# 2022 NCAA Division I FCS football season

The 2022 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 began on August 27 and ended on November 19. The postseason began on November 26, and ended on January 8, 2023, with the 2023 NCAA Division I Football Championship Game at Toyota Stadium in Frisco, Texas. South Dakota State defeated defending champion North Dakota State, 45-21, to win the title.

## Notable headlines

* May 18 – The ASUN Conference and Western Athletic Conference renewed their football alliance for the 2022 season, as each suffered key losses of members starting FBS transitions, rendering them ineligible for a playoff automatic qualifier (AQ) as separate leagues. Eight alliance members (three WAC, five ASUN) competed for a single AQ in the FCS playoffs.
* August 31 – The Division I Board of Directors adopted a series of changes to transfer rules.
** Transfer windows were adopted for all Division I sports. Student-athletes who wish to be immediately eligible at their next school must enter the NCAA transfer portal within the designated period(s) for their sport. For FCS football, two windows were established: a 45-day window starting the day after postseason selections are made, and a spring window from May 1–15. Accommodations will be made for participants in the FCS championship game.
** Student-athletes who experience head coaching changes, or those whose athletic aid is reduced, canceled, or not renewed, may transfer outside designated windows without penalty.
** Transferring student-athletes will be guaranteed their financial aid at their next school through graduation.
* September 21 – Houston Baptist University announced a name change to Houston Christian University, effective immediately.
* December 9 – In the highest-scoring game in FCS playoff history, Incarnate Word defeated previously unbeaten Sacramento State 66–63. UIW quarterback Lindsey Scott Jr. threw four touchdown passes to bring his season total to 59, surpassing the previous FCS record of 57 held by Jeremiah Briscoe of Sam Houston in 2016. Scott ended the season with 60, having thrown one TD pass in UIW's 35–32 semifinal loss to North Dakota State.

## FCS team wins over FBS teams

September 2: William & Mary 41, Charlotte 24 September 3: Delaware 14, Navy 7 September 10: Eastern Kentucky 59, Bowling Green 57 $^{7OT}$ September 10: Incarnate Word 55, Nevada 41 September 10: Holy Cross 37, Buffalo 31 September 10: Weber State 35, Utah State 7 September 17: Southern Illinois 31, Northwestern 24 September 24: Sacramento State 41, Colorado State 10

## Conference changes and new programs

| School | 2021 conference | 2022 conference |
| Austin Peay | Ohio Valley | ASUN |
| Bryant | NEC | Big South |
| Hampton | Big South | CAA |
| James Madison | CAA (FCS) | Sun Belt (FBS) |
| Kennesaw State | Big South | ASUN |
| Lamar | WAC | Southland |
| Lindenwood | GLVC (D-II) | Ohio Valley (FCS) |
| Monmouth | Big South | CAA |
| North Alabama | Big South | ASUN |
| Southern Utah | Big Sky | WAC |
| Stonehill | Northeast-10 (D-II) | NEC (FCS) |
| Texas A&M–Commerce | Lone Star (D-II) | Southland (FCS) |
In November 2021, Incarnate Word announced a move to the Western Athletic Conference for the 2022 season. Days before officially joining, on June 24, the school backed out of that plan, recommitting to the Southland Conference.

