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Meet the FCS!
Lurking off the national media’s radar is the smaller college football division known as the Football Championship Subdivision.
The poorly named FCS is the little brother of the FBS (Football Bowl Subdivision) where the big money teams of college football play ball.
The quality of football played at the FCS level can be quite good. Unfortunately, many toil in relative anonymity. The 32-team NFL selected just 15 former FCS football players (6.7%) this spring out of the 224 young men selected in the league’s seven-round draft.
There is much to like about football games played in the FCS
Ticket prices for FCS football games are generally quite reasonable. You can walk-up and purchase a general admission ticket for $15-$20 at many schools. Parking is nearby and likely won’t cost an arm and a leg like it does today at Behemoth U.
There’s usually a home team marching band for your entertainment. Some relatively reasonably priced concessions are available, too.
Football players in the FCS are some of the best high school players from their states and are quite talented. The level of effort given by players at this level is every bit as energetic as that shown by the NIL-incentivized players at Large State University.
The FCS has great conferences, rivalries, and history
There are currently 129 NCAA Division 1-AA football teams in today’s FCS.
The Merrimack Warriors from Massachusetts and the Sacred Heart Pioneers of Fairfield, Connecticut are the only teams playing as independents this year.
Those other 127 FCS schools participate in 13 conferences. Let’s highlight each FCS football conference and provide a little insight about each:
Big Sky Conference (12 teams) – One of the two most dominant football conferences in the FCS, the Big Sky Conference in the Rocky Mountain region has produced the national runner-up in each of the past two seasons (Montana State Bobcats in 2024 and the Montana Grizzlies in 2023).
The “Brawl of the Wild” game every November between the Bobcats and Griz started back in 1897. Other regular contenders in the Big Sky include the Idaho Vandals and the UC-Davis Aggies.
Coastal Athletic Association (14 teams) – The CAA has most of its teams concentrated in the New England area. William & Mary (The Tribe) and former CAA member Richmond Spiders (which joined the Patriot Conference this year) play annually in “The Oldest Rivalry in the South.” This grudge game (also known as the Capital Cup) began play in 1898 and involves two of Virginia’s historical capital cities (Williamsburg and Richmond).
Ivy League (8 teams) – Sure, these are the academic blue-bloods of college football. The Ivy League is best known for its annual Harvard vs. Yale game, but another rivalry is even older. Princeton’s Tigers (New Jersey) and Yale’s Bulldogs (Connecticut) began playing football against each other (1873) two years earlier than Harvard vs. Yale! You might think that a clever name for the series exists (such as the “ACT vs SAT” Bowl). Nevertheless, the next game in this annual rivalry comes on November 15 at Princeton.
One final note – this year marks the first time in 80 years that the Ivy League has permitted its football champion to participate in the FCS playoffs.
Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) (6 teams) – This eastern seaboard conference features six historically-black universities with a long history of big rivalry games. One of them is called the “Battle of the Beltway.” The Howard University Bison (Washington, DC) and the Morgan State Bears (Baltimore) have played this game since 1899.
Missouri Valley (10 teams) – Competition is downright fierce in the Missouri Valley football conference. The defending national champion North Dakota State Bison have won ten of the past 14 FCS football titles. NDSU’s primary Missouri Valley Conference foe, the South Dakota State Jackrabbits, have won two of the last three national championships.
South Dakota State also has a beef with intrastate rival University of South Dakota (the Coyotes). Their game has been contested annually since 1889 in the heated “South Dakota Showdown” series.
Northeast Conference (9 teams) – Have you ever heard of Mercyhurst (the Lakers), Stonehill (the Skyhawks), and Long Island University (the Sharks)? How about Duquenes (Dukes), Central Connecticut (Blue Devils), New Haven (Chargers), Robert Morris (Colonels), Saint Francis (Red Flashes) and Wagner (Seahawks). The Northeast Conference has not been a perennial FCS football power, but they do have some dandy nicknames!
Ohio Valley Conference/Big South Alliance (9 teams) – This blended FCS football conference involves football teams from the Ohio Valley Conference and Big South Conference. Several universities in those two conferences do not have field a football team. The OVC/Big South Alliance began in 2023 and will continue through at least the year 2030. The conference champion receives an automatic bid into the FCS playoffs.
Patriot League (8 teams) – This conference began in 1986 and has schools located in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern regions. Two members of the Patriot Conference (the Lafayette Leopards and the Lehigh University Mountain Hawks – both located in eastern Pennsylvania) play in the oldest college football series in the country. “The Rivalry” game dates back to 1884.
