# 2009 NCAA Division I FCS football season

The 2009 NCAA Division I FCS football season, the 2009 season of college football for teams in the Football Championship Subdivision (FCS), began in August 2009 and concluded with the 2009 NCAA Division I Football Championship Game on December 18, 2009, in Chattanooga, Tennessee, won by Villanova 23–21 over Montana.

## FCS team wins over FBS teams

September 3 – Villanova 27, Temple 24 September 5 – Richmond 24, Duke 16 September 5 – William & Mary 26, Virginia 14 September 12 – New Hampshire 23, Ball State 16 September 19 – Central Arkansas 28, Western Kentucky 7

## Notable upsets

* August 27 – Quincy 26, Indiana State 20 $^{OT}$ (Division II over Division I FCS)
* September 5 – Arkansas-Monticello 27, Arkansas-Pine Bluff 3 (Division II over Division I FCS)
* September 5 – Shaw 20, Bethune-Cookman 6 (Division II over Division I FCS)
* September 5 – Saint Joseph's (IN) 31, Valparaiso 6 (Division II over Division I FCS non-scholarship)
* September 5 – Stonehill 45, Wagner 42 (Division II over Division I FCS)
* September 12 – Birmingham–Southern 35, Campbell 28 $^{OT}$ (Division III over Division I FCS non-scholarship)
* September 12 – Lenoir-Rhyne 42, Davidson 0 (Division II over Division I FCS non-scholarship)
* September 12 – Urbana 13, Dayton 10 (Division II over Division I FCS non-scholarship)
* September 26 – Carthage 34, Valparaiso 24 (Division III over Division I FCS non-scholarship)
* September 26 – Concordia (AL) 23, Savannah State 21 (USCAA over Division I FCS)
* September 26 – Central Washington 33, Idaho State 22 (Division II over Division I FCS)
* October 17 – Sioux Falls 28, North Dakota 13 (NAIA over Division I FCS)
* November 14 – Webber International 35, Savannah State 20 (NAIA over Division I FCS)
* November 26 – Tuskegee 21, Alabama State 0 (Division II over Division I FCS)

## Conference changes and new programs

| School | 2008 Conference | 2009 Conference |
| Bryant | FCS Independent | NEC |
| Iona | FCS Independent | Dropped Program |
| Marist | FCS Independent | Pioneer |
| Old Dominion | New Program | FCS Independent |

## Eastern Illinois coach's death

On Saturday, November 28, just hours after Eastern Illinois lost to Southern Illinois 48–7 in the first round of the FCS playoffs, Eastern Illinois' offensive coordinator Jeffrey O. Hoover, age 41, was killed in a car accident. The single-vehicle accident occurred south of Effingham when Hoover, his family and EIU strength coach Eric Cash struck a deer while driving home from Carbondale, the home of SIU.
Hoover's death was the second Eastern Illinois coaching death within a month. On November 4, women's basketball assistant coach Jackie Moore, 28, died after collapsing during a workout on campus.

