2019 NCAA Division I FCS football season

The 2019 NCAA Division I FCS football season, part of college football in the United States, was organized by the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) at the Division I Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) level. The FCS Championship Game was played on January 11, 2020, in Frisco, Texas.[1] Defending champion North Dakota State completed the regular season undefeated,[2] then won their eighth championship in nine seasons, defeating James Madison, 28-20, for the title.[3]

2019 NCAA Division I FCS season
Regular season
Number of teams126
DurationAugust 24 – November 30
Payton AwardTrey Lance, QB, North Dakota State
Buchanan AwardDante Olson, LB, Montana
Playoff
DurationNovember 30 – December 21
Championship dateJanuary 11, 2020
Championship siteToyota Stadium, Frisco, Texas
ChampionNorth Dakota State
NCAA Division I FCS football seasons

All FCS teams were allowed to schedule 12 regular season games in the 2019 season. A standard provision of NCAA bylaws allows for 12 regular season games during years having 14 Saturdays in the period starting with the Labor Day (first Monday in September) weekend and ending with the last Saturday of November. The next time that a 12-game regular season will be allowed is 2024.[4]

FCS team wins over FBS teams

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August 29: Central Arkansas 35, Western Kentucky 28
September 7: Southern Illinois 45, UMass 20
September 14: The Citadel 27, Georgia Tech 24 OT

Conference changes and new programs

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School 2018 conference 2019 conference
Hampton FCS independent Big South
LIU+ NE-10 (D-II) NEC (FCS)
Merrimack
North Alabama FCS Independent Big South
North Dakota Big Sky FCS Independent
Savannah State MEAC (FCS) SIAC (D-II)

+ Following the 2018–19 academic year, Long Island University merged the athletic programs of its two campuses—the Division I non-football LIU Brooklyn Blackbirds and Division II football-sponsoring LIU Post Pioneers—into a single Division I program rebranded as the LIU Sharks. The Sharks inherited LIU Brooklyn's membership in the Northeast Conference, with the former Post football team joining the NEC alongside most of LIU's other sports.

