The 2013 NCAA Division I FCS football season, part of college football in the United States, was organized by the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) at the Division I Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) level. The season began on August 29, 2013, and concluded with the 2014 NCAA Division I Football Championship Game on January 4, 2014, at Toyota Stadium in Frisco, Texas. North Dakota State won its third consecutive title, defeating Towson, 35–7.

Conference changes and new programs

School 2012 Conference 2013 Conference Abilene Christian Lone Star (D-II) FCS Independent Albany NEC CAA Charlotte New program FCS Independent Georgia State CAA Sun Belt (FBS) Houston Baptist New program FCS Independent Incarnate Word Lone Star (D-II) FCS Independent Mercer Revived program Pioneer Monmouth NEC FCS Independent Old Dominion CAA FCS Independent Stetson Revived program Pioneer Stony Brook Big South CAA

Other notable changes The Pioneer Football League joined the conferences receiving an automatic bid into the FCS playoffs, which increased from 20 to 24 teams in 2013.

Under a standard provision of NCAA rules, all FCS programs were allowed to play 12 regular-season games (not counting conference title games) in 2013, and also in 2014. 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. After 2014, the next season in which 12-game seasons are allowed will be 2019.

FCS team wins over FBS teams

(FCS rankings from the Sports Network poll; FBS rankings from the AP Poll)

August 29: Southern Utah 22, South Alabama 21 August 29: No. 11 Towson 33, Connecticut 18 August 30: No. 1 North Dakota State 24, Kansas State 21 August 30: Samford 31, Georgia State 21 August 31: No. 21 Eastern Illinois 40, San Diego State 19 August 31: No. 4 Eastern Washington 49, No. 25 Oregon State 46 (NOTE: this is the third time an FCS team has beat an FBS team that was ranked in the AP poll, after James Madison's victory over No. 13 Virginia Tech in 2010 and Appalachian State's upset of No. 5 Michigan in 2007). August 31: McNeese State 53, South Florida 21 August 31: No. 17 Northern Iowa 28, Iowa State 20 September 7: Chattanooga 42, Georgia State 14 September 7: Maine 24, Massachusetts 14 September 7: Nicholls State 27, Western Michigan 23 September 14: No. 23 Bethune–Cookman 34, Florida International 13 September 14: Fordham 30, Temple 29 September 21: Jacksonville State 32, Georgia State 26 OT November 9: Old Dominion 59, Idaho 38 November 23: Georgia Southern 26, Florida 20

Conference standings

Conference summaries

Championship games Conference Champion Runner-upScoreOffensive Player of the YearDefensive Player of the YearCoach of the Year SWAC Southern Jackson State 34–272OT Dray Joseph, QB, SouthernArnold Walker, RB, Alcorn State Jer-ryan Harris, LB, Arkansas-Pine Bluff Dawson Odums, Southern

