List of NCAA Division I FCS playoff appearances by team

The list of current Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) schools that have participated in the playoffs leading to the NCAA Division I Football Championship stands at 92. Known as Division I-AA from 1978 through 2005, it was renamed FCS prior to the 2006 season.^[1][2]

Field

The playoffs began with four teams in 1978, then expanded to eight in 1981, twelve in 1982, and sixteen in 1986. The bracket went to five rounds with a field of twenty teams in 2010,^[3] and to 24 teams in 2013.^[4]

Years	Teams	Byes
1978–1980	4
1981	8
1982–1985	12	4
1986–2009	16	0
2010–2012	20	12
2013–	24	8

• Since the 2010 season, the championship game has been played in January, three weeks after the semifinals.
• An exception was the 2020 season, delayed until spring 2021 due to COVID-19; it had a reduced field of sixteen teams in the bracket, with the championship game in mid-May, eight days after the semifinals.

Current FCS members

• This list reflects FCS membership in the upcoming 2025 football season. Teams in bold participated in the 2024 fall postseason.

Team	Appearances	First	Last	Wins	Losses	Total	Pct.	Championships
Abilene Christian Wildcats	1	2024	2024	0	0	0	–
Albany Great Danes	3	2011	2023	2	2	4	.500
Alcorn State Braves	3	1984	1994	0	3	3	.000
Austin Peay Governors	2	2019	2023	2	2	4	.500
Bethune-Cookman Wildcats	5	2002	2013	0	5	5	.000
Butler Bulldogs	1	2013	2013	0	1	1	.000
Cal Poly Mustangs	4	2005	2016	1	4	5	.200
Central Arkansas Bears	5	2011	2019	2	5	7	.286
Central Connecticut Blue Devils	3	2017	2024	0	2	2	.000
Charleston Southern Buccaneers	1	2015	2015	1	1	2	.500
Chattanooga Mocs	5	1984	2023	4	5	9	.444
The Citadel Bulldogs	5	1988	2016	2	5	6	.286
Colgate Raiders	11	1982	2018	7	11	18	.389
Davidson Wildcats	3	2020	2022	0	3	3	.000
Dayton Flyers	1	2015	2015	0	1	1	.000
Delaware State Hornets	1	2007	2007	0	1	1	.000
Drake Bulldogs	2	2023	2024	0	1	1	.000
Duquesne Dukes	3	2015	2023	1	3	4	.250
East Tennessee State Buccaneers	3	1996	2021	2	3	3	.400
Eastern Illinois Panthers	16	1982	2015	4	16	20	.200
Eastern Kentucky Colonels	23	1979	2024	16	20	36	.444	1979, 1982
Eastern Washington Eagles	15	1985	2021	20	14	34	.588	2010
Elon Phoenix	4	2009	2022	0	4	4	.000
Florida A&M Rattlers	8	1978	2021	5	7	12	.417	1978
Fordham Rams	6	2002	2022	3	6	9	.333
Furman Paladins	20	1982	2023	21	18	39	.538	1988
Gardner-Webb Runnin' Bulldogs	2	2022	2023	1	2	3	.333
Grambling State Tigers	3	1980	1989	0	3	3	.000
Hampton Pirates	5	1997	2006	0	5	5	.000
Holy Cross Crusaders	6	1983	2022	2	5	7	.286
Howard Bison	1	1993	1993	0	1	1	.000
Idaho Vandals	14	1982	2024	7	12	19	.368
Idaho State Bengals	2	1981	1983	3	1	4	.750	1981
Illinois State Redbirds	9	1998	2024	10	8	18	.556
Incarnate Word Cardinals	4	2018	2024	2	2	4	.500
Indiana State Sycamores	3	1983	2014	2	3	5	.400
Jackson State Tigers	12	1978	1997	0	12	12	.000
Lafayette Leopards	5	2004	2023	0	5	5	.000
Lamar Cardinals	1	2018	2018	0	1	1	.000
Lehigh Mountain Hawks	12	1979	2024	6	11	17	.353
Maine Black Bears	8	1987	2018	5	8	13	.385
McNeese Cowboys	16	1991	2015	11	16	27	.407
Mercer Bears	2	2023	2024	1	1	2	.500
Mississippi Valley State Delta Devils	1	1984	1984	0	1	1	.000
Monmouth Hawks	3	2017	2020	1	3	4	.250
Montana Grizzlies[a]	28	1982	2024	38	25	63	.603	1995, 2001
Montana State Bobcats	14	1984	2024	14	12	26	.538	1984
Morgan State Bears	1	2014	2014	0	1	1	.000
Murray State Racers	5	1979	2002	1	5	6	.167
New Hampshire Wildcats	18	1991	2024	15	17	32	.469
Nicholls Colonels	7	1986	2023	3	7	10	.300
Norfolk State Spartans	1	2011	2011	0	1	1	.000
North Carolina A&T Aggies	5	1986	2016	1	5	6	.167
North Carolina Central Eagles	1	2023	2023	0	1	1	.000
North Dakota Fighting Hawks	5	2016	2023	1	5	6	.167
North Dakota State Bison	15	2010	2024	51	5	56	.911	2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2021, 2024
Northern Arizona Lumberjacks[b]	6	1996	2024	1	5	6	.167
Northern Iowa Panthers	22	1985	2021	26	22	48	.542
Northwestern State Demons	6	1988	2004	4	6	10	.400
Portland State Vikings	2	2000	2015	0	2	2	.000
Rhode Island Rams	4	1981	2024	2	3	5	.400
Richmond Spiders	14	1984	2024	17	12	29	.586	2008
Robert Morris Colonials	1	2010	2010	0	1	1	.000
Sacramento State Hornets	4	2019	2023	2	4	6	.333
Sacred Heart Pioneers	4	2013	2021	0	4	4	.000
Saint Francis Red Flash	2	2016	2022	0	2	2	.000
Samford Bulldogs	6	1991	2022	3	5	8	.375
San Diego Toreros	5	2014	2019	2	5	7	.286
South Carolina State Bulldogs	6	1981	2013	2	6	8	.250
South Dakota Coyotes	4	2017	2024	2	2	4	.500
South Dakota State Jackrabbits	14	2009	2024	22	11	33	.667	2022, 2023
Southeast Missouri State Redhawks	5	2010	2024	1	4	5	.200
Southeastern Louisiana Lions	5	2013	2022	4	5	9	.444
Southern Illinois Salukis	11	1983	2023	11	10	21	.524	1983
Southern Utah Thunderbirds	3	2013	2017	0	3	3	.000
Stephen F. Austin Lumberjacks[c]	8	1988	2021	7	8	15	.467
Stony Brook Seawolves	4	2011	2018	3	4	7	.429
Tarleton State Texans	1	2024	2024	0	0	0	–
Tennessee State Tigers[d]	5	1986	2024	1	4	5	.200
Tennessee Tech Golden Eagles	1	2011	2011	0	1	1	.000
Towson Tigers	3	2011	2018	3	3	6	.500
UC Davis Aggies	3	2018	2024	1	2	3	.333
UT Martin Skyhawks	3	2006	2024	1	2	3	.333
Villanova Wildcats	16	1989	2024	13	13	26	.500	2009
VMI Keydets	1	2020	2020	0	1	1	.000
Wagner Seahawks	1	2012	2012	1	1	2	.500
Weber State Wildcats	10	1987	2022	8	10	18	.444
Western Carolina Catamounts	1	1983	1983	3	1	4	.750
Western Illinois Leathernecks	11	1988	2017	7	11	18	.389
William & Mary Tribe	11	1986	2022	8	10	18	.444
Wofford Terriers	10	2003	2019	9	10	19	.474
Youngstown State Penguins	13	1987	2023	30	9	39	.769	1991, 1993, 1994, 1997

