The 2015 NCAA Division I FCS football season, part of college football in the United States, was organized by the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) at the Division I Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) level. The season began on August 29, 2015, and concluded with the 2016 NCAA Division I Football Championship Game played on January 9, 2016, at Toyota Stadium in Frisco, Texas. North Dakota State won its fifth consecutive title, defeating Jacksonville State, 37–10.
Conference changes and new programs
School 2014 conference 2015 conferenceCharlotteFCS Independent C–USA (FBS)East Tennessee StateRevived programFCS IndependentKennesaw StateNew programBig South
In addition, the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference announced that they would decline their automatic bid for the FCS National Championship playoff from 2015 onwards. The conference's champion will now participate in the Celebration Bowl against the winners of the Southwestern Athletic Conference title game (the SWAC having abstained from the playoff since 1998 due to its conference season not ending until after the draw has been released), serving as the de facto national championship game for HBCUs. MEAC and SWAC teams who do not participate in the Celebration Bowl may still receive at-large bids to the FCS Championship.
FCS team wins over FBS teams Italics denotes FBS teams.
Portland State became the first FCS team to defeat two FBS teams in the same season since the 2007 North Dakota State Bison football team. Additionally, the Vikings' 59 point win over North Texas is the largest margin of victory by an FCS team over an FBS team.
Conference standings
Conference summaries
Championship games ConferenceChampionRunner-upScoreOffensive Player of the YearDefensive Player of the YearCoach of the YearSWACAlcorn State49–21Johnathan Williams(Grambling)Kourtney Berry(Alabama State)Broderick Fobbs(Grambling)
Other conference winners Note: Records are regular-season only, and do not include playoff games. ConferenceChampionRecordOffensive Player of the YearDefensive Player of the YearCoach of the YearBig SkySouthern Utah8–3 (7–1)Cooper Kupp(Eastern Washington)James Cowser(Southern Utah)Bruce Barnum(Portland State)Big SouthCharleston Southern9–2 (6–0)De'Angelo Henderson(Coastal Carolina)Chima Uzowihe(Liberty)Jamey Chadwell(Charleston Southern)CAAJames MadisonRichmondWilliam & Mary9–2 (6–2)8–3 (6–2)8–3 (6–2)Vad Lee(James Madison)DeAndre Houston-Carson(William & Mary)Victor Ochi(Stony Brook)Danny Rocco(Richmond)IvyDartmouthHarvardPenn9–1 (6–1)9–1 (6–1)7–3 (6–1)Scott Hosch(Harvard)Tyler Drake(Yale)Ray Priore(Penn)MEACBethune-CookmanNorth Carolina A&TNorth Carolina Central9–2 (7–1)9–2 (7–1)8–3 (7–1)Tarik Cohen(North Carolina A&T)Javon Hargrave(South Carolina State)Terry Sims(Bethune-Cookman)MVFCIllinois StateNorth Dakota State9–2 (7–1)9–2 (7–1)Marshaun Coprich(Illinois State)Deiondre' Hall(Northern Iowa)Bob Nielson(Western Illinois)NECDuquesne8–3 (5–1)Ricardo McCray(Bryant)Christian Kuntz(Duquesne)Chris Villarrial(Saint Francis)OVCJacksonville State10–1 (8–0)Eli Jenkins(Jacksonville State)Dino Fanti(Eastern Illinois)Noah Spence(Eastern Kentucky)John Grass(Jacksonville State)PatriotColgate7–4 (6–0)Chase Edmonds(Fordham)Clayton Ewell(Bucknell)Dan Hunt(Colgate)PioneerDaytonSan Diego10–1 (7–1)9–2 (7–1)Austin Gahafer(Morehead State)Donald Payne(Stetson)Rick Chamberlin(Dayton)SouthernChattanoogaThe Citadel8–3 (6–1)8–3 (6–1)Jacob Huesman(Chattanooga)Mitchell Jeter(The Citadel)Mike Houston(The Citadel)SouthlandMcNeese State10–0 (9–0)Kade Harrington(Lamar)Wallace Scott(McNeese State)Matt Viator(McNeese State)
Playoff qualifiers
