Ranking The Best FCS National Championship Programs Of All-Time

Timothy Rosario | Mar 19, 2025

North Dakota State Bison quarterback Trey Lance (5) runs the ball in the first quarter against the James Madison Dukes at Toyota Stadium. / Tim Heitman-Imagn Images

Who are the best teams in FCS history? The FCS National Championship game started in 1978 and has taken place every year since. In this analysis, we aim to rank every FCS national championship team over the past 46 seasons.

Because many FCS teams lack data from years past, the formula that was created is relatively simple. This formula is very similar to the "Simple Rating System" created and used by Sports Reference.

We have taken this premise and tweaked it to fit the FCS. The basis of the formula is point margin, which takes the margin of victory over the entire season. Each game is then adjusted so large results do not skew the data. The largest margin of victory was capped at 28 points to eliminate outliers. We also added strength of schedule (SOS) that can be found in the Massey database.

47. 2010 Eastern Washington (TR: 8.86)

46. 1998 Massachusetts (TR: 10.15)

45. 1991 Youngstown State (TR: 10.72)

44. 1987 Louisiana Monroe (TR: 11.30)

43. 2004 James Madison (TR: 11.71)

42. 1985 Georgia Southern (TR: 12.32)

41. 1982 Eastern Kentucky (TR: 12.35)

Eastern Washington Eagles quarterback Bo Levi Mitchell / James Snook-Imagn Images

This group is led by the first undefeated FCS champion in Eastern Kentucky. It was the Colonels' second national championship in their fourth consecutive appearance. The first FCS national championship teams for Youngstown State and Georgia Southern appear in this group. The Penguins earned an at-large bid but stunned No. 1 seed Nevada before ending their championship run with a win over Marshall.

Louisiana-Monroe (formerly known as Northeast Louisiana) also won an instant classic over the Thundering Herd. Over 20 years ago, James Madison broke onto the FCS national scene and won two straight 1-point playoff games before avenging a regular season loss to William & Mary and then finally defeating Montana to win the 2004 FCS national championship.

1998 was the most successful season in UMass football history. The Minutemen defeated perennial powerhouse Georgia Southern in the national championship. The most recent champion from this group is 2010 Eastern Washington. 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.

Appalachian State Mountaineers running back Kevin Richardson (28) / Dale Zanine-Imagn Images

40. 2002 Western Kentucky (TR: 12.53)

39. 1980 Boise State (TR: 12.66)

38. 1990 Georgia Southern (TR: 13.09)

37. 1984 Montana State (TR: 13.11)

36. 2005 Appalachian State (TR: 13.27)

This group is headlined by one of the most impressive in-season turnarounds in FCS history. In 2002, Western Kentucky lost to McNeese, falling to 2-3 overall, but won ten consecutive games on an unthinkable championship run. The Hilltoppers avenged their loss to McNeese in the championship game.

A few years later, the Appalachian State dynasty started with an undefeated record against FCS competition in 2005. The Mountaineers are still the only program from the state of North Carolina to win an NCAA championship in football. Boise State was able to rebound from an upset loss to then-Division II Cal Poly, defeating the defending national champions (Eastern Kentucky) in the championship game.

Georgia Southern overcame a tough start to the 1990 season, winning its final two postseason games by 40 points. Montana State actually lost two of their first four games before reeling off 10 straight victories, ending with a win over Louisiana Tech.

Sam Houston State Bearkats defensive back Zyon McCollum (22) / Tim Heitman-Imagn Images

35. 1979 Eastern Kentucky (TR: 14.49)

34. 1988 Furman (TR: 15.35)

33. 2000 Georgia Southern (TR: 15.46)

32. 1993 Youngstown State (TR: 16.07)

31. 2020 Sam Houston State (TR: 16.33)

Sam Houston State won the most unique FCS championship in the spring 2021 season after the fall season was canceled. The Bearkats dominated the regular season and then showed resilience to beat some of the top FCS programs (NDSU, JMU, SDSU) in the postseason. Eastern Kentucky was the only team in the first five years of the championship game to win in blowout fashion, defeating Lehigh by 23 points.

Furman won its lone FCS championship in 1988, defeating four straight top 15 teams and never allowing more than 12 points in a game during their postseason run. In 1993, Youngstown State won its second national championship in three seasons, avenging their loss to Marshall in the championship game. In 2000, Georgia Southern was led by FCS legend Adrian Peterson. The Eagles won their 6th (and last) FCS championship behind Peterson's 2000-yard season.

