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2020–21 NCAA Division I FCS football season
The 2020–21 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.
| 2020 NCAA Division I FCS season |
|---|
| 127 (101) |
| Fall 2020 / Spring 2021 |
| Cole Kelley, QB, Southeastern Louisiana |
| Jordan Lewis, DL, Southern |
| April 24, 2021 – May 8, 2021 |
| May 16, 2021 |
| Toyota Stadium, Frisco, Texas |
| Sam Houston State |
| «2019 2021» |
The 2020–21 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 regular season and postseason were impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States. Several FCS conferences moved their scheduled games from the fall of 2020 to the spring of 2021, and in August 2020, the NCAA announced that the FCS postseason would also be delayed.
While the NCAA at one point announced a cancellation of the FCS playoff, in late September 2020 a revised playoff schedule was announced, with the FCS Championship Game played on May 16, 2021. Sam Houston State defeated South Dakota State for the title, 23–21.
Of the 127 programs in FCS for this season, 101 played at least one game in either the fall of 2020 or the spring of 2021. The remaining 26 schools opted not to participate. The Ivy League was the only FCS conference with no members competing in football in 2020–21.
| School | 2019 conference | 2020–21 conference |
|---|---|---|
| Dixie State | RMAC (D-II) | FCS Independent |
| North Dakota | FCS Independent | MVFC |
| Tarleton State | LSC (D-II) | FCS Independent |
| Presbyterian | Big South | |
| Jacksonville | Pioneer | Dropped program |
| Robert Morris | NEC | Big South |
- May 19 – The NCAA declared four FCS football programs ineligible for postseason play in 2020 due to failure to meet the required Academic Progress Rate (APR) benchmarks: Howard, McNeese State, Prairie View A&M, and Stephen F. Austin.
- July 8 – The Ivy League announced that it would play no sports until January 1, 2021, at the earliest, because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
- July 13 – The Patriot League announced the cancellation of its fall sports season due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
- July 16 – The MEAC announced that it would not play sports in the fall.
- July 17 – The Colonial Athletic Association announced that it would not play fall sports, but that teams still wishing to play football could compete as independents for the 2020 season. Due to the cancellation of the MEAC season, ESPN Events announced that the MEAC/SWAC Challenge and Celebration Bowl had both been canceled.
- July 19 – The SWAC announced that it had canceled fall sports but became the first conference to commit to playing football in the spring, with the announcement of a seven-game conference schedule preceded by an eight-week training schedule to start in January 2021.
- July 27 – The Pioneer Football League announced that it would play a conference-only schedule in 2020.
- July 29 – The Northeast Conference announced the postponement of all fall sports.
- August 7 – The Pioneer Football League canceled its fall football season, with no announcement made with regard to playing in the spring. The Big Sky Conference became second FCS conference to commit to playing football in the spring of 2021.
- August 10 – The Missouri Valley Football Conference likewise announced that it would play its fall 2020 football season in spring of 2021.
- September 22 – After several more conferences decided to play at least a limited spring football schedule, the NCAA announced that the 2020 FCS playoffs would be held in the spring of 2021, with bracket reduced from 24 teams to 16, culminating in the FCS Championship Game to be played on May 16, 2021.
October 23, 2020: Jacksonville State 19, FIU 10
February 21, 2021: Tarleton State 43, New Mexico State 17
All teams played spring schedules, except where noted. The Ivy League did not play in either the fall or spring.
| Conference | Team | Appearance | Last bid | Result of last appearance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Big Sky Conference | Weber State | 8th | 2019 | Semifinals (L – James Madison) |
| Big South Conference | Monmouth | 3rd | 2019 | Second Round (L – James Madison) |
| Colonial Athletic Association | Delaware | 17th | 2018 | First Round (L – James Madison) |
| Missouri Valley Football Conference | South Dakota State | 10th | 2019 | Second Round (L – Northern Iowa) |
| Northeast Conference | Sacred Heart | 3rd | 2014 | First Round (L – Fordham) |
| Ohio Valley Conference | Jacksonville State | 10th | 2018 | Second Round (L – Maine) |
| Patriot League | Holy Cross | 4th | 2019 | First Round (L – Monmouth) |
| Pioneer Football League | Davidson | 1st | – | – |
| Southern Conference | VMI | 1st | – | – |
| Southland Conference | Sam Houston State | 12th | 2017 | Semifinals (L – North Dakota State) |
| Conference | Team | Appearance | Last bid | Result of last appearance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Big Sky Conference | Eastern Washington | 14th | 2018 | First Round (L – North Dakota State) |
| Colonial Athletic Association | James Madison | 17th | 2019 | Championship Game (L – North Dakota State) |
| Missouri Valley Football Conference | Missouri State | 3rd | 1990 | First Round (L – Idaho) |
| North Dakota | 3rd | 2019 | First Round (L – Nicholls) | |
| North Dakota State | 11th | 2019 | National Champions (W – James Madison) | |
| Southern Illinois | 9th | 2009 | Quarterfinals (L – William & Mary) |
- Ivy League – None
- Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference – None
- Southwestern Athletic Conference – Alabama A&M
In late September 2020, the NCAA announced that the FCS postseason would take place in April and May 2021. Also announced was a reduction of participating teams from 24 to 16, with 10 automatic qualifiers. The first round of the playoffs was scheduled for April 24, with the Championship Game in mid-May, later set for May 16.
Due to the MEAC cancelling all fall sports for the 2020 season, the MEAC/SWAC Celebration Bowl (the one FCS bowl game) was canceled.
- Host institution
Saturday, August 29 – FCS Kickoff (Cramton Bowl, Montgomery, Alabama): Central Arkansas 24, Austin Peay 17.
Table only includes coaching changes that took place on or after May 1, 2020. For coaching changes that occurred earlier in 2020, see 2019 NCAA Division I FCS end-of-season coaching changes.
| School | Outgoing coach | Date | Reason | Replacement | Previous position |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Austin Peay | Mark Hudspeth | July 3 | Resigned | Marquase Lovings (interim) | Austin Peay defensive line coach (2019) |
| Jackson State | John Hendrick | August 31 | Fired | Deion Sanders | Trinity Christian (TX) offensive coordinator (2017–2019) |
| Austin Peay | Marquase Lovings (interim) | October 27 | Permanent replacement | Scotty Walden | Southern Miss interim head coach (2020) |
| Montana State | Jeff Choate | January 22 | Hired as Texas defensive coordinator | Brent Vigen | Wyoming offensive coordinator, associate head coach & quarterbacks coach (2017–2020) |
| School | Outgoing coach | Date | Reason | Replacement | Previous position |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Norfolk State | Latrell Scott | March 3 | Hired as East Carolina tight ends coach | Dawson Odums | Southern head coach (2013–2020) |
| Western Carolina | Mark Speir | April 9 | Fired | Kerwin Bell | South Florida offensive coordinator (2019) |
| Tennessee State | Rod Reed | April 11 | Retired | Eddie George | N/A |
| Southern | Dawson Odums | April 20 | Hired by Norfolk State | Jason Rollins (interim) | Southern special teams coordinator and safeties coach (2020) |
| Presbyterian | Tommy Spangler | April 21 | Fired | Kevin Kelley | Pulaski Academy (AR) head coach (2003–2020) |
- 2020 NCAA Division I FCS football rankings
- 2020 NCAA Division I FBS football season
- 2020–21 NCAA Division III football season
- 2020 NAIA football season
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