## Conference standings

2022 ASUN Conference football standings :
| 2022 ASUN Conference football standings vteConfOverall Team W L W L  Jacksonville State*  5 –0  9 –2   Austin Peay +  3 –2  7 –4   Eastern Kentucky +^  3 –2  7 –5   Central Arkansas +  3 –2  5 –6   Kennesaw State  1 –4  5 –6   North Alabama  0 –5  1 –10   + – Conference co-champions^ – FCS playoff participantNote: Jacksonville State ineligible for postseason play and ASUN title due to start of transition to FBS. Rankings from STATS Poll | 2022 Big Sky Conference football standings vteConfOverall Team W L W L  No. 4 Montana State +^  8 –0  12 –2   No. 5 Sacramento State +^  8 –0  12 –1   No. 9 Weber State ^  6 –2  10 –3   No. 18 Idaho ^  6 –2  7 –5   No. 25 UC Davis  5 –3  6 –5   No. 14 Montana ^  4 –4  8 –5   Portland State  3 –5  4 –7   Eastern Washington  2 –6  3 –8   Northern Colorado  2 –6  3 –8   Northern Arizona  2 –6  3 –8   Idaho State  1 –7  1 –10   Cal Poly  1 –7  2 –9   + – Conference co-champions^ – FCS playoff participantRankings from STATS Poll | 2022 Big South Conference football standings vteConfOverall Team W L W L  Gardner–Webb $^  5 –0  7 –6   North Carolina A&T  4 –1  7 –4   Campbell  2 –3  5 –6   Bryant  2 –3  4 –7   Charleston Southern  2 –3  2 –8   Robert Morris  0 –5  0 –11   $ – Conference champion^ – FCS playoff participantRankings from STATS Poll |
| 2022 Colonial Athletic Association football standings vteConfOverall Team W L W L  No. 8 William & Mary +^  7 –1  11 –2   No. 13 New Hampshire +^  7 –1  9 –4   No. 11 Richmond ^  6 –2  9 –4   No. 17 Elon ^  6 –2  8 –4   Rhode Island  5 –3  7 –4   No. 19 Delaware ^  4 –4  8 –5   Towson  4 –4  6 –5   Villanova  4 –4  6 –5   Monmouth  3 –5  5 –6   Albany  2 –6  3 –8   Maine  2 –6  2 –9   Hampton  1 –7  4 –7   Stony Brook  1 –7  2 –9   + – Conference co-champions^ – FCS playoff participantRankings from STATS Poll | 2022 Ivy League football standings vteConfOverall Team W L W L  Yale $  6 –1  8 –2   Penn  5 –2  8 –2   Princeton  5 –2  8 –2   Harvard  4 –3  6 –4   Columbia  3 –4  6 –4   Cornell  2 –5  5 –5   Dartmouth  2 –5  3 –7   Brown  1 –6  3 –7   $ – Conference championRankings from STATS Poll | 2022 Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference football standings vteConfOverall Team W L W L  North Carolina Central +  4 –1  10 –2   Howard +  4 –1  5 –6   Delaware State  2 –3  5 –6   Morgan State  2 –3  4 –7   Norfolk State  2 –3  2 –9   South Carolina State  1 –4  3 –8   + – Conference co-championsRankings from STATS Poll |
| 2022 Missouri Valley Football Conference standings vteConfOverall Team W L W L  No. 1 South Dakota State $^  8 –0  14 –1   No. 2 North Dakota State ^  7 –1  12 –3   No. 20 North Dakota ^  5 –3  7 –5   Youngstown State  5 –3  7 –4   Northern Iowa  5 –3  6 –5   Illinois State  4 –4  6 –5   Southern Illinois  4 –4  5 –6   Missouri State  3 –5  5 –6   South Dakota  2 –6  3 –8   Indiana State  1 –7  2 –9   Western Illinois  0 –8  0 –11   $ – Conference champion^ – FCS playoff participantAs of January 19, 2025 Rankings from STATS Poll | 2022 Northeast Conference football standings vteConfOverall Team W L W L  Saint Francis (PA) $^  7 –0  9 –3   Merrimack *  6 –1  8 –3   LIU  4 –3  4 –7   Duquesne  3 –4  4 –7   Sacred Heart  3 –4  5 –6   Central Connecticut  2 –5  2 –9   Stonehill *  2 –5  4 –5   Wagner  1 –6  1 –10   $ – Conference champion^ – FCS playoff participantNote: Merrimack and Stonehill ineligible for NEC title and FCS postseason play due to transition from NCAA Division IIRankings from STATS Poll | 2022 Ohio Valley Conference football standings vteConfOverall Team W L W L  No. 15 Southeast Missouri State +^  5 –0  9 –3   UT Martin +  5 –0  7 –4   Tennessee State  2 –3  4 –7   Tennessee Tech  2 –3  4 –7   Lindenwood *  1 –3  7 –3   Eastern Illinois  1 –4  2 –9   Murray State  1 –4  2 –9   + – Conference co-champions^ – FCS playoff participantNote: Lindenwood ineligible for OVC title and FCS postseason play due to transition from NCAA Division II.Rankings from STATS Poll |
