# 2008 NCAA Division I FCS football season

The 2008 NCAA Division I FCS football season, the 2008 season of college football for teams in the Football Championship Subdivision (FCS), began on August 28, 2008, and concluded on December 19, 2008, in Chattanooga, Tennessee, at the 2008 NCAA Division I Football Championship Game, where the Richmond Spiders defeated the Montana Grizzlies to win the NCAA Division I Football Championship.
This was the first season in which a standard provision of NCAA rules allowed FCS teams to schedule 12 regular-season games (not counting conference championship games). In years when the period starting with the Thursday before Labor Day and ending with the final Saturday in November contains 14 Saturdays, FCS programs may play 12 games instead of the regular 11.

## FCS team wins over FBS teams

August 30 – Cal Poly 29, San Diego State 27 September 6 – New Hampshire 28, Army 10

## Notable upsets

* August 30 – Arkansas–Monticello 21, Arkansas-Pine Bluff 0 (Division II over Division I FCS)
* August 31 – Fayetteville State 33, North Carolina Central 22 (Division II over Division I FCS)
* September 4 – St. Francis (IL) 21, Valparaiso 0 (NAIA over Division I FCS non-scholarship)
* September 4 – Washburn 35, Missouri State 27 (Division II over Division I FCS)
* September 5 – Stonehill 14, Wagner 13 (Division II over Division I FCS)
* September 6 – Methodist 32, Campbell 21 (Division III over Division I FCS non-scholarship)
* September 6 – UNC Pembroke 21, Davidson 9 (Division II over Division I FCS non-scholarship)
* September 6 – Henderson State 34, Arkansas-Pine Bluff 0 (Division II over Division I FCS)
* September 13 – Franklin (IN) 31, Butler 28 (Division III over Division I FCS non-scholarship)
* September 20 – UNC Pembroke 22, Jacksonville 21 (Division II over Division I FCS non-scholarship)
* September 20 – Marian (IN) 13, Valparaiso 10 (NAIA over Division I FCS non-scholarship)
* October 4 – Tuskegee 34, Alabama A&M 24 (Division II over Division I FCS)
* October 11 – Wesley (DE) 23, Iona 12 (Division III over Division I FCS non-scholarship)

## Conference changes and new programs

* The Gateway Football Conference adopted its present-day name, Missouri Valley Football Conference (MVFC).
* Following the 2007 season, the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference dropped its football sponsorship.
| School | 2007 Conference | 2008 Conference |
| Bryant | Northeast-10 (D-II) | FCS Independent |
| Campbell | New Program | Pioneer |
| Duquesne | MAAC | NEC |
| Iona | MAAC | FCS Independent |
| La Salle | MAAC | Dropped Program |
| Marist | MAAC | FCS Independent |
| North Carolina Central | D-II Independent | FCS Independent |
| North Dakota | North Central (D-II) | Great West (FCS) |
| North Dakota State | Great West | MVFC |
| Presbyterian | FCS Independent | Big South |
| Samford | Ohio Valley | SoCon |
| South Dakota | North Central (D-II) | Great West (FCS) |
| South Dakota State | Great West | MVFC |
| Stony Brook | FCS Independent | Big South |
| Western Kentucky | FCS Independent | FBS Independent |