No appearances^[a]

Conference alignments are current for the upcoming 2025 season.

• Big Sky Conference (1) – Northern Colorado
• CAA Football† (2) – Bryant, Campbell
• Independents (1) – Merrimack
• Ivy League^[b] (8) – Brown, Columbia, Cornell, Dartmouth, Harvard, Penn, Princeton, Yale
• Northeast Conference (4) – LIU, Mercyhurst, New Haven, Stonehill (Mercyhurst eligible in 2027, New Haven eligible in 2028)
• OVC-Big South Football Association* (1) – Lindenwood
• Patriot League (2) – Bucknell, Georgetown
• Pioneer Football League (6) – Marist, Morehead State, Presbyterian, St. Thomas (MN), Stetson, Valparaiso
• Southland Conference (2) – East Texas A&M, Houston Christian
• Southwestern Athletic Conference (6) – Alabama A&M, Alabama State, Arkansas-Pine Bluff, Prairie View A&M, Southern, Texas Southern
• United Athletic Conference‡ (3) – North Alabama, Utah Tech, West Georgia (eligible in 2027)

* – The OVC-Big South Football Association began play in 2023 as a de facto merger of the football leagues of the Big South Conference and Ohio Valley Conference.

† – CAA Football is technically separate from the all-sports Coastal Athletic Association, although both leagues share the same administration.

‡ – The United Athletic Conference began play in 2023 as a merger of the football leagues of the Atlantic Sun Conference and Western Athletic Conference.

