List of NCAA Division I FCS football programs
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 are 127 FCS programs in the 2020–21 season, originally scheduled for fall 2020 but largely delayed to spring 2021 due to COVID-19. Conference affiliations are current for the 2020–21 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.
Map of the FCS football programs, 2013
FCS programs
- The Western Athletic Conference will reinstate football in the fall 2021 season with nine members—full conference members Abilene Christian, Dixie State, Lamar, Sam Houston State, Stephen F. Austin, and Tarleton State, plus single-sport members Central Arkansas, Eastern Kentucky, and Jacksonville State.
- Bethune–Cookman and Florida A&M will move to the Southwestern Athletic Conference in 2021.
- Central Arkansas, Eastern Kentucky, and Jacksonville State will become football-only members of the Western Athletic Conference for the fall 2021 season, coinciding with their entry into the non-football ASUN Conference. The ASUN plans to launch a football league in 2022, at which time these schools will add football to their ASUN membership.
- Although the academic core of the Harvard campus, including the university administration, is located in Cambridge, the school's athletic complex, including the football stadium, is within the city limits of Boston.
- This is Idaho's second stint in the grouping now known as FCS; it had been a member of what was then known as Division I-AA from the group's creation in 1978 through 1995, after which it moved to the league then known as the Pacific Coast Athletic Association (now the Big West Conference). At that time, the PCAA sponsored FBS (then Division I-A) football.
- Kennesaw State will move football to its full-time home of the ASUN Conference once that conference starts its football league in 2022.
- 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 Sharks 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 was immediately eligible for the playoffs, as it was treated as a new football program of an existing D-I institution, but lost all its Division I games in the 2019 season and failed to qualify.
- First season of the LIU Post program that became the LIU program in 2019.
- North Carolina A&T will move to the Big South Conference in 2021.
- The 2019 season was North Dakota's last as a football independent, playing a full Big Sky Conference schedule to honor contractual commitments to its former league.
- Portland State's campus is in the city of Portland, but it plays its home football games in the suburb of Hillsboro.
- Presbyterian began a transition to non-scholarship football in 2017. It left Big South Conference football after the 2019 season (though it remains a member in other sports), will play as an FCS independent in 2020–21, and then join the Pioneer Football League in July 2021.
- After leaving the football-sponsoring Northeast Conference for the non-football Horizon League in July 2020, Robert Morris had planned to play the 2020–21 season as an FCS independent before joining Big South Conference football in July 2021. With three of the Big South's eight planned football members not playing in the rescheduled spring 2021 conference season, the conference brought RMU into its football league earlier than planned.
- Southern Utah will join the WAC and its revived football league in 2022.
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 are ineligible for the FCS playoffs.
| Team | School | City | State | Founded | First played | Conference | Full membership |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dixie State Trailblazers | Dixie State University | St. George | Utah | 1911 | 2006 | Independent | 2024[lower-alpha 1] |
| Merrimack Warriors | Merrimack College | North Andover | Massachusetts | 1947 | 1985 | Northeast | 2023[lower-alpha 2] |
| North Alabama Lions | University of North Alabama | Florence | Alabama | 1830 | 1912 | Big South | 2022[lower-alpha 3] |
| Tarleton State Texans | Tarleton State University | Stephenville | Texas | 1899 | 1961 | Independent | 2024[lower-alpha 1] |
- Dixie State and Tarleton State began transitions from Division II to Division I in July 2020, with both joining the non-football Western Athletic Conference. Both schools will become WAC football members when that conference reinstates football in fall 2021.
- Merrimack began a transition from Division II to Division I in 2019, joining the Northeast Conference as a full member, including football.
- North Alabama began a transition from Division II to Division I in 2018, joining the non-football ASUN Conference. The Lions joined Big South football under the terms of an agreement between the ASUN and Big South that guarantees a home in Big South football to any school in either conference that awards football scholarships. This agreement will end after the 2021 fall season, as the ASUN plans to establish its own football league in 2022, with North Alabama as a member.
