This is a list of schools in Division I of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) that play football in the United States as a varsity sport and are members of the Football Championship Subdivision (FCS), known as Division I-AA from 1978 through 2005. There will be 126 FCS programs in the upcoming 2019 season. Conference affiliations are current for the 2019 season. The teams in this subdivision compete in a 24-team playoff for the NCAA Division I Football Championship. All leagues allow scholarships with the exception of the Ivy League and Pioneer Football League.
FCS programs[]
Alabama
- Alabama A&M University
- Alabama State University
- Jacksonville State University
- University of North Alabama
- Samford University
Arizona
- Northern Arizona University
Arkansas
- University of Arkansas—Pine Bluff
- University of Central Arkansas
California
- California Polytechnic State University (Cal Poly)
- California State University, Sacramento (Sacramento State)
- University of San Diego
- University of California, Davis (UC Davis)
Colorado
- University of Northern Colorado
Connecticut
- Central Connecticut State University
- Sacred Heart University
- Yale University
Delaware
- University of Delaware
- Delaware State University
Florida
- Bethune-Cookman University
- Florida A&M University
- Jacksonville University
- Stetson University
Georgia
- Kennesaw State University
- Mercer University
Idaho
- University of Idaho
- Idaho State University
Illinois
- Eastern Illinois University
- Illinois State University
- Southern Illinois University Carbondale (Southern Illinois)
- Western Illinois University
Indiana
- Butler University
- Indiana State University
- Valparaiso University
Iowa
- Drake University
- University of Northern Iowa
Kentucky
- Eastern Kentucky University
- Morehead State University
- Murray State University
Louisiana
- Grambling State University
- McNeese State University
- Nicholls State University
- Northwestern State University
- Southeastern Louisiana University
- Southern University and A&M College
Maine
- University of Maine
Maryland
- Morgan State University
- Towson University
Massachusetts
- Harvard University
- College of the Holy Cross
- Merrimack College
Mississippi
- Alcorn State University
- Jackson State University
- Mississippi Valley State University
Missouri
- Missouri State University
- Southeast Missouri State University
Montana
- University of Montana
- Montana State University
New Hampshire
- Dartmouth College
- University of New Hampshire
New Jersey
- Monmouth University
- Princeton University
New York
- University at Albany, SUNY
- Colgate University
- Columbia University
- Cornell University
- Fordham University
- Long Island University
- Marist College
- Stony Brook University
- Wagner College
North Carolina
- Campbell University
- Davidson College
- Elon University
- Gardner-Webb University
- North Carolina A&T State University
- North Carolina Central University
- Western Carolina University
North Dakota
- University of North Dakota
- North Dakota State University
Ohio
- University of Dayton
- Youngstown State University
Oregon
- Portland State University
Pennsylvania
- Bucknell University
- Duquesne University
- Lafayette College
- Lehigh University
- University of Pennsylvania
- Robert Morris University
- Saint Francis University
- Villanova University
Rhode Island
- Brown University
- Bryant University
- University of Rhode Island
South Carolina
- Charleston Southern University
- The Citadel, The Military College of South Carolina
- Furman University
- Presbyterian College
- South Carolina State University
- Wofford College
South Dakota
- University of South Dakota
- South Dakota State University
Tennessee
- Austin Peay State University
- East Tennessee State University
- University of Tennessee at Chattanooga (Chattanooga)
- University of Tennessee at Martin
- Tennessee State University
- Tennessee Technological University
Texas
- Abilene Christian University
- Houston Baptist University
- University of the Incarnate Word
- Lamar University
- Prairie View A&M University
- Sam Houston State University
- Stephen F. Austin State University
- Texas Southern University
Utah
- Dixie State University (2020)
- Southern Utah University
- Weber State University
Virginia
- Hampton University
- James Madison University
- Norfolk State University
- University of Richmond
- Virginia Military Institute (VMI)
- College of William & Mary
Washington
- Eastern Washington University
Washington, D.C.
- Georgetown University
- Howard University
Transitioning from Division II[]
The following programs are transitioning from NCAA Division II to FCS. Under current NCAA rules, they must have an invitation from a Division I conference to begin the transition. During the four-year transition period, they will be ineligible (except LIU) for the FCS playoffs.
| Team | School | City | State | Founded | First played | Conference | End of transition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| LIU Sharks | Long Island University | Brookville | New York | 1926 | 1957[3] | Northeast | 2019[4] |
| Merrimack Warriors | Merrimack College | North Andover | Massachusetts | 1947 | 1985 | Northeast | 2023[5] |
| North Alabama Lions | University of North Alabama | Florence | Alabama | 1830 | 1912 | Big South | 2022 |
Future FCS programs[]
One school is confirmed to be joining FCS football in the near future, transitioning from Division II—Dixie State. As such, it will be ineligible for the FCS playoffs until completing its four-year transition period in 2024.
| Team | School | City | State | Current Conference |
Future FCS Conference |
First Played |
FCS Football Membership |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dixie State Trailblazers | Dixie State University | St. George | Utah | RMAC (NCAA Division II) | Independent (2020) | 2006 | 2020 [6] |
Map[]
Cal Poly
E. Washington
Idaho
Idaho St.
