2020–21 NCAA Division I FCS football season

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For the fall 2021 FCS season, see 2021 NCAA Division I FCS football season.

Lua error in Module:Infobox at line 235: malformed pattern (missing ']'). 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. Multiple 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.[1]

While the NCAA at one point announced a cancellation of the FCS playoff,[2] in late September 2020 a revised playoff schedule was announced, with the FCS Championship Game played on May 16, 2021.[3][4] The championship was won by the Sam Houston State Bearkats.

Conference changes and new programs

Membership changes

School Former conference New conference
Dixie State Trailblazers RMAC (Division II) FCS independent
North Dakota Fighting Hawks FCS independent MVFC
Tarleton State Texans LSC (Division II) FCS independent
Presbyterian Blue Hose Big South FCS independent
Jacksonville Dolphins Pioneer Football League Disbanded program
Robert Morris Colonials Northeast Conference Big South

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Presbyterian played the 2020–21 season as an FCS independent, but in a scheduling agreement with the non-scholarship FCS Pioneer Football League, which it fully joined in July 2021. Under the agreement, Presbyterian was not eligible for the PFL title, but was eligible for the league's individual awards and honors.[5][6] Presbyterian remains a full but non-football Big South member. Robert Morris, which moved from the football-sponsoring Northeast Conference to the non-football Horizon League in July 2020, was originally intended to join Big South football in 2021, but after the conference moved its football season from fall 2020 to spring 2021, Robert Morris was added several months ahead of schedule.[7]

The 2020–21 season was the last for Bethune–Cookman, Florida A&M, and North Carolina A&T in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference. On July 1, 2021, Bethune–Cookman and Florida A&M moved to the Southwestern Athletic Conference[8][9] and North Carolina A&T moved to the Big South Conference.[10]

On January 14, 2021, the Western Athletic Conference, which had last played football in the 2012 season as an FBS league, announced that it would reinstate football in the fall 2021 season as an FCS league. This coincided with the arrival of four new members from the Southland Conference, all located in Texas and fielding FCS football programs—Abilene Christian, Lamar, Sam Houston State, and Stephen F. Austin. Original plans were for the four Southland members, as well as Big Sky Conference member Southern Utah, to join in 2022, at which time the football league would restart. However, the entry of the Texas schools and the restart of football were moved forward to July 2021 when the Southland chose to expel its departing members.[11] These schools joined Dixie State and Tarleton State, which had joined the all-sports WAC in July 2020, in the revived WAC football league. Southern Utah's entry remains on the original July 2022 schedule.[12] On the same day, UTRGV, currently a full but non-football WAC member, announced that it planned to launch an FCS football program no later than 2024. While it did not mention a conference affiliation, its existing WAC membership makes it all but certain that the school will join WAC football.[13]

On January 29, 2021, the ASUN Conference announced that it too would begin sponsoring FCS football in 2022, with its first five members being full members Kennesaw State and North Alabama (at the time football-only members of the Big South Conference), Eastern Kentucky and Jacksonville State from the Ohio Valley Conference, and Central Arkansas from the Southland Conference. EKU, JSU, and UCA will play football in the WAC for the 2021 season before moving to the ASUN for 2022. (These moves were necessary for the WAC to meet the 6-member minimum for 2021, since Dixie State and Tarleton State did not count toward the minimum as transitional members.)

Rule changes

The following playing rule changes were approved by the NCAA Playing Rules Oversight Panel for 2020:[14]

  • Players ejected for targeting will now be permitted to remain in the bench area. Previously, players ejected for targeting had to return to the locker room.
  • Restricting the number of players on a team wearing the same uniform number to two; such players still cannot be on the field at the same time and must play different positions.
  • Including the number "0" as a legal uniform number.
  • Extending the official's jurisdiction prior to kickoff from 60 to 90 minutes, requiring a coach from each team be on the field during warm-ups, and identifying each player by number.
  • Defensive teams are allowed to briefly have twelve players on the field to anticipate the offensive formation, however having twelve (or more) players on the field at the snap is a live-ball five-yard penalty for illegal substitution. Previously this foul was a dead-ball foul, called if the defense had twelve (or more) players on the field and the "snap is imminent".
  • Adopting as a guideline a maximum of 2 minutes for instant replay reviews. Exceptions will be allowed in "exceptionally complicated" or end-of-game situations.
  • On personal fouls and unsportsmanlike conduct penalties committed by the defense during a play that results in a touchdown or after a touchdown but before the try, the offense has the option to enforce the penalty on the try, the ensuing kickoff, or on the succeeding spot (if in overtime).
  • If the game clock expires at the end of a half, replay determines that time was remaining, and the game situation calls for the clock to start on the referee's signal, the half ends unless the replay determines that the clock should have stopped with 3 or more seconds left.

Other headlines

"Week Zero"

The regular season began on Saturday, August 29 with a game involving two FCS teams.[31]

FCS team wins over FBS teams

There were two FCS victories over FBS teams in 2020–21.

Non-DI team wins over FCS teams

Two FCS teams lost to D-II teams in 2020–21.

Conference standings

All teams played spring schedules, except where noted. The Ivy League did not play in either the fall or spring.

