A list of NCAA Division I-AA college football seasons since the divisional split in 1978. In 2006, Division I-AA was renamed Division I Football Championship Subdivision (or Division I FCS for short).
Year Conference Champions National Champion Payton AwardThe Walter Payton Award was established in 1987. From its inception through 1994, it was presented to the most outstanding player on the I-AA level. Since the 1995 season, it has been presented to the most outstanding offensive player on the I-AA/FCS level. History Buchanan AwardThe Buck Buchanan Award, established in 1995, is presented to the most outstanding defensive player on the I-AA/FCS level. 1978Big Sky Conference – Northern Arizona Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference – South Carolina State Ohio Valley Conference – Western Kentucky Southwestern Athletic Conference – Grambling State Yankee Conference – Massachusetts Florida A&M 1979Big Sky Conference – Montana State Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference – Morgan State Ohio Valley Conference – Murray State Southwestern Athletic Conference – Alcorn State and Grambling State Yankee Conference – Boston U and Massachusetts Eastern Kentucky 1980Big Sky Conference – Boise State Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference – South Carolina State Ohio Valley Conference – Western Kentucky Southwestern Athletic Conference – Grambling State and Jackson State Yankee Conference – Boston U Boise State 1981The Mid-Continent Athletic Association was upgraded from Division II after the 1980 season.Big Sky Conference – Idaho State Mid-Continent Athletic Association – Eastern Illinois, Northern Iowa, and Western Illinois Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference – South Carolina State Ohio Valley Conference – Eastern Kentucky Southwestern Athletic Conference – Jackson State Yankee Conference – Massachusetts and Rhode Island Idaho State 1982The Ivy, Southern, and Southland Conferences were all downgraded from I-A after the 1981 season. The Mid-Continent Athletic Association was absorbed by the Association of Mid-Continent Universities.Association of Mid-Continent Universities – Eastern Illinois and Northern Iowa Big Sky Conference – Montana Ivy League – Dartmouth, Harvard, and Penn Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference – South Carolina State Ohio Valley Conference – Eastern Kentucky Southern Conference – Furman Southland Conference – Louisiana Tech Southwestern Athletic Conference – Jackson State Yankee Conference – Boston U, Connecticut, Maine, and Massachusetts Eastern Kentucky (2) 1983Association of Mid-Continent Universities – Eastern Illinois Big Sky Conference – Nevada Ivy League – Harvard and Penn Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference – South Carolina State Ohio Valley Conference – Eastern Kentucky Southern Conference – Furman Southland Conference – Northeast Louisiana and North Texas State Southwestern Athletic Conference – Grambling State Yankee Conference – Boston U and Connecticut Southern Illinois 1984Association of Mid-Continent Universities – Eastern Illinois, Northern Iowa, and Western Illinois Big Sky Conference – Montana State Ivy League – Penn Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference – Bethune-Cookman Ohio Valley Conference – Eastern Kentucky Southern Conference – Chattanooga Southland Conference – Louisiana Tech Southwestern Athletic Conference – Alcorn State Yankee Conference – Boston U and Rhode Island Montana State 1985After the 1984 season, the Missouri Valley Conference (MVC) scrapped its hybrid I-A and I-AA football conference. At that time, the Gateway Collegiate Athletic Conference, then a women's athletic conference parallel to the MVC, began a football league, taking in the MVC's I-AA programs and also absorbing the Association of Mid-Continent Universities football conference.Big Sky Conference – Idaho Gateway Collegiate Athletic Conference – Northern Iowa Ivy League – Penn Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference – Delaware State Ohio Valley Conference – Middle Tennessee Southern Conference – Furman Southland Conference – Arkansas State Southwestern Athletic Conference – Grambling State and Jackson State Yankee Conference – Rhode Island Georgia Southern 1986Big Sky Conference – Nevada Colonial League – Holy Cross Gateway Collegiate Athletic Conference – Eastern Illinois Ivy League – Penn Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference – North Carolina A&T Ohio Valley Conference – Murray State Southern Conference – Appalachian State Southland Conference – Arkansas State Southwestern Athletic Conference – Jackson State Yankee Conference – Connecticut, Delaware, and Massachusetts Georgia Southern (2) 1987Big Sky Conference – Idaho Colonial League – Holy Cross Gateway Collegiate Athletic Conference – Northern Iowa Ivy League – Harvard Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference – Howard Ohio Valley Conference – Eastern Kentucky and Youngstown State Southern Conference – Appalachian State Southland Conference – Northeast Louisiana Southwestern Athletic Conference – Jackson State Yankee Conference – Maine and Richmond Northeast Louisiana Kenny Gamble – RB (Colgate) 1988Big Sky Conference – Idaho Colonial League – Lafayette Gateway Collegiate Athletic Conference – Western Illinois Ivy League – Cornell and Penn Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference – Bethune-Cookman, Delaware State, and Florida A&M Ohio Valley Conference – Eastern Kentucky Southern Conference – Furman and Marshall Southland Conference – Northwestern State Southwestern Athletic Conference – Jackson State Yankee Conference – Delaware and Massachusetts Furman Dave Meggett – RB (Towson) 1989Big Sky Conference – Idaho Colonial LeagueAfter the 1989–90 school year, the football-only Colonial League became an all-sports conference and adopted its current name of the Patriot League. – Holy Cross Gateway Collegiate Athletic Conference – Southwest Missouri State Ivy League – Princeton and Yale Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference – Delaware State Ohio Valley Conference – Middle Tennessee Southern Conference – Furman Southland Conference – Stephen F. Austin Southwestern Athletic Conference – Jackson State Yankee Conference – Connecticut, Maine, and Villanova Georgia