Former FCS members

Thirty former FCS schools have participated in the playoffs. Of these, 27 have moved up to the Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS), while the other three no longer sponsor football.

Team	Appearances	First	Last	Wins	Losses	Total	Pct.	Championships
Akron Zips[e]	1	1985	1985	0	1	1	.000
Arkansas State Red Wolves[e][f]	4	1984	1987	6	4	10	.600
Appalachian State Mountaineers[e]	20	1986	2012	24	17	41	.585	2005, 2006, 2007
Boise State Broncos[e]	5	1980	1994	8	4	12	.667	1980
Boston University Terriers[g]	5	1982	1994	2	5	7	.286
Coastal Carolina Chanticleers[e]	6	2006	2015	4	6	10	.400
Delaware Fightin' Blue Hens[e]	19	1981	2023	26	18	44	.591	2003
Florida Atlantic Owls[e]	1	2003	2003	2	1	3	.667
Georgia Southern Eagles[e]	19	1985	2012	45	13	58	.776	1985, 1986, 1989 1990, 1999, 2000
Hofstra Pride[g]	5	1995	2001	2	5	7	.286
Jacksonville State Gamecocks[e]	10	2003	2020	7	10	17	.412
James Madison Dukes[e]	18	1987	2021	24	16	40	.600	2004, 2016
Kennesaw State Owls[e]	4	2017	2021	5	4	9	.556
Liberty Flames[e]	1	2014	2014	1	1	2	.500
Louisiana–Monroe Warhawks[e][i]	4	1987	1993	5	3	8	.625	1987
Louisiana Tech Bulldogs[e]	2	1982	1984	4	2	6	.667
Marshall Thundering Herd[e]	8	1987	1996	23	6	29	.793	1992, 1996
Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders[e]	7	1984	1994	6	7	13	.462
Missouri State Bears[e]	4	1989	2021	1	4	5	.200
Nevada Wolf Pack[e]	7	1978	1991	9	7	16	.563
North Texas Mean Green[e]	4	1983	1994	0	4	4	.000
Northeastern Huskies[g]	1	2002	2002	0	1	1	.000
Old Dominion Monarchs[e]	2	2011	2012	2	2	4	.500
Sam Houston Bearkats[e][c]	13	1986	2021	24	12	36	.667	2020
Texas State Bobcats[e]	2	2005	2008	2	2	4	.500
Troy Trojans[e][h]	7	1993	2000	5	7	12	.417
UCF Knights[e]	2	1990	1993	2	2	4	.500
UConn Huskies[e][d]	1	1998	1998	1	1	2	.500
UMass Minutemen[e]	8	1978	2007	10	7	17	.588	1998
Western Kentucky Hilltoppers[e]	8	1987	2004	8	7	15	.533	2002

See also

• List of NCAA Division I FCS football programs
• List of NCAA Division I FBS football bowl records
• List of NCAA Division II Football Championship appearances by team
• List of NCAA Division III Football Championship appearances by team
• List of NAIA national football championship series appearances by team

Notes

1. According to conferences in football, not necessarily a team's primary conference.
2. The Ivy League did not participate in the FCS playoffs prior to the 2025 season.
3. The program was officially branded as "Sam Houston State" for almost all of its FCS tenure. The word "State" was dropped from the athletic branding, but not the university name, in 2020.
4. The program was officially branded as "Connecticut" before 2013 (well after its move to FBS), though "UConn" was widely used informally before that time.

• ^a Montana's competition in the 2011 Division I FCS Championship was vacated by action of the NCAA Committee on Infractions (record was 2–1).
• ^b Northern Arizona's competition in the 1999 Division I-AA Championship was vacated by action of the NCAA Committee on Infractions (record was 0–1).
• ^c Stephen F. Austin's competition in the 1989 Division I-AA Championship was vacated by action of the NCAA Committee on Infractions (record was 3–1).
• ^d Tennessee State's competition in the 1981 and 1982 Division I-AA Championships was vacated by action of the NCAA Committee on Infractions (record was 1–2).
• ^e Now a member of the Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS).
• ^f During Arkansas State's entire tenure in Division I-AA (1982–1991), the school nickname was Indians. The Red Wolves nickname was adopted in 2008.
• ^g School no longer sponsors football.
• ^h During Troy's entire tenure in Division I-AA (1993–2001), its name was Troy State University. The school adopted its current name in 2005.
• ⁱ The team was the Northeast Louisiana Indians during its entire tenure in Division I-AA (1982–1993). The school changed its name to the University of Louisiana at Monroe in 1999, and its nickname to Warhawks in 2006.