## Conference standings

2009 Big Sky Conference football standings :
| 2009 Big Sky Conference football standings vteConfOverall Team W L W L  No. 2 Montana $^  8 –0  14 –1   No. 13 Eastern Washington ^  6 –2  8 –4   No. 17 Weber State ^  6 –2  7 –5   Montana State  5 –3  7 –4   Northern Arizona  4 –4  5 –6   Sacramento State  4 –4  5 –6   Northern Colorado  1 –7  3 –8   Portland State  1 –7  2 –9   Idaho State  1 –7  1 –10   $ – Conference champion^ – FCS playoff participantRankings from The Sports Network poll | 2009 Big South Conference football standings vteConfOverall Team W L W L  No. 22 Liberty +  5 –1  8 –3   Stony Brook +  5 –1  6 –5   Charleston Southern  4 –2  6 –5   Gardner–Webb  3 –3  6 –5   Coastal Carolina  3 –3  5 –6   VMI  1 –5  2 –9   Presbyterian  0 –6  0 –11   + – Conference co-championsRankings from The Sports Network poll | 2009 Colonial Athletic Association football standings vteConfOverall Team W L W L  North Division No. 7 New Hampshire x^  6 –2  10 –3   Maine  4 –4  5 –6   Hofstra  3 –5  5 –6   UMass  3 –5  5 –6   Northeastern  3 –5  3 –8   Rhode Island  0 –8  1 –10   South Division No. 1 Villanova x+^  7 –1  14 –1   No. 5 Richmond x+^  7 –1  11 –2   No. 4 William & Mary ^  6 –2  11 –3   Delaware  4 –4  6 –5   James Madison  4 –4  6 –5   Towson  1 –7  2 –9   + – Conference co-championsx – Division champion/co-champions^ – FCS playoff participantRankings from The Sports Network poll |
| 2009 Great West Conference football standings vteConfOverall Team W L W L  UC Davis $  3 –1  6 –5   North Dakota  2 –2  6 –5   South Dakota  2 –2  5 –5   Southern Utah  2 –2  5 –6   Cal Poly  1 –3  4 –7   $ – Conference champion | 2009 Ivy League football standings vteConfOverall Team W L W L  No. 20 Penn $  7 –0  8 –2   Harvard  6 –1  7 –3   Brown  4 –3  6 –4   Columbia  3 –4  4 –6   Princeton  3 –4  4 –6   Yale  2 –5  4 –6   Dartmouth  2 –5  2 –8   Cornell  1 –6  2 –8   $ – Conference championRankings from The Sports Network poll | 2009 Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference football standings vteConfOverall Team W L W L  No. 8 South Carolina State $^  7 –1  10 –2   No. 23 Florida A&M  6 –2  8 –3   Norfolk State  5 –3  7 –4   Morgan State  4 –4  6 –5   Bethune–Cookman  4 –4  5 –6   Delaware State  4 –4  4 –7   Hampton  3 –5  5 –6   North Carolina A&T  2 –5  4 –6   Howard  0 –8  2 –9   $ – Conference champion^ – FCS playoff participantRankings from The Sports Network poll |
| 2009 Missouri Valley Football Conference standings vteConfOverall Team W L W L  No. 6 Southern Illinois $^  8 –0  11 –2   No. 11 South Dakota State ^  7 –1  8 –3   No. 18 Northern Iowa  5 –3  7 –4   Illinois State  5 –3  6 –5   Missouri State  4 –4  6 –5   Youngstown State  4 –4  6 –5   North Dakota State  2 –6  3 –8   Indiana State  1 –7  1 –10   Western Illinois  0 –8  1 –10   $ – Conference champion^ – FCS playoff participantRankings from The Sports Network poll | 2009 Northeast Conference football standings vteConfOverall Team W L W L  Central Connecticut State $  7 –1  9 –3   Albany  6 –2  7 –4   Wagner  5 –3  6 –5   Robert Morris  5 –3  5 –6   Monmouth  4 –4  5 –6   Bryant  4 –4  5 –6   Duquesne  2 –6  3 –8   Sacred Heart  2 –6  2 –8   Saint Francis (PA)  1 –7  2 –9   $ – Conference champion | 2009 Ohio Valley Conference football standings vteConfOverall Team W L W L  No. 16 Jacksonville State  6 –1  8 –3   No. 19 Eastern Illinois $^  6 –2  8 –4   Tennessee Tech  5 –3  6 –5   Eastern Kentucky  5 –3  5 –6   UT Martin  4 –4  5 –6   Tennessee State  3 –4  4 –7   Austin Peay  3 –5  4 –7   Murray State  2 –6  3 –8   Southeast Missouri State  1 –7  2 –9   $ – Conference champion^ – FCS playoff participantJacksonville State had the best record in conference play, but was not eligible for the FCS playoffs because of APR violations.Rankings from The Sports Network poll |
| 2009 Patriot League football standings vteConfOverall Team W L W L  No. 14 Holy Cross $^  5 –1  9 –3   No. 21 Colgate  4 –2  9 –2   No. 24 Lafayette  4 –2  8 –3   Lehigh  4 –2  4 –7   Fordham  2 –4  5 –6   Bucknell  2 –4  4 –7   Georgetown  0 –6  0 –11   $ – Conference champion^ – FCS playoff participantRankings from The Sports Network poll | 2009 Pioneer Football League standings vteConfOverall Team W L W L  Butler +  7 –1  11 –1   Dayton +  7 –1  9 –2   Drake  6 –2  8 –3   Jacksonville  6 –2  7 –4   Marist  5 –3  7 –4   San Diego  3 –5  4 –7   Davidson  3 –5  3 –7   Campbell  2 –6  3 –8   Morehead State  1 –7  3 –8   Valparaiso  0 –8  1 –10   + – Conference co-champions | 2009 Southern Conference football standings vteConfOverall Team W L W L  No. 3 Appalachian State $^  8 –0  11 –3   No. 9 Elon ^  7 –1  9 –3   Furman  5 –3  6 –5   Chattanooga  4 –4  6 –5   Georgia Southern  4 –4  5 –6   Samford  3 –5  5 –6   Wofford  2 –6  3 –8   The Citadel  2 –6  4 –7   Western Carolina  1 –7  2 –9   $ – Conference champion^ – FCS playoff participantRankings from The Sports Network poll |
| 2009 Southland Conference football standings vteConfOverall Team W L W L  No. 10 Stephen F. Austin +^  6 –1  10 –3   No. 12 McNeese State +^  6 –1  9 –2   No. 25 Texas State  5 –2  7 –4   Southeastern Louisiana  4 –3  6 –5   Sam Houston State  3 –4  5 –6   Central Arkansas  2 –5  5 –6   Nicholls State  2 –5  3 –9   Northwestern State  0 –7  0 –11   + – Conference co-champions^ – FCS playoff participantRankings from The Sports Network poll | 2009 Southwestern Athletic Conference football standings vteConfOverall Team W L W L  East Division Alabama A&M xy  4 –3  7 –5   Alcorn State  3 –4  3 –6   Jackson State  3 –4  3 –7   Alabama State  1 –6  4 –7   Mississippi Valley State  1 –6  3 –8   West Division No. 15 Prairie View A&M xy$  7 –0  9 –1   Grambling State  5 –2  7 –4   Texas Southern  5 –2  6 –5   Southern  3 –4  6 –6   Arkansas–Pine Bluff  3 –4  5 –5   Championship: Prairie View A&M 30, Alabama A&M 24 $ – Conference championx – Division champion/co-championsy – Championship game participantRankings from The Sports Network Poll | 2009 NCAA Division I FCS independents football standings vteConfOverall Team W L W L  Old Dominion   –  9 –2   North Carolina Central   –  4 –7   Savannah State   –  2 –8   Winston–Salem State   –  1 –10 |

