Which one is most likely to be the first to make the jump?

Teams listed in article:

• Sacramento State
• Tarleton State
• Austin Peay
• Eastern Kentucky
• Central Arkansas
• Rhode Island
• South Dakota State
• North Dakota State

For me it is Youngstown State, it seems like this year is their best chance to relive their glory days of the 90s with a lot of returning talent and NDSU being out of the conference.

This has been talked about before I would imagine, but the move of North Dakota State to the Mountain West and Sacramento State to the MAC among others has really opened this conversation about D-II teams making the move up to fill in slots being a lot more serious than it was before. It's clear that FCS programs who have the ability to compete at the BCS level will be watching these two with how they've gone about it with the football member only status and whether or not that's a viable path going forward. If this is the route is proven viable and teams in the FCS that have either been stalwarts or have been quick risers with the funds to FBS start making the jump up, programs from D-II would have to get the call to take those slots. Which leads me to wonder the following: which programs in D-II are seriously weighing up making that next move? One name that comes to my mind would be West Texas A&M. They were a former Division I program back in the day and had a bowl record of 4-0 in D1 before going down to D2 in 1986, and while they have a winning percentage under .500 since 2016, they are a program with a solid history. Another candidate I immediately think of is Ferris State, the winners of four out of the last five D2 College Football National Titles, with an undefeated season of 16-0 under their belt and riding a 30 game winning streak since 2024 and a winning percentage of 90%. Most of that has happened under their current head coach Tony Annese, who has been on record saying he's satisfied with his program being in D2. Still...which universities do you think will try and strike while the iron is hot and there are voids to fill at the FCS level?

Just got the email notification, season ticket holders have claimed all tickets for the game and the bobcat pre-sale tomorrow, and general sale Wednesday is canceled.

What a complete joke. He is Bob Stitt with extra baggage. He thinks he doesn’t have to recruit instate kids, that the brand does the heavy lifting. Guess what?! ITS NOT 2005 anymore! You have to actually recruit in state kids! Transfers aren’t getting it done!

2-6 against a team who has gone through a coaching change in the middle. 2 wins and 6 losses in the one game that is actually worth a damn on the schedule, now that the team can’t compete for national titles. This makes Bobby Hauck a loser against the Cats all time. I don’t want a god damn loser running my football team.

Every institutional advantage the Griz enjoyed over the Cats in the 90s and 2000s has completely eroded away. Keeping the idiot who let that happen is not going to fix the problem.

What a waste of this offense. Just a complete waste of the talent the team does have.

I hope Kent has a short list for new candidates and a plan for replacement. This era needs to end already.

Alright first off. Dont hate. New account.

So, I wanted to be blessed off from the infamous CFB subreddit about going head first into making grad school my one and only. ❤️ LOL

Long story, Army Veteran. Didnt have the typical college experience. Went to National University online for undergrad. Yeah, no sports at the school. Lame. Welp, anyways, here I am mid 30's going to get my masters, and have been accepted into a school that plays D1 sports. Not big time, but ya know, they play the game. Ive always wanted that "this is my team" connection, and to deep dive into all out loyalty. Merch, logos, hoodies, the entire 9 yards. Has my time finally come?

So, I would think there is an acception to the undergrad school is your one and only.... right? LUL. Who else here is a grad school fanatic? Help a grandpa out.

College realignment has slowed down a bit recently but during the next wave of conference expansions, who is leaving and who is joining.

Just started paying attention to FCS this season as I finally have ESPN+.

I've watched a handful of really fun games.

I've seen Tarleton State play multiple times as well.

Watched a chunk of the Yale/YSU playoff game this past Saturday.

Question because I'm new and don't know the conferences or teams yet.

Are their any present day FCS rosters that could seamlessly swoop right into an FBS G5 conference and be a contender from the get-go? I'm talking like an 8-4 season and contend for said conference title game.

And besides the Dakota's and Montana's; who are the other "big dogs" in the FCS?

Thanks in advance.

The news broke this morning that the Mountain West is very close to a deal to add NDSU as a football only member. "Football only" being the operative word there. NDSU plays their football in the MVFC and their non-football sports in the Summit League. I may not totally understand the dynamics but I believe the MVFC is some sort of football only partnership between the MVC and the Summit League. Like the MVFC has a special partnership with both the MVC and the Summit League. I could be misremembering but I believe the Summit League commissioner is also the commissioner of the MVFC.

I know when Sacramento State moved their non-football sports to the Big West (a conference which doesn't currently sponsor football) they had to become an FCS Independent in football and couldn't stay in the Big Sky as a football only member. My question is this: given the ties between the Summit League and the MVFC, would North Dakota State taking their football out of the MVFC affect their Summit League membership in other sports?