Lafayette (which leads the series with 84 wins vs. 73 for Lehigh along with five ties) plays host this year’s grudge match on November 22.
Pioneer Football League (11 teams) – This far-flung conference (which began in 1993) has member schools in nine different states on both the East coast (Stetson in Florida and Marist in New York) and the West coast (University of San Diego). The remainder of the Pioneer Football League is concentrated in the Midwest and Southeast. Did you know that the PFL is the nation’s only non-scholarship, football-only FCS conference?
Southern Conference (9 teams) – Founded in 1921, the Southern Conference once was the home of multiple FCS champions including Georgia Southern and Appalachian State. Those two schools moved up to the FBS level and now participate in the Sunbelt Conference. SoCon’s two South Carolina entries at The Citadel (Bulldogs) and the 1988 FCS champion Furman (Paladins) have played football against each other 104 times since 1913. This year’s battle will occur on October 25 at Furman.
Southland Conference (10 teams) – The SLC has (since 1963) served as a springboard for a number of schools which later decided to move into the large-school FBS group. Former Southland members include current FBS schools such as Arkansas State, Texas State, UL-Lafayette, and UL-Monroe (the 1987 FCS champ) of the Sunbelt Conference. Louisiana Tech and Sam Houston (the 2020 FCS champ) now play in Conference USA. Former Southland members North Texas and UT-San Antonio moved into the American Athletic Conference.
Long-time Southland Conference members Northwestern State (LA) University and Stephen F. Austin (TX) still wage battle every November for a giant 7-foot wooden trophy (recently renamed as “The Chief”). This spirited Piney Woods series originated in 1923 and will be played on November 20 in Natchitoches, LA.
Southwestern Athletic Conference (12 teams) – College football games in the SWAC can be very entertaining, but the marching bands in this particular conference are downright stellar. Founded in 1920, the SWAC is one of the oldest conferences in the FCS. The league features historically-black universities located in several southern states.
Louisiana’s legendary Grambling State University (Tigers) and Southern University (Jaguars) always sell-out the Superdome in New Orleans for the annual Bayou Classic match-up.
Fans dare not leave their seat during the halftime “Battle of the Bands.” This season’s Bayou Classic will be played on November 29.
United Athletic Conference (9 teams) – This 2023 FCS conference is the blending of football-playing teams from the Atlantic Sun Conference and the now-defunct Western Athletic Conference (WAC). One year from now, the UAC will become the official sports home for all schools participating in this conference. Most member schools are currently located in the South and Southwest.
The FCS Playoffs – A 24-team system which the big boys should utilize
Two of the 13 FCS conferences have opted not participate in the current playoff system. The SWAC plays its own league championship game and then sends its winner to face the MEAC champion in the annual Celebration Bowl in Atlanta.
This annual game in December usually determines the HBCU national champion.
The SWAC and MEAC schools apparently reap greater financial benefits from their traditional season-ending game than from the satisfaction of pursuing a national championship in the FCS group of schools.
Other FCS football conferences will place at least one representative into the five-week national championship playoff series.
The FCS 24-team playoffs are comprised of:
That selection committee is comprised of one representative from each of the ten participating conferences. The committee also determines the top eight FCS playoff seeds – which receive a first round bye in the 24-team event.
Selection Committee members will match-up the 16 teams participating in Week #1 with geographic considerations given to minimize the travel burden of visiting teams.
Below is this year’s FCS playoff schedule. The first round games get underway on the weekend of Saturday, November 29, 2025:
Week #1 – Eight first round games – Teams #9 – 24 participate (Seeds #1-8 receive a bye in the opening week)
Week #2 – Eight second round games – hosted by Seeds #1-8
Week #3 – Quarterfinals – hosted by the four highest remaining seeds
Week #4 – Semifinals – hosted by the two highest remaining seeds
Week #5 – Finals – to be played at the Vanderbilt University football stadium in Nashville, Tennessee.
Good luck finding tickets to the title game, though. Prices (as of today) start at more than $150!
The previous 15 FCS title games have been played in Frisco, Texas (north of Dallas). Frisco’s stadium (which is primarily used as a soccer facility) is undergoing some major renovations and will not be ready to host the next two FCS title games.
Nashville gets a chance to shine for the next two years as an audition. The future location of the FCS title game beginning in 2027 has yet to be determined.
The post Meet the FCS! appeared first on SwampSwamiSports.com.