Automatic berths for conference champions ConferenceTeamAppearanceLast bidResultBig Sky ConferenceSouthern Utah2nd2013First Round (L – Sam Houston State)Big South ConferenceCharleston Southern1st––Colonial Athletic AssociationRichmond 10th2014Second Round (L – Coastal Carolina)Missouri Valley Football ConferenceNorth Dakota State6th2014National Champions (W – Illinois State)Northeast ConferenceDuquesne1st––Ohio Valley ConferenceJacksonville State6th2014Second Round (L – Sam Houston State)Patriot LeagueColgate10th2012First Round (L – Wagner) Pioneer Football LeagueDayton1st––Southern ConferenceChattanooga3rd2014Quarterfinals (L – New Hampshire)Southland ConferenceMcNeese State16th2013Second Round (L – Jacksonville State)
At large qualifiers ConferenceTeamAppearanceLast bidResultBig Sky ConferenceMontana24th2014Second Round (L – Eastern Washington)Portland State2nd2000First Round (L – Delaware)Big South ConferenceCoastal Carolina6th2014Quarterfinals (L – North Dakota State)Colonial Athletic AssociationJames Madison11th2014First Round (L – Liberty)New Hampshire14th2014Semifinals (L – Illinois State)William & Mary10th2010Second Round (L – Georgia Southern)Mid-Eastern Athletic ConferenceNoneMissouri Valley Football ConferenceIllinois State6th2014Championship Game (L – North Dakota State)Northern Iowa18th2014Second Round (L – Illinois State)South Dakota State5th2014Second Round (L – North Dakota State)Western Illinois10th2010Second Round (L – Appalachian State)Northeast ConferenceNoneOhio Valley ConferenceEastern Illinois16th2013Quarterfinals (L – Towson)Patriot LeagueFordham5th2014Second Round (L – New Hampshire)Pioneer Football LeagueNoneSouthern ConferenceThe Citadel4th1992Quarterfinals (L – Youngstown State)Southland ConferenceSam Houston State9th2014Semifinals (L – North Dakota State)Southwestern Athletic ConferenceNone
Abstentions Ivy League – Dartmouth, Harvard, Penn Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference – North Carolina A&T Southwestern Athletic Conference – Alcorn State
Postseason
Bowl game GameDate/TVLocationWinning TeamLosing TeamScoreOffensive MVPDefensive MVPCelebration BowlDecember 19ABCGeorgia DomeAtlanta, GeorgiaNorth Carolina A&T10–2 (7–1)Alcorn State Braves9–4 (7–2)41–34Tarik Cohen(RB, North Carolina A&T)Denzel Jones(LB, North Carolina A&T)
NCAA Division I playoff bracket
* Home team † Overtime Winner
Updated stadiums Home facilities for the two new FCS programs in the 2015 season: East Tennessee State played at Kermit Tipton Stadium, located on the campus of Science Hill High School in Johnson City, Tennessee. Kennesaw State played on campus at Fifth Third Bank Stadium, capacity 8,318 (planned expansion to over 10,000).
Coaching changes Preseason and in-season This is restricted to coaching changes that took place on or after May 1, 2015. For coaching changes that occurred earlier in 2015, see 2014 NCAA Division I FCS end-of-season coaching changes.
SchoolOutgoing coachDateReasonReplacementJackson StateHarold JacksonOctober 7FiredDerrick McCall (interim)Tony Hughes
End of season SchoolOutgoing coachDate announcedReasonReplacementSouth DakotaNovember 22RetiredAustin PeayNovember 23FiredMontana StateNovember 23Fired Eastern KentuckyNovember 23FiredMaineNovember 24Transferred to Senior Associate Director of Athletics for UMaineTexas SouthernNovember 29ResignedSouthern IllinoisNovember 30FiredTennessee TechDecember 2Retired JacksonvilleDecember 3FiredFordhamDecember 12Hired as offensive coordinator by Penn StateMcNeese StateDecember 14Hired as head coach by Louisiana–MonroeWestern Illinois December 16Hired as head coach by South DakotaCharlie Fisher Southern UtahDecember 26Hired as assistant head coach by BYUJames MadisonJanuary 7Hired as head coach by Texas StateThe CitadelJanuary 18Hired as head coach by James MadisonMorgan StateLee HullFebruary 8, 2016ResignedFred Farrier (interim)
See also 2015 NCAA Division I FCS football rankings 2015 NCAA Division I FBS football season 2015 NCAA Division II football season 2015 NCAA Division III football season
References