## Conference standings

2008 Big Sky Conference football standings :
| 2008 Big Sky Conference football standings vteConfOverall Team W L W L  No. 2 Montana $^  7 –1  14 –2   No. 7 Weber State $^  7 –1  10 –4   Montana State  5 –3  7 –5   Eastern Washington  5 –3  6 –5   Northern Arizona  4 –4  6 –5   Sacramento State  3 –5  6 –6   Portland State  3 –5  4 –7   Northern Colorado  1 –7  1 –10   Idaho State  1 –7  1 –11   $ – Conference champion^ – FCS playoff participantRankings from The Sports Network poll | 2008 Big South Conference football standings vteConfOverall Team W L W L  No. 14 Liberty $  5 –0  10 –2   Stony Brook  3 –2  5 –6   Charleston Southern  3 –2  7 –5   Gardner–Webb  2 –3  5 –6   Coastal Carolina  1 –4  6 –6   VMI  1 –4  4 –7   Presbyterian  1 –4  4 –8   $ – Conference championRankings from The Sports Network poll | 2008 Colonial Athletic Association football standings vteConfOverall Team W L W L  North Division No. 8 New Hampshire x^  6 –2  10 –3   No. 18 Maine ^  5 –3  8 –5   UMass  4 –4  7 –5   Hofstra  2 –6  4 –8   Rhode Island  1 –7  3 –9   Northeastern  1 –7  2 –10   South Division No. 3 James Madison x$^  8 –0  12 –2   No. 6 Villanova ^  7 –1  10 –3   No. 1 Richmond ^  6 –2  13 –3   No. 20 William & Mary  5 –3  7 –4   Delaware  2 –6  4 –8   Towson  1 –7  3 –9   $ – Conference championx – Division champion/co-champions^ – FCS playoff participantRankings from The Sports Network poll |
| 2008 Great West Conference football standings vteConfOverall Team W L W L  No. 10 Cal Poly $^  3 –0  8 –3   UC Davis  2 –1  5 –7   North Dakota  1 –2  6 –4   South Dakota  1 –2  6 –5   Southern Utah  1 –3  4 –7   $ – Conference champion^ – FCS playoff participantRankings from The Sports Network poll | 2008 Ivy League football standings vteConfOverall Team W L W L  No. 15 Harvard +  6 –1  9 –1   Brown +  6 –1  7 –3   Penn  5 –2  6 –4   Yale  4 –3  6 –4   Princeton  3 –4  4 –6   Cornell  2 –5  4 –6   Columbia  2 –5  2 –8   Dartmouth  0 –7  0 –10   + – Conference co-championsRankings from The Sports Network poll | 2008 Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference football standings vteConfOverall Team W L W L  No. 13 South Carolina State $^  8 –0  10 –2   Florida A&M  5 –3  9 –3   Bethune–Cookman  5 –3  8 –3   Hampton  5 –3  6 –5   Delaware State  5 –3  5 –6   Morgan State  4 –4  6 –6   Norfolk State  3 –5  5 –7   North Carolina A&T  1 –7  3 –9   Howard  0 –8  1 –10   Winston-Salem State *  0 –0  3 –8   $ – Conference champion^ – FCS playoff participant * – Ineligible for conference championship Rankings from The Sports Network poll |
| 2008 Missouri Valley Football Conference standings vteConfOverall Team W L W L  No. 4 Northern Iowa +^  7 –1  12 –3   No. 11 Southern Illinois +^  7 –1  9 –3   South Dakota State  6 –2  7 –5   Western Illinois  4 –4  6 –5   North Dakota State  4 –4  6 –5   Missouri State  3 –5  4 –7   Youngstown State  3 –5  4 –8   Illinois State  2 –6  3 –8   Indiana State  0 –8  0 –12   + – Conference co-champions^ – FCS playoff participantRankings from The Sports Network poll | 2008 Northeast