# 2019 NCAA Division I FCS football season

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.
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. This next occurred in 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 |
| 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 :
| 2019 Big Sky Conference football standings vteConfOverall 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 participantAlthough 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 vteConfOverall 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 vteConfOverall 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 participantRankings from STATS Poll |
| 2019 Ivy League football standings vteConfOverall 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-championsRankings from STATS Poll | 2019 Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference football standings vteConfOverall 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 vteConfOverall 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 participantRankings from STATS Poll |
| 2019 Northeast Conference football standings vteConfOverall 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 vteConfOverall 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 participantRankings from STATS Poll | 2019 Patriot League football standings vteConfOverall 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 vteConfOverall 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 vteConfOverall 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 participantRankings from STATS Poll | 2019 Southland Conference football standings vteConfOverall 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 participantRankings from STATS poll |
| 2019 Southwestern Athletic Conference football standings vteConfOverall 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 championx – Division champion/co-champions | 2019 NCAA Division I FCS independents football standings vteConfOverall Team W L W L  North Dakota ^   –  7 –5   ^ – FCS playoff participant |

## Playoff qualifiers

Champions of the following 10 conferences automatically received playoff bids:

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