Logo for the 2009 NCAA Division I Football Championship Game.
The NCAA Division I Football Championship[1] is an American college football tournament played each year to determine the champion of the NCAA Division I Football Championship Subdivision (FCS). Prior to the year 2006, the game was known as the NCAA Division I-AA Football Championship. The FCS is the highest division in college football to hold a playoff tournament to determine its champion (until 2014 when the FBS adopts a four-team playoff system).
The reigning national champion is the North Dakota State University Bison, which also won the championship for the year 2011. In both seasons the Bison defeated the Sam Houston State University Bearkats in the championship game. The first time the Bison won 17–6 on January 7, 2012, and the second time 39-13 on January 5, 2013. Both games were played at FC Dallas Stadium, then known as Pizza Hut Park, in the Dallas suburb of Frisco, Texas.
History[]
Appalachian State's National Championship trophies showing the differences between 2005 (I-AA), 2006 (FCS), and 2007 (FCS).
When Division I-AA was formed for football in 1978, the playoffs included just four teams, doubling to eight teams in its fourth season of 1981. In 1982 the I-AA playoffs were expanded to 12 teams, with each of the top four seeds receiving a first-round bye and a home game in the quarterfinals. In its ninth season of 1986, the I-AA playoffs were expanded again to a 16-team format, requiring four post-season victories to win the title. Eight conference champions received automatic bids, with the remaining eight bids available on an at-large basis. The field is traditionally set the Sunday before Thanksgiving and play begins that weekend. The top four teams are seeded; however, the matchups are not strictly set up by these seedings as geographic considerations are also taken into account to minimize travel. In April 2008 the NCAA announced that the playoff field would again expand to include 20 teams beginning in 2010. At the same time, it announced that the number of conferences receiving automatic bids would increase to 10.[2]
The tournament has historically been played in November and December; with the latest expansion to a 20-team field, the championship game moved from December to January. From 1997 through 2009, the title game had been played in Chattanooga, Tennessee at Finley Stadium, the home football venue of the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga, and at Marshall University Stadium (now Joan C. Edwards Stadium) on the Marshall University campus in the 5 years prior to that. The title game is now played in the Dallas suburb of Frisco, Texas at FC Dallas Stadium (known as Pizza Hut Park until the day after the championship game of the 2011 season), a multi-purpose stadium primarily used by FC Dallas of Major League Soccer. The original contract with Frisco began in the 2010 season and ran through the 2012 season;[3] it has since been extended through the 2015 season.[4]
Three Football Championship Subdivision conferences usually do not participate in the tournament. The Ivy League, I-AA since 1982, plays a strict ten-game regular season and does not participate in any post-season football, citing academic concerns.[5][6] The Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) has a conference schedule which conflicts with the tournament, so its members do not normally participate.[7] The SWAC has not sent a team since Jackson State in 1997. The Pioneer Football League members are eligible to participate in the tournament, but no PFL football team has ever received an FCS playoff invitation.[8]
In 2013, the FCS playoffs will expand to 24 teams and the PFL will receive an automatic invitation.
FCS Conferences[]
- Big Sky Conference
- Big South Conference
- Colonial Athletic Association
- Ivy League
- Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference
- Missouri Valley Football Conference
- Northeast Conference
- Ohio Valley Conference
- Patriot League
- Pioneer Football League
- Southern Conference
- Southland Conference
- Southwestern Athletic Conference
Champions[]
