The list of current Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) schools that have participated in the playoffs leading to the NCAA Division I Football Championship stands at 92. Known as Division I-AA from 1978 through 2005, it was renamed FCS prior to the 2006 season.
Field The playoffs began with four teams in 1978, then expanded to eight in 1981, twelve in 1982, and sixteen in 1986. The bracket went to five rounds with a field of twenty teams in 2010, and to 24 teams in 2013.
{| class=wikitable style="text-align:center" !Years !! Teams !! Byes |- |1978–1980 || 4 || style="background:#DCDCDC;" rowspan=2| |- |1981 || 8 |- |1982–1985 || 12 || 4 |- |1986–2009 || 16 || 0 |- |2010–2012 || 20 || 12 |- |2013– || 24 || 8 |} Since the 2010 season, the championship game has been played in January, three weeks after the semifinals. An exception was the 2020 season, delayed until spring 2021 due to COVID-19; it had a reduced field of sixteen teams in the bracket, with the championship game in mid-May, eight days after the semifinals.
Current FCS members This list reflects FCS membership in the 2026 football season. Teams in bold participated in the 2025 fall postseason.
TeamAppearancesFirstLastWinsLossesTotalPct.Championships Abilene Christian Wildcats 2 2024 2025 1 1 2 Albany Great Danes 3 2011 2023 2 2 4 Alcorn State Braves 3 1984 1994 0 3 3 Austin Peay Governors 2 2019 2023 2 2 4 Bethune–Cookman Wildcats 5 2002 2013 0 5 5 Butler Bulldogs 1 2013 2013 0 1 1 Cal Poly Mustangs 4 2005 2016 1 4 5 Central Arkansas Bears 5 2011 2019 2 5 7 Central Connecticut Blue Devils 4 2017 2025 0 3 3 Charleston Southern Buccaneers 1 2015 2015 1 1 2 Chattanooga Mocs 5 1984 2023 4 5 9 The Citadel Bulldogs 5 1988 2016 2 5 6 Colgate Raiders 11 1982 2018 7 11 18 Davidson Wildcats 3 2020 2022 0 3 3 Dayton Flyers 1 2015 2015 0 1 1 Delaware State Hornets 1 2007 2007 0 1 1 Drake Bulldogs 3 2023 2025 0 2 2 Duquesne Dukes 3 2015 2023 1 3 4 East Tennessee State Buccaneers 3 1996 2021 2 3 5 Eastern Illinois Panthers 16 1982 2015 4 16 20 Eastern Kentucky Colonels 23 1979 2024 16 20 36 1979, 1982 Eastern Washington Eagles 15 1985 2021 20 14 34 2010 Elon Phoenix 4 2009 2022 0 4 4 Florida A&M Rattlers 8 1978 2021 5 7 12 1978 Fordham Rams 6 2002 2022 3 6 9 Furman Paladins 20 1982 2023 21 18 39 1988 Gardner–Webb Runnin' Bulldogs 2 2022 2023 1 2 3 Grambling State Tigers 3 1980 1989 0 3 3 Hampton Pirates 5 1997 2006 0 5 5 Harvard Crimson 1 2025 2025 0 0 0 Holy Cross Crusaders 6 1983 2022 2 5 7 Howard Bison 1 1993 1993 0 1 1 Idaho Vandals 14 1982 2024 7 12 19 Idaho State Bengals 2 1981 