Montana
Montana St.
N. Arizona
N. Colorado
Portland St.
Sac. St.
S. Utah
UC Davis
Weber St.
Campbell
Charleston S.
Gardner-Webb
Kennesaw St.
Monmouth
Presbyterian
UNA
Albany
Delaware
Elon
JMU
14
Maine
Merrimack
New Hampshire
Rhode Island
Richmond
2
9
Villanova
W&M
Brown
4
Cornell
Dartmouth
Harvard
Penn
8
Yale
Bethune-Cookman
Del. St.
FAMU
Howard
Morgan St.
Norfolk St.
NC A&T
NCCU
Savannah St.
SCS
Illinois St.
Indiana St.
Missouri St.
ND St.
N. Iowa
South Dakota
SD St.
S. Illinois
W. Illinois
Youngstown St.
Bryant
12
11
RMU
1
10
5
Peay
E. Illinois
EKU
JSU
Murray St.
SE Missouri St.
TSU
Tenn. Tech
UTM
Bucknell
Colgate
3
Georgetown
13
6
7
Butler
Davidson
Dayton
Drake
Jacksonville
Marist
Morehead St.
San Diego
Stetson
Valparaiso
Chattanooga
Citadel
ETSU
Furman
Mercer
Samford
VMI
W. Carolina
Wofford
ACU
C. Arkansas
HBU
Incarnate Word
Lamar
McNeese St.
Nicholls
NSU
Sam Houston
SE Louisiana
SFAU
AAMU
Alabama St.
Alcorn St.
UAPB
Grambling St.
Jackson St.
MVSU
PVAMU
Southern
Texas S.
Hampton
N. Dakota
All FCS programs during the 2019 season. Conferences (clockwise from Northeast): purple pog: NEC, cyan pog: CAA, green pog: Ivy League, red marker: Pioneer League, red pog: Big South, orange marker: Patriot League, orange pog: MEAC, magenta marker: Southern Conference, light green marker: SWAC, dark green marker: Ohio Valley, blue marker: Southland, brown pog: Big Sky, yellow pog: Missouri Valley, white pog: Independent. Labels: 1: Sacred Heart, 2: Stony Brook, 3: Fordham, 4: Columbia, 5: Wagner, 6: Lafayette, 7: Lehigh, 8: Princeton, 9: Towson, 10: Saint Francis, 11: Duquesne, 12: Central Connecticut State, 13: Holy Cross, 14: LIU.
Notes[]
- ↑ http://bismarcktribune.com/news/state-and-regional/north-dakotans-vote-to-let-und-retire-fighting-sioux-nickname/article_c3a9e54a-b4f7-11e1-bb12-0019bb2963f4.html
- ↑ http://abcnews.go.com/Sports/wireStory/fighting-hawks-picked-university-north-dakota-nickname-35278843
- ↑ First season of the LIU Post program that became the LIU program in 2019.
- ↑ Effective in 2019–20, Long Island University merged its two athletic programs—the Division I non-football LIU Brooklyn Blackbirds and Division II football-sponsoring LIU Post Pioneers—into a single D-I athletic program under the LIU name. The LIU Post football team became the new LIU football team, playing at its current home on the Post campus and joining the Northeast Conference. LIU will be immediately eligible for the playoffs, as it will be treated as a new football program of an existing D-I institution, and also will play enough Division I games in the 2019 season to potentially qualify.
- ↑ Merrimack began a transition from Division II to Division I in 2019, joining the Northeast Conference as a full member, including football. The Warriors are not eligible for the FCS playoffs until completing the transition.
- ↑ Dixie State confirmed that they will be transitioning to Division I on January 11, 2019.
See also[]
- List of NCAA Division I FCS football stadiums
- List of NCAA Division I non-football programs
- List of NCAA Division I institutions
- List of NCAA Division II institutions
- List of NCAA Division III institutions
- List of NCAA Division I FBS football programs
- List of NCAA Division II football programs
- List of NCAA Division III football programs
- List of NAIA football programs
- List of community college football programs
- List of NCAA Institutions with club football teams
- List of NCAA Division I schools that have never sponsored football
- List of defunct college football teams
References[]
External links[]
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