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 128 FCS programs as of the 2026 season. Conference affiliations are current for the 2026 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.

FCS programs

Team Name School City State Programestablished Conference Abilene Christian WildcatsAbilene Christian University Abilene Texas 1919 2013 UAC Alabama A&M BulldogsAlabama A&M University Normal Alabama 1912 1999 SWAC Alabama State HornetsAlabama State University Montgomery Alabama 1901 1982 SWAC Albany Great DanesState University of New York at Albany Albany New York 1922 1999 CAA Football Alcorn State BravesAlcorn State University Lorman Mississippi 1921 1978 SWAC Arkansas–Pine Bluff Golden LionsUniversity of Arkansas at Pine Bluff Pine Bluff Arkansas 1916 1998 SWAC Austin Peay GovernorsAustin Peay State University Clarksville Tennessee 1930 1978 UAC Bethune–Cookman WildcatsBethune–Cookman University Daytona Beach Florida 1925 1980 SWAC Brown BearsBrown University Providence Rhode Island 1878 1982 Ivy Bryant BulldogsBryant University Smithfield Rhode Island 1999 2012 CAA Football Bucknell BisonBucknell University Lewisburg Pennsylvania 1883 1978 Patriot Butler BulldogsButler University Indianapolis Indiana 1887 1993 PFL Cal Poly MustangsCalifornia Polytechnic State University San Luis Obispo California 1915 1994 Big Sky Campbell Fighting CamelsCampbell University Buies Creek North Carolina 1925;2008 2008 CAA Football Central Arkansas BearsUniversity of Central Arkansas Conway Arkansas 1908 2010 UAC Central Connecticut Blue DevilsCentral Connecticut State University New Britain Connecticut 1935 1993 NEC Charleston Southern BuccaneersCharleston Southern University North Charleston South Carolina 1985 1993 OVC Chattanooga MocsUniversity of Tennessee at Chattanooga Chattanooga Tennessee 1899 1982 SoCon Chicago State Cougars Chicago State University Chicago Illinois 2026 2026 Independent Bulldogs The Citadel, The Military College of South Carolina Charleston South Carolina 1905 1982 SoCon Colgate RaidersColgate University Hamilton New York 1890 1982 Patriot Columbia LionsColumbia University New York New York 1870 1982 Ivy Cornell Big RedCornell University Ithaca New York 1887 1982 Ivy Dartmouth Big GreenDartmouth College Hanover New Hampshire 1881 1982 Ivy Davidson WildcatsDavidson College Davidson North Carolina 1896 1978;1993 PFL Dayton FlyersUniversity of Dayton Dayton Ohio 1903 1993 PFL Delaware State HornetsDelaware State University Dover Delaware 1924 1978;1980 MEAC Drake BulldogsDrake University Des Moines Iowa 1893 1982;1993 PFL Duquesne DukesDuquesne University Pittsburgh Pennsylvania 1891 1993 NEC East Tennessee State BuccaneersEast Tennessee State University Johnson City Tennessee 1920;2015 1982;2015 SoCon East Texas A&M Lions East Texas A&M University Commerce Texas 1915 2022 Southland Eastern Illinois PanthersEastern Illinois University Charleston Illinois 1899 1981 OVC Eastern Kentucky ColonelsEastern Kentucky University Richmond Kentucky 1891 1978 UAC Eastern Washington EaglesEastern Washington University Cheney Washington 1901 1984 Big Sky Elon PhoenixElon University Elon North Carolina 1909 1999 CAA Football Florida A&M RattlersFlorida A&M University Tallahassee Florida 1907 1979 SWAC Fordham RamsFordham University New York New York 1881 1989 Patriot Furman PaladinsFurman University Greenville South Carolina 1889 1982 SoCon Gardner–Webb Runnin' BulldogsGardner–Webb University Boiling Springs North Carolina 1946 2002 OVC Georgetown HoyasGeorgetown University Washington District of Columbia 1881 1993 Patriot Grambling State TigersGrambling State University Grambling Louisiana 1927 1978 SWAC Hampton PiratesHampton University Hampton Virginia 1902 1997 CAA Football Harvard Crimson Harvard University Cambridge Massachusetts 1873 1982 Ivy Holy Cross CrusadersCollege of the Holy Cross