4 FCS Football Programs That Are 'On The Clock' In 2026

We've spent plenty of time evaluating the top contenders and potential breakout teams entering the 2026 season, but what about those teams that fall somewhere in the middle of all the chaos?

Those teams that need to take the next step as a true national contender, capitalize on an opportunity to compete in their conference, or even find enough wins to save a head coach's job, going into next offseason. All of these teams are officially "on the clock" going into 2026.

The expectations for each of these four teams may differ, but all of them face some sort of pressure to find on-field results next season. I wanted to analyze each of these teams, discussing why there is pressure to find immediate on-field success, along with taking a brief look at why these teams may have fallen short in past seasons.

Below are four FCS football programs that are on the clock ahead of the 2026 season.

Towson

Conference realignment has not been kind to the CAA, which has created a void at the top for one of the remaining teams to fill. Rhode Island is the heavy preseason favorite, but there are a ton of question marks around the rest of the conference. This leaves an opening for a team like Towson to take advantage and emerge as a real contender in 2026.

Towson isn't only facing pressure because of the conference, but it's also Year 4 of the Pete Shinnick era, and it's time for this program to make a postseason push under Shinnick. The Tigers finished 7-5 in 2024 and went 6-6 last season, but have competed well against some of the top teams on their schedule.

The biggest question is whether the Tigers can go from showing occasional flashes to being a consistent contender throughout a full season.

It starts with returning quarterback Andrew Indorf, who had an excellent freshman season with 2,344 passing yards, 16 TDs, and only 4 INTs. There were growing pains in 2025, but if he takes another step as a sophomore, it puts Towson in a position to emerge as one of the contenders in the new CAA.

Towson Tigers quarterback Andrew Indorf (13) runs the ball during the second half against the Norfolk State Spartans | Peter Casey-Imagn Images

The Tigers will need to find a way to be more consistent defensively. They were fairly average across all defensive statistical measures last season, but only return four significant contributors from last year's unit in 2026. The staff did a solid job of replacing some of the lost talent, bringing in some promising players, including Seth Hampton, Marquis Cooper, and Eddie Jackson III.

Shinnick has always found a way to build a contender, dating back to his time at West Florida and UNC Pembroke. He's had three seasons to flip the roster and build the culture he wants. Now, with a wide-open CAA race, it's time for Towson to elevate into a yearly CAA contender, starting this season.

Rhode Island

Another CAA program that enters next season with some significant pressure, Rhode Island's expectations are a bit different than Towson's. The Rams have won the CAA in back-to-back seasons, making a run to the second round of the FCS playoffs both times.

The Rams are still new contenders, which is why we've seen growing pains in the postseason. Still, it's time for this program to make that next jump and become a legitimate contender nationally. That means they need to find a way to win the CAA again, but this time, make a run to the quarterfinals or beyond.

One of the biggest reasons the Rams are on the clock is because they found a way to keep two of the best players in FCS football, which comes with the expectation of continued success. Quarterback Devin Farrell and wide receiver Marquis Buchanan both earned All-American honors in 2025, playing major roles in Rhode Island's last two playoff runs.

Rhode Island wide receiver Marquis Buchanan (1) | Dylan Azari/Special to the Telegram & Gazette / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Farrell had over 3,700 passing yards and 24 passing TDs last season, while Buchanan posted his second consecutive 1,000-yard season for the Rams. They are the cornerstones of this program, along with All-American linebacker Rohan Davey, who leads the defense with 101 tackles, 13 TFLs, and 7 sacks.

In total, the Rams are projected to return 17 significant contributors, including nearly 65% of their defensive experience from last season's team. That's a ton of returning production for a team that went 11-3 only a year ago, and really puts next year's team "on the clock" to find success on the field with all this returning talent.

With the departures of Villanova, Richmond, and William & Mary, it feels like Rhode Island is the clear top contender in the CAA right now. The Rams have all the pieces to really be a major factor on the national level, but all that's missing is a true postseason run.

Head coach Jim Fleming has taken this team from a 1-win team in 2014 to back-to-back 11-win seasons a decade later. In the 24-team era, the Rams have never made it past the second round. All the work that this staff did to retain this elite talent needs to pay off with a real postseason run, which could catapult the Rams into the upper tier of the subdivision moving forward.

Alabama State

Alabama State had a historic season in 2025, winning 10 games for the first time in over 20 years. Despite that, the Hornets fell one game short of the SWAC Championship, losing to Jackson State in a crucial SWAC East matchup in October. That's created the "on the clock" scenario for the Hornets in 2026 as the pressure builds for this program to finally break through in the SWAC.

Head coach Eddie Robinson Jr. has done an excellent job since 2022, finishing with a winning record in four consecutive seasons and winning over 65% of his conference games. Despite all the success, the Hornets have fallen 1-2 games short of making a championship run, which has eluded the program since 2004.

Going into next season, the Hornets are going to be a popular preseason pick, especially after quarterback Andrew Body announced his return this offseason. He is coming off an outstanding season, in which he was named the SWAC Offensive Player of the Year with 1,770 passing yards, 20 passing TDs, 518 rushing yards, and 4 rushing TDs.

Alabama State quarterback Andrew Body (1) carries the ball against Bethune-Cookman | Mickey Welsh / Advertiser / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Along with Body, the Hornets are projected to have nearly 20 significant contributors return from last year's 10-win team. That includes cornerback Zaquan Patterson and safety Ta'Shaun Sims, who combined for six interceptions last season. Leading rusher, Jamarie Hostzclaw, also returns after posting 676 rushing yards and 17 rushing TDs last year.

The schedule lays out perfectly for Alabama State to have a real shot at the conference crown. The toughest conference games are all at home, including games against Jackson State and Prairie View A&M in the final two weeks of the season.

The Hornets have no more excuses for falling short of their ultimate goal, which is to bring a SWAC Championship back to Montgomery and make their first Celebration Bowl appearance in program history. Anything less could be considered a disappointment with the returning talent and high expectations entering next season.

Western Carolina

I'm not sure there's another team in FCS football that has hit a glass ceiling more often than Western Carolina. The Catamounts have been on the verge of a breakthrough year since 2023, but whether it's an injury, an unexpected suspension, or an untimely upset loss, this team has fallen one game short in three consecutive seasons.

Head coach Kerwin Bell should be praised for building this program to where it sits today, but the same question still remains. When will the Catamounts finally put it all together? This is a team that hasn't made an appearance in the FCS Playoffs since 1983, and is still searching for its first SoCon championship in program history.

Going into 2026, the Catamounts have some questions that need to be answered, but with the SoCon race relatively open, this team has the talent to make a real run at the conference title. They will have to replace Taron Dickens, but if there's one thing Kerwin Bell has done every year, it's find a way to have elite quarterback play in Cullowhee.

The question is always the defense, which ranked second-to-last in the SoCon last year. Nick Reveiz joins the staff as the new defensive coordinator, which could be the catalyst for the defense finally improving for the Catamounts. They also added a group of instant-impact defensive transfers, including linebacker Marco Patierno, cornerback Andre Jackson Jr., linebacker Eldrick Robinson, and safety Braylon Jones.

The SoCon race is always one of the most unpredictable conference races in the country. Despite that, this feels like a crucial year for the Catamouts under Bell. The pressure has continued to build, and if they can't find a way to make the postseason in 2026, people will begin to wonder if that breakthrough will ever happen for this program.

Follow FCS Football Central on social media for ongoing coverage of FCS football, including on X, Facebook, and YouTube.

Add us as a preferred source on Google