| 2022 Patriot League football standings vteConfOverall Team W L W L  No. 6 Holy Cross $^  6 –0  12 –1   No. 22 Fordham ^  5 –1  9 –3   Lafayette  3 –3  4 –7   Bucknell  2 –4  3 –8   Colgate  2 –4  3 –8   Lehigh  2 –4  2 –9   Georgetown  1 –5  2 –9   $ – Conference champion^ – FCS playoff participantRankings from STATS Poll | 2022 Pioneer Football League standings vteConfOverall Team W L W L  St. Thomas (MN) * $  8 –0  10 –1   Dayton  6 –2  8 –3   Davidson ^  6 –2  8 –4   Butler  5 –3  7 –4   San Diego  4 –3  5 –5   Valparaiso  4 –4  5 –7   Marist  4 –4  4 –7   Drake  3 –5  3 –8   Stetson  2 –5  4 –6   Morehead State  1 –7  2 –9   Presbyterian  0 –8  1 –10   $ – Conference champion^ – FCS playoff participant * – St. Thomas (MN) ineligible for FCS postseason play due to transition from NCAA Division III Rankings from STATS Poll | 2022 Southern Conference football standings vteConfOverall Team W L W L  No. 7 Samford $^  8 –0  11 –2   No. 10 Furman ^  7 –1  10 –3   No. 23 Chattanooga  5 –3  7 –4   No. 24 Mercer  5 –3  7 –4   Western Carolina  4 –4  6 –5   Wofford  3 –5  3 –8   The Citadel  3 –5  4 –7   East Tennessee State  1 –7  3 –8   VMI  0 –8  1 –10   $ – Conference champion^ – FCS playoff participantRankings from STATS Poll |
| 2022 Southland Conference football standings vteConfOverall Team W L W L  No. 12 Southeastern Louisiana +^  5 –1  9 –4   No. 3 Incarnate Word +^  5 –1  12 –2   Northwestern State  4 –2  4 –7   Nicholls  3 –3  3 –8   Texas A&M–Commerce *  3 –3  5 –6   McNeese  2 –4  4 –7   Houston Christian  1 –5  2 –9   Lamar  1 –5  1 –10   + – Conference co-champions^ – FCS playoff participant * – Texas A&M–Commerce ineligible for FCS postseason play due to transition from NCAA Division II Rankings from STATS Poll | 2022 Southwestern Athletic Conference football standings vteConfOverall Team W L W L  East Division No. 16 Jackson State xy$  8 –0  12 –1   Florida A&M  7 –1  9 –2   Alabama State  4 –4  6 –5   Alabama A&M  4 –4  4 –7   Bethune–Cookman  2 –6  2 –9   Mississippi Valley State  2 –6  2 –9   West Division Southern xy  5 –3  7 –5   Prairie View A&M x  5 –3  6 –5   Alcorn State  4 –4  5 –6   Texas Southern  4 –4  5 –6   Grambling State  2 –6  3 –8   Arkansas–Pine Bluff  1 –7  3 –8   Championship: Jackson State 43, Southern 24 $ – Conference championx – Division champion/co-championsy – Championship game participantRankings from STATS Poll | 2022 WAC–ASUN Challenge football standings vteConfOverall Team W L W L  Eastern Kentucky $^  4 –1  7 –5   Central Arkansas  4 –1  5 –6   Austin Peay  3 –1  7 –4   Stephen F. Austin  2 –1  6 –5   Abilene Christian  1 –1  7 –4   Kennesaw State  1 –3  5 –6   Southern Utah  0 –3  5 –6   North Alabama  0 –4  1 –10   $ – Conference champion^ – FCS playoff participantRankings from STATS Poll |
| 2022 Western Athletic Conference football standings vteConfOverall Team W L W L  Stephen F. Austin +  3 –1  6 –5   Abilene Christian +  3 –1  7 –4   Sam Houston *  3 –2  5 –4   Utah Tech *  2 –2  4 –7   Tarleton *  1 –3  6 –5   Southern Utah  1 –3  5 –6   + – Conference co-champions * Note: Sam Houston ineligible for WAC championship and FCS postseason play due to start of transition to FBS; Tarleton and Utah Tech ineligible for FCS postseason play due to transition from NCAA Division II. Rankings from STATS Poll |

