FCS vs. FBS: History of FCS Wins

The world of college football is a whirlwind of passion, rivalries, and fierce competition. College football I separated into two division ; the Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) and the Football Championship Subdivision (FCS). FBS schools are revered over FCS schools, so let’s examine the history of FCS wins and upsets.

Understanding the FBS vs. FCS Divide

The FBS, formerly known as Division I-A, is the pinnacle of college football. With a maximum of 85 full scholarships per team and a wealth of resources, these programs boast the highest level of competition and national exposure. On the other hand, the FCS, previously known as Division I-AA, operates with a cap of 63 scholarships and a more modest financial backdrop.

However, the differences between these divisions go beyond mere numbers. The FBS is structured around lucrative bowl games and a highly anticipated four-team playoff, while the FCS crowns its champion through a 24-team playoff system officially recognized by the NCAA. This contrast in postseason formats adds an extra layer of intrigue to the FBS vs. FCS rivalry.

FCS Upsets and the Power of the Underdog

While the FBS teams are typically considered a “higher caliber” of college football, the FCS has proven time and again that size and resources do not always dictate the outcome on the field. Throughout the years, FCS programs have pulled off remarkable upsets against their FBS counterparts.

One of the most memorable FCS upsets occurred in 2016 when North Dakota State, a perennial FCS powerhouse, defeated the No. 13 ranked Iowa Hawkeyes, an FBS team, by a score of 23-21. This victory not only shook the college football world but also solidified North Dakota State’s reputation as a formidable force, even against the highest levels of competition.

Which FCS Conference Wins the Most FBS Games?

Since the start of the 2012 season, the Big Sky Conference has garnered the most FCS upsets over FBS teams, with an impressive 21 victories to its name – more than any other FCS conference.

FCS vs. FBS Upsets: Full List of FCS Upsets Since 2012

Date	FCS Winner	FBS Loser	Final Score
9/16/2023	Sacramento State	Stanford	30-23
9/9/2023	Idaho	Nevada	33-6
9/9/2023	Fordham	Buffalo	40-37
9/9/2023	Southern Illinois	Northern Illinois	14-11
9/24/2022	Sacramento State	Colorado State	41-10
9/17/2022	Southern Illinois	Northwestern	31-24
9/10/2022	Weber State	Utah State	35-7
9/10/2022	UIW	Nevada	55-41
9/10/2022	Holy Cross	Buffalo	37-31
9/10/2022	Eastern Kentucky	Bowling Green	59-57, 7OT
9/3/2022	Delaware	Navy	14-7
9/2/2022	William & Mary	Charlotte	41-24
11/13/2021	Maine	UMass	35-10
11/06/2021	Rhode Island	UMass	35-22
9/18/2021	Northern Arizona	Arizona	21-19
9/18/2021	UIW	Texas State	42-34
9/11/2021	Jacksonville State	Florida State	20-17
9/11/2021	Duquesne	Ohio	28-26
9/4/2021	East Tennessee State	Vanderbilt	23-3
9/4/2021	Montana	No. 20 Washington	13-7
9/4/2021	Holy Cross	UConn	38-28
9/3/2021	South Dakota State	Colorado State	42-23
9/2/2021	Eastern Washington	UNLV	35-33, 2OT
9/2/2021	UC Davis	Tulsa	19-17
2/21/2021	Tarleton State	New Mexico State	43-17
10/23/2020	Jacksonville State	Florida International	19-10
9/14/2019	The Citadel	Georgia Tech	27-24, OT
9/7/2019	Southern Illinois	UMass	45-20
8/29/2019	Central Arkansas	Western Kentucky	35-28
9/22/2018	Illinois State	Colorado State	35-19
9/8/2018	Maine	Western Kentucky	31-28
9/2/2018	North Carolina A&T	East Carolina	28-23
9/1/2018	Villanova	Temple	19-17
9/1/2018	Northern Arizona	UTEP	30-10
9/1/2018	Nicholls State	Kansas	26-23, OT
8/30/2018	UC Davis	San Jose State	44-38
9/23/2017	Western Illinois	Coastal Carolina	52-10
9/16/2017	North Carolina A&T	Charlotte	35-31
9/16/2017	Idaho State	Nevada	30-28
9/9/2017	South Dakota	Bowling Green	35-27
9/9/2017	New Hampshire	Georgia Southern	22-12
9/2/2017	Liberty	Baylor	48-45
9/2/2017	James Madison	East Carolina	34-14
9/2/2017	Howard	UNLV	43-40
8/31/2017	Tennessee State	Georgia State	17-10
9/24/2016	Western Illinois	Northern Illinois	28-23
9/24/2016	Central Arkansas	Arkansas State	28-23
9/17/2016	North Dakota State	Iowa	23-21
9/10/2016	North Carolina A&T	Kent State	39-36, 4OT
9/10/2016	Illinois State	Northwestern	9-7
9/10/2016	Eastern Illinois	Miami (OH)	21-17
9/3/2016	Richmond	Virginia	37-20
9/3/2016	Northern Iowa	Iowa State	25-20
9/3/2016	Eastern Washington	Washington State	45-42
9/2/2016	Albany	Buffalo	22-16
11/21/2015	The Citadel	South Carolina	23-22
10/10/2015	Portland State	North Texas	66-7
10/3/2015	Liberty	Georgia State	41-33
9/26/2015	James Madison	SMU	48-45
9/19/2015	Furman	UCF	16-15
9/5/2015	South Dakota State	Kansas	41-38
9/5/2015	Portland State	Washington State	24-17
9/5/2015	North Dakota	Wyoming	24-13
9/4/2015	Fordham	Army	37-35
10/11/2014	Liberty	Appalachian State	55-48, OT
9/27/2014	Yale	Army	49-43, OT
9/20/2014	Northwestern State	Louisiana Tech	30-27
9/13/2014	Indiana State	Ball State	27-20
9/13/2014	Abilene Christian	Troy	38-35
9/6/2014	Eastern Kentucky	Miami (OH)	17-10
8/30/2014	North Dakota State	Iowa State	34-14
8/30/2014	Bethune-Cookman	Florida International	14-12
11/23/2013	Georgia Southern	Florida	26-20
11/9/2013	Old Dominion	Idaho	59-38
9/21/2013	Jacksonville State	Georgia State	32-26, OT
9/14/2013	Fordham	Temple	30-29
9/14/2013	Bethune-Cookman	Florida International	34-13
9/7/2013	Nicholls State	Western Michigan	27-23
9/7/2013	Maine	UMass	24-14
9/7/2013	Chattanooga	Georgia State	42-14
8/31/2013	Northern Iowa	Iowa State	28-20
8/31/2013	McNeese State	South Florida	53-21
8/31/2013	Eastern Washington	Oregon State	49-46
8/31/2013	Eastern Illinois	San Diego State	40-19
8/30/2013	Samford	Georgia State	31-21
8/30/2013	North Dakota State	Kansas State	24-21
8/29/2013	Towson	UConn	33-18
8/29/2013	Southern Utah	South Alabama	22-21
9/29/2012	Stony Brook	Army	23-3
9/15/2012	Cal Poly	Wyoming	24-22
9/8/2012	Sacramento State	Colorado	30-28
9/8/2012	Northern Arizona	UNLV	17-14
9/8/2012	North Dakota State	Colorado State	22-7
9/8/2012	Illinois State	Eastern Michigan	31-14
9/1/2012	Youngstown State	Pitt	31-17
9/1/2012	Tennessee-Martin	Memphis	20-17
8/30/2012	McNeese State	Middle Tennessee	27-21
8/30/2012	Eastern Washington	Idaho	20-3