Transitioning from Division III
Normally, under current NCAA rules, teams are not allowed to reclassify directly from NCAA Division III to Division I. However, after St. Thomas was involuntarily removed from the Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference, they and their future primary conference home, the Summit League, worked with the NCAA to move directly to Division I. On July 15, 2020, it was announced that the NCAA had approved this transition, and St. Thomas will play in Division I starting with the 2021 season.[1]
| Team | School | City | State | Founded | First played | Conference | Full membership |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| St. Thomas Tommies | University of St. Thomas | Saint Paul | Minnesota | 1885 | 1904 | Pioneer Football League | 2025 |
Programs moving to FCS
| Team | School | City | State | Current conference | Future conference | First played | Full membership |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| UTRGV Vaqueros | University of Texas Rio Grande Valley | Edinburg[lower-alpha 1] | Texas | No football program | Western Athletic Conference[lower-alpha 2] | 2024[lower-alpha 3] | 2024 |
- UTRGV has six campuses within its service area, but its athletic program is based at the Edinburg campus, which it inherited from one of its predecessor institutions, the University of Texas–Pan American. The UTPA athletic program was transferred intact to UTRGV.
- While UTRGV has not officially announced its future football affiliation, it is already a full WAC member, making it all but certain to join WAC football.
- The former UTPA played football while it was a junior college, but never had a football program as a four-year institution.
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
Hampton
Kennesaw St.
Monmouth
RMU
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
SCS
Illinois St.
Indiana St.
Missouri St.
N. Dakota
ND St.
N. Iowa
South Dakota
SD St.
S. Illinois
W. Illinois
Youngstown St.
Bryant
12
11
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
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.
Dixie St.
Presbyterian
Tarleton
All FCS programs during the 2020–21 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.
FCS programs by State
Alabama
| Team | Nickname | City | Current conference | First played |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama A&M | Bulldogs | Normal | SWAC | 1912 |
| Alabama State | Hornets | Montgomery | SWAC | 1901 |
| Jacksonville State | Gamecocks | Jacksonville | OVC | 1904 |
| North Alabama | Lions | Florence | Big South | 1912 |
| Samford | Bulldogs | Homewood | SoCon | 1902 |
Arizona
| Team | Nickname | City | Current conference | First played |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Northern Arizona | Lumberjacks | Flagstaff | Big Sky | 1915 |
Arkansas
| Team | Nickname | City | Current conference | First played |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Arkansas–Pine Bluff | Golden Lions | Pine Bluff | SWAC | 1916 |
| Central Arkansas | Bears | Conway | Southland | 1908 |
California
| Team | Nickname | City | Current conference | First played |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cal Poly | Mustangs | San Luis Obispo | Big Sky | 1915 |
| Sacramento State | Hornets | Sacramento | Big Sky | 1954 |
| San Diego | Toreros | San Diego | Pioneer | 1956 |
| UC Davis | Aggies | Davis | Big Sky | 1915 |
Colorado
| Team | Nickname | City | Current conference | First played |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Northern Colorado | Bears | Greeley | Big Sky | 1983 |
Connecticut
| Team | Nickname | City | Current conference | First played |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Central Connecticut | Blue Devils | New Britain | NEC | 1935 |
| Sacred Heart | Pioneers | Fairfield | NEC | 1991 |
| Yale | Bulldogs | New Haven | Ivy League | 1872 |
Delaware
| Team | Nickname | City | Current conference | First played |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Delaware | Fightin' Blue Hens | Newark | CAA | 1889 |
| Delaware State | Hornets | Dover | MEAC | 1924 |
Florida
| Team | Nickname | City | Current conference | First played |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bethune–Cookman | Wildcats | Daytona Beach | MEAC (SWAC in 2021) |
1925 |
| Florida A&M | Rattlers | Tallahassee | MEAC (SWAC in 2021) |
1907 |
| Stetson | Hatters | DeLand | Pioneer | 1901 |
Georgia
| Team | Nickname | City | Current conference | First played |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kennesaw State | Owls | Kennesaw | Big South | 2015 |
| Mercer | Bears | Macon | SoCon | 1891 |
Idaho
| Team | Nickname | City | Current conference | First played |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Idaho | Vandals | Moscow | Big Sky | 1893 |
