2004 NCAA Division I-AA football season

2004 NCAA Division I-AA season
Regular season
Number of teams	122
Duration	August 28–November
Payton Award	QB Lang Campbell, William & Mary
Buchanan Award	LB Jordan Beck, Cal Poly
Playoff
Duration	November 27–December 17
Championship date	December 17, 2004
Championship site	Finley Stadium Chattanooga, Tennessee
Champion	James Madison
NCAA Division I-AA football seasons
« 2003 2005 »

The 2004 NCAA Division I-AA football season, part of college football in the United States organized by the National Collegiate Athletic Association at the Division I-AA level, began on August 28, 2004,^{[ citation needed ]} and concluded with the 2004 NCAA Division I-AA Football Championship Game on December 17, 2004, at Finley Stadium in Chattanooga, Tennessee. James Madison won its first I-AA championship, defeating Montana by a final score of 31−21. ^{[1] [2]}

Conference changes and new programs

• Prior to the season, the Great West Conference was formed as a football-only conference for six unaffiliated teams from California, Colorado, North Dakota, South Dakota, and Utah. ^[3] A seventh prospective member, St. Mary's (CA), dropped their football program before the start of the season. ^[4]

School	2003 Conference	2004 Conference
Cal Poly	I-AA Independent	Great West
East Tennessee State	Southern	Dropped Program
North Dakota State	North Central (D-II)	Great West (I-AA)
Northern Colorado	D-II Independent	Great West (I-AA)
Siena	MAAC	Dropped Program
St. Mary's (CA)	I-AA Independent	Dropped Program
Southern Utah	I-AA Independent	Great West
South Dakota State	North Central (D-II)	Great West (I-AA)
Towson	Patriot	Atlantic 10
UC Davis	D-II Independent	Great West (I-AA)

I-AA team wins over I-A teams

List of I-AA/FCS victories from the NCAA: ^[5]

• September 4 – Florida Atlantic 35, Hawaii 28 ^OT
• September 11 – Florida Atlantic 20, North Texas 13
• September 11 – New Hampshire 35, Rutgers 24
• September 18 – Florida Atlantic 27, Middle Tennessee 20
• September 18 – Maine 9, Mississippi State 7
• September 25 – Eastern Illinois 31, Eastern Michigan 28 ^[6]