Conference standings

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2019 Big Sky Conference football standings
Conf Overall
Team   W   L     W   L  
No. 3 Weber State +^   7 1     11 4  
No. 9 Sacramento State +^   7 1     9 4  
No. 4 Montana State ^   6 2     11 4  
No. 6 Montana ^   6 2     10 4  
Eastern Washington   6 2     7 5  
Idaho   3 5     5 7  
Portland State   3 5     5 7  
UC Davis   3 5     5 7  
Northern Arizona   2 6     4 8  
Cal Poly   2 6     3 8  
Idaho State   2 6     3 9  
Southern Utah   2 6     3 9  
Northern Colorado   2 6     2 10  
  • + – Conference co-champions
  • ^ – FCS playoff participant
  • Although North Dakota was classified as an independent, games against them still counted as Big Sky Conference games.
Rankings from STATS Poll
2019 Big South Conference football standings
Conf Overall
Team   W   L     W   L  
No. 12 Monmouth $^   6 0     11 3  
No. 13 Kennesaw State ^   5 1     11 3  
Charleston Southern   4 2     6 6  
Campbell   3 3     6 5  
Hampton   1 5     5 7  
Gardner–Webb   1 5     3 9  
Presbyterian   1 5     2 10  
North Alabama *   0 0     4 7  
  • $ – Conference champion
  • ^ – FCS playoff participant
  • * North Alabama ineligible for FCS postseason play due to transition to NCAA Division I
Rankings from STATS Poll
2019 Colonial Athletic Association football standings
Conf Overall
Team   W   L     W   L  
No. 2 James Madison $^   8 0     14 2  
No. 18 Albany ^   6 2     9 5  
No. 15 Villanova ^   5 3     9 4  
New Hampshire   5 3     6 5  
Towson   4 4     7 5  
Maine   4 4     6 6  
Elon   4 4     5 6  
Richmond   4 4     5 7  
Delaware   3 5     5 7  
William & Mary   3 5     5 7  
Stony Brook   2 6     5 7  
Rhode Island   0 8     2 10  
  • $ – Conference champion
  • ^ – FCS playoff participant
Rankings from STATS Poll
2019 Ivy League football standings
Conf Overall
Team   W   L     W   L  
No. 22 Dartmouth +   6 1     9 1  
No. 25 Yale +   6 1     9 1  
Princeton   5 2     8 2  
Penn   3 4     5 5  
Cornell   3 4     4 6  
Harvard   2 5     4 6  
Columbia   2 5     3 7  
Brown   1 6     2 8  
  • + – Conference co-champions
Rankings from STATS Poll
2019 Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference football standings
Conf Overall
Team   W   L     W   L  
No. 24 Florida A&M *   7 1     9 2  
No. 20 North Carolina A&T +   6 2     9 3  
South Carolina State +   6 2     8 3  
Bethune–Cookman   5 3     7 4  
Norfolk State   4 4     5 7  
North Carolina Central   3 5     4 8  
Howard   2 6     2 10  
Morgan State   2 6     3 9  
Delaware State   1 7     2 10  
  • + – Conference co-champions
  • * Florida A&M ineligible for conference title due to NCAA sanctions
Rankings from STATS Poll
2019 Missouri Valley Football Conference standings
Conf Overall
Team   W   L     W   L  
No. 1 North Dakota State $^   8 0     16 0  
No. 5 Northern Iowa ^   6 2     10 5  
No. 7 Illinois State ^   5 3     10 5  
No. 10 South Dakota State ^   5 3     8 5  
Southern Illinois   5 3     7 5  
South Dakota   4 4     5 7  
Indiana State   3 5     5 7  
Youngstown State   2 6     6 6  
Missouri State   1 7     1 10  
Western Illinois   1 7     1 11  
  • $ – Conference champion
  • ^ – FCS playoff participant
Rankings from STATS Poll
2019 Northeast Conference football standings
Conf Overall
Team   W   L     W   L  
No. 23 Central Connecticut $^   7 0     11 1  
Robert Morris   6 1     7 5  
Duquesne   4 3     6 5  
Sacred Heart   4 3     7 5  
Saint Francis (PA)   3 4     6 6  
Bryant   3 4     4 8  
Wagner   1 6     1 11  
LIU   0 7     0 10  
Merrimack *   0 0     6 5  
  • $ – Conference champion
  • ^ – FCS playoff participant
  • * – Merrimack ineligible for NEC title and FCS postseason play due to transition to NCAA Division I, and also ineligible for NEC title due to not playing a full conference schedule
Rankings from STATS Poll
2019 Ohio Valley Conference football standings
Conf Overall
Team   W   L     W   L  
No. 8 Austin Peay +^   7 1     9 3  
No. 17 Southeast Missouri State +^   7 1     9 3  
UT Martin   6 2     7 5  
Eastern Kentucky   5 3     7 5  
Tennessee Tech   3 5     6 6  
Jacksonville State   3 5     6 6  
Murray State   2 6     4 8  
Tennessee State   2 6     3 9  
Eastern Illinois   1 7     1 11  
  • + – Conference co-champions
  • ^ – FCS playoff participant
Rankings from STATS Poll
2019 Patriot League football standings
Conf Overall
Team   W   L     W   L  
Holy Cross $^   5 1     7 5  
Lafayette   4 2     4 8  
Bucknell   3 3     3 8  
Lehigh   3 3     4 7  
Colgate   3 3     4 8  
Fordham   2 4     4 8  
Georgetown   1 5     5 6  
  • $ – Conference champion
  • ^ – FCS playoff participant
2019 Pioneer Football League standings
Conf Overall
Team   W   L     W   L  
San Diego $^   8 0     9 3  
Dayton   6 2     8 3  
Drake   6 2     6 5  
Davidson   5 3     8 4  
Stetson   4 4     7 4  
Marist   4 4     4 7  
Morehead State   3 5     5 7  
Butler   2 6     3 9  
Jacksonville   1 7     3 9  
Valparaiso   1 7     1 11  
  • $ – Conference champion
  • ^ – FCS playoff participant
2019 Southern Conference football standings
Conf Overall
Team   W   L     W   L  
No. 16 Wofford $^   7 1     8 3  
No. 21 Furman ^   6 2     8 4  
Chattanooga   5 3     6 6  
The Citadel   4 4     6 6  
Samford   4 4     5 7  
VMI   4 4     5 7  
Mercer   3 5     4 8  
Western Carolina   2 6     3 9  
East Tennessee State   1 7     3 9  
  • $ – Conference champion
  • ^ – FCS playoff participant
Rankings from STATS Poll
2019 Southland Conference football standings
Conf Overall
Team   W   L     W   L  
No. 14 Nicholls +^   7 2     8 4  
No. 11 Central Arkansas +^   7 2     9 3  
No. 19 Southeastern Louisiana ^   6 3     8 5  
Sam Houston State   6 3     7 5  
McNeese State   5 4     7 5  
Incarnate Word   4 5     5 7  
Abilene Christian   4 5     5 7  
Northwestern State   3 6     3 9  
Stephen F. Austin   3 6     3 9  
Houston Baptist   2 6     5 7  
Lamar   2 7     4 8  
  • + – Conference co-champions
  • ^ – FCS playoff participant
Rankings from STATS poll
2019 Southwestern Athletic Conference football standings
Conf Overall
Team   W   L     W   L  
East Division
Alcorn State x$   6 1     9 4  
Alabama A&M   4 3     7 5  
Alabama State   4 3     5 6  
Jackson State   3 4     4 8  
Mississippi Valley State   1 6     2 9  
West Division
Southern x   6 1     8 5  
Prairie View A&M   4 3     6 5  
Grambling State   4 3     6 5  
Arkansas–Pine Bluff   3 4     6 5  
Texas Southern   0 7     0 11  
Championship: Alcorn State 39, Southern 24
  • $ – Conference champion
  • x – Division champion/co-champions
2019 NCAA Division I FCS independents football standings
Conf Overall
Team   W   L     W   L  
North Dakota ^       7 5  
  • ^ – FCS playoff participant

