There are many exciting components to the college football season, from tailgates to rivalry games to conference matchups to Selection Sunday to playoff upsets.

Along the way, teams at all levels are hoping to gel, improve and peak at the right time. 

For programs in the Football Championship Subdivision, one way to gauge their progress or test themselves against top-tier talent is to include a team or two from the Football Bowl Subdivision on their schedules.

There are other benefits for the FCS teams playing in these games, and it has become tradition, as there are more than 120 such contests each season. Below, is a list of some of the top games you should add to your calendar.

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Since the FBS is the top level of college football and made up of the of the best players and biggest schools in the country, the expectation in these FCS-FBS matchups is that they’re going to be easy wins for the FBS teams.

While that might be true many more times than it’s not, there are good reasons for both sides to continue participating in these games.

For the FCS squads, as mentioned above, playing up a level is a great way to get sharp ahead of important conference games. Even if the result isn’t a victory, it can be a great learning experience.

There also are financial rewards for FCS teams willing to walk into the cavernous FBS stadiums and take on the underdog role. FBS teams often pay substantial amounts of money to make this happen, and that can go a long way for the FCS programs, which generally have less cash flow and resources.

Accepting the challenge can mean big-time exposure, visibility and the chance to play in front of a broader audience. It might be just what some FCS players need to land on the radar of a bigger program, and that could lead to more opportunities. 

Finally, winning one of these games could be priceless for an FCS team. 

There no doubt would be national attention, an instant intimidation factor, a boost in the rankings, extreme confidence going into the next week or the rest of the season and possibly more chances to play these games in future seasons.

FBS teams also use the FCS matchups to prepare for what’s ahead. 

Sure, the games are lower-risk, but it could be the right time to try new things or get younger players experience before conference play begins.

And, since FBS teams need to win six games to become bowl-eligible at the end of the season, having a more winnable game on the schedule can make that a little easier, assuming the FCS team meets the requirements that would allow that contest to count toward the needed victories. 

Love it or hate it, this concept has become a big part of the college football landscape and can be mutually beneficial. 

As we prepare for the start of the new campaign, here are some of the top FCS vs. FBS games to look forward to during the 2026 college football season:

Noteworthy FCS vs. FBS Matchups For The 2026 College Football Season

All Times Eastern

Thursday, Sept. 3

• UAlbany at Buffalo, 7 p.m. (ESPN+)
• Arkansas-Pine Bluff at Missouri, 8 p.m. (SEC Network)

Saturday, Sept. 5

• New Hampshire at Syracuse, Noon (ACC Network)
• Tarleton State at Bowling Green, Noon (ESPN+)
• Rhode Island at Temple, 2 p.m. (ESPN+)
• Towson at Navy, 3:30 p.m. (CBS Sports Network)
• Maine at Appalachian State, 3:30 p.m. (ESPN+)
• North Alabama at Arkansas, 4:15 p.m. (SEC Network)
• Abilene Christian at Texas Tech, 7 p.m. (FS1)

Thursday, Sept. 10

• Florida A&M at Miami, 8 p.m. (ACC Network)

Friday, Sept. 11

• Villanova at Louisville, 7 p.m. (ACC Network)

Saturday, Sept. 12

• Howard at Indiana, Noon (BTN)
• UT Martin at West Virginia, 1 p.m. (ESPN+)
• Stony Brook at Ball State, 2 p.m. (ESPN+)
• Campbell at Florida, 5:30 p.m. (SECN+)
• Monmouth at Western Michigan, 6:30 p.m. (ESPN+)
• Towson at South Carolina, 7 p.m. (ESPN+)
• Montana State at Nevada, 10:30 p.m. (CW)

Saturday, Sept. 19

• Maine at Boston College, 2 p.m. (ACC Extra)
• Southern Illinois at Illinois, 2 p.m. (Peacock)
• Delaware State at South Florida, 7 p.m. (ESPN+)
• North Dakota at Nebraska, 7:15 p.m. (BTN)
• South Dakota at Boise State, 10 p.m. (CBS Sports Network)
• Montana at Oregon State, 11 p.m. (USA Network)

Saturday, Sept. 26

• William & Mary at Duke, 3:30 p.m. (ACC Extra)
• Stonehill at Ohio, 3:30 p.m. (ESPN+)
• Central Arkansas at Florida State, TBD

Saturday, Oct. 3

• McNeese at LSU, 7:45 p.m. (SEC Network)

Saturday, Oct. 17

• Charleston Southern at Clemson, TBD
• Elon at Stanford, 7:30 p.m. (TBD)
• The Citadel at Texas A&M, 1 p.m.

Saturday, Nov. 7

• Merrimack at Wake Forest, Noon (TBD)

Saturday, Nov. 21

• Wofford at Ole Miss, Noon (SECN+)
• Tennessee Tech at Mississippi State, 1 p.m. (SECN+)
• Chattanooga at Alabama, 2 p.m. (SECN+)
• Samford at Auburn, 3:30 p.m. (ESPN+)

Final AFCA Division I FCS Coaches Poll For 2025 Season

1. Montana St. (14-2)
2. Illinois St. (12-5)
3. Montana (13-2)
4. Villanova (12-3)
5. North Dakota St. (12-1)
6. Tarleton St. (12-2)
7. Stephen F. Austin (11-3)
8. UC Davis (9-4)
9. Lehigh (12-1)
10. Rhode Island (11-3)
11. South Dakota (10-5)
12. ACU (9-5)
13. Yale (9-3)
14. South Dakota St. (9-5)
15. Tennessee Tech (11-2)
16. North Dakota (8-6)
17. Youngstown St. (8-5)
18. Mercer (9-3)
19. Southeastern Louisiana (9-4)
20. Monmouth (N.J.) (9-3)
21. Lamar (8-5)
22. Jackson St. (9-3)
23. Harvard (9-2)
24. West Georgia (8-3)
25. South Carolina St. (10-3)

Dropped Out: Southern Illinois (25)

Others Receiving Votes: New Hampshire, 35; Lafayette, 30; Southern Illinois, 29; Drake, 20; UT Rio Grande Valley, 20; Prairie View A&M, 16; Central Connecticut St., 15; Richmond, 15; Alabama St., 10; Presbyterian, 10; Southern Utah, 5; Austin Peay, 2.

