2025 NCAA Division I FCS football season

For the 2025 FBS season, see 2025 NCAA Division I FBS football season.

2025 NCAA Division I FCS season
Regular season
Number of teams129
DurationAugust 23 – December 6
Playoff
DurationNovember 29 – January 5
Championship dateJanuary 5, 2026
Championship siteFirstBank Stadium, Nashville, Tennessee
NCAA Division I FCS football seasons
 

The 2025 NCAA Division I FCS football season, part of college football in the United States, will be organized by the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) at the Division I Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) level. The regular season will begin on August 23 and end in November. The postseason will begin in November 29 and end in January 5, 2026 with the 2026 NCAA Division I Football Championship Game at FirstBank Stadium in Nashville, Tennessee.[1]

Due to the structure of the calendar in 2025, FCS teams will be allowed to play 12 regular-season games instead of the usual 11.[2]

Conference changes and new programs

School 2024 conference 2025 conference Ref
Delaware CAA CUSA (FBS) [3][4]
Missouri State MVFC CUSA (FBS) [5][6]
New Haven NE-10 (D-II) NEC [7][8]
Richmond CAA Patriot [9]
UTRGV new program Southland [10][11]


Notable headlines

  • December 12, 2024 – The Ivy League announced that starting with the 2025 football season; the Ivy League champion will compete in the FCS playoffs. This will be the first time that conference has participated in postseason play since the 1945 signing of the Ivy Group Agreement, which initially governed football competition between Ivy schools but was extended to cover all sports in 1954.[12][a]
  • March 25, 2025 – Saint Francis announced that it would reclassify to NCAA Division III starting in 2026–27, when it will leave the Northeast Conference for the Presidents' Athletic Conference.[13]
  • May 5, 2025 – The Missouri Valley Football Conference (MVFC) announced a new governance structure that formalized the decades-long informal ties between it and the Missouri Valley Conference (MVC), and created a formal relationship between the MVFC and the non-football Summit League. MVC commissioner Jeff Jackson replaced founding MVFC commissioner Patty Viverito following her June 30 retirement, and Summit commissioner Josh Fenton filled the new position of executive advisor at that time. Administrative operations are shared by the MVC and Summit, which are home to all but one of the MVFC's 10 members in the 2025 season.[14]
  • May 6, 2025 – New Haven announced that it accepted an invite to join the Northeast Conference effective July 1, 2025, and begin reclassification from NCAA Division II to be eligible for postseason play in 2028–29.[7]
  • June 23, 2025 – The NCAA Division I Board of Directors announced that St. Thomas had met all the requirements to be fully instated as a Division I university starting with the 2025–26 academic year. The Tommies will now be eligible for all NCAA postseason tournaments, including the FCS playoffs.[15][16]
  • June 25, 2025 – The Big Sky Conference announced that Southern Utah and Utah Tech, Western Athletic Conference (WAC) members that play football in the United Athletic Conference (UAC), would join the Big Sky in 2026.[17]
  • June 26, 2025
    • The Division I Council approved the following measures, to take effect with the 2026 season, which the NCAA's FCS Oversight Committee had recommended on May 6:[18][19]
      • Permanent expansion of the FCS regular season from 11 to 12 games.
      • Standardization of the regular season starting date as the Thursday 13 weeks before the FCS playoff bracket is released on the Saturday before Thanksgiving. (The normal start of the FCS regular season had been the Thursday preceding Labor Day.)
      • Elimination of rule exceptions allowing contests that meet legislated criteria to be played as early as the second Saturday before Labor Day. Instead, all FCS teams will be able to play during what the Football Bowl Subdivision calls Week 0.
    • The Atlantic Sun Conference (ASUN) and WAC announced that their football alliance, the UAC, would become an all-sports conference in 2026. At that time, the WAC will rebrand as the UAC, with its membership including all seven remaining UAC members with scholarship FCS programs plus non-football UT Arlington. The ASUN membership going forward will consist of five non-football schools, Pioneer Football League member Stetson, and Bellarmine, which plays the non-NCAA variant of sprint football.[20]
  • July 22, 2025 — CAA Football announced that Sacred Heart would join the conference in 2026, ending the Pioneers' two-year stint as an FCS independent. Sacred Heart will remain a member of the non-football Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference.[21]