## Playoff qualifiers
### Automatic berths for conference champions

| Conference | Team | Appearance | Last bid | Result of last appearance |
| Big Sky Conference | Sacramento State | 3rd | 2021 | Second Round (L - South Dakota State) |
| Big South Conference | Gardner–Webb | 1st | None | None |
| Colonial Athletic Association | William & Mary | 11th | 2015 | Second Round (L - Richmond) |
| Missouri Valley Football Conference | South Dakota State | 12th | 2021 | Semifinals (L – Montana State) |
| Northeast Conference | Saint Francis (PA) | 2nd | 2016 | First Round (L – Villanova) |
| Ohio Valley Conference | Southeast Missouri State | 4th | 2019 | First Round (L - Illinois State) |
| Patriot League | Holy Cross | 5th | 2021 | Second Round (L – Villanova) |
| Pioneer Football League | Davidson | 3rd | 2021 | First Round (L – Kennesaw State) |
| Southern Conference | Samford | 6th | 2017 | First Round (L – Kennesaw State) |
| Southland Conference | Southeastern Louisiana | 5th | 2021 | Second Round (L – James Madison) |
| ASUN Conference-Western Athletic Conference | Eastern Kentucky | 22nd | 2014 | First Round (L - Indiana State) |

### At large qualifiers

| Conference | Team | Appearance | Last bid | Result of last appearance |
| Big Sky Conference | Montana State | 12th | 2021 | Championship Game (L - North Dakota State) |
| Big Sky Conference | Weber State | 10th | 2020 | First Round (L - Southern Illinois) |
| Big Sky Conference | Idaho | 12th | 1995 | First Round (L - McNeese State) |
| Big Sky Conference | Montana | 26th | 2021 | Quarterfinals (L - James Madison) |
| Colonial Athletic Association | New Hampshire | 17th | 2017 | Quarterfinals (L - South Dakota State) |
| Colonial Athletic Association | Elon | 4th | 2018 | First Round (L - Wofford) |
| Colonial Athletic Association | Richmond | 12th | 2016 | Quarterfinals (L - Eastern Washington) |
| Colonial Athletic Association | Delaware | 18th | 2020 | Semifinals (L - South Dakota State) |
| Missouri Valley Football Conference | North Dakota State | 13th | 2021 | National Champions (W - Montana State) |
| Missouri Valley Football Conference | North Dakota | 4th | 2020 | Quarterfinals (L - James Madison) |
| Patriot League | Fordham | 6th | 2015 | First Round (L - Chattanooga) |
| Southern Conference | Furman | 19th | 2019 | First Round (L - Austin Peay) |
| Southland Conference | Incarnate Word | 3rd | 2021 | Second Round (L - Sam Houston State) |

### Abstentions

* Ivy League – Yale
* Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference – North Carolina Central
* Southwestern Athletic Conference – Jackson State

## Postseason

The FCS again featured a 24-team postseason bracket: 11 teams decided via automatic bids issued to conference champions, and 13 at-large bids; the top eight teams were seeded.

### Bowl game

| Date | Time (EST) | Game | Site | Television | Participants | Affiliations | Results |
| Dec. 17 | 12:00 p.m. | Celebration Bowl | Mercedes-Benz Stadium Atlanta, Georgia | ABC | North Carolina Central Eagles (9–2) Jackson State Tigers (12–0) | MEAC SWAC | North Carolina Central 41 Jackson State 34 (OT) |

