This page is dedicated to listing and explaining the differences between the list of FCS wins the NCAA has against the list Fear The FCS has. We go season by season to explain each discrepancy between the lists. A side-by-side comparison can be found via this Google Drive link. The differences in the Google Sheets link have been highlighted in peach. Column O explains the differences between the two lists.
One of the main reasons for the difference between the lists is due to when a team is transitioning out of the FCS to the FBS. How the NCAA applies the rule to transitions is rather… interesting. We try to have one standard for all teams, however, we can understand why the NCAA did not always apply the rule equally in some cases. Another reason is due to the omissions of a team or inclusion of a team that is not actually I-AA/FCS (i.e. Delaware in 1978 and 1979 and Eastern Washington in 1983).
Who was I-A and who was I-AA?
Most discrepancies can be summed up in two questions:
- Which teams were considered I-AA?
- Which teams were considered I-A?
As simple as those questions seem, it does not help that the NCAA’s list of upsets includes both teams even when the NCAA’s records indicate their not I-AA. In most cases, we make a compelling argument that the NCAA has misclassified the teams in question.
1982 Through 1985
A special case of misclassifications occurred between 1982 and 1985. Starting with the 1982 season, the NCAA had a new set of requirements to maintain I-A standards. This led to a temporary “reclassification” of teams such as Bowling Green, which was an I-AA team by the NCAA requirements, yet magically participated (page 44) in an I-A bowl game.
Given the temporary nature of these and the fact most teams obtained the requirements quickly, we do not consider them as I-AA. That leads to quite a divergence between our list and the NCAA’s list. Complicating this is the Missouri Valley Conference (not the current MVFC) had a mixture of I-A and I-AA teams. The I-AA programs were Drake, Illinois State, Indiana State, Southern Illinois, and West Texas State (later became West Texas A&M). We stayed true to the NCAA’s ruling in this instance because these programs never attempted to return to I-A status.
1986 Through 1999
For the most part, the lists match up quite well. Only a few spattering of games are missing on the NCAA side. Another aspect that would become prominent starting in 1999 is how the NCAA classifies teams moving to I-AA/FCS. The NCAA records usually have teams listed as they become officially eligible to participate in the I-AA/FCS postseason. Troy’s 1992 season and South Florida in 2000 were the only instances in this time frame that posed a difference.
2000 Through 2007
These seasons represent quite a conundrum, and we have an entire post dedicated to the issue. 2000, 2001, 2004, and 2007 all feature teams moving from I-AA/FCS to I-A/FBS. The issue is that these teams are considered I-AA/FCS independents in their final year in the subdivision but the NCAA hasn’t been consistent on this. They include FAU for 2004 upsets but don’t include South Florida in 2000, Troy in 2001, or Western Kentucky in 2007 despite all 4 going through the same process. We’ve decided to make all those teams I-AA/FCS and count them in the database.
2008 to Present
Amazingly, since 2005 the two lists are identical including 2013, which is when Old Dominion was transitioning from the FCS to the FBS. The NCAA has Old Dominion as an FCS upset but does not list them as an FCS team for that season. While technically an FCS independent, ODU had the confusing staple of a transitioning-to-FBS team with roughly half their schedule against FBS opponents and the other half against FCS teams. We also have them as an FCS over FBS win after applying a consistent standard for teams in the same position.
While we believe this list represents a comprehensive and thorough analysis since 1978, we acknowledge this list may be incorrect (beyond what we outlined against the NCAA’s list). We greatly appreciate any feedback, concerns, or comments about our list of FCS over FBS wins.