1983 3 1 4 1981 Illinois State Redbirds 10 1998 2025 10 8 18 Incarnate Word Cardinals 4 2018 2024 2 2 4 Indiana State Sycamores 3 1983 2014 2 3 5 Jackson State Tigers 12 1978 1997 0 12 12 Lafayette Leopards 5 2004 2023 0 5 5 Lamar Cardinals 2 2018 2025 0 1 1 Lehigh Mountain Hawks 13 1979 2025 6 11 17 Maine Black Bears 8 1987 2018 5 8 13 McNeese Cowboys 16 1991 2015 11 16 27 Mercer Bears 3 2023 2025 2 2 4 Mississippi Valley State Delta Devils 1 1984 1984 0 1 1 Monmouth Hawks 3 2017 2020 1 3 4 Montana Grizzlies 29 1982 2025 38 25 63 1995, 2001 Montana State Bobcats 15 1984 2025 17 13 30 1984, 2025 Morgan State Bears 1 2014 2014 0 1 1 Murray State Racers 5 1979 2002 1 5 6 New Hampshire Wildcats 19 1991 2025 15 18 33 Nicholls Colonels 7 1986 2023 3 7 10 Norfolk State Spartans 1 2011 2011 0 1 1 North Carolina A&T Aggies 5 1986 2016 1 5 6 North Carolina Central Eagles 1 2023 2023 0 1 1 North Dakota Fighting Hawks 6 2016 2025 1 5 6 Northern Arizona Lumberjacks 7 1996 2024 1 6 7 Northern Iowa Panthers 22 1985 2021 26 22 48 Northwestern State Demons 6 1988 2004 4 6 10 Portland State Vikings 2 2000 2015 0 2 2 Rhode Island Rams 5 1981 2025 3 4 7 Richmond Spiders 14 1984 2024 17 13 30 2008 Robert Morris Colonials 1 2010 2010 0 1 1 Sacred Heart Pioneers 4 2013 2021 0 4 4 Samford Bulldogs 6 1991 2022 3 5 8 San Diego Toreros 5 2014 2019 2 5 7 South Carolina State Bulldogs 6 1981 2013 2 6 8 South Dakota Coyotes 5 2017 2025 4 4 8 South Dakota State Jackrabbits 15 2009 2025 24 12 36 2022, 2023 Southeast Missouri State Redhawks 5 2010 2024 1 4 5 Southeastern Louisiana Lions 6 2013 2025 4 5 9 Southern Illinois Salukis 11 1983 2023 11 10 21 1983 Southern Utah Thunderbirds 3 2013 2017 0 3 3 Stephen F. Austin Lumberjacks 9 1988 2025 7 8 15 Stony Brook Seawolves 4 2011 2018 3 4 7 Tarleton State Texans 2 2024 2025 1 1 2 Tennessee State Tigers 5 1986 2024 1 4 5 Tennessee Tech Golden Eagles 2 2011 2025 0 1 1 Towson Tigers 3 2011 2018 3 3 6 UC Davis Aggies 4 2018 2025 2 3 5 UT Martin Skyhawks 3 2006 2024 1 2 3 Villanova Wildcats 17 1989 2025 14 15 29 2009 VMI Keydets 1 2020 2020 0 1 1 Wagner Seahawks 1 2012 2012 1 1 2 Weber State Wildcats 10 1987 2022 8 10 18 Western Carolina Catamounts 1 1983 1983 3 1 4 Western Illinois Leathernecks 11 1988 2017 7 11 18 William & Mary Tribe 11 1986 2022 8 10 18 Wofford Terriers 10 2003 2019 9 10 19 Yale Bulldogs 1 2025 2025 0 0 0 Youngstown State Penguins 14 1987 2025 30 9 39 1991, 1993, 1994, 1997
No appearances Thirty-seven Division I FCS teams have never made the FCS playoffs. Conference alignments are current for the upcoming 2026 season.
