Each year, some FCS members look outside the Division I umbrella to fill out their football schedules. That trend will continue in 2026, as FCS teams are slated to play 70 games against non-Division I opponents, including NCAA Division II, NCAA Division III, NAIA, and NCCAA opponents. In 2025, there were 63 such matches, while there were 58 matchups scheduled between FCS and non-Division I teams in 2024, but only 57 were played due to the canceled Quincy–Drake game.
49 FCS teams will play 54 non-Division I opponents from 23 conferences in 2026. 18 teams – Alabama A&M, Alabama State, Alcorn State, Arkansas-Pine Bluff, Butler, Chicago State, Davidson, Dayton, Delaware State, Grambling State, Jackson State, Mississippi Valley State, Morehead State, Norfolk State, South Carolina State, Southern, St. Thomas (MN), and West Florida – have 2 or more games against non-DI opponents. Only Chicago State has more than two non-Division I opponents this season.
The full table of FCS versus non-Division I games is listed below. Additional charts are provided near the bottom of the page that show a breakdown of the subdivision’s games against the other affiliations and each FCS conference’s non-DI opponents. Please note that the information presented below is subject to change and the most recent update was on Thursday, July 9, 2026.
Photo Credit to the University of St. Thomas Athletics