Most All-Time FCS Wins Over FBS:

1. Youngstown State: 20 wins (most recent: 31-17 over Pittsburgh in 2012)
2. Delaware: 16 wins (14-7 over Navy in 2022)
3. Boise State*: 14 wins (38-14 over Utah State in 1995)*
4. Northwestern State: 13 wins (30-27 over Louisiana Tech in 2014)
5. Nevada*: 12 wins (50-8 over UNLV in 1991)*
6. North Dakota State: 9 wins (23-21 over No. 13 Iowa in 2016)

*Note: Boise State and Nevada were FCS programs at the time of these victories but have since transitioned to the FBS level.

RELATED: BEST NORTH DAKOTA STATE QUARTERBACKS ALL TIME

Largest Margins of Victory

While close games and nail-biting finishes are often the hallmark of FCS upsets, some victories have been truly lopsided affairs. In 2015, Portland State demolished North Texas by a staggering score of 66-7, marking the largest margin of victory in an FCS upset over an FBS team. Similarly, Lehigh’s 58-0 thrashing of Penn in 1981 and Nevada’s 49-3 victory over Cal State Fullerton in 1986 (when both teams were FCS members) stand as testaments to the potential dominance of FCS programs on their best days.

Has an FCS Team Ever Changed to FBS?

While the competitive landscape between FBS and FCS teams is constantly evolving, it is rare for programs to make the transition from one division to the other. Financial difficulties, competitive balance, and institutional priorities all play a role in determining whether a team remains in its current division or seeks a change.

In recent years, a handful of programs have made the leap from FCS to FBS, such as Coastal Carolina and Liberty, seeking the exposure and resources that come with the higher division. Conversely, the move from FBS to FCS is even rarer, as it often signifies a program’s struggle to maintain the financial and competitive demands of the top tier.

Formidable FCS

The FBS vs. FCS divide in college football represents more than just a difference in scholarship numbers and resources. It is a testament to the passion, determination, and unpredictability that make the sport so captivating. While FBS teams may hold the upper hand in terms of funding and exposure, the FCS has proven time and again that heart, grit, and a never-say-die attitude can overcome even the mightiest of opponents.