| Year | Champion[9] | Runner-up | Score | Venue | Location | Attendance | Winning Head Coach |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1978 | Florida A&M | Massachusetts | 35–28 | Memorial Stadium | Wichita Falls, Texas | 13,604 | Rudy Hubbard |
| 1979 | Eastern Kentucky | Lehigh | 30–7 | Orlando Stadium | Orlando, Florida | 5,500 | Roy Kidd |
| 1980 | Boise State | Eastern Kentucky | 31–29 | Hughes Stadium | Sacramento, California | 8,157 | Jim Criner |
| 1981 | Idaho State | Eastern Kentucky | 34–23 | Memorial Stadium | Wichita Falls, Texas | 11,003 | Dave Kragthorpe |
| 1982 | Eastern Kentucky (2) | Delaware | 17–14 | Memorial Stadium | Wichita Falls, Texas | 11,257 | Roy Kidd |
| 1983 | Southern Illinois | Western Carolina | 43–7 | Johnson Hagood Stadium | Charleston, South Carolina | 15,950 | Rey Dempsey |
| 1984 | Montana State | Louisiana Tech | 19–6 | Johnson Hagood Stadium | Charleston, South Carolina | 9,125 | Dave Arnold |
| 1985 | Georgia Southern | Furman | 44–42 | Tacoma Dome | Tacoma, Washington | 5,306 | Erk Russell |
| 1986 | Georgia Southern (2) | Arkansas State | 48–21 | Tacoma Dome | Tacoma, Washington | 4,419 | Erk Russell |
| 1987 | Northeast Louisiana† | Marshall | 43–42 | Mini Dome | Pocatello, Idaho | 11,513 | Pat Collins |
| 1988 | Furman | Georgia Southern | 17–12 | Holt Arena | Pocatello, Idaho | 11,500 | Jimmy Satterfield |
| 1989 | Georgia Southern (3) | Stephen F. Austin | 37–34 | Paulson Stadium | Statesboro, Georgia | 25,725 | Erk Russell |
| 1990 | Georgia Southern (4) | Nevada | 36–13 | Paulson Stadium | Statesboro, Georgia | 23,204 | Tim Stowers |
| 1991 | Youngstown State | Marshall | 25–17 | Paulson Stadium | Statesboro, Georgia | 12,667 | Jim Tressel |
| 1992 | Marshall | Youngstown State | 31–28 | Marshall University Stadium | Huntington, West Virginia | 31,304 | Jim Donnan |
| 1993 | Youngstown State (2) | Marshall | 17–5 | Marshall University Stadium | Huntington, West Virginia | 29,218 | Jim Tressel |
| 1994 | Youngstown State (3) | Boise State | 28–14 | Marshall University Stadium | Huntington, West Virginia | 27,674 | Jim Tressel |
| 1995 | Montana | Marshall | 22–20 | Marshall University Stadium | Huntington, West Virginia | 32,106 | Don Read |
| 1996 | Marshall (2) | Montana | 49–29 | Marshall University Stadium | Huntington, West Virginia | 30,052 | Bob Pruett |
| 1997 | Youngstown State (4) | McNeese State | 10–9 | Finley Stadium | Chattanooga, Tennessee | 14,771 | Jim Tressel |
| 1998 | Massachusetts | Georgia Southern | 55–43 | Finley Stadium | Chattanooga, Tennessee | 17,501 | Mark Whipple |
| 1999 | Georgia Southern (5) | Youngstown State | 59–24 | Finley Stadium | Chattanooga, Tennessee | 20,052 | Paul Johnson |
| 2000 | Georgia Southern (6) | Montana | 27–25 | Finley Stadium | Chattanooga, Tennessee | 17,156 | Paul Johnson |
| 2001 | Montana (2) | Furman | 13–6 | Finley Stadium | Chattanooga, Tennessee | 12,698 | Joe Glenn |
| 2002 | Western Kentucky | McNeese State | 34–14 | Finley Stadium | Chattanooga, Tennessee | 12,360 | Jack Harbaugh |
| 2003 | Delaware | Colgate | 40–0 | Finley Stadium | Chattanooga, Tennessee | 14,281 | K. C. Keeler |
| 2004 | James Madison | Montana | 31–21 | Finley Stadium | Chattanooga, Tennessee | 16,771 | Mickey Matthews |
| 2005 | Appalachian State | Northern Iowa | 21–16 | Finley Stadium | Chattanooga, Tennessee | 20,236 | Jerry Moore |
| 2006 | Appalachian State (2) | Massachusetts | 28–17 | Finley Stadium | Chattanooga, Tennessee | 22,808 | Jerry Moore |
| 2007 | Appalachian State (3) | Delaware | 49–21 | Finley Stadium | Chattanooga, Tennessee | 23,010 | Jerry Moore |
| 2008 | Richmond | Montana | 24–7 | Finley Stadium | Chattanooga, Tennessee | 17,823 | Mike London |
| 2009 | Villanova | Montana | 23–21 | Finley Stadium | Chattanooga, Tennessee | 14,328 | Andy Talley |
| 2010 | Eastern Washington | Delaware | 20–19 | Pizza Hut Park‡ | Frisco, Texas | 13,027 | Beau Baldwin |
| 2011 | North Dakota State | Sam Houston State | 17–6 | Pizza Hut Park‡ | Frisco, Texas | 20,586 | Craig Bohl |
| 2012 | North Dakota State (2) | Sam Houston State | 39-13 | FC Dallas Stadium | Frisco, Texas | 21,411 [10] | Craig Bohl |
† Known as University of Louisiana at Monroe since 1999.
