Six FCS Football Teams That Failed to Meet Expectations in 2025

The 2025 FCS football season has officially come to a close, and it's time to take a look at some of the biggest underachievers of the year. Which teams entered the year with lofty preseason expectations but failed to deliver on the field?

We take a look at six FCS teams that failed to meet preseason expectations below.

Incarnate Word (5-7, 3-5 Southland)

I'm not sure there was a team that received more preseason hype than Incarnate Word. The Cardinals signed one of the top FCS transfer portal classes and were projected to feature a high-flying offense, but things just never seemed to click.

It started with the offensive line, which allowed two or more sacks in nine games this year. Add that to a disappointing season from projected starting quarterback Ricard Torres, who was benched for freshman EJ Colson. All of this led to a 2-6 start before the Cardinals won three of their final four games to secure a 5-7 overall record.

There were bright spots against Abilene Christian and Lamar, both of which made the FCS Playoffs, but UIW also allowed over 100 combined points in losses to East Texas A&M and UTRGV. This was well below the preseason expectations for this program, which earned a Top 5 preseason ranking and now faces the pressure of a rebound season in 2026.

Idaho (4-8, 2-6 Big Sky)

After Jason Eck's departure, the Vandals only returned nine starters and lost 20+ players to the transfer portal. It was still the expectation that Idaho would compete near the top of the Big Sky, earning the Vandals a Top 15 preseason ranking. Instead, the Vandals lost seven of their final nine games, including their last three games of the season.

There were signs of instability early, but competitive games against San Jose State and Washington State kept the hype alive until conference play. A blowout loss against Northern Colorado changed the trajectory of the season, plus losing starting quarterback Joshua Wood to injury further pushed the Vandals in the wrong direction.

Idaho finished the season 4-8 overall (2-6 Big Sky), missing the playoffs for the first time since 2022. With the return of Wood at quarterback, the Vandals are expected to rebound next season and push for a spot in the FCS Playoffs.

Idaho Vandals quarterback Joshua Wood (3) throws a pass against the Washington State Cougars | James Snook-Imagn Images

Western Carolina (7-5, 6-2 SoCon)

It was another "What could have been" season for Western Carolina under Kerwin Bell. Things got off to a rocky start after quarterback Taron Dickens was suspended for the first three games, which led to a 0-3 start. Once he returned, the Catamounts won six straight games, but faltered down the stretch, losing two of their final three, leading to another season without a postseason appearance.

Even though the offense was elite, the defensive struggles continued for the Catamounts. They allowed 35 or more points in all five of their losses, including 50 or more points in losses to Gardner-Webb and ETSU. In their four FCS losses, the Catamount offense averaged 39.5 points, which has been the trend since Bell arrived in Cullowhee.

This is a program that's been on the cusp of a playoff push for about 2-3 seasons now, but always seems to come up one game short. The Catamounts haven't made an appearance in the FCS Playoffs since 1983. Will next season be the breakout season? We'll have to see if the Catamounts can put together a complete season.

Southern (2-10, 1-7 SWAC)

After being voted the preseason favorites to repeat as SWAC West champions, the Jaguars completely fell flat in their second season under head coach Terrence Graves.

It started with a blowout loss to North Carolina Central and culminated in seven losses by 10 points or more. Despite a win over Grambling State in the Bayou Classic, the Jaguars limped to a 2-10 overall record and a 1-7 record in SWAC play. The Jaguars ranked second-to-last in total offense and defense in the SWAC, marking one of the worst seasons in program history.

It led to the program firing head coach Terrence Graves on Oct. 20. The Jaguars wasted no time in naming Pro Football Hall of Famer Marshall Faulk as the new head coach on Nov. 29.

Richmond (7-5, 3-4 Patriot League)

When Richmond joined the Patriot League, many fans assumed the Spiders would be instant favorites to win the conference. To be fair, the Spiders just won a share of the CAA title last season and had a streak of three FCS Playoff appearances.

Despite all that, they did not find instant success. There were some growing pains in Year 1, which led to a 3-4 finish in conference play. Even though the Spiders clawed their way to a 7-5 overall record, they entered the season with Top 25 expectations and fell well short of that.

The Spiders had plenty of chances to flip the narrative, losing all four of their FCS games by seven or fewer points. The offense was inconsistent as Kyle Wickersham and Ashten Sneisire split time throughout the year. It led to the Spiders having the second-worst passing attack in the Patriot League.

North Carolina Central (8-4, 3-2 MEAC)

This may be the most controversial selection here, but this was supposed to be the year for North Carolina Central. The Eagles returned the most starters in the conference, along with the best returning quarterback in MEAC, Walker Harris. Unfortunately, it was another year where the Eagles came up one game short of playing in the postseason.

The ultimate goal is the Celebration Bowl, but the Eagles have also made a recent appearance in the FCS Playoffs under head coach Trei Oliver. Losses to South Carolina State and Delaware State ended their hopes for a MEAC title, but a non-conference loss to New Hampshire probably kept the Eagles out of consideration for the FCS Playoffs.

Success and disappointment may be relative to different programs, but the expectation of this program under head coach Trei Oliver is championships. The stage was set for them this season, but the Eagles finished 8-4 overall and 3-2 in MEAC play, the worst conference record for the program since 2019.

North Carolina Central Eagles running back Chris Mosley runs the football against the Florida A&M Rattlers | Gerald Thomas / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

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