## Conference champions
### Automatic berths

* Big Sky Conference – Montana
* Colonial Athletic Association – Villanova
* Missouri Valley Football Conference – Southern Illinois
* Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference – South Carolina State
* Ohio Valley Conference – Eastern Illinois (Jacksonville State had the best record in conference play, but was not eligible for the FCS playoffs because of APR violations.)
* Patriot League – Holy Cross
* Southern Conference – Appalachian State
* Southland Conference – Stephen F. Austin

### Invitation

* Great West Conference – UC Davis
* Big South Conference – Liberty and Stony Brook, co-champions
* Northeast Conference – Central Connecticut State
* Pioneer Football League – Butler and Dayton, co-champions; Butler received the conference's berth in the Gridiron Classic.
In order to be eligible for the playoffs, these teams must have a minimum of eight Division I wins, with at least two against teams in automatic bid conferences. They also must be ranked an average of 16 or better in the national rankings, made up of the following components:
* The Sports Network media poll
* The FCS Coaches poll
* A variation of the Gridiron Power Index, using only five of the computer rankings used in that system
No team in the invitational conferences qualified. Starting in 2010, the Big South and NEC will become automatic bid conferences with the expansion of the playoff field to 20 teams.

### Abstains

* Ivy League – Penn (8–2, 7–0)
* Southwestern Athletic Conference – Prairie View A&M (9–1, 7–0)
(Overall Record, Conference Record)

## Postseason
### NCAA Division I playoff bracket

| First Round November 28 Campus sites | First Round November 28 Campus sites | First Round November 28 Campus sites | Quarterfinals December 5 Campus sites | Quarterfinals December 5 Campus sites | Quarterfinals December 5 Campus sites | Semifinals December 11 and December 12 Campus sites | Semifinals December 11 and December 12 Campus sites | Semifinals December 11 and December 12 Campus sites | National Championship Game December 18 Finley Stadium Chattanooga, Tennessee | National Championship Game December 18 Finley Stadium Chattanooga, Tennessee | National Championship Game December 18 Finley Stadium Chattanooga, Tennessee |
| | South Dakota State (8–3) | 48 | | | | | | | | | |
| 1 | Montana* (11–0) | 61 | | | | | | | | | |
| 1 | Montana* (11–0) | 61 | 1 | Montana* | 51 | | | | | | |
| | | | | Stephen F. Austin | 0 | | | | | | |
| Eastern Washington (8–3) | Eastern Washington (8–3) | 33 | | Stephen F. Austin | 0 | | | | | | |
| Stephen F. Austin* (9–2) | Stephen F. Austin* (9–2) | 44 | | | | | | | | | |
| Stephen F. Austin* (9–2) | Stephen F. Austin* (9–2) | 44 | | | | 1 | Montana* | 24 | | | |
| | | | | | | | Appalachian State | 17 | | | |
| | Elon (9–2) | 13 | | | | | | | Appalachian State | 17 | | | | |
| 4 | Richmond* (10–1) | 16 | | | | | | | | | |
| 4 | Richmond* (10–1) | 16 | 4 | Richmond* | 31 | | | | | | |
| | | | | Appalachian State | 35 | | | | | | |
| South Carolina State (10–1) | South Carolina State (10–1) | 13 | | Appalachian State | 35 | | | | | | |
| Appalachian State* (9–2) | Appalachian State* (9–2) | 20 | | | | | | | | | |
| Appalachian State* (9–2) | Appalachian State* (9–2) | 20 | | | | | | | 1 | Montana | 21 |
| | | | | | | | | | 2 | Villanova | 23 |
| | Holy Cross (9–2) | 28 | | | | | | | | | | 2 | Villanova | 23 |
| 2 | Villanova* (10–1) | 38 | | | | | | | | | |
| 2 | Villanova* (10–1) | 38 | 2 | Villanova* | 46 | | | | | | |
| | | | | New Hampshire | 7 | | | | | | |
| New Hampshire (9–2) | New Hampshire (9–2) | 49 | | New Hampshire | 7 | | | | | | |
| McNeese State* (9–2) | McNeese State* (9–2) | 13 | | | | | | | | | |
| McNeese State* (9–2) | McNeese State* (9–2) | 13 | | | | 2 | Villanova* | 14 | | | |
| | | | | | | | William & Mary | 13 | | | |
| | Eastern Illinois (8–3) | 7 | | | | | | | William & Mary | 13 | | | | |
| 3 | Southern Illinois* (10–1) | 48 | | | | | | | | | |
| 3 | Southern Illinois* (10–1) | 48 | 3 | Southern Illinois* | 3 | | | | | | |
| | | | | William & Mary | 24 | | | | | | |
| Weber State (7–4) | Weber State (7–4) | 0 | | William & Mary | 24 | | | | | | |
| William & Mary* (9–2) | William & Mary* (9–2) | 38 | | | | | | | | | |
* Host institution

