2023 NCAA Division I FCS football season

The 2023 NCAA Division I FCS football season, part of college football in the United States, is organized by the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) at the Division I Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) level. The regular season began on August 26 and will end in November. The postseason will begin in November, and, aside from any all-star games that are scheduled, will end on January 6, 2024, with the 2024 NCAA Division I Football Championship Game at Toyota Stadium in Frisco, Texas.[1]

For the 2023 FBS season, see 2023 NCAA Division I FBS football season.

2023 NCAA Division I FCS season
Regular season
Number of teams128
DurationAugust 26 – December 2
Playoff
DurationNovember 25 – December 16
Championship date2024 NCAA Division I Football Championship Game
Championship siteToyota Stadium, Frisco, Texas
NCAA Division I FCS football seasons
 

Conference changes and new programs

Membership changes for 2023
SchoolFormer conferenceNew conference
CampbellBig South ConferenceCAA Football
Jacksonville StateASUNC-USA (FBS)
Kennesaw StateASUNIndependent
Murray StateOhio Valley ConferenceMissouri Valley Football Conference
North Carolina A&TBig South ConferenceCAA Football
Sam HoustonWACC-USA (FBS)

In addition to the listed membership changes, on February 22, 2022, the Big South Conference and Ohio Valley Conference (OVC) announced that they would merge their football leagues effective in 2023.[2] The merged entity was later unveiled as the Big South–OVC Football Association.

On December 20, 2022, the ASUN Conference and Western Athletic Conference (WAC), which had entered into a football-only partnership in 2021, announced that they would fully merge their football leagues effective in 2023. The new conference, known as the United Athletic Conference (UAC),[3] features ASUN members Austin Peay, Central Arkansas, Eastern Kentucky, and North Alabama, plus WAC members Abilene Christian, Southern Utah, Stephen F. Austin, Tarleton, and Utah Tech. The new football conference is playing a six-game conference schedule in 2023; it planned to start round-robin play in 2024, but that became less likely with the 2024 addition of West Georgia.[4]

On May 12, 2023, the OVC announced that Western Illinois would become a full member of the conference in 2023, with football playing the 2023 season in the Missouri Valley Football Conference before joining the Big South–OVC alliance in 2024.[5]

Rule changes

Other headlines
  • July 20 – The Colonial Athletic Association, operator of the technically separate FCS conference branded as CAA Football, announced that effective immediately the league would be rebranded as the Coastal Athletic Association.[6] The multi-sports CAA, which had its roots in the ECAC South basketball conference of the early 1980s, had been known as the Colonial Athletic Association from its first season as a multi-sports conference in 1985–86 through 2022–23. Accordingly, the "Colonial" name was applied to the football conference once the multi-sports CAA took over the former Atlantic 10 football conference in the 2007 season.[7][6] The CAA changed its name (but intentionally kept its well-known shorthand, "CAA") to accommodate future membership expansion outside of the Thirteen Colonies.[6] Specific to football, however, it will be officially recognized as the Coastal Athletic Association Football Conference but continue to be referred to as the CAA Football Conference.[6] The Colonial Athletic Association's football records are recognized as part of the Coastal's history.[6]
  • August 10 – CAA Football announced that Bryant would join from the Big South–OVC in 2024. This is a football-only move; Bryant will remain a member of the non-football America East Conference.[8]
  • September 9 — The ASUN announced that West Georgia would start a transition from Division II in 2024 as that conference's newest member, with the football team joining the UAC at the same time.[9]
  • October 4 – The NCAA announced several major changes to Division I football recruiting and governance rules:[10]
    • The window for athletes to enter the transfer portal was reduced. For FCS players, the portal now opens on the Monday after the selection of the playoff field, and stays open for 30 days. For players participating in the FCS playoffs or the Celebration Bowl, there will be an additional 5-day window after the players' final game.
    • The limit on "initial counters"—i.e., players who are receiving athletically-related financial aid for the first time—has been permanently eliminated. The previous FCS limit of 30 had been suspended due to COVID-19 impacts.
    • The application fee for transitioning from FCS to FBS increased from $5,000 to $5 million, effective immediately.
  • October 12 – Northwestern State junior safety Ronnie Caldwell died after being shot multiple times near the school's Natchitoches, Louisiana campus.[11]

Kickoff games

"Week Zero"

The regular season began on Saturday, August 26 with three games in Week 0.

FCS team wins over FBS teams

Non-DI team wins over FCS teams

Upsets

This section lists instances of unranked teams defeating ranked teams during the season.

Regular season

During the regular season, 22 unranked teams have defeated ranked teams.

