Editor’s Note: This post has been updated as of Thursday, November 7 to reflect Texas A&M-Commerce changing its name to East Texas A&M. This post was previously updated as of Tuesday, August 27 to include the proposed NCAA changes to the Transfer Portal and waiver blanket for redshirt rules. The 2024 FCS season is a … Read more
Stephen F. Austin is leaving the Western Athletic Conference to return to the Southland Conference beginning with the 2024-25 academic year. The football team will leave the United Athletic Conference to rejoin the Southland with the SLC expected to play a 7-game conference schedule in 2024. SFA became a member of the FCS – then … Read more
The Richmond Spiders are on the move after the school decided to leave the Coastal Athletic Association to join the Patriot League as a football only member beginning with the 2025-26 academic year. The news was first reported by the Richmond-Times Dispatch and confirmed shortly after by the school. Richmond was a football-only affiliate in … Read more
The FCS is losing another member to the FBS with Missouri State joining Conference USA beginning with the 2025-26 academic year. Missouri State will be the fifth FCS program to move to the FBS and Conference USA since 2023. Jacksonville State and Sam Houston State joined C-USA in 2023, Kennesaw State is joining in 2024, … Read more
The NCAA Board of Governors has approved the request that allows the Division I Football Championship Committee to seed 16 teams in the FCS Playoff bracket beginning with the 2024 season. The use of 16 seeds has happened before in the FCS. From 1995 through 2000, the committee ranked all 16 teams in the FCS … Read more
Mercyhurst University will begin the reclassification process from NCAA Division II to Division I and join the Northeast Conference beginning with the 2024-25 academic year. The four-year reclassification process means Mercyhurst will not be a full Division I member eligible for NCAA Championships (FCS Playoffs) until the 2028-29 academic year. Located in Erie, Pennsylvania, Mercyhurst … Read more
The University of Texas at Rio Grande Valley (UTRGV) is leaving the Western Athletic Conference to join the Southland Conference beginning with the 2024-25 academic year according to Pete Thamel. UTRGV will pay a $2 million exit fee to the WAC. The Vaqueros announced the start of a football program in late 2022 and were … Read more
Merrimack College will play an independent FCS schedule for the 2024 season alongside Sacred Heart. Both schools are leaving the Northeast Conference after the 2023-24 academic year and will join the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) in 2024-25. The MAAC discontinued football after the 2007 season and has not sponsored the sport since then. In … Read more
Sacred Heart will play an independent FCS schedule for the 2024 season as the school continues to assess its football affiliation options as first reported in mid-January and later confirmed by Craig Haley. The Pioneers previously announced they are leaving the Northeast Conference to join the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) beginning with the 2024-25 … Read more
Robert Morris is rejoining the Northeast Conference as a football-only member effective with the 2024 season. The return of the Colonials will help the NEC offset the recent departures of full-time members Sacred Heart and Merrimack. Robert Morris was a member of the NEC from 1996 through 2019 but left to join the Horizon League … Read more