Conference standings

2025 Big Sky Conference football standings
Conf. Overall
Team   W   L     W   L  
Cal Poly   0 – 0     0 – 0  
Eastern Washington   0 – 0     0 – 0  
No. 12 Idaho   0 – 0     0 – 0  
Idaho State   0 – 0     0 – 0  
No. 7 Montana   0 – 0     0 – 0  
No. 2 Montana State   0 – 0     0 – 0  
No. 19 Northern Arizona   0 – 0     0 – 0  
Northern Colorado   0 – 0     0 – 0  
Portland State   0 – 0     0 – 0  
No. 15 Sacramento State   0 – 0     0 – 0  
No. 8 UC Davis   0 – 0     0 – 0  
Weber State   0 – 0     0 – 0  
As of August 21, 2025
Rankings from STATS Poll
2025 Coastal Athletic Association Football Conference standings
Conf. Overall
Team   W   L     W   L  
Albany   0 – 0     0 – 0  
Bryant   0 – 0     0 – 0  
Campbell   0 – 0     0 – 0  
Elon   0 – 0     0 – 0  
Hampton   0 – 0     0 – 0  
No. 22 Monmouth   0 – 0     0 – 0  
Maine   0 – 0     0 – 0  
New Hampshire   0 – 0     0 – 0  
North Carolina A&T   0 – 0     0 – 0  
No. 9 Rhode Island   0 – 0     0 – 0  
No. 24 Stony Brook   0 – 0     0 – 0  
Towson   0 – 0     0 – 0  
No. 13 Villanova   0 – 0     0 – 0  
William & Mary   0 – 0     0 – 0  
As of August 21, 2025
Rankings from STATS Poll
2025 Ivy League football standings
Conf. Overall
Team   W   L     W   L  
Brown   0 – 0     0 – 0  
Columbia   0 – 0     0 – 0  
Cornell   0 – 0     0 – 0  
Dartmouth   0 – 0     0 – 0  
Harvard   0 – 0     0 – 0  
Penn   0 – 0     0 – 0  
Princeton   0 – 0     0 – 0  
Yale   0 – 0     0 – 0  
As of August 21, 2025
Rankings from STATS Poll
2025 Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference football standings
Conf. Overall
Team   W   L     W   L  
Delaware State   0 – 0     0 – 0  
Howard   0 – 0     0 – 0  
Morgan State   0 – 0     0 – 0  
Norfolk State   0 – 0     0 – 0  
North Carolina Central   0 – 0     0 – 0  
South Carolina State   0 – 0     0 – 0  
As of August 21, 2025
Rankings from STATS Poll
2025 Missouri Valley Football Conference standings
Conf. Overall
Team   W   L     W   L  
No. 6 Illinois State   0 – 0     0 – 0  
Indiana State   0 – 0     0 – 0  
Murray State   0 – 0     0 – 0  
North Dakota   0 – 0     0 – 0  
No. 1 North Dakota State   0 – 0     0 – 0  
Northern Iowa   0 – 0     0 – 0  
No. 4 South Dakota   0 – 0     0 – 0  
No. 3 South Dakota State   0 – 0     0 – 0  
No. 20 Southern Illinois   0 – 0     0 – 0  
Youngstown State   0 – 0     0 – 0  
As of August 21, 2025
Rankings from STATS Poll
2025 Northeast Conference football standings
Conf. Overall
Team   W   L     W   L  
Central Connecticut   0 – 0     0 – 0  
Duquesne   0 – 0     0 – 0  
LIU   0 – 0     0 – 0  
Mercyhurst*   0 – 0     0 – 0  
New Haven*   0 – 0     0 – 0  
Robert Morris   0 – 0     0 – 0  
Saint Francis   0 – 0     0 – 0  
Stonehill   0 – 0     0 – 0  
Wagner   0 – 0     0 – 0  
  • * – Ineligible for NEC title and FCS postseason play due to transition from NCAA Division II.
As of August 21, 2025
Rankings from STATS Poll
2025 OVC–Big South football standings
Conf. Overall
Team   W   L     W   L  
Charleston Southern   0 – 0     0 – 0  
Eastern Illinois   0 – 0     0 – 0  
Gardner–Webb   0 – 0     0 – 0  
Lindenwood   0 – 0     0 – 0  
Southeast Missouri State   0 – 0     0 – 0  
Tennessee State   0 – 0     0 – 0  
No. 21 Tennessee Tech   0 – 0     0 – 0  
UT Martin   0 – 0     0 – 0  
Western Illinois   0 – 0     0 – 0  
