2020–21 NCAA Division I FCS football season

The following playing rule changes were approved by the NCAA Playing Rules Oversight Panel for 2020:[13]

• Players ejected for targeting will now be permitted to remain in the bench area. Previously, players ejected for targeting had to return to the locker room.
• Restricting the number of players on a team wearing the same uniform number to two; such players still cannot be on the field at the same time and must play different positions.
• Including the number "0" as a legal uniform number.
• Extending the official's jurisdiction prior to kickoff from 60 to 90 minutes, requiring a coach from each team be on the field during warm-ups, and identifying each player by number.
• Defensive teams are allowed to briefly have twelve players on the field to anticipate the offensive formation, however having twelve (or more) players on the field at the snap is a live-ball five-yard penalty for illegal substitution. Previously this foul was a dead-ball foul, called if the defense had twelve (or more) players on the field and the "snap is imminent".
• Adopting as a guideline a maximum of 2 minutes for instant replay reviews. Exceptions will be allowed in "exceptionally complicated" or end-of-game situations.
• On personal fouls and unsportsmanlike conduct penalties committed by the defense during a play that results in a touchdown or after a touchdown but before the try, the offense has the option to enforce the penalty on the try, the ensuing kickoff, or on the succeeding spot (if in overtime).
• If the game clock expires at the end of a half, replay determines that time was remaining, and the game situation calls for the clock to start on the referee's signal, the half ends unless the replay determines that the clock should have stopped with 3 or more seconds left.

• May 12 – Timothy White, chancellor of the 23-campus California State University system, announced that it would remain in a virtual learning model for the 2020 fall term. Because NCAA president Mark Emmert publicly stated that athletics could not take place on a campus without students, this left the 2020 season in doubt for the system's two FCS schools, Big Sky Conference members Cal Poly and Sacramento State.[14]
• May 19 – The NCAA announced its Academic Progress Rate (APR) sanctions for the 2020–21 school year. A total of fifteen programs in eight sports were declared ineligible for postseason play due to failure to meet the required APR benchmark, including the following Division I FCS football teams:[15]
  • Howard
  • McNeese State
  • Prairie View A&M
  • Stephen F. Austin
• June 4 – Florida A&M University announced that it would leave the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference for the Southwestern Athletic Conference after the 2020–21 school year.[7]
• June 15 – Robert Morris University announced its departure from the Northeast Conference for the Horizon League effective July 1, 2020. Football is one of six sports sponsored by RMU that are not sponsored by the Horizon League. The football program was scheduled to join Big South Conference football in 2021. For the 2020 football team, the Colonials were to have played as an FCS independent.[16][17] The fall 2020 schedule for the Robert Morris football team would have been played as non-conference.[18] RMU was ultimately added to Big South football for its rescheduled spring 2021 season.
• June 25 – Bethune–Cookman University announced that it would leave the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference for the Southwestern Athletic Conference after the 2020–21 school year.[8]
• July 8 – the Ivy League announced that no sports would be played until January 1, 2021, at the earliest, because of the COVID-19 pandemic. It has not yet been determined whether football will take place in the spring or not at all.[19]
• July 13 – The Patriot League announced the cancellation of its fall sports season due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Similarly to the Ivy League, it has not been announced whether football will be canceled altogether or played in the spring.[20]
• July 16 – The MEAC announces that no sports will be played in the fall, but that the possibility of playing fall sports, including football, in the spring, is still open.[21]
• July 17 – The Colonial Athletic Association announces that it will not play fall sports, but that teams still wishing to play football can compete as independents for the 2020 season.[22] Due to the cancellation of the MEAC season, ESPN Events announced that the MEAC/SWAC Challenge and Celebration Bowl had both been canceled.[23]
• July 19 – The SWAC announces that it has canceled fall sports but becomes the first conference to commit to playing football in the spring, with the announcement of a seven-game conference schedule preceded by an eight-week training schedule to start in January 2021.[24]
• July 27 – The Pioneer Football League announces that it will play a conference-only schedule in 2020.[25]
• July 29 – The Northeast Conference announces that it will postpone football and all other fall sports, and that its Council of Presidents will reconvene on October 1 to reevaluate its plans.[26]
• August 7
  • The Pioneer Football League announces that its fall football season will be canceled, with no announcement made with regard to playing in the spring.[27]
  • The Big Sky Conference announces the rescheduling of all fall sports for spring 2021, the second FCS conference to commit to playing football in the spring.[28]
• August 10 – The Missouri Valley Football Conference announces that its fall football season will be postponed to spring of 2021.[29]

The regular season began on Saturday, August 29 with a game involving two FCS teams.

• FCS Kickoff (Cramton Bowl, Montgomery, Alabama): Austin Peay vs. Central Arkansas[30]

There has been one FCS victory over an FBS team in 2020.

• October 23:
  • Jacksonville State 19, FIU 10

One FCS team has lost to a non-DI team in 2020.

• November 7:
  • Angelo State 34, Abilene Christian 21

Due to the MEAC cancelling all fall sports for the 2020 season, the MEAC/SWAC Celebration Bowl (the one FCS bowl game) was canceled.[23]

In late September 2020, the NCAA announced that the FCS postseason would take place in April and May 2021.[4] Also announced was a reduction of participating teams from 24 to 16, with 11 automatic qualifiers.[4] The first round of the playoffs is scheduled for April 24, with the Championship Game on May 15 or 16.[4]

• 2020 NCAA Division I FCS football rankings
• 2020 NCAA Division I FBS football season
• 2020 NCAA Division II football season
• 2020 NCAA Division III football season
• 2020 NAIA football season