Top 10 matchups

Rankings reflect the STATS Poll.

Regular season

Rankings
Main article: 2023 NCAA Division I FCS football rankings

The top 25 from the STATS and USA Today Coaches Polls.

Pre-season polls
STATS
Ranking Team
1 South Dakota State (56)
2 North Dakota State
3 Montana State
4 William & Mary
5 Holy Cross
6 Furman
7 Incarnate Word
8 Idaho
9 Samford
10 Sacramento State
11 New Hampshire
12 Southeast Missouri State
13 Weber State
14 Montana
15 Southeastern Louisiana
16 UC Davis
17 North Dakota
18 Richmond
19 North Carolina Central
20 Mercer
21 Rhode Island
22 Delaware
23 Northern Iowa
24 Eastern Kentucky
25 Gardner–Webb
USA Today Coaches
Ranking Team
1 South Dakota State (24)
2 North Dakota State (1)
3 Montana State
4 William & Mary
5 Holy Cross
6 Furman
7 Incarnate Word
8 Sacramento State
9 Samford
10 Weber State
11 Southeast Missouri State
12 New Hampshire
13 Idaho
14 Montana
15 Southeastern Louisiana
16 Richmond
17 UC Davis
18 North Dakota
19 North Carolina Central
20 Northern Iowa
21 Delaware
22 Mercer
23 Rhode Island
24 Gardner–Webb
25 Florida A&M