Some Things To Know About FCS Football

The FCS (Football Championship Subdivision) is the second tier of NCAA Division I football, with the top tier being the FBS (Football Bowl Subdivision). 

While the FBS determines its national champion through a 12-team, committee-selected College Football Playoff, the FCS Championship includes 24 teams.

The FCS conference champions automatically qualify for the playoffs, and the remaining spots are filled via at-large selection. 

This season, there will be 128 programs across 13 conferences. The regular season will begin in late August, and the playoffs will get underway at the end of November. 

AFCA Division I FBS Preseason Coaches Poll For 2026 Season

Team (2025 Record)

1. Ohio State (12-2)
2. Oregon (13-2)
3. Georgia (12-2)
4. Texas (10-3)
5. Notre Dame (10-2)
6. Indiana (16-0)
7. Miami (Fla.) (13-3)
8. Texas A&M (11-2)
9. Oklahoma (10-3)
10. Mississippi (13-2)
11. Alabama (11-4)
12. Texas Tech (12-2)
13. LSU (7-6)
14. Southern California (9-4)
15. BYU (12-2)
16. Michigan (9-4)
17. Penn State (7-6)
18. Tennessee (8-5)
19. Washington (9-4)
20. SMU (9-4)
21. Utah (11-2)
22. Iowa (9-4)
23. Clemson (7-6)
24. Houston (10-3)
25. Missouri (8-5)

Dropped out: No. 15 Vanderbilt (10-3); No. 16 Virginia (11-3); No. 18 Tulane (11-3); No. 20 James Madison (12-2); No. 23 Navy (11-2); No. 24 Georgia Tech (9-4); No. 25 Illinois (9-4).

Others receiving votes: Louisville (9-4) 153; Florida (4-8) 147; TCU (9-4) 63; Illinois (9-4) 62; Arizona (9-4) 50; South Carolina (4-8) 50; Virginia (11-3) 40; Vanderbilt (10-3) 37; Auburn (5-7) 29; Georgia Tech (9-4) 26; Boise State (9-5) 24; Oklahoma State (1-11) 22; UNLV (10-4) 17; Florida State (5-7) 13; North Carolina State (8-5) 13; Nebraska (7-6) 12; Virginia Tech (3-9) 12; Memphis (8-5) 9; Arizona State (8-5) 8; Duke (9-5) 6; James Madison (12-2) 6; New Mexico (9-4) 4; Pittsburgh (8-5) 4; Navy (11-2) 3; Western Michigan (10-4) 3; San Diego State (9-4) 2; California (7-6) 1; Hawaii (9-4) 1; Jacksonville State (9-5) 1; Kansas State (6-6) 1.

Who Won The Each Football National Championship For The 2025-2026 Season?

• Division I FBS – Indiana def. Miami, 27-21
• Division I FCS – Montana State def. Illinois State 35-34 (OT)
• Division II – Ferris State def. Harding, 42-21
• Division III – University of Wisconsin-River Falls def. North Central (Ill.), 24-14

When Do The 2026 NCAA Division I FCS Playoffs Start?

The first round of the 2026 NCAA FCS Playoffs will be Nov. 28.

The format includes 24 teams and five rounds of play – first round, second round, quarterfinals, semifinals and the championship game. Everything through the semifinals will be played at the site of the participating schools.

Round 2 is set for Dec. 5, the quarterfinals will be held Dec. 11 (one game) and Dec. 12 (three games) and the semifinals will take place Dec. 19.

The 2026 FCS national championship will be determined Jan. 11, 2027, at FirstBank Stadium in Nashville, Tennessee. Music City first hosted the title tilt in 2025 after 15 consecutive visits to Frisco, Texas.

Every game will be broadcast live on the ESPN family of networks. 

How Do The FCS Playoffs Work?

The 24 FCS teams that advance to the playoffs are situated into a single-elimination bracket.

The top 16 teams are seeded, with the first eight earning byes into the second round. Seeds 9-16 must play in the opening round of action, but they get to play host, as do the higher seeds in each game through the semifinals.

The two semifinal winners then make the trip to Nashville to play for the national championship.

In 2025, Montana State defeated Illinois State 35-34 in overtime to claim the trophy. 

Since 2011, North Dakota State had been dominating the FCS landscape, winning 10 national titles, but the Bison have now moved to a bigger pasture – the FBS level as part of the Mountain West Conference.

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Archived Footage On FloCollege

Video footage from all games will be archived and stored in a video library for FloCollege subscribers to watch for the duration of their subscriptions.

Watch The 2026 College Football Season On FloCollege

FloCollege is the home of the best FCS, Division II and Division III football action all season long. 

Don’t miss the latest college football action by bookmarking the FloCollege schedule page for the latest games. 

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