Conference standings

2004 Atlantic 10 Conference football standings v t e Conf. Overall Team   W   L     W   L   North Division No. 6 New Hampshire x^   6 – 2     11 – 3   UMass   4 – 4     6 – 5   Northeastern   4 – 4     5 – 6   Hofstra   3 – 5     5 – 6   Maine   3 – 5     5 – 6   Rhode Island   2 – 6     4 – 7   South Division No. 1 James Madison x^   7 – 1     13 – 2   No. 3 William & Mary x^   7 – 1     11 – 3   No. 7 Delaware x^   7 – 1     9 – 4   Villanova   3 – 5     6 – 5   Richmond   2 – 6     3 – 8   Towson   0 – 8     3 – 8   x – Division champion/co-champions ^ – NCAA Division I-AA playoff participant Rankings from The Sports Network poll	2004 Big Sky Conference football standings v t e Conf. Overall Team   W   L     W   L   No. 2 Montana $^   6 – 1     12 – 3   No. 8 Eastern Washington ^   6 – 1     9 – 4   Montana State   4 – 3     6 – 5   Portland State   4 – 3     7 – 4   Northern Arizona   3 – 4     4 – 7   Idaho State   2 – 5     3 – 8   Sacramento State   2 – 5     3 – 8   Weber State   1 – 6     1 – 10   $ – Conference champion ^ – NCAA Division I-AA playoff participant Rankings from The Sports Network poll	2004 Big South Conference football standings v t e Conf. Overall Team   W   L     W   L   No. 24 Coastal Carolina $   4 – 0     10 – 1   Liberty   3 – 1     6 – 5   Gardner–Webb   2 – 2     5 – 6   Charleston Southern   1 – 3     5 – 5   VMI   0 – 4     0 – 11   $ – Conference champion Rankings from The Sports Network poll
2004 Gateway Football Conference standings v t e Conf. Overall Team   W   L     W   L   No. 9 Southern Illinois $^   7 – 0     10 – 2   No. 11 Western Kentucky ^   6 – 1     9 – 3   No. 25 Northern Iowa   5 – 2     7 – 4   Southwest Missouri State   3 – 4     6 – 5   Western Illinois   2 – 5     4 – 7   Illinois State   2 – 5     4 – 7   Youngstown State   2 – 5     4 – 7   Indiana State   1 – 6     4 – 7   $ – Conference champion ^ – NCAA Division I-AA playoff participant Rankings from The Sports Network poll	2004 Great West Conference football standings v t e Conf. Overall Team   W   L     W   L   No. 16 Cal Poly $   4 – 1     9 – 2   UC Davis   3 – 2     6 – 4   No. 23 North Dakota State   2 – 3     8 – 3   South Dakota State   2 – 3     6 – 5   Southern Utah   2 – 3     6 – 5   Northern Colorado   2 – 3     2 – 9   $ – Conference champion Rankings from The Sports Network poll	2004 Ivy League football standings v t e Conf. Overall Team   W   L     W   L   No. 13 Harvard $   7 – 0     10 – 0   No. 21 Penn   6 – 1     8 – 2   Cornell   4 – 3     4 – 6   Brown   3 – 4     6 – 4   Princeton   3 – 4     5 – 5   Yale   3 – 4     5 – 5   Dartmouth   1 – 6     1 – 9   Columbia   1 – 6     1 – 9   $ – Conference champion Rankings from The Sports Network poll
2004 Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference football standings v t e Conf. Overall Team   W   L     W   L   Duquesne $   4 – 0     7 – 3   Marist   3 – 1     3 – 6   La Salle   1 – 3     3 – 7   Saint Peter's   1 – 3     3 – 7   Iona   1 – 3     2 – 8   $ – Conference champion	2004 Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference football standings v t e Conf. Overall Team   W   L     W   L   No. 12 Hampton +^   6 – 1     10 – 2   No. 22 South Carolina State +   6 – 1     9 – 2   Bethune–Cookman   4 – 3     6 – 4   Delaware State   4 – 3     4 – 7   Howard   3 – 4     6 – 5   Morgan State   3 – 4     5 – 6   North Carolina A&T   1 – 6     3 – 8   Norfolk State   1 – 6     1 – 8   + – Conference co-champions ^ – NCAA Division I-AA playoff participant Rankings from The Sports Network poll	2004 Northeast Conference football standings v t e Conf. Overall Team   W   L     W   L   Monmouth +   6 – 1     10 – 1   Central Connecticut State +   6 – 1     8 – 2   Albany   4 – 3     4 – 7   Sacred Heart   3 – 4     6 – 4   Robert Morris   3 – 4     6 – 5   Wagner   3 – 4     6 – 5   Stony Brook   2 – 5     3 – 7   Saint Francis (PA)   1 – 6     3 – 8   + – Conference co-champions
2004 Ohio Valley Conference football standings v t e Conf. Overall Team   W   L     W   L   No. 14 Jacksonville State $^   7 – 1     9 – 2   Murray State   6 – 2     7 – 4   Eastern Kentucky   6 – 2     6 – 5   Eastern Illinois   4 – 4     5 – 6   Tennessee Tech   3 – 4     6 – 5   Samford   3 – 5     4 – 7   Southeast Missouri State   3 – 5     3 – 8   Tennessee State   2 – 5     4 – 7   Tennessee–Martin   1 – 7     2 – 9   $ – Conference champion ^ – NCAA Division I-AA playoff participant Rankings from The Sports Network poll	2004 Patriot League football standings v t e Conf. Overall Team   W   L     W   L   No. 15 Lehigh +^   5 – 1     9 – 3   No. 19 Lafayette +^   5 – 1     8 – 4   Bucknell   4 – 2     7 – 4   Colgate   4 – 2     7 – 4   Fordham   2 – 4     5 – 6   Holy Cross   1 – 5     3 – 8   Georgetown   0 – 6     3 – 8   + – Conference co-champions ^ – NCAA Division I-AA playoff participant Rankings from The Sports Network poll	2004 Pioneer Football League standings v t e Conf. Overall Team   W   L     W   L   North Division Drake xy$   4 – 0     10 – 2   San Diego   3 – 1     7 – 4   Dayton   2 – 2     7 – 3   Valparaiso   1 – 3     5 – 6   Butler   0 – 4     1 – 10   South Division Morehead State xy   2 – 1     6 – 6   Jacksonville x   2 – 1     3 – 7   Davidson   1 – 2     2 – 7   Austin Peay   1 – 2     2 – 9   Championship: Drake 20, Morehead State 17 $ – Conference champion x – Division champion/co-champions y – Championship game participant
2004 Southern Conference football standings v t e Conf. Overall Team   W   L     W   L   No. 5 Furman $^   6 – 1     10 – 3   No. 10 Georgia Southern $^   6 – 1     9 – 3   No. 18 Wofford   4 – 3     8 – 3   Appalachian State   4 – 3     6 – 5   Western Carolina   2 – 5     4 – 7   The Citadel   2 – 5     3 – 7   Elon   2 – 5     3 – 8   Chattanooga   2 – 5     2 – 9   $ – Conference champion ^ – NCAA Division I-AA playoff participant Rankings from The Sports Network I-AA Poll	2004 Southland Conference football standings v t e Conf. Overall Team   W   L     W   L   No. 4 Sam Houston State +^   4 – 1     11 – 3   No. 17 Northwestern State +^   4 – 1     8 – 4   Texas State   3 – 2     5 – 6   Nicholls State   2 – 3     5 – 5   Stephen F. Austin   1 – 4     6 – 4   McNeese State   1 – 4     4 – 7   + – Conference co-champions ^ – NCAA Division I-AA playoff participant Rankings from The Sports Network poll	2004 Southwestern Athletic Conference football standings v t e Conf. Overall Team   W   L     W   L   East No. 20 Alabama State xy$   6 – 1     10 – 2   Alabama A&M   5 – 2     7 – 4   Alcorn State   4 – 3     7 – 4   Jackson State   3 – 4     4 – 7   Mississippi Valley State   1 – 6     3 – 8   West Southern xy   6 – 1     8 – 4   Arkansas–Pine Bluff   5 – 2     6 – 3   Grambling State   3 – 4     6 – 5   Prairie View A&M   1 – 6     3 – 8   Texas Southern   0 – 7     0 – 11   Championship: Alabama State 40, Southern 35 $ – Conference champion x – Division champion/co-champions y – Championship game participant Rankings from The Sports Network Poll
2004 NCAA Division I-AA independents football standings v t e Conf. Overall Team   W   L     W   L   Florida Atlantic   –     9 – 3   Southeastern Louisiana   –     7 – 4   FIU   –     3 – 7   Savannah State   –     2 – 8

