South Dakota State firmly stamped its entry as an FCS dynasty by winning back-to-back national titles while the FCS as a whole struggled to win games against the FBS.
2023 FCS Over FBS Victories (4)
- Southern Illinois @ Northern Illinois, 14-11
- Fordham @ Buffalo, 40-37
- Idaho @ Nevada, 33-6
- Sacramento State @ Stanford, 30-23
Playoff Bracket, Notes, and National Champion
The FCS Playoff format did not change in 2023 with the 24-team format in effect. The top 8 teams were seeded and received a first-round bye while campus sites were used through the semifinal round. Frisco, Texas was the site of the FCS National Championship for the 14th straight season. The title game was held on Sunday, January 7, 2024.
The home team is listed on the bottom of each matchup in the bracket below while an asterisk (*) denotes the number of overtime periods played if a game went to overtime. South Dakota State (15-0 Overall, 8-0 Missouri Valley Football Conference) won its second straight title by defeating Montana (13-2 Overall, 7-1 Big Sky Conference). The Jackrabbits used a stellar defensive effort in the second half to win 23-3.
Conference Changes
The ASUN and WAC decided to reorganize its football alliance under the United Athletic Conference banner. In a similar fashion, the Big South and Ohio Valley Conferences combined their football teams to form the Big South-OVC Football Alliance beginning with the 2023 season. Finally, there was the CAA, which changed its name from the Colonial Athletic Association to the Coastal Athletic Association. There were many team changes as a result of the two football alliances, which are described below…
Team Changes
Like the 2022 season, there were many changes in 2023 beginning with the ASUN and WAC football teams moving to the United Athletic Conference. Austin Peay, Central Arkansas, Eastern Kentucky, and North Alabama all moved from the ASUN to the UAC. From the WAC, Abilene Christian, Southern Utah, Stephen F. Austin, Tarleton State, and Utah Tech joined the UAC in 2023.
The 10-team Big South-OVC Football Association was comprised of Bryant, Charleston Southern, Gardner-Webb, and Robert Morris from the Big South and Eastern Illinois, Lindenwood, Southeast Missouri State, Tennessee-Martin, Tennessee State, and Tennessee Tech from the Ohio Valley. The Big South lost two schools from its ranks with Campbell and North Carolina A&T both joining the CAA. The OVC also lost one member as Murray State joined the Missouri Valley Football Conference.
Kennesaw State left the ASUN to become an FCS independent team in preparation for their move to the FBS in 2024. Leaving the subdivision before the 2023 season was Jacksonville State from the ASUN and Sam Houston State from the WAC. Both schools joined Conference USA at the FBS level.
| Team | Old Conference | New Conference |
|---|---|---|
| Abilene Christian | WAC (FCS) | United Athletic (FCS) |
| Austin Peay | ASUN (FCS) | United Athletic (FCS) |
| Bryant | Big South (FCS) | Big South-OVC (FCS) |
| Campbell | Big South (FCS) | CAA (FCS) |
| Central Arkansas | ASUN (FCS) | United Athletic (FCS) |
| Charleston Southern | Big South (FCS) | Big South-OVC (FCS) |
| Eastern Illinois | Ohio Valley (FCS) | Big South-OVC (FCS) |
| Eastern Kentucky | ASUN (FCS) | United Athletic (FCS) |
| Gardner-Webb | Big South (FCS) | Big South-OVC (FCS) |
| Jacksonville State | ASUN (FCS) | C-USA (FBS) |
| Kennesaw State | ASUN (FCS) | FCS Independent |
| Lindenwood | Ohio Valley (FCS) | Big South-OVC (FCS) |
| Murray State | Ohio Valley (FCS) | MVFC (FCS) |
| North Alabama | ASUN (FCS) | United Athletic (FCS) |
| North Carolina A&T | Big South (FCS) | CAA (FCS) |
| Robert Morris | Big South (FCS) | Big South-OVC (FCS) |
| Sam Houston State | WAC (FCS) | C-USA (FBS) |
| Southeast Missouri State | Ohio Valley (FCS) | Big South-OVC (FCS) |
| Southern Utah | WAC (FCS) | United Athletic (FCS) |
| Stephen F. Austin | WAC (FCS) | United Athletic (FCS) |
| Tarleton State | WAC (FCS) | United Athletic (FCS) |
| Tennessee Martin | Ohio Valley (FCS) | Big South-OVC (FCS) |
| Tennessee State | Ohio Valley (FCS) | Big South-OVC (FCS) |
| Tennessee Tech | Ohio Valley (FCS) | Big South-OVC (FCS) |
| Utah Tech | WAC (FCS) | United Athletic (FCS) |
2022 Season ———————————————————————————————————————————————————- 2024 Season