Conference standings
2023 Big Sky Conference football standings
ConfOverall
Team W L  W L 
No. 2 Montana State  4 –0   6 –1  
No. 7 Montana  3 –1   6 –1  
No. 9 Idaho  3 –1   5 –2  
Idaho State  3 –1   3 –4  
No. 6 Sacramento State  2 –2   5 –2  
Portland State  2 –2   3 –4  
No. 25 UC Davis  2 –2   4 –3  
Northern Arizona  2 –2   2 –5  
Eastern Washington  2 –2   3 –4  
Weber State  1 –4   3 –5  
Cal Poly  1 –4   3 –5  
Northern Colorado  0 –4   0 –7  
  • + – Conference co-champions
  • ^ – FCS playoff participant
Rankings from STATS Poll
2023 Big South–OVC football standings
ConfOverall
Team W L  W L 
No. 14 UT Martin  3 –0   6 –1  
Southeast Missouri State  3 –0   3 –4  
Bryant  1 –1   3 –4  
Charleston Southern  1 –1   3 –4  
Tennessee State  1 –1   5 –2  
Gardner–Webb  1 –1   3 –4  
Eastern Illinois  1 –2   5 –3  
Lindenwood *  1 –2   3 –4  
Tennessee Tech  0 –2   2 –5  
Robert Morris  0 –2   2 –5  
  • $ – Conference champion
  • ^ – FCS playoff participant
  • Note: Lindenwood ineligible for Big South–OVC title and FCS postseason play due to transition from NCAA Division II.
Rankings from STATS Poll
2023 Coastal Athletic Association Football Conference standings
ConfOverall
Team W L  W L 
No. 5 Delaware  4 –0   6 –1  
Richmond  4 –1   5 –3  
Elon  4 –1   4 –4  
No. 19 Villanova  3 –1   5 –2  
Albany  3 –1   5 –3  
Campbell  3 –2   4 –3  
New Hampshire  2 –2   4 –3  
No. 22 William & Mary  2 –2   4 –3  
Monmouth  2 –2   3 –4  
Towson  2 –2   3 –4  
Rhode Island  2 –3   4 –4  
Hampton  1 –3   3 –4  
Maine  1 –4   2 –6  
North Carolina A&T  0 –4   1 –6  
Stony Brook  0 –5   0 –7  
Rankings from STATS Poll
2023 Ivy League football standings
ConfOverall
Team W L  W L 
Harvard  2 –1   5 –1  
Penn  2 –1   5 –1  
Cornell  2 –1   3 –3  
Dartmouth  2 –1   3 –3  
Princeton  2 –1   3 –3  
Brown  1 –2   3 –3  
Yale  1 –2   3 –3  
Columbia  0 –3   2 –4  
  • $ – Conference champion
Rankings from STATS Poll
2023 Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference football standings
ConfOverall
Team W L  W L 
No. 13 North Carolina Central  1 –0   6 –1  
Howard  1 –0   3 –4  
South Carolina State  1 –0   3 –4  
Norfolk State  0 –1   2 –5  
Morgan State  0 –1   1 –5  
Delaware State  0 –1   1 –6  
  • + – Conference co-champions
Rankings from STATS Poll
2023 Missouri Valley Football Conference standings
ConfOverall
Team W L  W L 
No. 1 South Dakota State  4 –0   7 –0  
No. 4 South Dakota  4 –0   6 –1  
No. 23 Northern Iowa  3 –1   4 –3  
No. 11 Southern Illinois  2 –2   5 –2  
No. 12 North Dakota State  2 –2   5 –2  
No. 15 North Dakota  2 –2   4 –3  
No. 24 Youngstown State  2 –2   4 –3  
Illinois State  2 –2   4 –3  
Missouri State  2 –2   3 –4  
Murray State  1 –3   2 –5  
Indiana State  0 –4   0 –7  
Western Illinois  0 –4   0 –7  
  • $ – Conference champion
  • ^ – FCS playoff participant
As of October 26, 2023
Rankings from STATS Poll
2023 Northeast Conference football standings
ConfOverall
Team W L  W L 
Duquesne  3 –0   4 –3  
Merrimack  3 –1   4 –3  
Saint Francis (PA)  2 –2   2 –5  
Stonehill *  2 –2   3 –4  
Wagner  2 –2   2 –5  
Central Connecticut  1 –2   3 –4  
LIU  1 –2   1 –6  
Sacred Heart  1 –4   1 –7  
  • $ – Conference champion
  • ^ – FCS playoff participant
  • Note: Stonehill ineligible for NEC title and FCS postseason play due to transition from NCAA Division II
Rankings from STATS Poll
2023 Patriot League football standings
ConfOverall
Team W L  W L 
No. 21 Lafayette  2 –0   6 –1  
Holy Cross  2 –1   4 –3  
Georgetown  2 –1   4 –4  
Fordham  1 –1   5 –2  
Colgate  1 –1   3 –4  
Lehigh  1 –2   2 –6  
Bucknell  0 –3   2 –5  
  • $ – Conference champion
  • ^ – FCS playoff participant
Rankings from STATS Poll
2023 Pioneer Football League standings
ConfOverall
Team W L  W L 
Davidson  4 –0   5 –2  
Drake  4 –0   4 –3  
St. Thomas (MN) *  4 –1   5 –3  
Marist  4 –1   4 –3  
Butler  3 –2   5 –3  
Morehead State  2 –2   3 –4  
Stetson  1 –3   3 –4  
Presbyterian  1 –3   3 –4  
San Diego  1 –3   1 –6  
Valparaiso  0 –4   1 –6  
Dayton  0 –5   2 –6  
  • $ – Conference champion
  • ^ – FCS playoff participant
  • * – St. Thomas (MN) ineligible for FCS postseason play due to transition from NCAA Division III
Rankings from STATS Poll
2023 Southern Conference football standings
ConfOverall
Team W L  W L 
No. 3 Furman  4 –0   6 –1  
No. 17 Chattanooga  5 –1   6 –2  
No. 10 Western Carolina  3 –1   5 –2  
Mercer  3 –2   5 –3  
Samford  3 –3   4 –4  
VMI  2 –2   3 –4  
East Tennessee State  1 –3   2 –5  
The Citadel  0 –4   0 –7  
Wofford  0 –5   0 –8  
  • $ – Conference champion
  • ^ – FCS playoff participant
Rankings from STATS Poll
2023 Southland Conference football standings
ConfOverall
Team W L  W L 
No. 8 Incarnate Word  3 –0   6 –1  
Lamar  3 –0   4 –3  
Nicholls  3 –0   3 –3  
Houston Christian  1 –2   3 –4  
Texas A&M–Commerce *  1 –2   1 –6  
Southeastern Louisiana  1 –3   1 –7  
Northwestern State  0 –2   0 –6  
McNeese  0 –3   0 –7  
  • * – Texas A&M–Commerce ineligible for FCS postseason play due to transition from NCAA Division II.
Rankings from STATS Poll
2023 Southwestern Athletic Conference football standings
ConfOverall
Team W L  W L 
East Division
No. 16 Florida A&M  5 –0   6 –1  
Jackson State  3 –2   5 –3  
Alabama A&M  2 –2   4 –3  
Alabama State  2 –2   3 –3  
Mississippi Valley State  1 –3   1 –6  
Bethune–Cookman  0 –4   1 –6  
West Division
Prairie View A&M  3 –1   3 –4  
Alcorn State  3 –1   4 –3  
Southern  3 –1   4 –3  
Grambling State  2 –2   3 –4  
Texas Southern  1 –3   2 –5  
Arkansas–Pine Bluff  0 –4   1 –6  
Championship: 2023 SWAC Football Championship Game
  • $ – Conference champion
  • x – Division champion/co-champions
  • y – Championship game participant
Rankings from STATS Poll
2023 United Athletic Conference standings
ConfOverall
Team W L  W L 
No. 18 Central Arkansas  3 –0   5 –2  
No. 20 Austin Peay  2 –0   5 –2  
Eastern Kentucky  2 –0   3 –4  
Abilene Christian  2 –1   4 –3  
Utah Tech*  1 –1   2 –5  
Southern Utah  1 –2   2 –5  
Tarleton State*  1 –2   5 –3  
North Alabama  1 –3   3 –5  
Stephen F. Austin  0 –4   3 –5  
  • $ – Conference champion
  • Note: Tarleton State and Utah Tech are ineligible for the UAC title and FCS postseason play due to transitions from NCAA Division II.
Rankings from STATS Poll
2023 NCAA Division I FCS independents football standings
ConfOverall
Team W L  W L 
Kennesaw State*   –   1 –5  
  • + – Conference co-champions
  • * Note: Kennesaw State ineligible for FCS postseason play due to start of transition to FBS.
Rankings from STATS Poll