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By SwampSwamiSports.comLurking off the national media’s radar is the smaller college football division known as the Football Championship Subdivision.
The poorly named FCS is the little brother of the FBS (Football Bowl Subdivision) where the big money teams of college football play ball.
The quality of football played at the FCS level can be quite good. Unfortunately, many toil in relative anonymity. The 32-team NFL selected just 15 former FCS football players (6.7%) this spring out of the 224 young men selected in the league’s seven-round draft.
There is much to like about football games played in the FCS
Ticket prices for FCS football games are generally quite reasonable. You can walk-up and purchase a general admission ticket for $15-$20 at many schools. Parking is nearby and likely won’t cost an arm and a leg like it does today at Behemoth U.
There’s usually a home team marching band for your entertainment. Some relatively reasonably priced concessions are available, too.
Football players in the FCS are some of the best high school players from their states and are quite talented. The level of effort given by players at this level is every bit as energetic as that shown by the NIL-incentivized players at Large State University.
The FCS has great conferences, rivalries, and history
There are currently 129 NCAA Division 1-AA football teams in today’s FCS.
The Merrimack Warriors from Massachusetts and the Sacred Heart Pioneers of Fairfield, Connecticut are the only teams playing as independents this year.
Those other 127 FCS schools participate in 13 conferences. Let’s highlight each FCS football conference and provide a little insight about each:
Big Sky Conference (12 teams) – One of the two most dominant football conferences in the FCS, the Big Sky Conference in the Rocky Mountain region has produced the national runner-up in each of the past two seasons (Montana State Bobcats in 2024 and the Montana Grizzlies in 2023).
The “Brawl of the Wild” game every November between the Bobcats and Griz started back in 1897. Other regular contenders in the Big Sky include the Idaho Vandals and the UC-Davis Aggies.
Coastal Athletic Association (14 teams) – The CAA has most of its teams concentrated in the New England area. William & Mary (The Tribe) and former CAA member Richmond Spiders (which joined the Patriot Conference this year) play annually in “The Oldest Rivalry in the South.” This grudge game (also known as the Capital Cup) began play in 1898 and involves two of Virginia’s historical capital cities (Williamsburg and Richmond).
Ivy League (8 teams) – Sure, these are the academic blue-bloods of college football. The Ivy League is best known for its annual Harvard vs. Yale game, but another rivalry is even older. Princeton’s Tigers (New Jersey) and Yale’s Bulldogs (Connecticut) began playing football against each other (1873) two years earlier than Harvard vs. Yale! You might think that a clever name for the series exists (such as the “ACT vs SAT” Bowl). Nevertheless, the next game in this annual rivalry comes on November 15 at Princeton.
One final note – this year marks the first time in 80 years that the Ivy League has permitted its football champion to participate in the FCS playoffs.
Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) (6 teams) – This eastern seaboard conference features six historically-black universities with a long history of big rivalry games. One of them is called the “Battle of the Beltway.” The Howard University Bison (Washington, DC) and the Morgan State Bears (Baltimore) have played this game since 1899.
Missouri Valley (10 teams) – Competition is downright fierce in the Missouri Valley football conference. The defending national champion North Dakota State Bison have won ten of the past 14 FCS football titles. NDSU’s primary Missouri Valley Conference foe, the South Dakota State Jackrabbits, have won two of the last three national championships.
South Dakota State also has a beef with intrastate rival University of South Dakota (the Coyotes). Their game has been contested annually since 1889 in the heated “South Dakota Showdown” series.
Northeast Conference (9 teams) – Have you ever heard of Mercyhurst (the Lakers), Stonehill (the Skyhawks), and Long Island University (the Sharks)? How about Duquenes (Dukes), Central Connecticut (Blue Devils), New Haven (Chargers), Robert Morris (Colonels), Saint Francis (Red Flashes) and Wagner (Seahawks). The Northeast Conference has not been a perennial FCS football power, but they do have some dandy nicknames!
Ohio Valley Conference/Big South Alliance (9 teams) – This blended FCS football conference involves football teams from the Ohio Valley Conference and Big South Conference. Several universities in those two conferences do not have field a football team. The OVC/Big South Alliance began in 2023 and will continue through at least the year 2030. The conference champion receives an automatic bid into the FCS playoffs.
Patriot League (8 teams) – This conference began in 1986 and has schools located in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern regions. Two members of the Patriot Conference (the Lafayette Leopards and the Lehigh University Mountain Hawks – both located in eastern Pennsylvania) play in the oldest college football series in the country. “The Rivalry” game dates back to 1884.