Conference football standings vteConfOverall Team W L W L  Albany $  7 –0  9 –3   Monmouth  6 –1  7 –5   Sacred Heart  4 –3  8 –3   Central Connecticut State  4 –3  7 –4   Robert Morris  4 –3  5 –6   Duquesne  2 –5  3 –7   Wagner  1 –6  3 –8   Saint Francis (PA)  0 –7  0 –11   $ – Conference champion | 2008 Ohio Valley Conference football standings vteConfOverall Team W L W L  No. 19 Eastern Kentucky $^  7 –1  8 –4   Jacksonville State  6 –2  8 –3   Tennessee–Martin  6 –2  8 –4   Tennessee State  5 –3  8 –4   Murray State  4 –4  5 –7   Eastern Illinois  3 –5  5 –7   Southeast Missouri State  2 –6  4 –8   Austin Peay  2 –6  2 –9   Tennessee Tech  1 –7  3 –9   $ – Conference champion^ – FCS playoff participantRankings from The Sports Network poll |
| 2008 Patriot League football standings vteConfOverall Team W L W L  No. 16 Colgate $^  5 –0  9 –3   Holy Cross  5 –1  7 –4   Lehigh  4 –2  5 –6   Lafayette  3 –3  7 –4   Bucknell  2 –4  5 –6   Fordham  1 –5  5 –6   Georgetown  0 –5  2 –8   $ – Conference champion^ – FCS playoff participantRankings from The Sports Network poll | 2008 Pioneer Football League standings vteConfOverall Team W L W L  Jacksonville $  7 –1  9 –4   San Diego  6 –2  9 –2   Dayton  6 –2  9 –3   Butler  4 –4  6 –5   Drake  4 –4  6 –5   Morehead State  4 –4  6 –6   Davidson  3 –5  4 –7   Valparaiso  2 –6  3 –8   Campbell  0 –8  1 –10   $ – Conference champion | 2008 Southern Conference football standings vteConfOverall Team W L W L  No. 5 Appalachian State $^  8 –0  11 –3   No. 9 Wofford ^  7 –1  9 –3   No. 17 Elon  6 –2  8 –4   Furman  4 –4  7 –5   Samford  4 –4  6 –5   Georgia Southern  4 –4  6 –5   The Citadel  2 –6  4 –8   Western Carolina  1 –7  3 –9   Chattanooga  0 –8  1 –11   $ – Conference champion^ – FCS playoff participantRankings from The Sports Network FCS Poll |
| 2008 Southland Conference football standings vteConfOverall Team W L W L  No. 12 Central Arkansas* $  6 –1  10 –2   No. 22 Texas State ^  5 –2  8 –5   McNeese State  4 –3  7 –3   Northwestern State  4 –3  7 –5   Nicholls State  3 –4  3 –6   Southeastern Louisiana  2 –5  5 –7   Sam Houston State  2 –5  4 –6   Stephen F. Austin  2 –5  4 –8   $ – Conference champion^ – FCS playoff participant* – Ineligible for postseason play due to transition from NCAA Division IIRankings from The Sports Network poll | 2008 Southwestern Athletic Conference football standings vteConfOverall Team W L W L  East Division Jackson State xy  6 –1  7 –5   Alabama A&M  4 –3  5 –7   Alabama State  2 –5  3 –8   Mississippi Valley State  1 –6  3 –8   Alcorn State  1 –6  2 –10   West Division Grambling State xy$  7 –0  11 –2   Prairie View A&M  6 –1  9 –1   Southern  5 –2  6 –5   Arkansas–Pine Bluff  2 –5  3 –9   Texas Southern  1 –6  4 –8   Championship: Grambling State 41, Jackson State 9 $ – Conference championx – Division champion/co-championsy – Championship game participant | 2008 NCAA Division I FCS independents football standings vteConfOverall Team W L W L  Bryant   –  7 –4   Savannah State   –  5 –7   Marist   –  4 –7   North Carolina Central   –  4 –7   Iona   –  3 –8 |

