2019 NCAA Division I FCS football season

2019 NCAA Division I FCS season
Regular season
Number of teams	126
Duration	August 24 – November 30
Payton Award	Trey Lance, QB, North Dakota State
Buchanan Award	Dante Olson, LB, Montana
Playoff
Duration	November 30 – December 21
Championship date	January 11, 2020
Championship site	Toyota Stadium, Frisco, Texas
Champion	North Dakota State
NCAA Division I FCS football seasons
«2018 2020»

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. Defending champion North Dakota State completed the regular season undefeated, then won their eighth championship in nine seasons, defeating James Madison, 28-20, for the title.

Rule changes

The following playing rule changes have been recommended by the NCAA Football Rules Committee for 2019:

• Requiring replay reviews on targeting calls be either confirmed or overturned by reviewing all aspects of the play. If the review shows not all elements of targeting exist or if there is no indisputable video evidence, the call will be overturned.
• Players who commit a second targeting penalty in the same season will not only have to sit out the remainder of that game, but will also have to sit out their team's entire next scheduled game.
• Eliminating the two-man wedge on kickoffs.
• Starting with the fifth overtime period, each team will line up to attempt a two-point conversion instead of snapping the ball from the 25-yard-line. Successful plays are scored as conversions.
• Adding a two-minute break after the second and fourth overtime period.
• Blindside blocks delivered with forcible contact will draw a 15-yard penalty (personal foul). If elements of targeting exist, the player delivering the block will be subject to ejection as with any other targeting foul.

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.

FCS team wins over FBS teams

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

School	2018 conference	2019 conference
Hampton	FCS independent	Big South
LIU+	NE-10 (D-II)	NEC (FCS)
Merrimack	NE-10 (D-II)	NEC (FCS)
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

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

Champions of the following 10 conferences automatically received playoff bids:

• Big Sky (Weber State)
• Big South (Monmouth)
• Colonial Athletic Association (James Madison)
• Missouri Valley Football Conference (North Dakota State)
• Northeast Conference (Central Connecticut)

• Ohio Valley Conference (Austin Peay)
• Patriot League (Holy Cross)
• Pioneer Football League (San Diego)
• Southern Conference (Wofford)
• Southland Conference (Nicholls)

Abstentions

• Ivy League – Yale and Dartmouth (co-champions)
• Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference – North Carolina A&T
• Southwestern Athletic Conference – Alcorn State

Postseason

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.

Bowl game

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

	First Round November 30 Campus sites					Second Round December 7 Campus sites					Quarterfinals December 13/14 Campus sites					Semifinals December 21 Campus sites					National Championship
						1	North Dakota State	37
	Nicholls		24				Nicholls	13
											1	North Dakota State	9
	North Dakota		6
												Illinois State	3
						8	Central Arkansas	14
	Southeast Missouri State		6				Illinois State	24
																1	North Dakota State	42
	Illinois State		24
																5	Montana State	14
						4	Sacramento State	28
	Austin Peay		42				Austin Peay	42
												Austin Peay	10
	Furman		6
											5	Montana State	24
						5	Montana State	47
																					January 11 – Toyota Stadium
	Albany		42				Albany	21
																					1	North Dakota State	28
	Central Connecticut		14
																					2	James Madison	20
						2	James Madison	66
	Monmouth		44				Monmouth	21
											2	James Madison	17
	Holy Cross		27
												Northern Iowa	0
						7	South Dakota State	10
	Northern Iowa		17				Northern Iowa	13
																2	James Madison	30
	San Diego		3
																3	Weber State	14
						3	Weber State	26
	Wofford		21				Kennesaw State	20
											3	Weber State	17
	Kennesaw State		28
											6	Montana	10
						6	Montana	73
	Southeastern Louisiana		45				Southeastern Louisiana	28
	Villanova		44

Source:

Kickoff game

• Saturday, August 24 FCS Kickoff (Cramton Bowl, Montgomery, Alabama): Youngstown State def. Samford, 45–22

Coaching changes

Preseason and in-season

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."

End of season

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	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

• 2019 NCAA Division I FCS football rankings
• 2019 NCAA Division I FBS football season
• 2019 NCAA Division II football season
• 2019 NCAA Division III football season
• 2019 NAIA football season