Worcester Massachusetts 1891 1982 Patriot Houston Christian HuskiesHouston Christian University Houston Texas 2013 2014 Southland Howard BisonHoward University Washington District of Columbia 1882 1978;1980 MEAC Idaho VandalsUniversity of Idaho Moscow Idaho 1893 1978;2018 Big Sky Idaho State BengalsIdaho State University Pocatello Idaho 1902 1978 Big Sky Illinois State RedbirdsIllinois State University Normal Illinois 1887 1982 MVFC Incarnate Word CardinalsUniversity of the Incarnate Word San Antonio Texas 2009 2013 Southland Indiana State SycamoresIndiana State University Terre Haute Indiana 1895 1982 MVFC Jackson State TigersJackson State University Jackson Mississippi 1911 1978 SWAC Lafayette LeopardsLafayette College Easton Pennsylvania 1882 1978 Patriot Lamar CardinalsLamar University Beaumont Texas 1923;2009 1982;2010 Southland Lehigh Mountain HawksLehigh University Bethlehem Pennsylvania 1884 1978 Patriot Lindenwood Lions Lindenwood University Missouri 1990 2022 OVC LIU Sharks Long Island University Brookville New York 1957 2019 NEC Maine Black BearsUniversity of Maine Orono Maine 1892 1978 CAA Football Marist Red FoxesMarist University Poughkeepsie New York 1965 1993 PFL McNeese CowboysMcNeese State University Lake Charles Louisiana 1950 1982 Southland Mercer BearsMercer University Macon Georgia 1891;2013 2013 SoCon Merrimack Warriors Merrimack College North Andover Massachusetts 1947 2019 Independent Mississippi Valley State Delta DevilsMississippi Valley State University Itta Bena Mississippi 1953 1980 SWAC Monmouth HawksMonmouth University West Long Branch New Jersey 1993 1994 CAA Football Montana GrizzliesUniversity of Montana Missoula Montana 1897 1978 Big Sky Montana State BobcatsMontana State University Bozeman Montana 1897 1978 Big Sky Morehead State EaglesMorehead State University Morehead Kentucky 1924 1978 PFL Morgan State BearsMorgan State University Baltimore Maryland 1897 1986 MEAC Murray State RacersMurray State University Murray Kentucky 1924 1978 MVFC New Hampshire WildcatsUniversity of New Hampshire Durham New Hampshire 1893 1978 CAA Football Nicholls ColonelsNicholls State University Thibodaux Louisiana 1972 1980 Southland Norfolk State SpartansNorfolk State University Norfolk Virginia 1938 1997 MEAC North Alabama Lions University of North Alabama Florence Alabama 1912 2018 UAC North Carolina A&T AggiesNorth Carolina A&T State University Greensboro North Carolina 1901 1978;1980 CAA Football North Carolina Central EaglesNorth Carolina Central University Durham North Carolina 1921 2011 MEAC North Dakota Fighting HawksUniversity of North Dakota Grand Forks North Dakota 1894 2012 MVFC Northern Arizona LumberjacksNorthern Arizona University Flagstaff Arizona 1915 1978 Big Sky Northern Colorado BearsUniversity of Northern Colorado Greeley Colorado 1892 2007 Big Sky Northern Iowa PanthersUniversity of Northern Iowa Cedar Falls Iowa 1895 1981 MVFC Northwestern State DemonsNorthwestern State University Natchitoches Louisiana 1907 1978 Southland Penn QuakersUniversity of Pennsylvania Philadelphia Pennsylvania 1876 1982 Ivy Portland State VikingsPortland State University Portland Oregon 1947 1978;1998 Big Sky Prairie View A&M PanthersPrairie View A&M University Prairie View Texas 1906 1978 SWAC Presbyterian Blue HosePresbyterian College Clinton South Carolina 1913 2011 PFL Princeton TigersPrinceton University Princeton New Jersey 1869 1982 Ivy Rhode Island RamsUniversity of Rhode Island Kingston Rhode Island 1895 1978 CAA Football Richmond SpidersUniversity of Richmond Richmond Virginia 1881 1982 Patriot Robert Morris Colonials Robert Morris University Moon Township Pennsylvania 1994 1998 NEC Sacred Heart PioneersSacred Heart University Fairfield Connecticut 1991 1999 CAA Football Tommies Saint Paul Minnesota 1904 2021 PFL Samford BulldogsSamford University Birmingham Alabama 1902 