## Conference champions
### Automatic berths

| Conference | Champion | Record* |
| Big Sky Conference | Montana | 11–0, 8–0 |
| Colonial Athletic Association | James Madison | 10–1, 8–0 |
| Missouri Valley Football Conference | Southern Illinois | 9–2, 7–1 |
| Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference | South Carolina State | 10–2, 8–0 |
| Ohio Valley Conference | Eastern Kentucky | 8–3, 7–1 |
| Patriot League | Colgate | 9–2, 5–0 |
| Southern Conference | Appalachian State | 10–2, 8–0 |
| Southland Conference | Texas State | 8–4, 5–2 |

### Invitation

| Conference | Champion | Record* |
| Great West Conference | Cal Poly | 8–2, 3–0 |
| Big South Conference | Liberty | 10–2, 5–0 |
| Northeast Conference | Albany | 8–3, 7–0 |
| Pioneer Football League | Jacksonville | 9–3, 7–1 |

### Abstains

| Conference | Champion | Record* |
| Ivy League | Brown | 7–3, 6–1 |
| Southwestern Athletic Conference | Grambling State | 11–2, 7–0 |
*Overall record, Conference record

## Postseason
### NCAA Division I playoff bracket

| First Round November 29 Campus sites | First Round November 29 Campus sites | First Round November 29 Campus sites | Quarterfinals December 6 Campus sites | Quarterfinals December 6 Campus sites | Quarterfinals December 6 Campus sites | Semifinals December 12 and December 13 Campus sites | Semifinals December 12 and December 13 Campus sites | Semifinals December 12 and December 13 Campus sites | | National Championship Game December 19 Finley Stadium Chattanooga, Tennessee | National Championship Game December 19 Finley Stadium Chattanooga, Tennessee | National Championship Game December 19 Finley Stadium Chattanooga, Tennessee |
| | Wofford | 35 | | | | | | | | | | |
| 1 | James Madison* | 38 | | | | | | | | | | |
| 1 | James Madison* | 38 | 1 | James Madison* | 31 | | | | | | | |
| | | | | Villanova | 27 | | | | | | | |
| Colgate | Colgate | 28 | | Villanova | 27 | | | | | | | |
| Villanova* | Villanova* | 55 | | | | | | | | | | |
| Villanova* | Villanova* | 55 | | | | 1 | James Madison* | 27 | | | | |
| | | | | | | 4 | Montana | 35 | | | | |
| | Texas State | 13 | | | | | | | 4 | Montana | 35 | | | | |
| 4 | Montana* | 31 | | | | | | | | | | |
| 4 | Montana* | 31 | 4 | Montana* | 24 | | | | | | | |
| | | | | Weber State | 13 | | | | | | | |
| Weber State | Weber State | 49 | | Weber State | 13 | | | | | | | |
| Cal Poly* | Cal Poly* | 35 | | | | | | | | | | |
| Cal Poly* | Cal Poly* | 35 | | | | | | | | 4 | Montana | 7 |
| | | | | | | | | | | 7 | Richmond | 24 |
| | South Carolina State | 21 | | | | | | | | | | | 7 | Richmond | 24 |
| 2 | Appalachian State* | 37 | | | | | | | | | | |
| 2 | Appalachian State* | 37 | 2 | Appalachian State* | 13 | | | | | | | |
| | | | | Richmond | 33 | | | | | | | |
| Eastern Kentucky | Eastern Kentucky | 10 | | Richmond | 33 | | | | | | | |
| Richmond* | Richmond* | 38 | | | | | | | | | | |
| Richmond* | Richmond* | 38 | | | | | Richmond | 21 | | | | |
| | | | | | | 3 | Northern Iowa* | 20 | | | | |
| | Maine | 15 | | | | | | | 3 | Northern Iowa* | 20 | | | | |
| 3 | Northern Iowa* | 40 | | | | | | | | | | |
| 3 | Northern Iowa* | 40 | 3 | Northern Iowa* | 36 | | | | | | | |
| | | | | New Hampshire | 34 | | | | | | | |
| New Hampshire | New Hampshire | 29 | | New Hampshire | 34 | | | | | | | |
| Southern Illinois* | Southern Illinois* | 20 | | | | | | | | | | |
* Host institution

### SWAC Championship Game

| Date | Location | Venue | West Div. Champion | East Div. Champion | Result |
| December 13 | Birmingham, Alabama | Legion Field | Grambling State | Jackson State | Grambling State, 41–9 |

### 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 6 | Albany, New York | University Field | Albany | Jacksonville | Albany, 28–0 |

