The 2017 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 FCS Championship Game was played on January 6, 2018, in Frisco, Texas. The North Dakota State Bison beat the James Madison Dukes, 17–13, to capture their sixth title in seven years.
Conference changes and new programs
For the first time since 2012 (and just the second time ever), there were no independent programs in FCS during the 2017 season. School 2016 conference 2017 conference Coastal Carolina FCS Independent Sun Belt (FBS)
Notable changes On April 14, the NCAA Division I Council approved a suite of rule changes affecting the recruiting process. The changes most significant to FCS football were to take effect with the 2017–18 school year. A national early signing period for high school players was to be introduced for FBS and FCS, at a time in December to be announced later, and FCS programs would no longer have any restriction on the number of new players that may be signed to letters of intent or financial aid agreements. Previously, FCS teams were limited to signing 30 new players per year.
FCS team wins over FBS teams Italics denotes FBS teams.
Conference standings
Conference summaries Championship games Conference Champion Runner-upScoreOffensive Player of the YearDefensive Player of the YearCoach of the Year SWAC Grambling State11–1 (8–0) Alcorn State7–5 (5–2) 40–32 Devante Kincade(Grambling State) De’Arius Christmas(Grambling State) Broderick Fobbs(Grambling State)
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 Year Big Sky Southern UtahWeber State 9–2 (7–1) 9–2 (7–1) Keelan Doss(UC Davis) Taron Johnson(Weber State) Demario Warren(Southern Utah) Big South Kennesaw State 10–1 (5–0) Chandler Burks(Kennesaw State) Anthony Ellis(Charleston Southern) Brian Bohannon(Kennesaw State) CAA James Madison 11–0 (8–0) Kyle Lauletta(Richmond) Andrew Ankrah(James Madison) Curt Cignetti(Elon) Ivy Yale 9–1 (6–1) Chad Kanoff(Princeton) Matthew Oplinger(Yale) Al Bagnoli(Columbia) MEAC North Carolina A&T 11–0 (8–0) Lamar Raynard(North Carolina A&T) Shaquille Leonard(South Carolina State) Rod Broadway(North Carolina A&T) MVFC North Dakota State 10–1 (7–1) Chris Streveler(South Dakota) Brett Taylor(Western Illinois) Chris Klieman(North Dakota State) NEC Central Connecticut 8–3 (6–0) Tommy Stuart(Duquesne) Tom Costigan(Bryant) Peter Rossomando(Central Connecticut) OVC Jacksonville State 10–1 (8–0) Roc Thomas(Jacksonville State) Darius Jackson(Jacksonville State) Will Healy(Austin Peay) Patriot ColgateLehigh 7–4 (5–1)5–6 (5–1) Dom Bragalone(Lehigh) Abdullah Anderson(Bucknell) Dan Hunt(Colgate) Pioneer San Diego 9–2 (8–0) Anthony Lawrence(San Diego) Jonathan Petersen(San Diego) Dave Cecchini(Valparaiso) Southern Wofford 9–2 (7–1) Devlin Hodges(Samford) Ahmad Gooden(Samford) Clay Hendrix(Furman) Southland Central Arkansas 10–1 (9–0) Hayden Hildebrand(Central Arkansas) George Odum(Central Arkansas) Steve Campbell(Central Arkansas)
Playoff qualifiers Automatic berths for conference champions ConferenceTeamAppearanceLast bidResultBig Sky Conference Southern Utah 3rd 2015 First Round (L – Sam Houston State)Big South Conference Kennesaw State 1st – Colonial Athletic Association James Madison 14th 2016 National Champions (W – Youngstown State)Missouri Valley Football Conference North Dakota State 8th 2016 Semifinals (L – James Madison)Northeast Conference Central Connecticut 1st – Ohio Valley Conference Jacksonville State 8th 2016 Second Round (L – Youngstown State)Patriot League Lehigh 11th 2016 First Round (L – New Hampshire)Pioneer Football League San Diego 3rd 2016 Second Round (L – North Dakota State)Southern Conference Wofford 8th 2016 Quarterfinals (L – Youngstown State)Southland Conference Central Arkansas 4th 2016 Second Round (L – Eastern Washington)
At large qualifiers ConferenceTeamAppearanceLast bidResult Big Sky Conference Northern Arizona 6th 2013 First Round (L – South Dakota State) Weber State 6th 2016 First Round (L – Chattanooga) Big South Conference Monmouth 1st – Colonial Athletic Association Elon 2nd 2009 First Round (L – Richmond) New Hampshire 16th 2016 Second Round (L – James Madison) Stony Brook 3rd 2012 Second Round (L – Montana State) Missouri Valley Football Conference Northern Iowa 19th 2015 Quarterfinals (L – North Dakota State) South Dakota 1st – South Dakota State 7th 2016 Quarterfinals (L – North Dakota State) Western Illinois 11th 2015 Second Round (L – Illinois State) Southern Conference Furman 17th 2013 Second Round (L – North Dakota State) Samford 5th 2016 First Round (L – Youngstown State) Southland Conference Nicholls State 4th 2005 First Round (L – Furman) Sam Houston State 11th 2016 Quarterfinals (L – James Madison)
Abstentions Ivy League – Yale Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference – North Carolina A&T Southwestern Athletic Conference – Grambling State
Postseason
Bowl game GameDate/TVLocationHome teamAway teamScoreOffensive MVPDefensive MVPCelebration BowlDecember 16ABCMercedes-Benz StadiumAtlanta, GeorgiaNorth Carolina A&TGrambling State21–14Marquell Cartwright(RB, North Carolina A&T)Franklin McCain III(DB, North Carolina A&T)
NCAA Division I playoff bracket
* Home team WinnerAll times in Eastern Standard Time (UTC−05:00)
Kickoff games Guardian Credit Union FCS Kickoff (aka Montgomery Kickoff Classic) Jacksonville State defeated Chattanooga 27–13 at the Cramton Bowl (Montgomery, Alabama) on August 26. Other Week Zero games: FBS opponent BYU defeated Portland State 20–6 at home on August 26. Colgate traveled to Cal Poly August 26, coming away as 20–14 winners. Florida A&M hosted Texas Southern on August 26, winning 29–7.