Other conference winners

Note: Records are regular-season only, and do not include playoff games. ConferenceChampionRecordOffensive Player of the YearDefensive Player of the YearCoach of the Year Big Sky Eastern Washington 10–2 (8–0) Vernon Adams, QB (Eastern Washington) Brad Daly (Montana State)Sullivan Grosz (Cal Poly) Beau Baldwin (Eastern Washington) Big South Coastal CarolinaLiberty 10–2 (4–1)8–4 (4–1) Lorenzo Taliaferro, RB (Coastal Carolina) Quinn Backus, LB (Coastal Carolina) CAA Maine 10–2 (7–1) Terrance West, RB (Towson) Stephon Robertson, LB (James Madison) Jack Cosgrove (Maine) Ivy HarvardPrinceton 9–1 (6–1)8–2 (6–1) Quinn Epperly, QB (Princeton) Zack Hodges, DE (Harvard) MEAC Bethune–CookmanSouth Carolina State 10–2 (7–1)9–3 (7–1) Greg McGhee, QB (Howard) Joe Thomas, LB (South Carolina State) Brian Jenkins (Bethune–Cookman) MVFC North Dakota State 11–0 (8–0) Brock Jensen, QB (North Dakota State) Tyler Starr, LB (South Dakota) Craig Bohl (North Dakota State) NEC Sacred HeartDuquesne 10–2 (4–2)6–4 (4–2) Keshaudas Spence, RB (Sacred Heart) Troy Moore, DL (Sacred Heart) Mark Nofri (Sacred Heart) OVC Eastern Illinois 11–1 (8–0) Jimmy Garoppolo, QB (Eastern Illinois) Anthony Bass, DE (Tennessee State) Dino Babers (Eastern Illinois) Patriot Lafayette 5–6 (4–1) Michael Nebrich, QB (Fordham) Stephen Hodge, LB (Fordham) Joe Moorhead (Fordham) Pioneer ButlerMarist 9–3 (7–1)8–3 (7–1) Mason Mills, QB (San Diego) Terrence Fede, DE (Marist)Jim Parady (Marist) Southern ChattanoogaSamfordFurman 8–4 (6–2)8–4 (6–2)7–5 (6–2) Jacob Huesman, So., QB (Chattanooga) Davis Tull, Jr., DL (Chattanooga) Russ Huesman (Chattanooga) Southland Southeastern Louisiana 10–2 (7–0)Bryan Bennett (Southeastern Louisiana) POYCody Stroud (McNeese State) OPOYCqulin Hubert (Southeastern Louisiana) Ron Roberts (Southeastern Louisiana)

Playoff qualifiers

Automatic berths for conference champions Big Sky Conference – Eastern Washington Big South Conference – Coastal Carolina Colonial Athletic Association – Maine Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference – Bethune–Cookman Missouri Valley Football Conference – North Dakota State Northeast Conference – Sacred Heart Ohio Valley Conference – Eastern Illinois Patriot League – Lafayette Pioneer Football League - Butler Southern Conference – Furman Southland Conference – Southeastern Louisiana

At large qualifiers Big Sky Conference - Montana, Northern Arizona, Southern Utah Big South Conference - None Colonial Athletic Association - New Hampshire, Towson Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference - South Carolina State Missouri Valley Football Conference - South Dakota State Northeast Conference - None Ohio Valley Conference - Jacksonville State, Tennessee State Patriot League - Fordham Pioneer Football League - None Southern Conference - Samford Southland Conference - McNeese State, Sam Houston State

Abstentions Ivy League – Princeton Southwestern Athletic Conference – Southern

Postseason After three seasons with a playoff field of twenty teams, the FCS bracket was expanded to 24 this postseason, with the eight seeded teams receiving first-round byes.

NCAA Division I playoff bracket

New, expanded, renovated, and temporary stadiums Albany made its CAA debut in Bob Ford Field, a new 8,500-seat on-campus stadium. University Field, which Albany had used for both football and track since 1970, is now solely a track venue. Charlotte made its football debut in Jerry Richardson Stadium, a new on-campus facility. Its initial capacity is 15,300, but it can be expanded to 25,000 with temporary seating. The stadium design allows future expansion to 40,000. Mercer plays at the Moye Complex, a new on-campus venue with a capacity of 10,200. Stetson plays at the already-existing Spec Martin Stadium, an off-campus stadium owned by Stetson's home city of DeLand, Florida. The stadium holds 6,000.

Coaching changes

Preseason and in-season This is restricted to coaching changes that took place on or after May 1, 2013. For coaching changes that occurred earlier in 2013, see 2012 NCAA Division I FCS end-of-season coaching changes.