### SWAC Championship Game

| Date | Location | Venue | West Div. Champion | East Div. Champion | Result |
| December 12 | Birmingham, Alabama | Legion Field | Prairie View A&M | Alabama A&M | Prairie View A&M 30–24 |

### Gridiron Classic

The Gridiron Classic is an annual game between the champions of the Northeast Conference and the Pioneer Football League that has been held since December 2006.
| Date | Location | Venue | NEC Champion | PFL Champion | Result |
| December 5 | Indianapolis | Butler Bowl | Central Connecticut State | Butler | Butler 28–23 |

## Final poll standings

| Rank | Team | Record |
| 1 | Villanova Wildcats | 14–1 |
| 2 | Montana Grizzlies | 14–1 |
| 3 | Appalachian State Mountaineers | 11–3 |
| 4 | William & Mary Tribe | 11–3 |
| 5 | Richmond Spiders | 11–2 |
| 6 | Southern Illinois Salukis | 11–2 |
| 7 | New Hampshire Wildcats | 10–3 |
| 8 | South Carolina State Bulldogs | 10–2 |
| 9 | Elon Phoenix | 9–3 |
| 10 | Stephen F. Austin Lumberjacks | 10–3 |
| 11 | South Dakota State Jackrabbits | 8–4 |
| 12 | McNeese State Cowboys | 9–3 |
| 13 | Eastern Washington Eagles | 8–4 |
| 14 | Holy Cross Crusaders | 9–3 |
| 15 | Prairie View A&M Panthers | 9–1 |
| 16 | Jacksonville State Gamecocks | 8–3 |
| 17 | Weber State Wildcats | 7–5 |
| 18 | Northern Iowa Panthers | 7–4 |
| 19 | Eastern Illinois Panthers | 8–4 |
| 20 | Penn Quakers | 8–2 |
| 21 | Colgate Raiders | 9–2 |
| 22 | Liberty Flames | 8–3 |
| 23 | Florida A&M Rattlers | 8–3 |
| 24 | Lafayette Leopards | 8–3 |
| 25 | Texas State Bobcats | 7–4 |
| Rank | Team | Record |
| 1 | Villanova Wildcats | 14–1 |
| 2 | Montana Grizzlies | 14–1 |
| T-3 | Appalachian State Mountaineers | 11–3 |
| T-3 | William & Mary Tribe | 11–3 |
| 5 | Richmond Spiders | 11–2 |
| 6 | Southern Illinois Salukis | 11–2 |
| 7 | New Hampshire Wildcats | 10–3 |
| 8 | South Carolina State Bulldogs | 10–2 |
| 9 | Stephen F. Austin Lumberjacks | 10–3 |
| 10 | Elon Phoenix | 9–3 |
| 11 | South Dakota State Jackrabbits | 8–4 |
| 12 | McNeese State Cowboys | 9–3 |
| 13 | Eastern Washington Eagles | 8–4 |
| 14 | Holy Cross Crusaders | 9–3 |
| 15 | Eastern Illinois Panthers | 8–4 |
| 16 | Jacksonville State Gamecocks | 8–3 |
| 17 | Weber State Wildcats | 7–5 |
| 18 | Northern Iowa Panthers | 7–4 |
| 19 | Prairie View A&M Panthers | 9–1 |
| 20 | Colgate Raiders | 9–2 |
| 21 | Liberty Flames | 8–3 |
| 22 | Florida A&M Rattlers | 8–3 |
| 23 | Penn Quakers | 8–2 |
| 24 | Texas State Bobcats | 7–4 |
| 25 | Lafayette Leopards | 8–3 |