1989 SoCon San Diego TorerosUniversity of San Diego San Diego California 1956 1993 PFL South Carolina State BulldogsSouth Carolina State University Orangeburg South Carolina 1906 1978;1980 MEAC South Dakota CoyotesUniversity of South Dakota Vermillion South Dakota 1889 2012 MVFC South Dakota State JackrabbitsSouth Dakota State University Brookings South Dakota 1889 2008 MVFC Southeast Missouri State RedhawksSoutheast Missouri State University Cape Girardeau Missouri 1902 1990 OVC Southeastern Louisiana LionsSoutheastern Louisiana University Hammond Louisiana 1930;2003 1980;2003 Southland Southern JaguarsSouthern University Baton Rouge Louisiana 1915 1978 SWAC Southern Illinois SalukisSouthern Illinois University Carbondale Carbondale Illinois 1904 1982 MVFC Southern Utah Thunderbirds Southern Utah University Cedar City Utah 1929 1993 Big Sky Stephen F. Austin Lumberjacks Stephen F. Austin State University Nacogdoches Texas 1923 1986 Southland Stetson HattersStetson University DeLand Florida 1901;2013 2013 PFL Stonehill Skyhawks Stonehill College Massachusetts 1970 2022 NEC Stony Brook SeawolvesStony Brook University Stony Brook New York 1969 1999 CAA Football Tarleton State Texans Tarleton State University Stephenville Texas 1899 2024 UAC Tennessee State TigersTennessee State University Nashville Tennessee 1916 1981 OVC Tennessee Tech Golden EaglesTennessee Technological University Cookeville Tennessee 1917 1978 SoCon Texas Southern TigersTexas Southern University Houston Texas 1947 1978 SWAC Towson TigersTowson University Towson Maryland 1968 1987 CAA Football UC Davis AggiesUniversity of California, Davis Davis California 1915 2007 Big Sky UT Martin SkyhawksUniversity of Tennessee at Martin Martin Tennessee 1953 1992 OVC Utah Tech Trailblazers Utah Tech University Utah 1911 2020 Big Sky Vaqueros Brownsville & Edinburg Texas 2025 2025 Southland Valparaiso Beacons Valparaiso University Valparaiso Indiana 1906 1993 PFL Villanova WildcatsVillanova University Villanova Pennsylvania 1894 1987 Patriot VMI KeydetsVirginia Military Institute Lexington Virginia 1873 1982 SoCon Wagner SeahawksWagner College New York New York 1927 1993 NEC Weber State WildcatsWeber State University Ogden Utah 1962 1978 Big Sky Western Carolina CatamountsWestern Carolina University Cullowhee North Carolina 1931 1982 SoCon Western Illinois LeathernecksWestern Illinois University Macomb Illinois 1903 1981 OVC William & Mary TribeCollege of William & Mary Williamsburg Virginia 1893 1982 Patriot Wofford TerriersWofford College Spartanburg South Carolina 1889 1995 SoCon Yale BulldogsYale University New Haven Connecticut 1872 1982 Ivy Youngstown State PenguinsYoungstown State University Youngstown Ohio 1938 1981 MVFC

Transitioning from Division II

The following programs are transitioning from NCAA Division II to FCS, or have announced definitive plans to do so. Under current NCAA rules, they must have an invitation from a Division I conference to begin the transition. During the normally four-year transition period, they are ineligible for the FCS playoffs. Since January 2025, the NCAA has expedited the reclassification period for schools, by one year, with schools already reclassifying to Division I being given the option to use either the new, shorter reclassification period or the original, longer period they initially agreed to. The new transition period is three years instead of the previous four for schools transitioning from Division II.

TeamSchoolCityStateFoundedFirst playedConferenceFCS transition beginsFull membership Mercyhurst Lakers Mercyhurst University Erie Pennsylvania 1926 1981 NEC 2024 2027 New Haven Chargers West Haven Connecticut 1920 1973 NEC 2025 2028 West Florida Argonauts University of West Florida Florida 1963 2016 UAC 2026 2029 West Georgia Wolves University of West Georgia Georgia 1906 1981 UAC 2024 2027