Ranking FCS National Championship Teams Of The Frisco Era (2010-24)

With the FCS National Championship coming up next Monday in Nashville, I wanted to take a look back on what I will call the "Frisco Era" of FCS football.

From the 2010 season until last season in 2024, the FCS national championship game was played in Frisco, TX. It started off with Eastern Washington's unbelievable comeback win against Delaware in an instant classic and it ended with North Dakota State winning its 10th national championship a year ago.

In this article, I am going to rank every national championship team from the Frisco Era. I'm going to use a metric that I used earlier this spring when I ranked every national championship team in FCS history. Advanced data is hard to come by, so I created a metric that is very similar to the "Simple Rating System" used by Sports Reference.

Essentially, this rating takes into account average margin of victory, adjusts the margin to minimize skewed results, and then factors in strength of schedule. The metric below will be referred to as a team's Total Rating (TR). It essentially measures how well a team played over a season, adjusting it for the difficulty of the teams you faced. Of course, it's important to note that football is a nuanced sport and no metric will be perfect.

We also take a look at where Montana State and Illinois State would rank if they win next Monday in Nashville. It allows us to compare these teams to recent national championship teams, giving us even more context for this year's national championship game.

15. 2010 Eastern Washington (TR: 8.86)

The Eagles won one of the most remarkable FCS championship games of all time. Despite trailing 19-0 in the third quarter, Bo Levi Mitchell and Brandon Kaufman led an unbelievable comeback to win 20-19. This will be said of another program on this list, but multiple other EWU teams (2013, 2016, 2018) finished with a higher total rating than this team despite not winning the championship.

14. 2020 Sam Houston State (TR: 16.33)

Sam Houston State won the most unique national title during the shortened spring season. The Bearkats dominated the regular season, but showed plenty of resilience during their run through the FCS Playoffs. They had to go through NDSU, James Madison, and South Dakota State during their postseason run. It culminated with a thrilling victory over the Jackrabbits, in which Sam Houston scored the game-winning touchdown with only 10 seconds remaining.

Sam Houston State Bearkats quarterback Eric Schmid (3) | Tim Heitman-Imagn Images

13. 2016 James Madison (TR: 18.09)

In 2016, James Madison won its second FCS championship, going undefeated against the FCS and ending NDSU's five-year run as national champions. Interestingly, three other JMU teams (2017, 2019, 2021) all ended up with a higher total rating, but lost to NDSU in the postseason each of those years.

12. 2012 North Dakota State (TR: 18.19)

We have our first North Dakota State appearance in these rankings at No. 12. This was NDSU's second national championship team, culminating in a dominant win over Sam Houston State in Frisco. Even with the dominant championship win, the playoff run wasn't as impressive as some of the other NDSU teams on this list, plus the 2012 Sam Houston team ranks below the 2011 team.

11. 2011 North Dakota State (TR: 18.84)

Speaking of that, we have the 2011 North Dakota State team, which was the first of what would become 10 national championship teams for the Bison. They had a dominant finish to their playoff run, winning their last three games by a combined score of 76-13.

10. 2014 North Dakota State (TR: 19.13)

The 2014 team represented a big moment in the North Dakota State dynasty. Many could have questioned the program after losing head coach Craig Bohl and quarterback Brock Jensen. Instead, Chris Klieman and Carson Wentz took the torch and led the Bison to their 4th straight national championship. It was the most competitive game in NDSU's run as the Bison squeezed past Illinois State by two points.

9. 2015 North Dakota State (TR: 19.51)

The 2015 North Dakota State team won the program's fifth consecutive national championship. They were never challenged throughout the playoff run, outscoring opponents 130-36 in four postseason games. The Bison even dominated a really talented Jacksonville State team in the national title, winning by 27 points.

North Dakota State Bison running back King Frazier (22) | Tim Heitman-Imagn Images

8. 2024 North Dakota State (TR: 19.80)

The 2024 North Dakota State team may be underrated by many fans. The Bison only lost one game against the FCS, and it was a one-point loss on the road. Tim Polasek became the third-straight NDSU head coach to win a national title in their first season as the program won its 10th championship in 15 seasons. Amazingly, it also happened in a year that featured three other teams that ranked among the best of the Frisco Era (Montana State, SDSU, South Dakota).

7. 2017 North Dakota State (TR: 22.51)

In 2017, North Dakota State avenged a playoff loss to James Madison from a year prior by defeating the Dukes in the national championship. This team was led by an incredible defense that didn't allow more than 13 points in any postseason game.

6. 2022 South Dakota State (TR: 21.25)

In 2022, South Dakota State finally broke through after years of contending and falling short. The Jackrabbits lost a tough game to Iowa in the season opener before reeling off 14 straight wins, culminating in a victory over NDSU in the title game. It also served as a sendoff for head coach John Stiegelmeier, who retired after 25 years at the helm.