Richmond Spiders quarterback Eric Ward (11) / Dale Zanine-Imagn Images

30. 2007 Appalachian State (TR: 16.43)

29. 2001 Montana (TR: 16.54)

T27. 2008 Richmond (TR: 16.84)

T27. 1997 Youngstown State (TR: 16.84)

26. 2003 Delaware (TR: 17.40)

This group only contains teams from a ten-year period between 1997-2007. The era kicked off with Youngstown State and legendary head coach Jim Tressel, who earned his 4th FCS national championship. The Penguins beat four straight top 10 teams in the postseason and won a 10-9 battle against McNeese State in the title game. It was Youngstown State's last national championship as Tressel would move on to Ohio State.

Ending this era is a team that made college football history. In 2007, Appalachian State completed, arguably, the biggest upset in college football history over No. 5 Michigan. While the Mountaineers hit some rough patches along the way, they pulled it together for the playoffs and dominated the semifinal and championship games.

In 2001, Montana won their second national championship as the Grizzlies went undefeated against the FCS, their only loss coming against an FBS opponent. They were the first FCS team to win 15 games in a season. In 2003, Delaware won their first and only national championship. The Blue Hens dominated the playoffs, winning four games by a combined score of 148 to 23.

The 2008 Richmond Spiders won its first and only FCS championship under head coach Mike London in 2008. The Spiders only started the year 4-3 but finished strong with three straight wins over top five teams to end their postseason run.

James Madison Dukes cornerback Curtis Oliver (26) / Tim Heitman-Imagn Images

25. 1986 Georgia Southern (TR: 17.42)

24. 2009 Villanova (TR: 17.43)

23. 1983 Southern Illinois (TR: 17.59)

22. 2016 James Madison (TR: 18.09)

21. 2012 North Dakota State (TR: 18.19)

The 1986 Georgia Southern team won their second straight FCS championship but were much more dominant than their previous run. The Eagles won every playoff game by 10 or more points. Southern Illinois gave us one of the first truly dominant playoff runs of the FCS era. The Salukis used suffocating defense to outscore opponents 89-21 during their playoff run.

In 2009, Villanova lost early in the season to No. 5 New Hampshire before going on to win nine straight games, including a championship win over Montana. The Wildcats outlasted Montana in the FCS national championship game. In 2016, James Madison won its second FCS championship, going undefeated against the FCS and ending NDSU's five-year run as national champions.

Speaking of North Dakota State, we have our first NDSU appearance in these rankings at No. 21. This was NDSU's second national championship team, culminating in a dominant win over Sam Houston State in Frisco.

North Dakota State Bison running back John Crockett (23) / Tim Heitman-Imagn Images

20. 1994 Youngstown State (TR: 18.50)

19. 1978 Florida A&M (TR: 18.60)

18. 2011 North Dakota State (TR: 18.84)

17. 1992 Marshall (TR: 19.06)

16. 2014 North Dakota State (TR: 19.13)

Florida A&M won the first-ever FCS championship in 1978 and has aged extremely well. The Rattlers still rank as a top 20 FCS national championship team of all time. The Rattlers defeated UMass in the national championship, despite not completing a single pass during the game. Marshall won its first FCS title in 1992 after losing in their first two appearances (1987, 1991). In a rematch of the 1991 national title game, the Thundering Herd avenged their loss to Youngstown State.

The 1994 team was the best of Youngstown State's championship run in the 90's. The Penguins went undefeated, after a 10-10 tie in Week 1, reeling off 14 straight victories with a win over Boise State in the title game. 2011 was the first of what would become 10 national championship teams for North Dakota State. The Bison had a dominant finish to their playoff run, winning their last three games by a combined 76-13.

The 2014 North Dakota State team represented a big moment in the NDSU dynasty. Many could have questioned the program after losing head coach Craig Bohl and quarterback Brock Jensen, who played a massive role in winning the previous three titles. Instead, Chris Klieman and Carson Wentz took over and led the Bison to their fourth straight national championship. It was the most competitive game in NDSU's dynasty as the Bison beat Illinois State by two points.

Tim Heitman-Imagn Images

15. 2015 North Dakota State (TR: 19.51)

14. 1995 Montana (TR: 19.64)

13. 2024 North Dakota State (TR: 19.80)

12. 1981 Idaho State (TR: 20.14)

11. 2006 Appalachian State (TR: 20.32)

The 1981 Idaho State team ranks as the best FCS championship team before 1995. The Bengals only lost one game, in which starting quarterback Mike Machurek did not play. Idaho State beat Eastern Kentucky in the title game, completing a remarkable turnaround for a program that was winless just two years prior. Montana won its first championship in 1995 on the back of an incredible offense, led by quarterback Dave Dickenson. The Grizzlies averaged 46.3 points per game in their four playoff games.

