The 2008 NCAA Division I FCS football season, the 2008 season of college football for teams in the Football Championship Subdivision (FCS), began on August 28, 2008, and concluded on December 19, 2008, in Chattanooga, Tennessee, at the 2008 NCAA Division I Football Championship Game, where the Richmond Spiders defeated the Montana Grizzlies to win the NCAA Division I Football Championship.
This was the first season in which a standard provision of NCAA rules allowed FCS teams to schedule 12 regular-season games (not counting conference championship games). In years when the period starting with the Thursday before Labor Day and ending with the final Saturday in November contains 14 Saturdays, FCS programs may play 12 games instead of the regular 11.
Conference changes and new programs The Gateway Football Conference adopted its present-day name, Missouri Valley Football Conference (MVFC). Following the 2007 season, the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference dropped its football sponsorship.
School 2007 Conference 2008 Conference Bryant Northeast-10 (D-II) FCS Independent Campbell New Program Pioneer Duquesne MAAC NEC Iona FCS Independent La Salle Dropped Program Marist FCS Independent North Carolina Central D-II Independent North Dakota North Central (D-II) Great West (FCS) North Dakota State Great West MVFC Presbyterian FCS Independent Big South Samford Ohio Valley SoCon South Dakota North Central (D-II) Great West (FCS) South Dakota State Great West MVFC Stony Brook FCS Independent Big South Western Kentucky FBS Independent
FCS team wins over FBS teams August 30 – Cal Poly 29, San Diego State 27 September 6 – New Hampshire 28, Army 10
Notable upsets August 30 – 21, Arkansas-Pine Bluff 0 (Division II over Division I FCS) August 31 – 33, 22 (Division II over Division I FCS) September 4 – 21, 0 (NAIA over Division I FCS non-scholarship) September 4 – 35, Missouri State 27 (Division II over Division I FCS) September 5 – 14, Wagner 13 (Division II over Division I FCS) September 6 – 32, Campbell 21 (Division III over Division I FCS non-scholarship) September 6 – 21, Davidson 9 (Division II over Division I FCS non-scholarship) September 6 – 34, Arkansas-Pine Bluff 0 (Division II over Division I FCS) September 13 – 31, 28 (Division III over Division I FCS non-scholarship) September 20 – 22, Jacksonville 21 (Division II over Division I FCS non-scholarship) September 20 – 13, 10 (NAIA over Division I FCS non-scholarship) October 4 – 34, Alabama A&M 24 (Division II over Division I FCS) October 11 – 23, 12 (Division III over Division I FCS non-scholarship)
Conference standings
Conference champions
Automatic berths Conference Champion Record* Big Sky Conference Montana 11–0, 8–0 Colonial Athletic Association James Madison 10–1, 8–0 Missouri Valley Football Conference Southern Illinois 9–2, 7–1 Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference South Carolina State 10–2, 8–0 Ohio Valley Conference Eastern Kentucky 8–3, 7–1 Patriot League Colgate 9–2, 5–0 Southern Conference Appalachian State 10–2, 8–0 Southland Conference Texas State 8–4, 5–2
Invitation Conference Champion Record* Great West Conference Cal Poly 8–2, 3–0 Big South Conference Liberty 10–2, 5–0 Northeast Conference Albany 8–3, 7–0 Pioneer Football League Jacksonville 9–3, 7–1
Abstains Conference Champion Record* Ivy League Brown 7–3, 6–1 Southwestern Athletic Conference Grambling State 11–2, 7–0 *Overall record, Conference record
Postseason NCAA Division I playoff bracket
* Host institution
SWAC Championship Game Date Location Venue West Div. Champion East Div. Champion Result December 13 Birmingham, Alabama Legion Field Grambling State Jackson State Grambling State, 41–9
Gridiron Classic The Gridiron Classic is an annual game between the champions of the Northeast Conference and the Pioneer Football League that has been held since December 2006.
Date Location Venue NEC Champion PFL Champion Result December 6 Albany, New York University Field Albany Jacksonville Albany, 28–0
Final poll standings
Standings are from The Sports Network final 2008 poll.
Rank Team Record1 Richmond Spiders 13–32 Montana Grizzlies 14–23 James Madison Dukes 12–24 Northern Iowa Panthers 12–35 Appalachian State Mountaineers 11–36 Villanova Wildcats 10–37 Weber State Wildcats 10–48 New Hampshire Wildcats 10–39 Wofford Terriers 9–310 Cal Poly Mustangs 8–311 Southern Illinois Salukis 9–312 Central Arkansas Bears 10–213 South Carolina State Bulldogs 10–314 Liberty Flames 10–215 Harvard Crimson 9–116 Colgate Raiders 9–317 Elon Phoenix 8–418 Maine Black Bears 8–519 Eastern Kentucky Colonels 8–420 William & Mary Tribe 7–421 McNeese State Cowboys 7–422 Texas State Bobcats 8–523 Jacksonville State Gamecocks 8–324 Grambling State Tigers 11–225 Prairie View A&M Panthers 9–1
Rule changes for 2008 The NCAA football rules committee made several rule changes for 2008, and included the following: The 25-second play clock was replaced by a 40-second version similar to one that was used in the NFL until 2005. The penalty for kicking the ball out of bounds on the kickoff is increased, placing the ball at the 40-yard line, similar to the NFL. All face-mask penalties result in a 15-yard penalty. Incidental contact with the face mask is no longer penalized. All horse-collar tackles are now subject to a 15-yard penalty. If a coach challenges a play and they win the challenge, they are given a second challenge to use later in the game, and each coach has a maximum of two challenges per game even if both are decided in their favor.
Attendances
The top 30 NCAA Division I FCS football teams by average home attendance:
References