The 2017 East Tennessee State Buccaneers football team represented East Tennessee State University (ETSU) in the 2017 NCAA Division I FCS football season and are in the second year of their second stint as football members of the Southern Conference (SoCon).

They are led by third-year head coach Carl Torbush and, for the first time, play all their home games at William B. Greene Jr.

[1] They finished the season 4–7, 2–6 in SoCon play to finish in eighth place.

On December 8, head coach Carl Torbush announced his retirement.

[2] He finished at ETSU with a three-year record of 11–22.