1997 Illinois State Redbirds football team

1997 Illinois State Redbirds football
ConferenceGateway Football Conference
Record2–9 (0–6 GFC)
Head coach
Home stadiumHancock Stadium
1997 Gateway Football Conference standings
Conf. Overall
Team   W   L     W   L  
No. 2 Western Illinois $^   6 0     11 2  
Northern Iowa   5 1     7 4  
No. 4 Youngstown State ^   4 2     13 2  
Southwest Missouri State   3 3     5 6  
Indiana State   2 4     3 8  
Southern Illinois   1 5     3 8  
Illinois State   0 6     2 9  
  • $ – Conference champion
  • ^ – NCAA Division I-AA playoff participant
Rankings from The Sports Network poll

The 1997 Illinois State Redbirds football team represented Illinois State University as a member of the Gateway Football Conference (GFC) during the 1997 NCAA Division I-AA football season. In their second year under head coach Todd Berry, the Redbirds compiled an overall record of 2–9, with a mark of 0–6 in conference play, and finished seventh in the GFC. Illinois State played home games at Hancock Stadium in Normal, Illinois.