| Idaho State | Bengals | Pocatello | Big Sky | 1902 |
Illinois
| Team | Nickname | City | Current conference | First played |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Eastern Illinois | Panthers | Charleston | OVC | 1899 |
| Illinois State | Redbirds | Normal | MVFC | 1887 |
| Southern Illinois | Salukis | Carbondale | MVFC | 1905 |
| Western Illinois | Leathernecks | Macomb | MVFC | 1903 |
Indiana
| Team | Nickname | City | Current conference | First played |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Butler | Bulldogs | Indianapolis | Pioneer | 1884 |
| Indiana State | Sycamores | Terre Haute | MVFC | 1896 |
| Valparaiso | Crusaders | Valparaiso | Pioneer | 1919 |
Iowa
| Team | Nickname | City | Current conference | First played |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Drake | Bulldogs | Des Moines | Pioneer | 1893 |
| Northern Iowa | Panthers | Cedar Falls | MVFC | 1895 |
Kentucky
| Team | Nickname | City | Current conference | First played |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Eastern Kentucky | Colonels | Richmond | OVC | 1891 |
| Morehead State | Eagles | Morehead | Pioneer | 1927 |
| Murray State | Racers | Murray | OVC | 1924 |
Louisiana
| Team | Nickname | City | Current conference | First played |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grambling State | Tigers | Grambling | SWAC | 1928 |
| McNeese State | Cowboys | Lake Charles | Southland | 1940 |
| Nicholls | Colonels | Thibodaux | Southland | 1972 |
| Northwestern State | Demons | Natchitoches | Southland | 1907 |
| Southeastern Louisiana | Lions | Hammond | Southland | 1930 |
| Southern | Jaguars | Baton Rouge | SWAC | 1916 |
Maine
| Team | Nickname | City | Current conference | First played |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Maine | Black Bears | Orono | CAA | 1892 |
Maryland
| Team | Nickname | City | Current conference | First played |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Morgan State | Bears | Baltimore | MEAC | 1898 |
| Towson | Tigers | Towson | CAA | 1969 |
Massachusetts
| Team | Nickname | City | Current conference | First played |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Harvard | Crimson | Campus: Cambridge Stadium: Boston |
Ivy League | 1873 |
| Holy Cross | Crusaders | Worcester | Patriot League | 1891 |
| Merrimack | Warriors | North Andover | NEC | 1996 |
Mississippi
| Team | Nickname | City | Current conference | First played |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alcorn State | Braves | Lorman | SWAC | 1921 |
| Jackson State | Jackson State | Jackson | SWAC | 1911 |
| Mississippi Valley State | Delta Devils | Itta Bena | SWAC | 1953 |
Missouri
| Team | Nickname | City | Current conference | First played |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Missouri State | Bears | Springfield | MVFC | 1909 |
| Southeast Missouri State | Redhawks | Cape Girardeau | OVC | 1902 |
Montana
| Team | Nickname | City | Current conference | First played |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Montana | Grizzlies | Missoula | Big Sky | 1897 |
| Montana State | Bobcats | Bozeman | Big Sky | 1897 |
New Hampshire
| Team | Nickname | City | Current conference | First played |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dartmouth | Big Green | Hanover | Ivy League | 1881 |
| New Hampshire | Wildcats | Durham | CAA | 1893 |
New Jersey
| Team | Nickname | City | Current conference | First played |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Monmouth | Hawks | West Long Branch | Big South | 1993 |
| Princeton | Tigers | Princeton | Ivy League | 1869 |
New York
| Team | Nickname | City | Current conference | First played |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Albany | Great Danes | Albany | CAA | 1973 |
| Colgate | Raiders | Hamilton | Patriot League | 1890 |
| Columbia | Lions | New York City | Ivy League | 1870 |
| Cornell | Big Red | Ithaca | Ivy League | 1887 |
| Fordham | Rams | Bronx | Patriot League | 1882 |
| LIU | Sharks | Brookville | NEC | 1928 |
| Stony Brook | Seawolves | Stony Brook | CAA | 1984 |
| Wagner | Seahawks | Staten Island | NEC | 1927 |
North Carolina
| Team | Nickname | City | Current conference | First played |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Campbell | Fighting Camels | Buies Creek | Big South | 1925, 2008 |
| Davidson | Wildcats | Davidson | Pioneer | 1897 |
| Elon | Phoenix | Elon | CAA | 1909 |
| Gardner–Webb | Runnin' Bulldogs | Boiling Springs | Big South | 1979 |
| North Carolina A&T | Aggies | Greensboro | MEAC (Big South in 2021) |
1901 |
| North Carolina Central | Eagles | Durham | MEAC | 1922 |
| Western Carolina | Catamounts | Cullowhee | SoCon | 1931 |