‡ Now FC Dallas Stadium
Most national championships[]
| Team | Titles | Title Years | Finals | Runner-up |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Georgia Southern | 6 | 1985, 1986, 1989, 1990, 1999, 2000 | 8 | 1988, 1998 |
| Youngstown State | 4 | 1991, 1993, 1994, 1997 | 6 | 1992,1999 |
| Appalachian State | 3 | 2005, 2006, 2007 | 3 | |
| Eastern Kentucky | 2 | 1979, 1982 | 4 | 1980, 1981 |
| Marshall^ | 2 | 1992, 1996 | 6 | 1987, 1991, 1993, 1995 |
| Montana | 2 | 1995, 2001 | 7 | 1996, 2000, 2004, 2008, 2009 |
| North Dakota State | 2 | 2011, 2012 | 2 | |
| Boise State^ | 1 | 1980 | 2 | 1994 |
| Delaware | 1 | 2003 | 4 | 1982, 2007, 2010 |
| Eastern Washington | 1 | 2010 | 1 | |
| Florida A&M | 1 | 1978 | 1 | |
| Furman | 1 | 1988 | 3 | 1985, 2001 |
| Idaho State | 1 | 1981 | 1 | |
| James Madison | 1 | 2004 | 1 | |
| Northeast Louisiana^ | 1 | 1987 | 1 | |
| Massachusetts† | 1 | 1998 | 3 | 1978, 2006 |
| Montana State | 1 | 1984 | 1 | |
| Richmond | 1 | 2008 | 1 | |
| Southern Illinois | 1 | 1983 | 1 | |
| Villanova | 1 | 2009 | 1 | |
| Western Kentucky^ | 1 | 2002 | 1 | |
| Arkansas State^ | 0 | 1 | 1986 | |
| Colgate | 0 | 1 | 2003 | |
| Lehigh | 0 | 1 | 1979 | |
| Louisiana Tech^ | 0 | 1 | 1984 | |
| McNeese State | 0 | 2 | 1997, 2002 | |
| Nevada^ | 0 | 1 | 1990 | |
| Northern Iowa | 0 | 1 | 2005 | |
| Sam Houston State | 0 | 2 | 2011, 2012 | |
| Stephen F. Austin | 0 | 1 | 1989 | |
| Western Carolina | 0 | 1 | 1983 |
^ Now a member of the Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS).
† Currently transitioning to FBS.
See also[]
- List of NCAA Division I FCS football programs
- College football national championships in NCAA Division I FBS
- NCAA Division I FCS Consensus Mid-Major Football National Championship
- NCAA Division II National Football Championship
- NCAA Division III National Football Championship
- NAIA National Football Championship
- NJCAA National Football Championship
- List of college bowl games
References[]
- ↑ NCAA Division I Football Championship - Official Web Site
- ↑ "NCAA approves playoff expansion to 20 teams for 2010. The current structure will include eight teams playing in four first round games. The four first round winners will advance to the second Round of Sixteen where they will play the top four seeds. Eight second round winners will advance to the regional championships (commonly referred to as East Region: Boardwalk Bowl, Midwest Region: Pecan Bowl, Mideast Region: Tangerine Bowl, and West Region: Camellia Bowl), with the winners of the regional championships advancing to the national semifinals. The National Semifinal winners with play in the FCS Championship Bowl in January.". The Sports Network. 2008-04-25. http://www.sportsnetwork.com/merge/tsnform.aspx?c=sportsnetwork&page=cfoot2/news/newstest.aspx?id=4146516.
- ↑ Caplan, Jeff (2010-02-26). "20 teams to compete for FCS crown". ESPNDallas.com. http://sports.espn.go.com/dallas/ncf/news/story?id=4949141. Retrieved 2010-02-26.
- ↑ "NCAA inks three-year extension to keep FCS title game in Frisco, Texas" (Press release). NCAA. December 19, 2012. http://www.ncaa.com/news/football/article/2012-12-19/ncaa-inks-three-year-extension-keep-fcs-title-game-frisco-texas. Retrieved December 19, 2012.
- ↑ Pablo Torre (2007-11-29). "No playoffs for you!". SI. http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2007/sioncampus/11/29/ivyleague.football/. Retrieved 2009-06-27.
- ↑ David Burrick (2003-09-18). "Ivy League not likely to see I-AA playoffs". The Daily Pennsylvanian. http://media.www.dailypennsylvanian.com/media/storage/paper882/news/2003/09/18/Sports/Ivy-League.Not.Likely.To.See.IAa.Playoffs-2154091.shtml. Retrieved 2009-06-27.
- ↑ Craig T. Greenlee (2000-01-06). "Not Exactly for THE SPORT OF IT". Black Issues in Higher Education. http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0DXK/is_23_16/ai_59019432/. Retrieved 2009-06-27.
- ↑ http://pflfan.proboards.com/index.cgi?board=general&action=display&thread=1144
- ↑ NCAA (2008). "FCS History". http://www.ncaa.com/history/football-fcs.html.
- ↑ "2013 FCS National Championship Bowl: North Dakota State Bison vs. Sam Houston State Bearkats". Stat Broadcast. http://stats.statbroadcast.com/statmonitr/?id=14493. Retrieved January 1, 2013.
External links[]
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es:FCS National Football Championship pt:NCAA Football Championship