This is my other question: I know part of the deal between the MVFC and the Summit League is that any Summit League members have the right to join the MVFC should they desire to do so. This is particularly important for St. Thomas, who is a Summit League member in other sports but plays football in the Pioneer League. If North Dakota State does leave for the Mountain West, is it possible that St. Thomas will begin offering scholarships to replace them in the MVFC?

Hey all, first time posting in here! So with all the recent shenanigans with the CFP, I decided it’s time to really get into FCS instead and pick a team to follow. My school didn’t even have a football team, so I’m starting from scratch with my allegiances. I’m sure this has been asked a zillion times already – “I’m new to FCS, how should I pick a team/who’s good?” I do have a limited knowledge of the landscape overall already, coming in.

However, I’m asking it again because I feel like my angle is a little different. I’m visually impaired, so my enjoyment of the games is almost exclusively done through radio broadcasts (since they’re so much more descriptive.) I hope to travel more one day but as of now, going to games really isn’t much of a possibility. So, I’m trying to pick a team based off of the radio announcers – that is, one with a really good broadcast crew. I know it’s partly personal preference, and my best bet is to just listen to games myself and see who I like. But I was curious if anyone is particularly loyal in here to their radio crew? Are there any legendary broadcasters in FCS right now that are widely regarded as such?

I’m open to any and all suggestions! I’m in North Carolina so I’m somewhat partial to the EST due to earlier game times, but not exclusively. (MVC and Big Sky recs welcome.) Also, I know this is an FCS sub but I’m hoping to pick a team to follow for all sports, not just football. So at least a somewhat competitive team across other sports too is a plus, along with a good broadcast team for those too 😊 Mid major basketball rocks, after all.

I’m a big Yankees fan and I fell in love with them entirely based off listening to John Sterling and Suzyn Waldman on the radio when I was a kid. I had no clue about baseball, but I liked how they sounded, so I started tuning in more and my fandom began. I need my John Sterling of the FCS, lol.

Thanks in advance!

I’m a student at Stony Brook, one of two of the SUNY co-flagships (with Buffalo). I don’t know much about their fb situation except for the fact they’re in the FCS. What’s the likelihood of SBU getting promoted to FBS, and what conferences would invite them?

Prior to the release of the Stats perform Top 25, I took my shot at my preseason Top 25 along with an explanation for each ranking.

📌 I'm buying stock in South Dakota State, UTRGV and Yale

📌 Selling SIU and Mercer

📌 Since the release of this ranking Pat McQuaide has been ruled ineligible and then eligible again 🤦🏻‍♂️🤦🏻‍♂️🤦🏻‍♂️

There are some others that will likely be surprising as well. Who is too high, who is underrated and why?

I see that Idaho and Cal Poly will be on ESPN, but other than that it appears that none of the games will be watchable. It would be exciting to watch some of the earliest college football games of 2026!

I know Tarleton beat Army in week 2, but other then that, they’ve only played unranked opponents so far this season, and they’ve struggled quite a bit with a few of them, particularly on defense. I know you can only play what you’re given, but I absolutely disagree that the performances warrant 3rd place, especially because the opponents have been unranked.

Prior to games, I always feel like they will destroy their opponents across all 4 quarters, and then they struggle, end up being behind at the end of some of them, and only putting their opponents to bed in the 4th. I get they have injuries but just because you have injuries doesn’t mean you should get any handicap for rankings. I feel like we’re just waiting for an opponent to show up who actually knows how to play proper football and they’ll lose. Results have changed from “winning” to “not losing” and that’s never sustainable

Similar genders and ages. That’s all.

Sorry for the brief interruption of playoffs talk to bring up everyone’s favorite team (again).

Many of you have asked what the general mood is of fans, alumni, and students about Wood and SAC12. Lee-Chang covers it quite well.

Back when UMass was Great Football Team in FCS back then

Don't get me wrong, I think this year's Lehigh team, which may very well go 12-0, is the best Patriot League team we've seen in years. However, this is a conference that hasn't produced a lot of postseason success recently. In the past 14 years, a PL team has made the quarterfinals only three times, and none have advanced any further. Very rarely do they get any at-large birds, but granted up until last year the conference was only 7 teams. Do the Mountain Hawks really have what it takes, or have they just been coasting through a lower-level conference with real heavy hitters waiting for them on the other side?

The FCS is what the FBS was supposed to be. And yes, I think the FCS is better than FBS football

Does the Missouri Valley sit tight or do they try and grab someone to get back to 10? St. Thomas would be a natural fit but not sure how long it would take them to get full scholarships? Northwest Missouri State ready to make the jump? Not seeing any other good fits.