The 1978 NCAA Division I-AA football season was the first season of Division I-AA college football. Division I-AA was created in January 1978 when Division I was subdivided into Division I-A and Division I-AA for football only. It was anticipated that 65 Division I football schools would transition to Division I-AA. Instead, just eight programs (seven teams from the Southwestern Athletic Conference, which had just joined Division I a year before, plus independent Northwestern State) voluntarily opted for Division I-AA for the 1978 season. They were joined by 35 schools that had reclassified from Division II.
The season began in August 1978 and concluded with the Division I-AA Football Championship Game, played in the Pioneer Bowl on December 16 at Memorial Stadium in Wichita Falls, Texas. The Florida A&M Rattlers won the first I-AA championship, defeating the UMass Minutemen 35–28. Florida A&M of 1978 remains the only HBCU program to play in (and win) the I-AA/FCS national championship game.
Initial membership The Southwestern Athletic was the only conference competing in the 1977 NCAA Division I football season to join Division I-AA in 1978. Four conferences, the Big Sky, Mid-Eastern Athletic, Ohio Valley, and Yankee, transitioned from Division II to Division I, classifying their football programs in Division I-AA. Of the eight programs moving to Division I-AA as independents, one came from Division I and seven came from Division II.
School 1977 Conference 1978 Conference Alcorn State SWAC (D-I) SWAC (I-AA) Austin Peay Ohio Valley (D-II) Ohio Valley (I-AA) Boise State Big Sky (D-II) Big Sky (I-AA) Boston University Yankee (D-II) Yankee (I-AA) Bucknell D-II Independent I-AA Independent Connecticut Yankee (D-II) Yankee (I-AA) Delaware State MEAC (D-II) MEAC (I-AA) Eastern Kentucky Ohio Valley (D-II) Ohio Valley (I-AA) Florida A&M SIAC (D-II) I-AA Independent Grambling State SWAC (D-I) SWAC (I-AA) Howard MEAC (D-II) MEAC (I-AA) Idaho ^ Big Sky (D-II) Big Sky (I-AA) Idaho State Big Sky (D-II) Big Sky (I-AA) Jackson State SWAC (D-I) SWAC (I-AA) Lafayette D-II Independent I-AA Independent Lehigh D-II Independent I-AA Independent Maine Yankee (D-II) Yankee (I-AA) Middle Tennessee State Ohio Valley (D-II) Ohio Valley (I-AA) Montana Big Sky (D-II) Big Sky (I-AA) Montana State Big Sky (D-II) Big Sky (I-AA) Morehead State Ohio Valley (D-II) Ohio Valley (I-AA) Murray State Ohio Valley (D-II) Ohio Valley (I-AA) New Hampshire Yankee (D-II) Yankee (I-AA) Northeastern D-II Independent I-AA Independent Nevada D-II Independent I-AA Independent North Carolina A&T MEAC (D-II) MEAC (I-AA) Northern Arizona Big Sky (D-II) Big Sky (I-AA) Northwestern State D-I Independent I-AA Independent Portland State D-II Independent I-AA Independent Prairie View A&M SWAC (D-I) SWAC (I-AA) Rhode Island Yankee (D-II) Yankee (I-AA) South Carolina State MEAC (D-II) MEAC (I-AA) Southern SWAC (D-I) SWAC (I-AA) Tennessee Tech Ohio Valley (D-II) Ohio Valley (I-AA) Texas Southern SWAC (D-I) SWAC (I-AA) UMass Yankee (D-II) Yankee (I-AA) Weber State Big Sky (D-II) Big Sky (I-AA) Western Kentucky Ohio Valley (D-II) Ohio Valley (I-AA) ^ Idaho was previously in Division I for football, but also a member of the Big Sky Conference (D-II for football only)
Conference standings
Conference champions
Conference championsBig Sky Conference – Northern Arizona Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference – South Carolina State Ohio Valley Conference – Western Kentucky Southwestern Athletic Conference – Grambling State Yankee Conference – UMass
Postseason NCAA Division I-AA playoff bracket The bracket consisted of three regional selections (West, East, and South) plus an at-large team. Florida A&M (FAMU) of the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SIAC) was the at-large selection. While the SIAC was a Division II conference, FAMU had successfully petitioned the NCAA for Division I classification (Division I-AA in football), which took effect on September 1, 1978.
* Denotes host institution Notes 1.The Gold Bowl was a postseason game that was separate from the playoffs and took place on December 2. See also 1978 NCAA Division I-AA football rankings 1978 NCAA Division I-A football season 1978 NCAA Division II football season 1978 NCAA Division III football season 1978 NAIA Division I football season 1978 NAIA Division II football season
References