As of August 21, 2025
Rankings from STATS Poll
2025 Patriot League football standings
Conf. Overall
Team   W   L     W   L  
Bucknell   0 – 0     0 – 0  
Colgate   0 – 0     0 – 0  
Fordham   0 – 0     0 – 0  
Georgetown   0 – 0     0 – 0  
Holy Cross   0 – 0     0 – 0  
Lafayette   0 – 0     0 – 0  
No. 14 Lehigh   0 – 0     0 – 0  
No. 25 Richmond   0 – 0     0 – 0  
As of August 21, 2025
Rankings from STATS Poll
2025 Pioneer Football League standings
Conf. Overall
Team   W   L     W   L  
Butler   0 – 0     0 – 0  
Davidson   0 – 0     0 – 0  
Dayton   0 – 0     0 – 0  
Drake   0 – 0     0 – 0  
Marist   0 – 0     0 – 0  
Morehead State   0 – 0     0 – 0  
Presbyterian   0 – 0     0 – 0  
St. Thomas (MN)   0 – 0     0 – 0  
San Diego   0 – 0     0 – 0  
Stetson   0 – 0     0 – 0  
Valparaiso   0 – 0     0 – 0  
As of August 21, 2025
Rankings from STATS Poll
2025 Southern Conference football standings
Conf. Overall
Team   W   L     W   L  
Chattanooga   0 – 0     0 – 0  
East Tennessee State   0 – 0     0 – 0  
Furman   0 – 0     0 – 0  
No. 11 Mercer   0 – 0     0 – 0  
Samford   0 – 0     0 – 0  
The Citadel   0 – 0     0 – 0  
VMI   0 – 0     0 – 0  
No. 18 Western Carolina   0 – 0     0 – 0  
Wofford   0 – 0     0 – 0  
As of August 21, 2025
Rankings from STATS Poll
2025 Southland Conference football standings
Conf. Overall
Team   W   L     W   L  
East Texas A&M   0 – 0     0 – 0  
Houston Christian   0 – 0     0 – 0  
No. 5 Incarnate Word   0 – 0     0 – 0  
Lamar   0 – 0     0 – 0  
McNeese   0 – 0     0 – 0  
Nicholls   0 – 0     0 – 0  
Northwestern State   0 – 0     0 – 0  
Southeastern Louisiana   0 – 0     0 – 0  
No. 23 Stephen F. Austin   0 – 0     0 – 0  
UT Rio Grande Valley   0 – 0     0 – 0  
As of August 21, 2025
Rankings from STATS Poll
2025 Southwestern Athletic Conference football standings
Conf. Overall
Team   W   L     W   L  
East Division
Alabama A&M   0 – 0     0 – 0  
Alabama State   0 – 0     0 – 0  
Bethune–Cookman   0 – 0     0 – 0  
Florida A&M   0 – 0     0 – 0  
No. 17 Jackson State   0 – 0     0 – 0  
Mississippi Valley State*   0 – 0     0 – 0  
West Division
Alcorn State   0 – 0     0 – 0  
Arkansas–Pine Bluff*   0 – 0     0 – 0  
Grambling State   0 – 0     0 – 0  
Prairie View A&M   0 – 0     0 – 0  
Southern   0 – 0     0 – 0  
Texas Southern   0 – 0     0 – 0  
Championship: December 6, 2025
  • $ – Conference champion
  • x – Division champion/co-champions
  • y – Championship game participant
  • * – Ineligible for FCS postseason play due to failed academic requirements[22]
As of August 21, 2025
Rankings from STATS Poll
2025 United Athletic Conference standings
Conf. Overall
Team   W   L     W   L  
No. 16 Abilene Christian   0 – 0     0 – 0  
Austin Peay   0 – 0     0 – 0  
Central Arkansas   0 – 0     0 – 0  
Eastern Kentucky   0 – 0     0 – 0  
North Alabama   0 – 0     0 – 0  
Southern Utah   0 – 0     0 – 0  
No. 10 Tarleton State   0 – 0     0 – 0  
Utah Tech   0 – 0     0 – 0  
West Georgia*   0 – 0     0 – 0  
  • * – Ineligible for the UAC title and FCS postseason play due to transition from NCAA Division II.
As of August 21, 2025
Rankings from STATS Poll
2025 NCAA Division I FCS independents football standings
Conf. Overall
Team   W   L     W   L  
Merrimack   –     0 – 0  
Sacred Heart   –     0 – 0  
As of August 21, 2025
Rankings from STATS Poll