### NCAA Division I playoff bracket

| First Round November 26 Campus sites | First Round November 26 Campus sites | First Round November 26 Campus sites | Second Round December 3 Campus sites | Second Round December 3 Campus sites | Second Round December 3 Campus sites | Quarterfinals December 9/10 Campus sites | Quarterfinals December 9/10 Campus sites | Quarterfinals December 9/10 Campus sites | Semifinals December 16/17 Campus sites | Semifinals December 16/17 Campus sites | Semifinals December 16/17 Campus sites | National Championship January 8 2 p.m. EST Toyota Stadium, Frisco, Texas ABC, ESPN+ | National Championship January 8 2 p.m. EST Toyota Stadium, Frisco, Texas ABC, ESPN+ | National Championship January 8 2 p.m. EST Toyota Stadium, Frisco, Texas ABC, ESPN+ |
| | | | 1 | South Dakota State | 42 | | | | | | | | | |
| Saint Francis (PA) | Saint Francis (PA) | 17 | | Delaware | 6 | | | | | | | | | |
| Delaware | Delaware | 56 | | | | 1 | South Dakota State | 42 | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | 8 | Holy Cross | 21 | | | | | | |
| | | | 8 | Holy Cross | 35 | | | | | | | | | |
| Fordham | Fordham | 42 | | New Hampshire | 19 | | | | | | | | | |
| New Hampshire | New Hampshire | 52 | | | | | | | 1 | South Dakota State | 39 | | | |
| | | | | | | | | | 4 | Montana State | 18 | | | |
| | | | 5 | William & Mary | 54 | | | | | | | | | |
| Gardner–Webb | Gardner–Webb | 52 | | Gardner–Webb | 14 | | | | | | | | | |
| Eastern Kentucky | Eastern Kentucky | 41 | | | | 5 | William & Mary | 7 | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | 4 | Montana State | 55 | | | | | | |
| | | | 4 | Montana State | 33 | | | | | | | | | |
| North Dakota | North Dakota | 31 | | Weber State | 25 | | | | | | | | | |
| Weber State | Weber State | 38 | | | | | | | | | | 1 | South Dakota State | 45 |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | 3 | North Dakota State | 21 |
| | | | 3 | North Dakota State | 49 | | | | | | | | | |
| Southeast Missouri State | Southeast Missouri State | 24 | | Montana | 26 | | | | | | | | | |
| Montana | Montana | 34 | | | | 3 | North Dakota State | 27 | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | 6 | Samford | 9 | | | | | | |
| | | | 6 | Samford | 48 | | | | | | | | | |
| Idaho | Idaho | 42 | | Southeastern Louisiana | 42 | | | | | | | | | |
| Southeastern Louisiana | Southeastern Louisiana | 45 | | | | | | | 3 | North Dakota State | 35 | | | |
| | | | | | | | | | 7 | Incarnate Word | 32 | | | |
| | | | 7 | Incarnate Word | 41 | | | | | | | | | |
| Elon | Elon | 6 | | Furman | 38 | | | | | | | | | |
| Furman | Furman | 31 | | | | 7 | Incarnate Word | 66 | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | 2 | Sacramento State | 63 | | | | | | |
| | | | 2 | Sacramento State | 38 | | | | | | | | | |
| Davidson | Davidson | 0 | | Richmond | 31 | | | | | | | | | |
| Richmond | Richmond | 41 | | | | | | | | | | | | |

## Rankings

The top 25 from the STATS and USA Today Coaches Polls.

### Pre-season polls

STATS :
| Ranking | Team |
| 1 | North Dakota State (52) |
| 2 | South Dakota State (2) |
| 3 | Montana |
| 4 | Montana State |
| 5 | Missouri State |
| 6 | Villanova |
| 7 | Sacramento State |
| 8 | Kennesaw State |
| 9 | Southern Illinois |
| 10 | Stephen F. Austin |
| 11 | East Tennessee State |
| 12 | Chattanooga |
| 13 | Eastern Washington |
| 14 | Incarnate Word |
| 15 | Jackson State |
| 16 | Holy Cross |
| 17 | Southeastern Louisiana |
| 18 | UT Martin |
| 19 | Delaware |
| 20 | Weber State |
| 21 | Northern Iowa |
| 22 | Rhode Island |
| 23 | Mercer |
| 24 | Richmond |
| 25 | UC Davis |
USA Today Coaches :
| Ranking | Team |
| 1 | North Dakota State (24) |
| 2 | Montana |
| 3 | South Dakota State (1) |
| 4 | Montana State |
| 5 | Villanova |
| 6 | Kennesaw State |
| 7 | Sacramento State |
| 8 | Missouri State |
| 9 | Southern Illinois |
| 10 | Stephen F. Austin |
| 11 | East Tennessee State |
| 12 | Eastern Washington |
| 13 | Chattanooga |
| 14 | Incarnate Word |
| 15 | UT Martin |
| 16 | Southeastern Louisiana |
| 17 | Jackson State |
| 18 | Holy Cross |
| 19 | Delaware |
| 20 | Weber State |
| 21 | Northern Iowa |
| 22 | UC Davis |
| 23 | Mercer |
| 24 | Rhode Island т Richmond т |