Playoff qualifiers

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Champions of the following 10 conferences automatically received playoff bids:[5]

Abstentions

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Postseason

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A 24-team single-elimination tournament bracket culminated in the 2020 NCAA Division I Football Championship Game. Teams were announced in a selection show on November 24, with the top eight teams seeded and receiving first-round byes.[6]

Bowl game

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Date Game Site Television Participants Affiliations Results
Dec. 21 Celebration Bowl Mercedes-Benz Stadium
Atlanta, Georgia
12:00 p.m.
ABC North Carolina A&T Aggies (8–3)
Alcorn State Braves (9–3)
MEAC
SWAC
North Carolina A&T 64
Alcorn State 44

NCAA Division I playoff bracket

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First Round
November 30
Campus sites
Second Round
December 7
Campus sites
Quarterfinals
December 13/14[a]
Campus sites
Semifinals
December 21
Campus sites
National Championship
1North Dakota State37
Nicholls24Nicholls13
1North Dakota State9
North Dakota6
Illinois State3
8Central Arkansas14
Southeast Missouri State6Illinois State24
1North Dakota State42
Illinois State24
5Montana State14
4Sacramento State28
Austin Peay42Austin Peay42
Austin Peay10
Furman6
5Montana State24
5Montana State47
January 11 – Toyota Stadium
Albany42Albany21
1North Dakota State28
Central Connecticut14
2James Madison20
2James Madison66
Monmouth44Monmouth21
2James Madison17
Holy Cross27
Northern Iowa0
7South Dakota State10
Northern Iowa17Northern Iowa13
2James Madison30
San Diego3
3Weber State14
3Weber State26
Wofford21Kennesaw State20
3Weber State17
Kennesaw State28
6Montana10
6Montana73
Southeastern Louisiana45Southeastern Louisiana28
Villanova44

Source:[7]

Kickoff game

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Coaching changes

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Preseason and in-season

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This is restricted to coaching changes that took place on or after May 1, 2019. For coaching changes that occurred earlier in 2019, see 2018 NCAA Division I FCS end-of-season coaching changes.

School Outgoing coach Date Reason Replacement
Howard Ron Prince November 6 Placed on administrative leave† Aaron Kelton (interim)

† Prince was placed on administrative leave by the university, "after allegations of verbal abuse and intimidation of players."[8]

End of season

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School Outgoing coach Date Reason Replacement
Gardner–Webb Carroll McCray November 24 Fired Tre Lamb
Mercer Bobby Lamb November 24 Fired Drew Cronic
Murray State Mitch Stewart November 24 Reassigned within athletic department Dean Hood
Northern Colorado Earnest Collins Jr. November 24 Fired Ed McCaffrey
Eastern Kentucky Mark Elder November 25 Contract not renewed Walt Wells
Lamar Mike Schultz November 25 Fired Blane Morgan
Cal Poly Tim Walsh November 25 Retired Beau Baldwin
Jacksonville Ian Shields December 3 Program discontinued None
Wagner Jason Houghtaling December 6 Fired Tom Masella
Howard Ron Prince December 6 Resigned[9] Larry Scott
Missouri State Dave Steckel January 9 Fired Bobby Petrino
McNeese State Sterlin Gilbert January 12 Became OC at Syracuse Frank Wilson
Youngstown State Bo Pelini January 27 Became DC at LSU Doug Phillips
Arkansas Pine-Bluff Cedric Thomas February 17 Became DB coach at Southern Miss Doc Gamble

See also

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Notes

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  1. ^ North Dakota State vs. Illinois State on December 14; other games on December 13

References

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  1. ^ "2019 FCS Playoff Schedule". FBSchedules.com. Retrieved January 9, 2019.
  2. ^ "North Dakota State Completes Perfect Season as No. 1 Ranked Team". FCS Football Insider. Retrieved January 9, 2019.
  3. ^ "North Dakota State football beats James Madison for eighth FCS championship". NCAA.com. January 11, 2020. Retrieved January 11, 2020.
  4. ^ "Bylaw 17.10.5.1: Number of Contests, Maximum Limitations—Institutional" (PDF). 2018–19 NCAA Division I Manual. NCAA. July 2018. p. 273. Retrieved March 14, 2019.
  5. ^ Chiusano, Anthony (November 16, 2019). "Every automatic qualifier for the 2019 FCS football playoffs". NCAA.com. Retrieved November 17, 2019.
  6. ^ "FCS bracket revealed for 2019 Division I football championship". ncaa.com. November 24, 2019. Retrieved November 24, 2019.
  7. ^ "2019 FCS Football Official Bracket". NCAA.org. December 2019. Retrieved December 13, 2019.
  8. ^ VanHaaren, Tom (November 6, 2019). "Howard places coach Ron Prince on leave amid ongoing investigation". ESPN. Retrieved November 12, 2019.
  9. ^ Bogage, Jacob (December 6, 2019). "Howard football coach Ron Prince resigns after allegations of verbal abuse, player intimidation". The Washington Post. Retrieved December 14, 2019.