Southern (3) John Friesz – QB (Idaho) 1990Big Sky Conference – Nevada Gateway Collegiate Athletic Conference – Northern Iowa Ivy League – Cornell and Dartmouth Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference – Florida A&M Ohio Valley Conference – Eastern Kentucky and Middle Tennessee Patriot League – Holy Cross Southern Conference – Furman Southland Conference – Northeast Louisiana Southwestern Athletic Conference – Jackson State Yankee Conference – Massachusetts Georgia Southern (4) Walter Dean – RB (Grambling State) 1991Big Sky Conference – Nevada Gateway Collegiate Athletic ConferenceAfter the 1991–92 academic year, the Gateway Collegiate Athletic Conference merged with the Missouri Valley Conference. The football portion of the conference kept the Gateway charter and slightly changed its name. – Northern Iowa Ivy League – Dartmouth Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference – North Carolina A&T Ohio Valley Conference – Eastern Kentucky Patriot League – Holy Cross Southern Conference – Appalachian State Southland Conference – McNeese State Southwestern Athletic Conference – Alabama State Yankee Conference – Delaware, New Hampshire, and Villanova Youngstown State Jamie Martin – QB (Weber State) 1992Big Sky Conference – Eastern Washington and Idaho Gateway Football Conference – Northern Iowa Ivy League – Dartmouth and Princeton Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference – North Carolina A&T Ohio Valley Conference – Middle Tennessee Patriot League – Lafayette Southern Conference – The Citadel Southland Conference – Northeast Louisiana Southwestern Athletic Conference – Alcorn State Yankee Conference – Delaware Marshall Michael Payton – QB (Marshall) 1993American West ConferenceThe American West Conference began play in 1993 and disbanded after only three years in 1995. It contained both I-AA and Division II schools. – Southern Utah and UC Davis Big Sky Conference – Montana Gateway Football Conference – Northern Iowa Ivy League – Penn Metro Atlantic Athletic ConferenceThe Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference was founded in 1980, added football in 1993, and dropped football sponsorship after the 2007 season. – Iona Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference – Howard Ohio Valley Conference – Eastern Kentucky Patriot League – Lehigh Pioneer Football League – Dayton Southern Conference – Georgia Southern Southland Conference – McNeese State Southwestern Athletic Conference – Southern Yankee Conference – Boston University Youngstown State (2) Doug Nussmeier – QB (Idaho) 1994American West Conference – Cal Poly Big Sky Conference – Boise State Gateway Football Conference – Northern Iowa Ivy League – Penn Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference – Marist and St. John's Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference – South Carolina State Ohio Valley Conference – Eastern Kentucky Patriot League – Lafayette Pioneer Football League – Butler and Dayton Southern Conference – Marshall Southland Conference – North Texas Southwestern Athletic Conference – Alcorn State and Grambling State Yankee Conference – New Hampshire Youngstown State (3) Steve McNair – QB (Alcorn State) 1995American West Conference – Sacramento State Big Sky Conference – Montana Gateway Football Conference – Eastern Illinois and Northern Iowa Ivy League – Princeton Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference – Duquesne Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference – Florida A&M Ohio Valley Conference – Murray State Patriot League – Lehigh Pioneer Football League – Drake Southern Conference – Appalachian State Southland Conference – McNeese State Southwestern Athletic Conference – Jackson State Yankee Conference – Delaware Montana Dave Dickenson – QB (Montana) Dexter Coakley – LB (Appalachian State) 1996Big Sky Conference – Montana Gateway Football Conference – Northern Iowa Ivy League – Dartmouth Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference – Duquesne Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference – Florida A&M Northeast Conference – Monmouth and Robert Morris Ohio Valley Conference – Murray State Patriot League – Bucknell Pioneer Football League – Dayton Southern Conference – Marshall Southland Football League – Troy State Southwestern Athletic Conference – Jackson State Yankee ConferenceAfter the 1996 football season, the Yankee Conference merged with the Atlantic 10 Conference, which would sponsor football until the 2006 season. – William & Mary Marshall (2) Archie Amerson – RB (Northern Arizona) Dexter Coakley – LB (Appalachian State) 1997Atlantic 10 Conference – Villanova Big Sky Conference – Eastern Washington Gateway Football Conference – Western Illinois Ivy League – Harvard Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference – Georgetown Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference – Hampton Northeast Conference – Robert Morris Ohio Valley Conference – Eastern Kentucky Patriot League – Colgate Pioneer Football League – Dayton Southern Conference – Georgia Southern Southland Football League – McNeese State and Northwestern State Southwestern Athletic Conference – Southern Youngstown State (4) Brian Finneran – WR (Villanova) Chris McNeil – DE (North Carolina A&T) 1998Atlantic 10 Conference – Richmond Big Sky Conference – Montana Gateway Football Conference – Western Illinois Ivy League – Penn Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference – Fairfield and Georgetown Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference – Florida A&M and Hampton Northeast Conference – Monmouth and Robert Morris Ohio Valley Conference – Tennessee State Patriot League – Lehigh Pioneer Football League – Drake Southern Conference – Georgia Southern Southland Football League – Northwestern State Southwestern Athletic Conference – Southern Massachusetts Jerry Azumah – RB (New Hampshire) James Milton – LB (Western Illinois) 1999Atlantic 10 Conference – James Madison and Massachusetts Big Sky Conference – Montana Gateway Football Conference – Illinois State Ivy League – Brown and Yale Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference – Duquesne Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference – North Carolina A&T Northeast Conference – Robert Morris Ohio Valley Conference – Tennessee State