### Final rankings

| Rank | Stats Perform | Coaches' Poll |
| 1 | South Dakota State (14–1) (54) | South Dakota State (14–1) (26) |
| 2 | North Dakota State (12–3) | North Dakota State (12–3) |
| 3 | Incarnate Word (12–2) | Incarnate Word (12–2) |
| 4 | Montana State (12–2) | Sacramento State (12–1) |
| 5 | Sacramento State (12–1) | Montana State (12–2) |
| 6 | Holy Cross (12–1) | Holy Cross (12–1) |
| 7 | Samford (11–2) | Samford (11–2) |
| 8 | William & Mary (11–2) | William & Mary (11–2) |
| 9 | Weber State (10–3) | Weber State (10–3) |
| 10 | Furman (10–3) | Furman (10–3) |
| 11 | Richmond (9–4) | Jackson State (12–1) |
| 12 | Southeastern Louisiana (9–4) | Richmond (9–4) |
| 13 | New Hampshire (9–4) | Southeast Missouri State (9–3) |
| 14 | Montana (8–5) | Montana (8–5) |
| 15 | Southeast Missouri State (9–3) | New Hampshire (9–4) |
| 16 | Jackson State (12–1) | Fordham (9–3) |
| 17 | Elon (8–4) | North Carolina Central (10–2) |
| 18 | Idaho (7–5) | Elon (8–4) |
| 19 | Delaware (8–5) | Southeastern Louisiana (9–4) |
| 20 | North Dakota (7–5) | St. Thomas (MN) |
| 21 | North Carolina Central (10–2) | Mercer (7–4) |
| 22 | Fordham (9–3) | Idaho (7–5) |
| 23 | Chattanooga (7–4) | Florida A&M (9–2) |
| 24 | Mercer (7–4) | Delaware (8–5) т Chattanooga (7–4) т |
| 25 | UC Davis (6–5) | |

## Kickoff games

The regular season began on Saturday, August 27 with seven games in Week 0:
* FCS Kickoff (Cramton Bowl, Montgomery, Alabama): Jacksonville State 42, No. 10 Stephen F. Austin 17
* MEAC/SWAC Challenge (Center Parc Stadium, Atlanta): Alabama State 23, Howard 13
* Florida State 47 (FBS), Duquesne 7
* North Carolina 56 (FBS), Florida A&M 24
* Western Kentucky 38, Austin Peay 27
* UNLV 52 (FBS), Idaho State 21
* No. 23 Mercer 63, Morehead State 13

## Regular season top 10 matchups

Rankings reflect the STATS Poll.
* Week 4
** No. 2т South Dakota State defeated No. 6 Missouri State, 28–14 (Robert W. Plaster Stadium, Springfield, MO)
* Week 7
** No. 2 South Dakota State defeated No. 1 North Dakota State, 23–21 (Fargodome, Fargo, ND)
* Week 8
** No. 2 Sacramento State defeated No. 7 Montana, 31–24 $^{OT}$ (Hornet Stadium, Sacramento, CA)
** No. 3 Montana State defeated No. 5 Weber State, 43–38 (Bobcat Stadium, Bozeman, MT)
* Week 10
** No. 2 Sacramento State defeated No. 5 Weber State, 33–30 (Stewart Stadium, Ogden, UT)

## Upsets

This section lists instances of unranked teams defeating ranked teams during the season.
During the regular season, 13 unranked teams defeated a ranked team.
* August 27, 2022
** Jacksonville State 42, No. 10 Stephen F. Austin 17 (FCS Kickoff)
* September 1
** Samford 27, No. 8 Kennesaw State 17
* September 10
** The Citadel 20, No. 9 East Tennessee State 17
** Southeast Missouri State 34, No. 17 Southern Illinois 31
** North Dakota 29, No. 24 Northern Iowa 27
* September 17
** North Carolina Central 45, No. 25 New Hampshire 27
** Furman 27, No. 18 East Tennessee State 14
* September 24
** Monmouth 49, No. 9 Villanova 42
** Elon 35, No. 14 William & Mary 31
** Austin Peay 31, No. 16 Eastern Kentucky 20
** Southeastern Louisiana 41, No. 4т Incarnate Word 35
* October 1
** North Dakota 48, No. 7 Missouri State 31
** Central Arkansas 49, No. 22 Austin Peay 20
* October 8
** Texas A&M–Commerce 31, No 19. Southeastern Louisiana 28
* October 15
** Idaho 30, No. 2 Montana 23
** Sam Houston State 25, No. 23 Eastern Kentucky 17
* October 22
** South Dakota 27, No. 14 Southern Illinois 24
* October 29
** Elon 27, No. 12 Delaware 7
** Eastern Kentucky 28, No. 15 Southeast Missouri State 23
** Northern Iowa 37, No. 20 Southern Illinois 36
** Jacksonville State 40, No. 25 Austin Peay 16
* November 5
** Kennesaw State 44, No. 15 UT Martin 27
* November 12
** UC Davis 44, No. 15 Idaho 26
** Yale 24, No. 24 Princeton 20
* November 19
** Western Carolina 32, No. 15 Chattanooga 29
** Villanova 29, No. 20 Delaware 26

