team championship field, has traveled coast to coast and rattled off four straight road wins en route to the national title game, including a thrilling 29-28 comeback victory over reigning national champion and top-ranked North Dakota State.
Through all of the highs and lows of the season, including a blowout loss to Southern Illinois on Senior Day, the belief in what this team could achieve never wavered inside the locker room.
"I think we knew the whole time we could be national champions," said consensus All-American linebacker Tye Niekamp. "The road we took was kind of crazy. We lost some games during the regular season, but when we got the opportunity in the playoffs, we knew we had a chance to win a national championship. We just had to prove it to everyone else."
Redbird players spoke highly of the Bobcats', who possess the eighth-highest scoring offense in FCS with 38.1 points per game.
"They've got two very strong running backs, a quarterback who can both run and throw, and some great receivers," Kaplan said of the Bobcats. "They're balanced, and their offensive line is strong. They're a good team, and stopping them won't be easy."
Montana State's defense will pose just as much of a challenge, as the Bobcats rank eighth nationally in scoring defense and are tied for first in the FCS with five defensive touchdowns.
"They're skilled. They're big. They're good with their hands, and they run a nice scheme," said left tackle Jake Pope. "We have to stick to our P's and Q's, work as a unit instead of individually, move people out of the way, get to the second level and open some running lanes."
The outside noise is loud. The stakes are high. But the Redbirds' routine and mindset has remained consistent.
"Our players have shut off the outside noise. I don't read social media or any of that stuff myself, but they haven't brought it up, and we haven't talked about being underdogs and Cinderella and all that stuff and miracles," said Spack. "You don't win four in a row in a tournament like this and be a Cinderella, in my opinion."
Sixty minutes stand between the Redbirds and their first national title.
"Just win, baby," said Spack. "Just win."