SchoolOutgoing coachDateReasonReplacement North Carolina Central Henry Frazier, III August 22 Fired Dwayne Foster (interim) Grambling State Doug Williams September 11 Fired George Ragsdale (interim) Grambling State George Ragsdale October 17 Fired Dennis Winston (interim) Valparaiso Dale Carlson November 10 Fired Mike Gravier (interim)

End of season SchoolOutgoing coachDate announcedReasonReplacement Albany Bob Ford August 13 Retired Greg Gattuso Rhode Island Joe Trainer November 18 Fired Jim Fleming North Dakota Chris Mussman November 18 Fired Kyle "Bubba" Schweigert Robert Morris Joe Walton November 21 Retired John Banaszak Central Connecticut Jeff McInerney November 25 Resigned Peter Rossomando James Madison Mickey Matthews November 25 Fired Everett Withers Elon Jason Swepson November 25 Fired Rich Skrosky Morgan State Donald Hill-Eley November 25 Fired Lee Hull Stephen F. Austin J. C. Harper November 25 Fired Clint Conque Southeast Missouri State Tony Samuel November 26 Fired Tom Matukewicz Weber State Jody Sears November 26 Fired Jay Hill Alabama A&M Anthony Jones December 1 Fired James Spady Colgate Dick Biddle December 2 Retired Dan Hunt Grambling State Dennis Winston December 4 Permanent replacement Broderick Fobbs North Dakota State Craig Bohl December 7 Hired by Wyoming Chris Klieman Mississippi Valley State Karl Morgan December 9 Fired Rick Comegy Valparaiso Mike Gravier December 11 Permanent replacement Dave Cecchini Drake Chris Creighton December 11 Hired by Eastern Michigan Rick Fox Central Arkansas Clint Conque December 14 Hired by Stephen F. Austin Steve Campbell The Citadel Kevin Higgins December 16 Hired by Wake Forest (Assistant) Mike Houston Hampton Donovan Rose December 17 Fired Connell Maynor Eastern Illinois Dino Babers December 18 Hired by Bowling Green Kim Dameron Jackson State Rick Comegy December 18 Fired Harold Jackson North Carolina Central Dwayne Foster December 19 Permanent replacement Jerry Mack Georgia Southern Jeff Monken December 24 Hired by Army Willie Fritz Sam Houston State Willie Fritz January 10 Hired by Georgia Southern K. C. Keeler Jacksonville State Bill Clark January 21 Hired by UAB John Grass Georgetown Kevin Kelly January 30 Resigned Rob Sgarlata Sacramento State Marshall Sperbeck April 25 Resigned Jody Sears (interim)

NFL draft selections

Listed below are all FCS players selected in the 2014 NFL Draft Round Selection Player Position School NFL team 2 62 Jimmy Garoppolo Quarterback Eastern Illinois New England Patriots 3 67 Billy Turner Offensive tackle North Dakota State Miami Dolphins 3 94 Terrance West Running back Towson Cleveland Browns 3 96 Jerick McKinnon Running Back Georgia Southern Minnesota Vikings 4 125 Walt Aikens Cornerback Liberty Miami Dolphins 4 137 Dakota Dozier Offensive Tackle Furman New York Jets 4 138 Lorenzo Taliaferro Running Back Coastal Carolina Baltimore Ravens 5 143 Kadeem Edwards Offensive Guard Tennessee State Tampa Bay Buccaneers 5 158 Caraun Reid Defensive tackle Princeton Detroit Lions 5 171 Jordan Tripp Outside linebacker Montana Miami Dolphins 6 184 Kendall James Cornerback Maine Minnesota Vikings 6 190 Matt Hazel Wide receiver Coastal Carolina Miami Dolphins 6 196 Walt Powell Wide Receiver Murray State Arizona Cardinals 7 226 Mitchell Van Dyk Offensive Tackle Portland State St. Louis Rams 7 234 Terrence Fede Defensive end Marist Miami Dolphins 7 235 Shelby Harris Defensive End Illinois State Oakland Raiders 7 250 Demetrius Rhaney Center Tennessee State St. Louis Rams 7 252 Lavelle Westbrooks Cornerback Georgia Southern Cincinnati Bengals 7 255 Tyler Starr Outside Linebacker South Dakota Atlanta Falcons

See also

2013 NCAA Division I FCS football rankings

References