## Coaching changes
### Preseason and in-season

This is restricted to coaching changes that took place on or after May 1, 2022, and will include any changes announced after a team's last regularly scheduled games but before its playoff games. For coaching changes that occurred earlier in 2022, see 2021 NCAA Division I FCS end-of-season coaching changes.
| School | Outgoing coach | Date | Reason | Replacement |
| Wofford | Josh Conklin | October 6, 2022 | Resigned (effective immediately) | Shawn Watson (named full time on December 1) |
| Arkansas–Pine Bluff | Doc Gamble | October 20, 2022 | Fired | Don Treadwell (interim) |
| North Alabama | Chris Willis | October 30, 2022 | Fired | Ryan Held (interim) |

### End of season

This list includes coaching changes announced during the season that did not take effect until the end of the season.
| School | Outgoing coach | Date | Reason | Replacement | Previous position |
| Charleston Southern | Autry Denson | November 14, 2022 | Fired | Gabe Giardina | Albany State head coach (2018–2022) |
| VMI | Scott Wachenheim | November 20, 2022 | Resigned | Danny Rocco | Delaware head coach (2017–2021) |
| Northern Colorado | Ed McCaffrey | November 21, 2022 | Fired | Ed Lamb | BYU associate head coach/ST coordinator/safeties coach (2016–2022) |
| Houston Christian | Vic Shealy | November 21, 2022 | Resigned | Braxton Harris | Campbell associate head coach/linebackers/recruiting coordinator (2021–2022) |
| Lamar | Blane Morgan | November 21, 2022 | Fired | Peter Rossomando | Charlotte interim head coach (2022) |
| Towson | Rob Ambrose | November 21, 2022 | Fired | Pete Shinnick | West Florida head coach (2014–2022) |
| The Citadel | Brent Thompson | November 21, 2022 | Fired | Maurice Drayton | Las Vegas Raiders assistant special teams coach (2022) |
| Lehigh | Tom Gilmore | November 21, 2022 | Resigned | Kevin Cahill | Yale associate head coach/OC/QB coach (2018–2022) |
| Texas A&M–Commerce | David Bailiff | November 22, 2022 | Contract expired | Clint Dolezel | Frisco Fighters head coach (2020–2021) |
| Idaho State | Charlie Ragle | November 28, 2022 | Became ST Coordinator at Arizona State | Cody Hawkins | UC Davis OC/QB coach (2017–2022) |
| Delaware State | Rod Milstead | November 28, 2022 | Fired | Lee Hull | Howard OC/QB coach (2020–2022) |
| Dayton | Rick Chamberlin | November 29, 2022 | Retired | Trevor Andrews | Western Michigan linebackers coach (2019–2022) |
| Bethune–Cookman | Terry Sims | November 29, 2022 | Fired | Raymond Woodie | Florida Atlantic associate head coach/OLB coach/ST coordinator/recruiting coordinator (2020–22) |
| Central Connecticut | Ryan McCarthy | November 30, 2022 | Contract not renewed | Adam Lechtenberg | Central Oklahoma assistant head coach/co-OC/QB coach (2022) |
| UIW | G. J. Kinne | December 2, 2022 | Became head coach at Texas State | Clint Killough | UIW associate head coach/WR coach/recruiting coordinator (2022) |
| Cal Poly | Beau Baldwin | December 2, 2022 | Became OC at Arizona State | Paul Wulff | Cal Poly associate head coach/OL coach (2020–2022) |
| North Alabama | Ryan Held (interim) | December 3, 2022 | Permanent replacement | Brent Dearmon | Florida Atlantic OC/QB coach (2022) |
| Jackson State | Deion Sanders | December 4, 2022 | Became head coach at Colorado | T. C. Taylor | Jackson State OC/WR coach (2019–2022) |
| Weber State | Jay Hill | December 7, 2022 | Became DC at BYU | Mickey Mental | Weber State offensive coordinator (2022) |
| Mississippi Valley State | Vincent Dancy | December 8, 2022 | Became defensive assistant at Colorado | Kendrick Wade | Delta State pass game coordinator/WR coach (2022) |
| Sacramento State | Troy Taylor | December 10, 2022 | Became head coach at Stanford | Andy Thompson | Sacramento State defensive coordinator (2019–2022) |
| Missouri State | Bobby Petrino | December 15, 2022 | Became OC at UNLV | Ryan Beard | Missouri State defensive coordinator and safeties coach (2020–2022) |
| North Carolina A&T | Sam Washington | December 15, 2022 | Fired | Vincent Brown | William & Mary Assistant head coach/defensive coordinator/linebackers coach (2019–2022) |
| Arkansas–Pine Bluff | Don Treadwell (interim) | December 22, 2022 | Permanent replacement | Alonzo Hampton | Louisiana–Monroe associate head coach/ST coordinator/safeties coach (2021–2022) |
| South Dakota State | John Stiegelmeier | January 20, 2023 | Retired | Jimmy Rogers | South Dakota State associate head coach/Defensive coordinator/LB coach (2019–2022) |
| San Diego | Dale Lindsey | March 21, 2023 | Retired | Brandon Moore | Colorado Mines head coach (2022) |

