The 2017 South Carolina State Bulldogs football team represented South Carolina State University in the 2017 NCAA Division I FCS football season. They were led by 16th-year head coach Oliver Pough and played their home games at Oliver C. Dawson Stadium. They were a member of the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC). They finished the season 3–7, 2–6 in MEAC play to finish in a three-way tie for eighth place.

Oliver "Buddy" Pough is a former American football coach and player. He served as the head football coach at South Carolina State University, a position he held from 2002 until his retirement in 2023. He led the South Carolina State Bulldogs football team to eight Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) titles, in 2004, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2013, 2014, 2019, and 2021.