Lafayette (which leads the series with 84 wins vs. 73 for Lehigh along with five ties) plays host this year’s grudge match on November 22.
Pioneer Football League (11 teams) – This far-flung conference (which began in 1993) has member schools in nine different states on both the East coast (Stetson in Florida and Marist in New York) and the West coast (University of San Diego). The remainder of the Pioneer Football League is concentrated in the Midwest and Southeast. Did you know that the PFL is the nation’s only non-scholarship, football-only FCS conference?
Southern Conference (9 teams) – Founded in 1921, the Southern Conference once was the home of multiple FCS champions including Georgia Southern and Appalachian State. Those two schools moved up to the FBS level and now participate in the Sunbelt Conference. SoCon’s two South Carolina entries at The Citadel (Bulldogs) and the 1988 FCS champion Furman (Paladins) have played football against each other 104 times since 1913. This year’s battle will occur on October 25 at Furman.
Southland Conference (10 teams) – The SLC has (since 1963) served as a springboard for a number of schools which later decided to move into the large-school FBS group. Former Southland members include current FBS schools such as Arkansas State, Texas State, UL-Lafayette, and UL-Monroe (the 1987 FCS champ) of the Sunbelt Conference. Louisiana Tech and Sam Houston (the 2020 FCS champ) now play in Conference USA. Former Southland members North Texas and UT-San Antonio moved into the American Athletic Conference.
Long-time Southland Conference members Northwestern State (LA) University and Stephen F. Austin (TX) still wage battle every November for a giant 7-foot wooden trophy (recently renamed as “The Chief”). This spirited Piney Woods series originated in 1923 and will be played on November 20 in Natchitoches, LA.
Southwestern Athletic Conference (12 teams) – College football games in the SWAC can be very entertaining, but the marching bands in this particular conference are downright stellar. Founded in 1920, the SWAC is one of the oldest conferences in the FCS. The league features historically-black universities located in several southern states.
Louisiana’s legendary Grambling State University (Tigers) and Southern University (Jaguars) always sell-out the Superdome in New Orleans for the annual Bayou Classic match-up.
Fans dare not leave their seat during the halftime “Battle of the Bands.” This season’s Bayou Classic will be played on November 29.
United Athletic Conference (9 teams) – This 2023 FCS conference is the blending of football-playing teams from the Atlantic Sun Conference and the now-defunct Western Athletic Conference (WAC). One year from now, the UAC will become the official sports home for all schools participating in this conference. Most member schools are currently located in the South and Southwest.
The FCS Playoffs – A 24-team system which the big boys should utilize
Two of the 13 FCS conferences have opted not participate in the current playoff system. The SWAC plays its own league championship game and then sends its winner to face the MEAC champion in the annual Celebration Bowl in Atlanta.
This annual game in December usually determines the HBCU national champion.
The SWAC and MEAC schools apparently reap greater financial benefits from their traditional season-ending game than from the satisfaction of pursuing a national championship in the FCS group of schools.
Other FCS football conferences will place at least one representative into the five-week national championship playoff series.
The FCS 24-team playoffs are comprised of:
That selection committee is comprised of one representative from each of the ten participating conferences. The committee also determines the top eight FCS playoff seeds – which receive a first round bye in the 24-team event.
Selection Committee members will match-up the 16 teams participating in Week #1 with geographic considerations given to minimize the travel burden of visiting teams.
Below is this year’s FCS playoff schedule. The first round games get underway on the weekend of Saturday, November 29, 2025:
Week #1 – Eight first round games – Teams #9 – 24 participate (Seeds #1-8 receive a bye in the opening week)
Week #2 – Eight second round games – hosted by Seeds #1-8
Week #3 – Quarterfinals – hosted by the four highest remaining seeds
Week #4 – Semifinals – hosted by the two highest remaining seeds
Week #5 – Finals – to be played at the Vanderbilt University football stadium in Nashville, Tennessee.
Good luck finding tickets to the title game, though. Prices (as of today) start at more than $150!
The previous 15 FCS title games have been played in Frisco, Texas (north of Dallas). Frisco’s stadium (which is primarily used as a soccer facility) is undergoing some major renovations and will not be ready to host the next two FCS title games.
Nashville gets a chance to shine for the next two years as an audition. The future location of the FCS title game beginning in 2027 has yet to be determined.
The post Meet the FCS! appeared first on SwampSwamiSports.com.