FCS Changes for the 2026 Season

The 2026 FCS season is closing in and that means new homes for some schools. As we have done with the 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024, and 2025 seasons, below is a list of all the changes for the 2026 season and beyond. There’s a summarized list at the end of the article if you prefer not to get knee-deep in the weeds. Let’s begin by looking at moves in, out, and around for the 2026 season. Please note that this article is subject to change as more moves occur.

2026 Team and Conference Changes

There are two conference changes at the FCS level for the 2026 season, although both are more of a restructuring. The first is that the OVC-Big South Football Association is no more. All eight teams will play in the Ohio Valley Conference, while the naming convention disappears: Charleston Southern, Eastern Illinois, Gardner-Webb, Lindenwood, Southeast Missouri State, Tennessee State, UT Martin, and Western Illinois.

The Western Athletic Conference will rebrand as the United Athletic Conference and become a multi-sport conference. The UAC was previously a football-only conference for the 2023, 2024, and 2025 seasons. Abilene Christian, Austin Peay, Central Arkansas, Eastern Kentucky, North Alabama, Tarleton State, West Florida, and West Georgia will comprise the UAC in 2026.

Chicago State will begin its football journey in 2026. The Cougars set a $4 million fundraising goal as the bar to start an FCS football program back in September 2023, and the school originally set an expedited timeline of 2025 as the first season. Chicago State’s first season will be as an independent in 2026, followed by a full NEC schedule in 2027, and the Cougars will be led by Bobby Rome as head coach.

North Dakota State is leaving the Missouri Valley Football Conference to join the FBS and Mountain West Conference beginning with the 2026-27 academic year. The Bison dominated the FCS landscape for 15 years before finally pulling the trigger on a move upwards

Sacramento State is leaving the Big Sky Conference to join the FBS and MAC beginning with the 2026-27 academic year. The remainder of Sacramento State’s athletic programs will compete in the Big West Conference.

Sacred Heart will leave its FCS independent status and join the CAA as a football member beginning with the 2026-27 academic year. Meanwhile, Villanova and William & Mary will leave the CAA and join the Patriot League as football-only members in 2026. The Wildcats and Tribe will become the 9th and 10th Patriot League teams while the CAA drops to 13, assuming no further changes.

Saint Francis is leaving NCAA Division I and the Northeast Conference to reclassify to NCAA Division III. Saint Francis will become a member of the Presidents’ Athletic Conference starting with the 2026-27 academic year.

Southern Utah and Utah Tech will move their football teams from the United Athletic Conference and join the Big Sky Conference beginning with the 2026-27 academic year. Both schools are members of the WAC and also join the Big Sky as full members.

Tennessee Tech will leave the Ohio Valley Confernece and OVC-Big South Football to join the Southern Conference beginning with the 2026-27 academic year.

West Florida will move up from NCAA Division II and the Gulf South Conference to join NCAA Division I, the FCS, and the United Athletic Conference for the 2026 season.

Future Changes and Other Developments

Three schools are ineligible for the 2026 FCS Playoffs due to APR violations: Alabama A&M, Florida A&M, and Mississippi Valley State.

The NCAA amended its reclassification policy in January 2025, allowing schools to shorten the reclassification process by one year. In 2025, St. Thomas and East Texas A&M used the new policy to become eligible for the FCS playoffs a year sooner. Lindenwood and Stonehill will become FCS playoff eligible this year under the standard four-year process. While no school can become eligible in time for the 2026 season under the new rules, Mercyhurst (Northeast) and West Georgia (United Athletic) could become eligible for the FCS playoffs in 2027.

FCS teams can play a maximum of 12 regular season games starting with the 2026 season after an NCAA rule change. The 2026 season can begin as early as Thursday, August 27. Previously, FCS teams could only play 12 games if there were 14 Saturdays during the regular season. The 2024 and 2025 seasons both allowed 12 regular season games thanks to a calendar quirk.

UC Davis accepted a full membership invitation from the Mountain West Conference except for football, which will remain in the Big Sky. It may only be a matter of time before the Aggies join the Mountain West in football as well.

Summary

Below is a table summarizing all the moves discussed above for 2026 and beyond. We also included the teams that are ineligible for the FCS playoffs for future reference.