The NCAA Division I Football Championship is an annual post-season college football game, played since 2006, used to determine a national champion of the NCAA Division I Football Championship Subdivision (FCS). From 1978 to 2005, the game was known as the NCAA Division I-AA Football Championship.
The Elon Phoenix is the official mascot of Elon University, located in Elon, North Carolina. It is the name that each of the sports teams at the university are referred to. The university is a member of the Coastal Athletic Association and that league's technically separate football arm of CAA Football. Elon competes in the NCAA Division I Football Championship Subdivision, fielding 17 varsity teams in 11 sports.
The James Madison Dukes football program represents James Madison University in the sport of American football. The Dukes compete in the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) as a member of the Sun Belt Conference (SBC), beginning play within the conference for the 2022 season. The university first fielded a football team in 1972, and the Dukes play at the on-campus Bridgeforth Stadium in Harrisonburg, Virginia. The Dukes are currently coached by Bob Chesney.
The NCAA Division I Football Championship Subdivision (FCS), formerly known as Division I-AA, is the second-highest level of college football in the United States, after the Football Bowl Subdivision. Sponsored by the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA), the FCS level comprises 129 teams in 13 conferences as of the 2024 season. The FCS designation is relevant only for football; members of the subdivision compete in NCAA Division I in all other sports.
This article depicts the NCAA Football Championship Subdivision Alignment History—specifically, all schools that have competed in the lower tier of NCAA Division I college football since Division I football was split into two subdivisions in 1978. This includes schools competing in:
The Alcorn State Braves are the college football team of Alcorn State University. The Braves play in NCAA Division I Football Championship Subdivision as a member of the Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC).
The Butler Bulldogs football program is the intercollegiate American football team for Butler University located in the U.S. state of Indiana. The team competes in the NCAA Division I Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) and are members of the Pioneer Football League. Butler's first football team was fielded in 1887. The team plays its home games at the 7,500 seat Bud and Jackie Sellick Bowl in Indianapolis. The Bulldogs are coached by Mike Uremovich.
The Hampton Pirates football team represents Hampton University in college football. The Pirates compete in the NCAA Division I Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) as a member of CAA Football, the legally separate football league operated by the multi-sports Coastal Athletic Association (CAA).
The Norfolk State Spartans football team represents Norfolk State University in Division I FCS college football. The team plays their home games at William "Dick" Price Stadium in Norfolk, Virginia.
The Western Carolina Catamounts football program represents Western Carolina University. The team competes in the NCAA Division I Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) and are members of the Southern Conference. Since the school's first football team was fielded in 1931, the Catamounts have a record of 364–540–23, have made two postseason appearances, and have played in one national championship game.
The Florida A&M Rattlers football team represents Florida A&M University in the sport of American football. The Rattlers compete in the Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) of Division I of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA). Starting with the fall 2021 season, the Rattlers will compete in the East Division of the Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC), after a long tenure in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC). They play their home games at Bragg Memorial Stadium in Tallahassee. The Rattlers have won 16 black college football national championship, 29 Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SIAC) titles, eight MEAC titles, one SWAC title and one I-AA national title in the history of their football program. During the 2004 season, the Rattlers briefly attempted to move up to Division I-A and become the only HBCU at college football's highest level, but the team was forced to abort its bid.
The Furman Paladins football program is the intercollegiate American football team for the Furman University located in the state of South Carolina. The team competes in the NCAA Division I Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) as members of the Southern Conference (SoCon). The school's first football team was fielded in 1889. The team plays its home games at the 16,000 seat Paladin Stadium in Greenville, South Carolina.
The Chattanooga Mocs football program is the intercollegiate college football team for the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga located in the U.S. state of Tennessee. The team competes in the NCAA Division I Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) and are members of the Southern Conference. The school's first football team was fielded in 1904. The team plays its home games at the 20,668 seat Finley Stadium. They are coached by UTC alumni, Rusty Wright. He was an assistant coach under Russ Huesman.
The Wofford Terriers football program is the intercollegiate American football team for Wofford College located in the U.S. state of South Carolina. The team competes in the NCAA Division I Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) as members of the Southern Conference (SoCon). Wofford's first football team was fielded in 1889. The team plays its home games at the 13,000 seat Gibbs Stadium in Spartanburg, South Carolina. Josh Conklin is the current head coach for the Terriers.
The Gardner–Webb Runnin' Bulldogs football program is the intercollegiate American football team for Gardner–Webb University in the U.S. state of North Carolina. The team competes in the Division I FCS and are members of the Big South–OVC Football Association. Gardner–Webb's first football team was fielded in 1970. The team plays its home games at the 9,000-seat Ernest W. Spangler Stadium in Boiling Springs, North Carolina. The Runnin' Bulldogs are coached by Cris Reisert.
The North Carolina Central Eagles football program is a college football team representing North Carolina Central University. The Eagles play at the NCAA Division I Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) level as a member of the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference.
The Presbyterian Blue Hose football program is the intercollegiate American football team for Presbyterian College located in the U.S. state of South Carolina. The team competes in the NCAA Division I Football Championship Subdivision (FCS); while Presbyterian is a full member of the Big South Conference, it plays football in the Pioneer Football League. Presbyterian's first football team was fielded in 1913. The team plays its home games at the 6,500 seat Bailey Memorial Stadium in Clinton, South Carolina. The Blue Hose were coached by Kevin Kelley, who was hired to lead the program on May 6, 2021, but who left at the end of the season. The current coach is Steve Englehart. The Blue Hose began a transition to non-scholarship football in 2017 and left Big South football after the 2019 season, while otherwise remaining a full Big South member. The Blue Hose football program played the 2020–21 season as an independent and joined the Pioneer League in July 2021 upon completion of its transition.
The South Carolina State Bulldogs football team represents South Carolina State University in college football. The Bulldogs play in the NCAA Division I Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) as a member of the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC).
The Bethune–Cookman Wildcats football team represents Bethune–Cookman University in the sport of college football. The Wildcats compete in the Division I Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA). Starting with the fall 2021 season, they compete in the East Division of the Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC), after having been members of the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) since 1979. They play their home games at Daytona Stadium. The Wildcats have won two black college football national championships and seven MEAC titles in the history of their football program.
