The 1997 Kent State Golden Flashes football team was an American football team that represented Kent State University in the Mid-American Conference (MAC) during the 1997 NCAA Division I-A football season. In their fifth and final season under head coach Jim Corrigall, the Golden Flashes compiled a 3–8 record (3–5 against MAC opponents), finished in a tie for fourth place in the MAC East, and were outscored by all opponents by a combined total of 490 to 337.