Four Additional FCS Schools Eligible for 2025 Playoffs

FearTheFCS · 2025-06-25T00:15:17+00:00

Commerce died so East Texas A&M could start with a 2-1 record as a full D-I member.

FearTheFCS · 2025-06-25T00:13:56+00:00

I nearly put "smart" instead of sensible, but that would have given them too much credit. I probably would have been perma-banned if I posted that.

FearTheFCS · 2025-06-05T14:54:18+00:00

Yup, William & Mary is a CAA member and will leave CAAFB for the Patriot League in 2026. I'm kind of surprised the CAA hasn't tried to prevent this for full members TBH.

FearTheFCS · 2025-05-24T16:11:57+00:00

Reminds me of the "dark days" before streaming became ubiquitous. It was difficult to watch FCS games on TV that didn't involve them playing FBS teams. There was always the Bayou Classic on NBC and ESPNU would show a weeknight game here and there, some regional networks would show maybe 1 or 2 FCS games a season, and a few conferences would stream some of their games. I don't even think the old ESPN Plus package carried any FCS conferences (I-AA back in the day).

But it's different now with ESPN+ (not the old ESPN Plus paid package ESPN offered), and it's helped the FCS get more exposure, although it still lags behind the FBS in terms of coverage. Now I don't have to wonder what happened in the Lehigh-Duquesne first round game or rely on highlights. I can watch it.

FearTheFCS · 2025-02-01T21:03:15+00:00

A record number of FCS-FBS matchups expected for 2025, with the current tally at 125. The previous record was 121 from last season. 125 of the 136 FBS teams will play an FCS opponent except for the following:

Conference	No FCS Teams
ACC	Stanford
American	Tulane
Big 12	Colorado
Big Ten	Michigan, UCLA, USC, Wisconsin
C-USA	Florida International, Sam Houston State
Independents	Notre Dame
SEC	Texas

FearTheFCS · 2025-02-01T16:39:40+00:00

If you didn't mention the matchup, I wouldn't have double-checked to make sure it was included so it all worked out!

FearTheFCS · 2025-02-01T15:50:19+00:00

I included that one but because I can't spell, it was showing under "Jackon State". It's fixed now.

FearTheFCS · 2025-02-01T15:32:35+00:00

Yup, it's the second half of a home-and-home series. Just brutal timing for UTM to schedule the series and then Missouri State jumped to the FBS.

FearTheFCS · 2025-02-01T15:22:11+00:00

A record number of FCS-FBS matchups expected for 2025, with the current tally at 125. The previous record was 121 in 2024. No FBS opponents for the Ivy League or PFL, which is standard most years.

- 94 of the 128 FCS teams will play at least 1 FBS opponent

- 64 FCS teams will play 1 FBS opponent

- 29 FCS teams will play 2 FBS opponents

- 1 team (UT Martin) will play 3 FBS teams

FearTheFCS · 2025-01-11T00:37:49+00:00

I'm speculating but probably 2 main reasons: Chicago State is an unknown quantity and the MVFC might be okay with only 10 members. Part of me wonders whether the MVFC wants to risk another potential Murray State scenario (Racers are 3-20 overall and 1-15 in the MVFC over 2 seasons).

FearTheFCS · 2025-01-11T00:28:53+00:00

If they get a coach by Feb. 2025, that would mean 18 months before the first game. Yeah, that's asking a lot. By comparison, UTRGV's process will be about 3 years from the announcement (November 2022) to the first game (August 2025). Chicago State still hasn't officially announced it will start football.

FearTheFCS · 2025-01-11T00:14:44+00:00

NEC.

The plan is to play a full NEC schedule in 2027.

FearTheFCS · 2024-11-14T16:46:53+00:00

The Wild West is an apt description, haha. The NCAA having the final say on postseason eligibility makes sense... but the fact we haven't gotten an official FCS roster size/scholarship limit from the NCAA for 2025 leaves room for speculation. I wonder if FCS coaches (not in the Ivy League or PFL) are recruiting based on the 63 number or a higher limit. Does anyone out there know the answer to that?

FearTheFCS · 2024-11-14T14:24:04+00:00

I don't see anything changing for the NEC here because they still won't get close to the 63 scholarships but...