Rankings

Main article: 2025 NCAA Division I FCS football rankings

The top 25 from the Stats Perform and AFCA Coaches polls.

Pre-season polls

Stats Perform
Ranking Team
1 North Dakota State (54)
2 Montana State (1)
3 South Dakota State
4 South Dakota (1)
5 Incarnate Word
6 Illinois State
7 Montana
8 UC Davis
9 Rhode Island
10 Tarleton State
11 Mercer
12 Idaho
13 Villanova
14 Lehigh
15 Sacramento State
16 Abilene Christian
17 Jackson State
18 Western Carolina
19 Northern Arizona
20 Southern Illinois
21 Tennessee Tech
22 Monmouth
23 Stephen F. Austin
24 Stony Brook
25 Richmond

STATS source:[23]

Kickoff games

The regular season begins on Saturday, August 23 in Week 0:

See also

Footnotes

  1. ^ The Ivy League officially dates its existence from the 1954 extension of the Ivy Group Agreement.

References

  1. ^ "FCS Championship: Future dates and sites". NCAA.com. Retrieved January 24, 2024.
  2. ^ "Bylaw 17.11.6.1: Number of Contests (FBS/FCS): Maximum Limitations – Institutional" (PDF). 2023–24 NCAA Division I Manual. NCAA. August 5, 2023. p. 263. Retrieved August 2, 2024. In championship subdivision football . . . Twelve football contests shall be permissible during those years in which there are 14 Saturdays from the first permissible playing date through the last playing date in November (e.g., 2024, 2025).
  3. ^ "CUSA Adds Delaware, Blue Hens to Join in 2025". conferenceusa.com. November 28, 2023. Retrieved November 28, 2023.
  4. ^ "Delaware Accepts Invitation to Join Conference USA as Full Member". University of Delaware Athletics. Retrieved November 28, 2023.
  5. ^ "CUSA Adds Missouri State, Bears to Join in 2025". conferenceusa.com. May 10, 2024. Retrieved May 10, 2024.
  6. ^ "Missouri State Accepts Invitation to Join Conference USA". Missouri State University Athletics. May 10, 2024. Retrieved May 10, 2024.
  7. ^ a b "Charging Ahead: University of New Haven accepts Northeast Conference membership invite". newhavenchargers.com. New Haven Chargers. May 6, 2025. Retrieved May 6, 2025.
  8. ^ "Charging Up! University of New Haven Accepts Northeast Conference Membership Invite". northeastconference.org. Northeast Conference. May 6, 2025. Retrieved May 14, 2025.
  9. ^ "Richmond Football to Move to Patriot League Following 2024 Season" (Press release). Richmond Spiders Athletics. May 14, 2024. Retrieved May 14, 2024.
  10. ^ "UTRGV announces approval of football, women's aquatics, band, spirit programs" (Press release). UTRGV Vaqueros. November 18, 2022. Retrieved March 11, 2023.
  11. ^ "UTRGV Athletics Accepts Invitation to Join Southland Conference in 2024-25" (Press release). UTRGV Vaqueros Athletics. March 25, 2024. Retrieved March 25, 2024.
  12. ^ "Play by Play: How Student-Athletes Ended Ivy League Football's 80-Year Ban on Postseason Games | News | The Harvard Crimson". www.thecrimson.com. Retrieved February 8, 2025.
  13. ^ "Saint Francis University to Reclassify to NCAA Division III, Join Presidents' Athletic Conference" (Press release). Presidents’ Athletic Conference. March 25, 2025. Retrieved March 25, 2025.
  14. ^ "Missouri Valley Football Conference, Summit League Forge Partnership" (Press release). Missouri Valley Football Conference. May 5, 2025. Retrieved May 15, 2025.
  15. ^ "History in the making: St. THomas instated as full Division I member". tommiesports.com. St. Thomas Tommies. June 23, 2025. Retrieved June 23, 2025.
  16. ^ "St. Thomas is now a full Division 1 member, fully eligible for postseason play". kstp.com. KSTP 5 Eyewitness News. June 23, 2025. Retrieved June 23, 2025.
  17. ^ "The Big Sky Conference Welcomes Southern Utah, Utah Tech Starting in 2026" (Press release). Big Sky Conference. June 25, 2025. Retrieved July 16, 2025.
  18. ^ "Changes proposed to maximum number of FCS games, standardized start date" (Press release). NCAA. May 6, 2025. Retrieved May 9, 2025.
  19. ^ "DI Council introduces proposals to add 2 women's championships" (Press release). NCAA. June 25, 2025. Retrieved June 27, 2025.
  20. ^ "Atlantic Sun Conference and Western Athletic Conference to Forge Strategic Alliance" (Press release). United Athletic Conference. June 26, 2025. Retrieved July 16, 2025.
  21. ^ "CAA Football Welcomes Sacred Heart University As Its Newest Member For 2026 Season" (Press release). CAA Football. July 22, 2025. Retrieved July 26, 2025.
  22. ^ "Akron handed 2025 bowl ban: Zips flunk out of postseason after failing to meet NCAA academic standings". cbssports.com. CBS Sports. May 6, 2025. Retrieved May 6, 2025.
  23. ^ "National Champ NDSU a Decisive Preseason No. 1 in Stats Perform FCS Top 25 Poll". theanalyst.com. Stats Perform. August 4, 2025. Retrieved August 4, 2025.
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is available under Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 unless otherwise noted. Additional terms may apply for the media files.