2020 Big Sky Conference football standings
Conf     Overall
Team   W   L         W   L  
No. 9 Weber State $^   5 – 0         5 – 1  
No. 10 Eastern Washington ^   5 – 1         5 – 2  
No. 14 UC Davis   3 – 2         3 – 2  
Northern Arizona   3 – 2         3 – 2  
Idaho State   2 – 4         2 – 4  
Idaho   2 – 4         2 – 4  
Southern Utah   1 – 5         1 – 5  
Cal Poly‡   0 – 3         0 – 3  
Montana†   –         2 – 0  
Portland State†   –         0 – 1  
  • $ – Conference champion
  • ^ – FCS playoff participant
  • Notes: Due to COVID-19, the Big Sky suspended the fall 2020 football season.
    Montana State, Northern Colorado, and Sacramento State opted out of the spring season.
    † – Montana and Portland State opted out of the conference season, but scheduled non-conference games.
    ‡ – Cal Poly opted out of the remainder of the spring season on March 29, 2021.
Rankings from STATS Poll
Template:2020 Big South Conference football standings
2020 Colonial Athletic Association football standings
Conf     Overall
Team   W   L         W   L  
North Division
No. 4 Delaware x$^   4 – 0         7 – 1  
No. 18 Rhode Island †   2 – 1         2 – 1  
No. 16 Villanova   2 – 2         2 – 2  
Maine   2 – 2         2 – 2  
Stony Brook   1 – 3         1 – 3  
Albany †   1 – 3         1 – 3  
New Hampshire †   0 – 1         0 – 1  
South Division
No. 3 James Madison x^   3 – 0         7 – 1  
No. 15 Richmond   3 – 1         3 – 1  
William & Mary   1 – 2         1 – 2  
Elon   0 – 4         1 – 5  
  • $ – Conference champion
  • x – Division champion/co-champions
  • ^ – FCS playoff participant
  • Notes: Due to COVID-19, the CAA suspended the fall 2020 football season.
    Towson opted out of the spring football season.
    † – Albany, New Hampshire, and Rhode Island opted out of the remainder of the spring season on March 31, April 6, and April 7 respectively.
Rankings from STATS Poll
Template:2020 Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference football standings Template:2020 Missouri Valley Football Conference standings Template:2020 Northeast Conference football standings
Template:2020 Ohio Valley Conference football standings Template:2020 Patriot League football standings Template:2020 Pioneer Football League standings
Template:2020 Southern Conference football standings Template:2020 Southland Conference football standings Template:2020 Southwestern Athletic Conference football standings
Template:2020 NCAA Division I FCS independents football standings Template:2020 Ivy League football standings

Playoff qualifiers

Automatic berths for conference champions

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)

At large qualifiers

Conference Team Appearance Last bid Result of last appearance
Big Sky Conference Eastern Washington 14th 2018 Championship Game (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)

Abstentions

Postseason

Due to the MEAC cancelling all fall sports for the 2020 season, the MEAC/SWAC Celebration Bowl (the one FCS bowl game) was canceled.[24]

In late September 2020, the NCAA announced that the FCS postseason would take place in April and May 2021.[3] 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,[3] later set for May 16.

NCAA Division I playoff bracket

First Round
April 24
Campus sites		 Quarterfinals
May 2
Campus sites		 Semifinals
May 8
Campus sites		 National Championship Game
May 16
Toyota Stadium
Frisco, Texas
                       
1 South Dakota State* 31
Holy Cross 3
1 South Dakota State* 31
Southern Illinois 26
Southern Illinois 34
Weber State* 31
1 South Dakota State* 33
  Delaware 3
Delaware* 19
Sacred Heart 10
Delaware 20
4 Jacksonville State* 14
Davidson 14
4 Jacksonville State* 49
1 South Dakota State 21
2 Sam Houston State 23
3 James Madison* 31
VMI 24
3 James Madison 34
North Dakota 21
Missouri State 10
North Dakota* 44
3 James Madison 35
2 Sam Houston State* 38
North Dakota State* 42
Eastern Washington 20
North Dakota State 20
2 Sam Houston State* 24
Monmouth 15
2 Sam Houston State* 21

* Host institution

SWAC Championship Game

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Main article: 2021 SWAC Championship Game (May)
Date Location Venue West Div. Champion East Div. Champion Result
May 1 Jackson, Mississippi Mississippi Veterans Memorial Stadium Arkansas–Pine Bluff Alabama A&M Alabama A&M 40 – Arkansas–Pine Bluff 33[32]

Patriot League Championship Game

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Main article: 2020 Patriot League Football Championship Game
Date Location Venue North Div. Champion South Div. Champion Result
April 17 Lewisburg, Pennsylvania Christy Mathewson–Memorial Stadium Holy Cross Bucknell Holy Cross 33 – Bucknell 10 [33]

Coaching changes

Preseason and in-season

This is restricted to 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
Austin Peay Mark Hudspeth July 3 Resigned Marquase Lovings (interim)
Jackson State John Hendrick August 31 Fired Deion Sanders
Austin Peay Marquase Lovings (interim) October 27 Permanent replacement Scotty Walden
Montana State Jeff Choate January 22 Hired as Texas defensive coordinator Brent Vigen

End of season

School Outgoing coach Date Reason Replacement
Norfolk State Latrell Scott March 3 Hired as East Carolina tight ends coach Dawson Odums
Western Carolina Mark Speir April 9 Fired Kerwin Bell
Tennessee State Rod Reed April 11 Retired Eddie George
Southern Dawson Odums April 20 Hired by Norfolk State Jason Rollins (interim)
Presbyterian Tommy Spangler April 21 Fired Kevin Kelley

See also

References

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