Postseason

Teams
See also: NCAA Division I Football Championship and List of NCAA Division I Football Championship appearances by team

Automatic bids
At-large bids
School Conference Record Appearance Last

At-large bids
At-large bids
School Conference Record Appearance Last

Coaching changes

Preseason and in-season

This is restricted to coaching changes that took place on or after May 1, 2023, and will include any changes announced after a team's last regularly scheduled games but before its playoff games. For coaching changes that occurred earlier in 2023, see 2022 NCAA Division I FCS end-of-season coaching changes.

School Outgoing coach Date Reason Replacement
Columbia Al Bagnoli August 4, 2023 Retired[12] Mark Fabish (interim)
Dartmouth Buddy Teevens September 19, 2023 Died[13] Sammy McCorkle (named full time on October 19)

End of season

This list includes coaching changes announced during the season that did not take effect until the end of the season.

School Outgoing coach Date Reason Replacement Previous position
South Carolina State Oliver Pough August 24, 2023 Retired (effective at season's end)[14]

See also

References
  1. "FCS Championship: Future dates and sites". www.ncaa.com. Retrieved January 12, 2023.
  2. "Big South Conference and OVC Announce Football Agreement; Unique Association to Benefit All Football Members" (Press release). Ohio Valley Conference. February 22, 2022. Retrieved February 23, 2022.
  3. "ASUN-WAC Football Partnership Formally Rebrands As The United Athletic Conference" (Press release). ASUN Conference. April 17, 2023. Retrieved April 19, 2023.
  4. "ASUN And WAC Unveil 2023 Football Schedule" (Press release). Western Athletic Conference. December 20, 2022. Retrieved December 22, 2022.
  5. "Western Illinois University to Join the OVC in 2023-24" (Press release). Ohio Valley Conference. May 12, 2023. Retrieved May 12, 2023.
  6. Washburn, Rob (July 20, 2023). "CAA Changes Official Conference Name To Coastal Athletic Association". CAAsports.com. Coastal Athletic Association. Retrieved July 20, 2023. The name change will carry over to the league's football conference, which will be officially recognized as the Coastal Athletic Association Football Conference but continue to be referred to as the CAA Football Conference.
  7. "The CAA & CAA Football". Coastal Athletic Association. Retrieved July 21, 2023.
  8. "CAA Football Welcomes Bryant University As Its Newest Member In 2024" (Press release). CAA Football. August 10, 2023. Retrieved August 10, 2023.
  9. "Atlantic Sun Conference Welcomes the University of West Georgia as Its Newest Member" (Press release). ASUN Conference. September 9, 2023. Retrieved September 9, 2023.
  10. "DI Council approves changes to notification-of-transfer windows" (Press release). NCAA. October 4, 2023. Retrieved October 7, 2023.
  11. "Northwestern State's Ronnie Caldwell dies in shooting". ESPN.com. October 12, 2023. Retrieved October 13, 2023.
  12. "Al Bagnoli Announces Retirement from Coaching" (Press release). Columbia Lions. August 4, 2023. Retrieved August 5, 2023.
  13. "Dartmouth Announces Death of Buddy Teevens '79" (Press release). Dartmouth College. September 19, 2023. Retrieved September 19, 2023.
  14. Watson, Sam (August 24, 2023). "SC State's head football coach Buddy Pough to retire after 2023 season" (Press release). South Carolina State Bulldogs. Retrieved August 25, 2023.
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