## Rule changes

The following rule changes were recommended by the NCAA Football Rules Committee for the 2022 season:
* When players are disqualified for a targeting call in the second half or in overtime (which requires a carryover penalty of sitting out the first half of the next scheduled game), an appeals process will be available to allow the National Coordinator of Officials (currently Steve Shaw) to review tapes of the targeting penalty for consideration of not requiring the player to sit out the first half of the following game.
* Injury timeouts awarded due to "deceptive actions" during a game will also be able to reviewed by the National Coordinator of Officials to determine what sanctions, if any, against teams who use this tactic, enforced at the conference or school level.
* Blocking below the waist will only be permitted inside the tackle box by linemen and stationary backs. Blocks below the waist outside of the tackle box are not allowed.
* Defensive holding will remain a 10-yard penalty but will always carry an automatic first down.
* Codifying the rule change made shortly after the 2021 ACC Championship Game, ball carriers who simulate a feet-first slide will be declared down at that spot.
* Uniform rules would require the sock/leg covering to go from the shoe to the bottom of the pants, similar to the NFL rule.

## Attendances

The top 30 NCAA Division I FCS football teams by average home attendance:
| # | College football team | Average attendance |
| 1 | Jackson State Tigers | 42,049 |
| 2 | Montana Grizzlies | 25,298 |
| 3 | Montana State Bobcats | 21,275 |
| 4 | Southern Jaguars | 19,844 |
| 5 | Jacksonville State Gamecocks | 18,161 |
| 6 | Alabama State Hornets | 18,069 |
| 7 | North Dakota State Bison | 17,309 |
| 8 | Delaware Fightin' Blue Hens | 16,902 |
| 9 | Alcorn State Braves | 16,527 |
| 10 | South Dakota State Jackrabbits | 15,561 |
| 11 | Sacramento State Hornets | 15,502 |
| 12 | Harvard Crimson | 14,689 |
| 13 | Florida A&M Rattlers | 14,418 |
| 14 | North Carolina A&T Aggies | 12,781 |
| 15 | Eastern Kentucky Colonels | 12,609 |
| 16 | Tarleton State Texans | 12,020 |
| 17 | Holy Cross Crusaders | 11,897 |
| 18 | New Hampshire Wildcats | 10,758 |
| 19 | Texas Southern Tigers | 10,677 |
| 20 | Youngstown State Penguins | 10,065 |
| 21 | William & Mary Tribe | 10,026 |
| 22 | Western Carolina Catamounts | 9,876 |
| 23 | The Citadel Bulldogs | 9,865 |
| 24 | Tennessee State Tigers | 9,811 |
| 25 | Grambling State Tigers | 9,788 |
| 26 | North Dakota Fighting Hawks | 9,780 |
| 27 | South Carolina State Bulldogs | 9,766 |
| 28 | Furman Paladins | 9,646 |
| 29 | Norfolk State Spartans | 9,571 |
| 30 | UC Davis Aggies | 9,472 |