North Dakota
| Team | Nickname | City | Current conference | First played |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| North Dakota | Fighting Hawks | Grand Forks | MVFC | 1894 |
| North Dakota State | Bison | Fargo | MVFC | 1894 |
Ohio
| Team | Nickname | City | Current conference | First played |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dayton | Flyers | Dayton | Pioneer | 1905 |
| Youngstown State | Penguins | Youngstown | MVFC | 1938 |
Oregon
| Team | Nickname | City | Current conference | First played |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Portland State | Vikings | Campus: Portland Stadium: Hillsboro |
Big Sky | 1947 |
Pennsylvania
| Team | Nickname | City | Current conference | First played |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bucknell | Bison | Lewisburg | Patriot League | 1883 |
| Lafayette | Leopards | Easton | Patriot League | 1881 |
| Lehigh | Mountain Hawks | Bethlehem | Patriot League | 1884 |
| Penn | Quakers | Philadelphia | Ivy League | 1876 |
| Robert Morris | Colonials | Moon Township | Big South | 1994 |
| St. Francis (PA) | Red Flash | Loretto | NEC | 1892 |
| Villanova | Wildcats | Villanova | CAA | 1894 |
Rhode Island
| Team | Nickname | City | Current conference | First played |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brown | Bears | Providence | Ivy League | 1878 |
| Bryant | Bulldogs | Smithfield | NEC | 1999 |
| Rhode Island | Rams | Kingston | CAA | 1895 |
South Carolina
| Team | Nickname | City | Current conference | First played |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Charleston Southern | Buccaneers | Charleston | Big South | 1991 |
| Furman | Paladins | Greenville | SoCon | 1889 |
| Presbyterian | Blue Hose | Clinton | Independent | 1913 |
| South Carolina State | Bulldogs | Orangeburg | MEAC | 1907 |
| The Citadel | Bulldogs | Charleston | SoCon | 1905 |
| Wofford | Terriers | Spartanburg | SoCon | 1889 |
South Dakota
| Team | Nickname | City | Current conference | First played |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| South Dakota | Coyotes | Vermillion | MVFC | 1889 |
| South Dakota State | Jackrabbits | Brookings | MVFC | 1900 |
Tennessee
| Team | Nickname | City | Current conference | First played |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Austin Peay | Governors | Clarksville | OVC | 1930 |
| Chattanooga | Mocs | Chattanooga | SoCon | 1904 |
| East Tennessee State | Buccaneers | Johnson City | SoCon | 1920 |
| Tennessee State | Tigers | Nashville | OVC | 1912 |
| Tennessee Tech | Golden Eagles | Cookeville | OVC | 1922 |
| UT Martin | Skyhawks | Martin | OVC | 1925 |
Texas
| Team | Nickname | City | Current conference | First played |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Abilene Christian | Wildcats | Abilene | Southland (WAC in 2022) |
1910 |
| Houston Baptist | Huskies | Houston | Southland | 2013 |
| Incarnate Word | Cardinals | San Antonio | Southland | 2009 |
| Lamar | Cardinals | Beaumont | Southland (WAC in 2022) |
1923 |
| Prairie View A&M | Panthers | Prairie View | SWAC | 1907 |
| Sam Houston State | Bearkats | Huntsville | Southland (WAC in 2022) |
1912 |
| Stephen F. Austin | Lumberjacks | Nacogdoches | Southland (WAC in 2022) |
1923 |
| Tarleton State | Texans | Stephenville | Independent (WAC in 2022) |
1904 |
| Texas Southern | Tigers | Houston | SWAC | 1947 |
Utah
| Team | Nickname | City | Current conference | First played |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dixie State | Trailblazers | St. George | Independent (WAC in 2022) |
2006 |
| Southern Utah | Thunderbirds | Cedar City | Big Sky (WAC in 2022) |
1963 |
| Weber State | Wildcats | Ogden | Big Sky | 1962 |
Virginia
| Team | Nickname | City | Current conference | First played |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hampton | Pirates | Hampton | Big South | 1902 |
| James Madison | Dukes | Harrisonburg | CAA | 1972 |
| Norfolk State | Spartans | Norfolk | MEAC | 1938 |
| Richmond | Spiders | Richmond | CAA | 1881 |
| VMI | Keydets | Lexington | SoCon | 1891 |
| William & Mary | Tribe | Williamsburg | CAA | 1893 |
Washington
| Team | Nickname | City | Current conference | First played |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Eastern Washington | Eagles | Cheney | Big Sky | 1901 |
Washington, D.C.
| Team | Nickname | City | Current conference | First played |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Georgetown | Hoyas | Washington, D.C. | Patriot League | 1874 |
| Howard | Bison | Washington, D.C. | MEAC | 1893 |
Notes
- "St. Thomas gets approval from NCAA to go Division I". Star Tribune. Retrieved 16 July 2020.
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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