+ NCAA Division I FCS school with no playoff appearances Team Conference First Division I-AAor FCS seasonNorthern Colorado Bears Big Sky 2004Utah Tech Trailblazers 2020Bryant Bulldogs CAA Football 2008Campbell Fighting Camels 2008Chicago State Cougars Independent 2026Merrimack Warriors 2019Brown Bears Ivy League 1982Columbia Lions 1982Cornell Big Red 1982Dartmouth Big Green 1982Penn Quakers 1982Princeton Tigers 1982LIU Sharks Northeast Conference 2019Mercyhurst Lakers 2024New Haven Chargers 2025Stonehill Skyhawks 2022Lindenwood Lions OVC-Big South Football Association 2022Bucknell Bison Patriot League 1978Georgetown Hoyas 1993Marist Red Foxes Pioneer Football League 1993Morehead State Eagles 1978Presbyterian Blue House 2011St. Thomas Tommies 2022Stetson Hatters 2013Valparaiso Beacons 1993East Texas A&M Lions Southland Conference 2022Houston Christian Huskies 2014UT Rio Grande Valley Vaqueros 2025Alabama A&M Bulldogs Southwestern Athletic Conference 1999Alabama State Hornets 1982Arkansas–Pine Bluff Golden Lions 1998Prairie View A&M Panthers 1978Southern Jaguars 1978Texas Southern Tigers 1978North Alabama Lions United Athletic Conference 2018West Florida Argonauts 2026West Georgia Wolves 2024
Former FCS members Thirty-three former FCS schools have participated in the playoffs. Of these, 29 have moved up to the Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS), one reclassified to Division III, and the other three no longer sponsor football.
TeamAppearancesFirstLastWinsLossesTotalPct.Championships Akron Zips 1 1985 1985 0 1 1 Appalachian State Mountaineers 20 1986 2012 24 17 41 2005, 2006, 2007 Arkansas State Red Wolves 4 1984 1987 6 4 10 Boise State Broncos 5 1980 1994 8 4 12 1980 Boston University Terriers 5 1982 1994 2 5 7 Coastal Carolina Chanticleers 6 2006 2015 4 6 10 Delaware Fightin' Blue Hens 19 1981 2023 26 18 44 2003 Florida Atlantic Owls 1 2003 2003 2 1 3 Georgia Southern Eagles 19 1985 2012 45 13 58 1985, 1986, 19891990, 1999, 2000 Hofstra Pride 5 1995 2001 2 5 7 Jacksonville State Gamecocks 10 2003 2020 7 10 17 James Madison Dukes 18 1987 2021 24 16 40 2004, 2016 Kennesaw State Owls 4 2017 2021 5 4 9 Liberty Flames 1 2014 2014 1 1 2 Louisiana–Monroe Warhawks 4 1987 1993 5 3 8 1987 Louisiana Tech Bulldogs 2 1982 1984 4 2 6 Marshall Thundering Herd 8 1987 1996 23 6 29 1992, 1996 Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders 7 1984 1994 6 7 13 Missouri State Bears 4 1989 2021 1 4 5 Nevada Wolf Pack 7 1978 1991 9 7 16 North Dakota State Bison 15 2010 2025 51 5 56 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014,2015, 2017, 2018, 2019,2021, 2024 North Texas Mean Green 4 1983 1994 0 4 4 Northeastern Huskies 1 2002 2002 0 1 1 Old Dominion Monarchs 2 2011 2012 2 2 4 Sacramento State Hornets 4 2019 2023 2 4 6 Saint Francis Red Wolves 2 2016 2022 0 2 2 Sam Houston Bearkats 13 1986 2021 24 12 36 2020 Texas State Bobcats 2 2005 2008 2 2 4 Troy Trojans 7 1993 2000 5 7 12 UCF Knights 2 1990 1993 2 2 4 UConn Huskies 1 1998 1998 1 1 2 UMass Minutemen 8 1978 2007 10 7 17 1998 Western Kentucky Hilltoppers 8 1987 2004 8 7 15 2002
See also List of NCAA Division I FCS football programs List of NCAA Division I FBS football bowl records List of NCAA Division II Football Championship appearances by team List of NCAA Division III Football Championship appearances by team List of NAIA national football championship series appearances by team
Notes
Program changes Program has since joined Division I FBS. Program has since joined Division III. Program remains in Division I, but no longer sponsors football.
References General
Specific
External links Past winners