South Dakota State RB Isaiah Davis — South Dakota State running back Isaiah Davis (22) | Argus Leader-USA TODAY NETWORK

5. 2021 North Dakota State (TR: 23.05)

The 2021 North Dakota State team outscored opponents 123-24 in the postseason, earning Matt Entz his second national championship with the Bison. This team was littered with NFL prospects that played a huge role in this championship run. Hunter Luepke had an MVP performance in Frisco, helping the Bison roll up nearly 400 rushing yards against Montana State.

4. 2023 South Dakota State (TR: 24.53)

South Dakota State followed up its first championship run with an even more dominant undefeated campaign in 2023. It was one of the most dominant postseason runs in FCS history. The Jackrabbits allowed only 15 points, defeating their postseason opponents by more than 30 points per game. The biggest statement was a 59-point blowout against UAlbany, followed by another blowout over Montana in the title game.

3. 2013 North Dakota State (TR: 24.60)

The 2013 North Dakota State team ranks the highest of the Craig Bohl-Brock Jensen era. This team was loaded with veterans and started the season with a road win over Kansas State in one of the most impressive FBS upsets in FCS history. The Bison went on to dominate the FCS, outscoring opponents by an average score of 43.3-10.5. NDSU ended its run with a dominant win over Towson, securing its third straight national championship.

2. 2019 North Dakota State (TR: 25.11)

The Matt Entz era began in 2019 after Chris Klieman's departure to Kansas State. It was another historic season for the Bison, becoming the first team to finish 16-0 since 1894. The Bison only played three games within single digits behind stellar play from Walter Payton Award winner Trey Lance, who racked up over 3,800 total yards. Their perfect season ended with a win over James Madison.

1. 2018 North Dakota State (TR: 26.68)

In the No. 1 spot, we have the team that immediately preceded No. 2 in these rankings. The 2018 Bison finished the season undefeated and gave Chris Klieman his fourth national championship, tying him with Jim Tressel for the most all-time. Quarterback Easton Stick was the catalyst for the offense, while the defense only allowed 55 points throughout the postseason run. They defeated one of the best FCS offenses of all time in Eastern Washington, completing a historic season.

North Dakota State Bison head coach Chris Klieman holds up the FCS Championship trophy | Tim Heitman-Imagn Images

Where Would This Year's Champion Fit In?

If Montana State were to win the national championship, as many expect, the Bobcats would have a total rating of 23.18, which could be adjusted slightly based on next Monday's game. They would compare favorably to some of the top teams of the Frisco Era, ranking 5th, just ahead of 2021 NDSU and right behind 2023 SDSU.

That should demonstrate how big a favorite Montana State should be in Nashville. I'm not sure this team is viewed in that dominant light yet, but the data suggests they would be one of the best championship teams in the modern era.

As for Illinois State, if the Redbirds pull off the huge upset, they would have a total rating of 11.48. It would make them the most improbable national championship team since 2010 Eastern Washington. Even more incredible, this would be in an era, by most metrics, when the overall level of the top tier of the FCS has been raised. The Redbirds have a real chance to make history next Monday in Nashville.

The Best Of The Rest

Most of this article was dedicated to the championship-winning teams of the Frisco Era. However, there were other excellent teams that were very close to winning it all and deserve recognition. I wanted to highlight some of the best teams that did not win the national championship from this era.

Below are the Top 15 teams of the Frisco Era that did not win it all but could be considered among the best teams in recent memory. They are listed from highest to lowest rating. We only included teams that at least made an appearance in the semifinals.

Team	Final Result
2024 Montana State	L vs NDSU (35-32, NCG)
2019 James Madison	L vs NDSU (28-20, NCG)
2024 South Dakota State	L vs NDSU (28-21, Semifinals)
2017 James Madison	L vs NDSU (17-13, NCG)
2022 Incarnate Word	L vs NDSU (35-23, Semifinals)
2018 Eastern Washington	L vs NDSU (38-24, NCG)
2021 James Madison	L vs NDSU (20-14, Semifinals)
2014 New Hampshire	L vs ISU (21-18, Semifinals)
2011 Sam Houston State	L vs NDSU (17-6, NCG)
2022 Montana State	L vs SDSU (39-18, Semifinals)
2015 Jacksonville State	L vs NDSU (37-10, NCG)
2016 Eastern Washington	L vs YSU (40-38, Semifinals)
2024 South Dakota	L vs MSU (31-17, Semifinals)
2011 Montana	L vs SHSU (31-28, Semifinals)
2022 North Dakota State	L vs SDSU (45-21, NCG)

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