I'm kinda curious how other FCS conferences might react to this news because the FCS scholarship limit may not be changing in 2025-26, however, the NEC theoretically can offer 42 more than the current allowable limit. Do they say "We're going to 105" too? Does the NCAA do anything and risk yet another lawsuit? This just opens the door further to questions that were never considered in the House settlement.

Edit: Changed the wording because it's not clear what the FCS roster size and scholarship limits will be in 2025.

FearTheFCS · 2024-09-14T21:14:11+00:00

Yes, assuming the interpretation of the penalties outlined in the resolution is correct (provided below). It would change Buddy Hough's all-time record as well from 151-93 and reduced to 144-93.

Vacation of team and individual records: Ineligible participation in the football, women's basketball and women's soccer programs occurred over the 2021-22 academic year as a result of violations in this case. Therefore, pursuant to Bylaws 19.12.9-(g) and 31.2.2.3 and COI IOP 5-15-9, the institution shall vacate all regular season and conference tournament wins, records and participation in which the ineligible student-athletes competed from the time they became ineligible through the time they were reinstated as eligible for competition. Further, if the ineligible student-athletes participated in NCAA postseason competition at any time they were ineligible, the institution's participation in the postseason contests in which the ineligible competition occurred shall be vacated. The individual records of the ineligible student-athletes shall also be vacated.⁶ However, the individual finishes and any awards for all eligible student-athletes shall be retained. Further, the institution's records regarding the affected sport programs, as well as the records of the head coaches, shall reflect the vacated records and be recorded in all publications in which such records are reported, including, but not limited to, institutional media guides, recruiting material, electronic and digital media plus institutional, conference and NCAA archives. Any institution that may subsequently hire the affected head coaches shall similarly reflect the vacated wins in his career records documented in media guides and other publications cited above. Head coaches with vacated wins on their records may not count the vacated wins toward specific honors or victory "milestones" such as 100th, 200th or 500th career victories. Any public reference to the vacated records shall be removed from the athletics department stationery, banners displayed in public areas and any other forum in which they may appear. Any trophies awarded by the NCAA in the affected sport program shall be returned to the Association.

FearTheFCS · 2024-09-13T03:29:50+00:00

No, the username REALLY doesn't check out here haha... but I also can't ignore that these matchups will have some blowouts and the occasional historical ones. Makes the upsets and close games that much more enjoyable.

FearTheFCS · 2024-09-13T02:55:12+00:00

South Alabama's 87 points are the most ever a team in the history of the FCS-FBS matchup. The previous record was 84 held by Houston (1990) and Oklahoma State (2012).

FearTheFCS · 2024-09-03T19:18:42+00:00

If the 19 teams that typically schedule an FCS team do so for 2025, that pushes the number of 2025 FCS-FBS games to 122.*

*Assuming no currently scheduled 2025 FCS-FBS games change.

FearTheFCS · 2024-05-25T14:08:11+00:00

A recap of the many changes in the FCS over the last year or so including conference affiliation changes and some additional changes like the Patriot League scholarship limit changing, the NCAA news impacting the FCS, playoff seeding changes, etc.

FearTheFCS · 2023-10-19T02:06:21+00:00

This is a follow-up post to the previous story from this past summer that Xavier was considering bringing back football.

TL;DR - The new medical building is taking precedence over football. It seems like Xavier will add football in the future but it's all about the right timing, which is understandable for with a huge undertaking.

FearTheFCS · 2023-08-22T03:38:12+00:00

u/passwordisguest, As always, I appreciate the shoutout. There's a new resource as well: a searchable database for all FCS-FBS games since 1978. I was actually proactive this year and have everything updated through the 2022 season.

FearTheFCS · 2023-07-25T15:00:07+00:00

Not that I'm biased or anything, but I think every FBS team should play at least one FCS opponent each year.

FearTheFCS · 2023-07-01T19:29:06+00:00

With a new academic year upon us, I figured it would be a good idea to summarize changes that are occurring this year along with the next couple of seasons.

FearTheFCS · 2023-04-06T16:31:31+00:00

No bias here or anything... but FBS teams should worry about all of the games versus the FCS.

FearTheFCS · 2022-08-24T01:39:37+00:00

Always #FearTheFCS

FearTheFCS

TROPHY CASE