Awards and honors
Walter Payton Award The Walter Payton Award is given to the year's most outstanding offensive player. Finalists: Jeremiah Briscoe (QB), Sam Houston State Keelan Doss (WR), UC Davis Chris Streveler (QB), South Dakota
Buck Buchanan Award The Buck Buchanan Award is given to the year's most outstanding defensive player. Finalists: Andrew Ankrah (DE), James Madison Darius Jackson (DE), Jacksonville State Brett Taylor (LB), Western Illinois
Jerry Rice Award The Jerry Rice Award is given to the year's most outstanding freshman. Winner: Bryson Armstrong (LB), Kennesaw State
Coaches AFCA Coach of the Year: Brian Bohannon, Kennesaw State Eddie Robinson Award: Will Healy, Austin Peay
New stadiums East Tennessee State defeated Division II Limestone 31–10 in the opener for William B. Greene Jr. Stadium on September 2. The team had played its first two seasons since reinstating football at local high school venue Kermit Tipton Stadium. Abilene Christian opened Anthony Field at Wildcat Stadium on September 16 with a 24–3 win over Houston Baptist, following 57 seasons at Shotwell Stadium.
Coaching changes
In-season This is restricted to coaching changes that took place on or after May 1, 2017. For coaching changes that occurred earlier in 2017, see 2016 NCAA Division I FCS end-of-season coaching changes.
SchoolOutgoing coachDateReasonReplacement Alabama State Brian Jenkins October 6 Fired Donald Hill-Eley Holy Cross Tom Gilmore October 15 Fired Brian Rock (interim)
End of season SchoolOutgoing coachDateReasonReplacement Alabama A&M James Spady Fired Connell Maynor Arkansas–Pine Bluff Monte Coleman Resigned Cedric Thomas Central Arkansas Steve Campbell Hired as head coach by South Alabama Nathan Brown Davidson Paul Nichols Contract not renewed Scott Abell Delaware State Kenny Carter Fired Rod Milstead East Tennessee State Carl Torbush Retired Randy Sanders Florida A&M Alex Wood Contract not renewed Willie Simmons Fordham Andrew Breiner Hired as OC at Mississippi State Joe Conlin Hampton Connell Maynor Fired Robert Prunty Holy Cross Brian Rock Permanent replacement Bob Chesney Incarnate Word Larry Kennan Fired Eric Morris Mississippi Valley State Rick Comegy Contract not renewed Vincent Dancy Montana Bob Stitt Contract not renewed Bobby Hauck Morgan State Fred Farrier Fired Ernest T. Jones (interim) North Carolina A&T Rod Broadway Retired Sam Washington North Carolina Central Jerry Mack Hired as OC at Rice Granville Eastman (interim) Northwestern State Jay Thomas Resigned Brad Laird Prairie View A&M Willie Simmons Hired as head coach by Florida A&M Eric Dooley Robert Morris John Banaszak Retired Bernard Clark Southeastern Louisiana Ron Roberts Hired as DC by Louisiana Frank Scelfo Tennessee Tech Marcus Satterfield Fired Dewayne Alexander Western Illinois Charlie Fisher Hired as WR coach by Arizona State Jared Elliott Wofford Mike Ayers Retired Josh Conklin
Attendances
Top 30 teams by average home attendance:
# Team Home games Total attendance Average attendance 1 Montana Grizzlies 6 141,212 23,535 2 James Madison Dukes 9 195,514 21,724 3 Florida A&M Rattlers 4 76,190 19,048 4 Yale Bulldogs 5 94,699 18,940 5 Montana State Bobcats 6 111,702 18,617 6 Jacksonville State Gamecocks 6 110,328 18,388 7 North Dakota State Bison 9 164,996 18,333 8 Prairie View A&M Panthers 5 89,016 17,803 9 Delaware Fightin' Blue Hens 6 99,890 16,648 10 North Carolina A&T Aggies 5 78,486 15,697 11 Grambling State Tigers 4 59,699 14,925 12 Alabama State Hornets 6 87,689 14,615 13 Southern Jaguars 4 57,261 14,315 14 Youngstown State Penguins 6 85,220 14,203 15 Alcorn State Braves 6 83,078 13,846 16 Jackson State Tigers 5 68,780 13,756 17 Tennessee State Tigers 4 48,320 12,080 18 South Dakota State Jackrabbits 8 95,951 11,994 19 South Carolina State Bulldogs 5 59,414 11,883 20 Illinois State Redbirds 5 57,200 11,440 21 Stephen F. Austin Lumberjacks 5 56,881 11,376 22 New Hampshire Wildcats 6 66,141 11,024 23 Western Carolina Catamounts 5 52,735 10,547 24 Mercer Bears 5 52,725 10,545 25 Abilene Christian Wildcats 5 52,204 10,441 26 North Dakota Fighting Hawks 5 52,139 10,428 27 Harvard Crimson 5 52,055 10,411 28 Eastern Washington Eagles 5 50,617 10,123 29 McNeese Cowboys 5 49,695 9,939 30 Northern Iowa Panthers 6 58,175 9,696
Source:
See also 2017 NCAA Division I FCS football rankings 2017 NCAA Division I FBS football season 2017 NCAA Division II football season 2017 NCAA Division III football season 2017 NAIA football season
References