The 2006 Appalachian State team ranks the best of the championship teams in the historic three-peat. The Mountaineers lost their first game to NC State and then won 14 straight games behind an incredible freshman season from Armanti Edwards. The 2015 North Dakota State team won the fifth straight national championship and was never challenged in their playoff run, outscoring opponents 130-36 in four playoff games.

The 2024 North Dakota State team may be underrated by many. The Bison only had one loss against the FCS and it was a one-point loss on the road. Head coach Tim Polasek became the third straight NDSU coach to win a championship in their first season as the program won its 10th championship in 15 seasons.

Jerome Miron-Imagn Images

10. 2022 South Dakota State (TR: 21.25)

9. 2017 North Dakota State (TR: 22.51)

8. 1999 Georgia Southern (TR: 22.96)

7. 2021 North Dakota State (TR: 23.05)

6. 1989 Georgia Southern (TR: 23.73)

We start the top with two teams from the first dynasty at the FCS level in Georgia Southern. The 1989 team won the third and final title under head coach Erik Russell. It was also the highest-ranked team of the Georgia Southern dynasty, finishing a perfect 15-0. A decade later, legendary head coach Paul Johnson won his first championship with the program in dominant fashion against Youngstown State.

In 2017, North Dakota State avenged a playoff loss to James Madison in 2016 by defeating the Dukes in the championship game. This team was led by an incredible defense that didn't allow more than 13 points in any playoff game. The 2021 North Dakota State team outscored opponents 123-24 in the playoffs and earned Matt Entz his second championship.

In 2022, South Dakota State finally broke through after years of contending and falling short. SDSU lost a tough game to Iowa to open the season and then reeled off 14 straight wins, culminating in a victory over NDSU in the championship game. John Stiegelmeier won a championship in his final year of coaching after 25 years as the SDSU head coach.

5. 2023 South Dakota State (TR: 24.53)

Samantha Laurey / Argus Leader / USA TODAY NETWORK

South Dakota State followed up a championship run in 2022 with a dominant undefeated season in 2023. Jimmy Rogers took over for legendary coach John Stiegelmeier and the team didn't miss a beat.

It was one of the most dominant postseason runs in FCS history. The Jackrabbits only allowed 15 points and defeated its postseason opponents by over 30 points per game. The biggest statement was a 59-point win over UAlbany before the exclamation point in Frisco with another blowout win over Montana.

4. 2013 North Dakota State (TR: 24.60)

North Dakota State cornerback CJ Smith (6) returns an interception against the Towson Tigers in the second quarter at Toyota Stadium. / Tim Heitman-Imagn Images

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 a would-be 8-5 Kansas State team in one of the most impressive FBS upsets in FCS history.

The Bison went on to dominate the FCS and outscored playoff opponents by an average score of 43.3-10.5. NDSU defeated Towson in the championship game and ended Craig Bohl's tenure with the Bison with their third straight national championship.

3. 2019 North Dakota State (TR: 25.11)

North Dakota State Bison quarterback Trey Lance (5) runs the ball in the game against the James Madison Dukes at Toyota Stadium / Tim Heitman-Imagn Images

The Matt Entz era began in 2019 after head coach Chris Klieman's departure to Kansas State. It was another historic season for the Bison, becoming the first college football team to finish 16-0 since 1894.

The Bison only played three games within single digits behind stellar play from Walter Payton winner Trey Lance, who racked up over 3,800 total yards. The Bison ended their perfect season with a win over James Madison in the championship game.

2. 2018 North Dakota State (TR: 26.68)

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

In the No. 2 spot, we have the team that immediately preceded No. 3 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.

1. 1996 Marshall (TR: 27.58)

Marshall Thundering Herd receiver Randy Moss (88) in action against the West Virginia Mountaineers at Milan Puskar Stadium. / RVR Photos-Imagn Images

Most FCS experts would agree that 1996 Marshall comes to mind when discussing the best FCS teams of all time. The 1996 team went 15-0 and won their second FCS national championship.

The team featured future Pro Football Hall of Famer Randy Moss. Moss had over 1,700 yards and 28 touchdowns. Marshall outscored opponents 193-57 in the playoffs with an average score of 48.3-14.3. They defeated Montana by 20 points in the championship, in which Moss had 220 yards and four touchdowns.

The 1996 Marshall team still clearly stands the test of time, even nearly 30 years later.

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