Postseason

NCAA Division I-AA playoff bracket

	First Round November 27 Campus sites					Quarterfinals December 4 Campus sites					Semifinals December 10 and December 11 Campus sites					National Championship Game December 17 Finley Stadium Chattanooga, Tennessee
	1	Southern Illinois* (10–1)	31
		Eastern Washington (8–3)	35
						Eastern Washington*		34
						Sam Houston State		35
	Sam Houston State* (9–2)		54
	Western Kentucky (9–2)		24
											Sam Houston State		13
											Montana*		34
	Montana* (9–2)		56
	Northwestern State (8–3)		7
						Montana*		47
						New Hampshire		17
		New Hampshire (9–2)	27
	4	Georgia Southern* (9–2)	3
																7	Montana	21
																8	James Madison	31
	3	William & Mary* (9–2)	42
		Hampton (10–1)	35
						3	William & Mary*	44
							Delaware	38
	Delaware* (8–3)		28
	Lafayette (8–3)		14
											3	William & Mary*	34
												James Madison	48
	James Madison (9–2)		14
	Lehigh* (9–2)		13
							James Madison	14
						2	Furman*	13
		Jacksonville State (9–1)	7
	2	Furman* (9–2)	49

*Denotes host institution

References

1. "2004 I-AA Champion Football Team (Inducted 2024)". JMU Athletics Hall of Fame. Retrieved November 21, 2025.
2. "James Madison vs Montana (Dec 17, 2004)". NCAA. Retrieved November 21, 2025.
3. WebDev, I. E. T. (March 5, 2004). "Campus joins rivals to found Great West football conference". UC Davis. Retrieved December 16, 2025.
4. Jake, Curtis (March 4, 2004). "Gaels' football program sacked / St. Mary's officials cite cost as main factor" . Retrieved December 16, 2025.
5. "FCS wins vs. FBS teams: All-time victories, upsets, wins vs. ranked teams | NCAA.com". NCAA. Retrieved November 21, 2025.
6. "Eastern Illinois 31-28 Eastern Michigan (Sep 25, 2004) Game Stats". ESPN. Retrieved November 21, 2025.