## Final poll standings

Standings are from The Sports Network final 2008 poll.
| Rank | Team | Record |
| 1 | Richmond Spiders | 13–3 |
| 2 | Montana Grizzlies | 14–2 |
| 3 | James Madison Dukes | 12–2 |
| 4 | Northern Iowa Panthers | 12–3 |
| 5 | Appalachian State Mountaineers | 11–3 |
| 6 | Villanova Wildcats | 10–3 |
| 7 | Weber State Wildcats | 10–4 |
| 8 | New Hampshire Wildcats | 10–3 |
| 9 | Wofford Terriers | 9–3 |
| 10 | Cal Poly Mustangs | 8–3 |
| 11 | Southern Illinois Salukis | 9–3 |
| 12 | Central Arkansas Bears | 10–2 |
| 13 | South Carolina State Bulldogs | 10–3 |
| 14 | Liberty Flames | 10–2 |
| 15 | Harvard Crimson | 9–1 |
| 16 | Colgate Raiders | 9–3 |
| 17 | Elon Phoenix | 8–4 |
| 18 | Maine Black Bears | 8–5 |
| 19 | Eastern Kentucky Colonels | 8–4 |
| 20 | William & Mary Tribe | 7–4 |
| 21 | McNeese State Cowboys | 7–4 |
| 22 | Texas State Bobcats | 8–5 |
| 23 | Jacksonville State Gamecocks | 8–3 |
| 24 | Grambling State Tigers | 11–2 |
| 25 | Prairie View A&M Panthers | 9–1 |

## Rule changes for 2008

The NCAA football rules committee made several rule changes for 2008, and includes the following:
* The 25-second play clock was replaced by a 40-second version similar to one that was used in the NFL until 2005.
* The penalty for kicking the ball out of bounds on the kickoff is increased, placing the ball at the 40-yard line, similar to the NFL.
* All face-mask penalties result in a 15-yard penalty. Incidental contact with the face mask is no longer penalized.
* All horse-collar tackles are now subject to a 15-yard penalty.
* If a coach challenges a play and they win the challenge, they are given a second challenge to use later in the game, and each coach has a maximum of two challenges per game even if both are decided in their favor.

## Attendances

The top 30 NCAA Division I FCS football teams by average home attendance:
| # | College football team | Average attendance |
| 1 | Appalachian State Mountaineers | 25,161 |
| 2 | Montana Grizzlies | 23,923 |
| 3 | Delaware Fightin' Blue Hens | 21,609 |
| 4 | Jackson State Tigers | 21,263 |
| 5 | Georgia Southern Eagles | 18,168 |
| 6 | North Dakota State Bison | 18,032 |
| 7 | Harvard Crimson | 17,360 |
| 8 | Southern Jaguars | 16,323 |
| 9 | Tennessee State Tigers | 15,444 |
| 10 | James Madison Dukes | 15,362 |
| 11 | Alabama State Hornets | 15,218 |
| 12 | Youngstown State Penguins | 14,497 |
| 13 | Florida A&M Rattlers | 14,383 |
| 14 | McNeese State Cowboys | 13,829 |
| 15 | Montana State Bobcats | 13,406 |
| 16 | South Carolina State Bulldogs | 13,383 |
| 17 | Liberty Flames | 13,147 |
| 18 | Massachusetts Minutemen | 12,383 |
| 19 | The Citadel Bulldogs | 12,261 |
| 20 | Northern Iowa Panthers | 12,178 |
| 21 | Penn Quakers | 11,284 |
| 22 | Jacksonville State Gamecocks | 11,281 |
| 23 | Texas State Bobcats | 11,225 |
| 24 | Grambling State Tigers | 11,219 |
| 25 | Yale Bulldogs | 11,071 |
| 26 | North Carolina A&T Aggies | 10,764 |
| 27 | Norfolk State Spartans | 10,645 |
| 28 | Illinois State Redbirds | 10,591 |
| 29 | Sam Houston State Bearkats | 10,076 |
| 30 | Furman Paladins | 10,073 |