The 2018 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 FCS Championship Game was played on January 5, 2019, in Frisco, Texas. North Dakota State claimed its second consecutive FCS title, and seventh in eight years, defeating Eastern Washington, 38-24.
Conference changes and new programs School 2017 conference 2018 conference Campbell Pioneer Big South Hampton MEAC FCS Independent Idaho Sun Belt (FBS) Big Sky Liberty Big South FBS Independent North Alabama Gulf South (D–II) FCS Independent North Dakota Big Sky
Notable headlines June 13 – Major changes to redshirt rules in Division I football (both FBS and FCS) were approved by the NCAA Division I Council. From the 2018 season forward, players could participate in as many as four games in a given season while still retaining redshirt status. September 15 – Hurricane Florence caused unprecedented disruption to college football schedules. For FCS teams alone, the storm forced the cancellation of six games (Elon at William & Mary, Savannah State at Howard, Tennessee State at Hampton, Presbyterian at Stetson, Walsh (D-II) at Jacksonville, and Colgate at Furman) and the rescheduling of nine others. October 27 – Central Connecticut's Aaron Dawson ran for 308 yards in the second half, a record for a half throughout Division I, and 361 yards overall to lead the Blue Devils to a 49–24 win over Wagner. November 17 – In the final game of his college career, Samford quarterback Devlin Hodges set a new FCS record for career passing yardage, surpassing late Alcorn State and NFL great Steve McNair in the Bulldogs' 38–27 win over East Tennessee State. Hodges finished his career with 14,584 yards.
FCS team wins over FBS teams Italics denotes FBS teams.
Conference changes and new programs School 2017 conference 2018 conference Campbell Pioneer Big South Hampton MEAC FCS Independent Idaho Sun Belt (FBS) Big Sky Liberty Big South FBS Independent North Alabama Gulf South (D–II) FCS Independent North Dakota Big Sky
Conference standings
Conference summaries Championship games Conference Champion Runner-upScoreOffensive Player of the YearDefensive Player of the YearCoach of the Year SWAC Alcorn State9–3 (6–1) Southern7–4 (6–1) 37–28 Noah Johnson(Alcorn State) De’Arius Christmas(Grambling State) Fred McNair(Alcorn State)
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 WashingtonUC DavisWeber State 9–2 (7–1)9–2 (7–1)9–2 (7–1) Jake Maier(UC Davis) Jay-Tee Tiuli(Eastern Washington) Aaron Best(Eastern Washington)Dan Hawkins(UC Davis) Big South Kennesaw State 10–1 (5–0) Chandler Burks(Kennesaw State) Anthony Gore, Jr.(Kennesaw State) Brian Bohanon(Kennesaw State) CAA Maine 8–3 (7–1) Tom Flacco(Towson) Jimmy Moreland(James Madison) Joe Harasymiak(Maine) Ivy Princeton 10–0 (7–0) John Lovett(Princeton) Isiah Swann(Dartmouth) Bob Surace(Princeton) MEAC North Carolina A&T 9–2 (6–1) Caylin Newton(Howard) Darryl Johnson Jr.(North Carolina A&T) Sam Washington(North Carolina A&T) MVFC North Dakota State 11–0 (8–0)Easton Stick(North Dakota State) Jabril Cox(North Dakota State) Curt Mallory(Indiana State) NEC DuquesneSacred Heart 8–3 (5–1)7–4 (5–1) A. J. Hines(Duquesne) Cam Gill(Wagner) Mark Nofri(Sacred Heart)Jerry Schmitt(Duquesne) OVC Jacksonville State 8–3 (7–1) Marquis Terry(Southeast Missouri State) Zach Hall(Southeast Missouri State) Tom Matukewicz(Southeast Missouri State) Patriot Colgate 9–1 (6–0) James Holland, Jr.(Colgate) T. J. Hill(Colgate) Dan Hunt(Colgate) Pioneer San Diego 9–2 (8–0) Anthony Lawrence(San Diego) Nathan Clayberg(Drake) Roger Hughes(Stetson) Southern East Tennessee StateFurmanWofford 8–3 (6–2)6–4 (6–2)8–3 (6–2) Devlin Hodges(Samford) Isaiah Mack(Chattanooga) Randy Sanders(East Tennessee State) Southland Incarnate WordNicholls 6–4 (6–2)8–3 (7–2) Jazz Ferguson(Northwestern State) B. J. Blunt(McNeese State) Eric Morris(Incarnate Word)
Playoff qualifiers Automatic berths for conference champions ConferenceTeamAppearanceLast bidResultBig Sky Conference Weber State 7th 2017 Quarterfinals (L – James Madison)Big South Conference Kennesaw State 2nd 2017 Quarterfinals (L – Sam Houston State)Colonial Athletic Association Maine 8th 2013 Second Round (L – New Hampshire)Missouri Valley Football Conference North Dakota State 9th 2017 National Champions (W – James Madison)Northeast Conference Duquesne 2nd 2015 First Round (L – William & Mary)Ohio Valley Conference Jacksonville State 9th 2017 Second Round (L – Kennesaw State)Patriot League Colgate 11th 2015 Quarterfinals (L – Sam Houston State)Pioneer Football League San Diego 4th 2017 Second Round (L – North Dakota State)Southern Conference Wofford 9th 2017 Quarterfinals (L – North Dakota State)Southland Conference Nicholls 5th 2017 First Round (L – South Dakota)
At large qualifiers
ConferenceTeamAppearanceLast bidResult Big Sky Conference Eastern Washington 13th 2016 Semifinals (L – Youngstown State) UC Davis 1st – Montana State 9th 2014 First Round (L – South Dakota State) Colonial Athletic Association Delaware 16th 2010 Championship Game (L – Eastern Washington) Elon 3rd 2017 First Round (L – Furman) James Madison 15th 2017 Championship Game (L – North Dakota State) Stony Brook 4th 2017 Second Round (L – James Madison) Towson 3rd 2013 Championship Game (L – North Dakota State) Missouri Valley Football Conference Northern Iowa 20th 2017 Second Round (L – South Dakota State) South Dakota State 8th 2017 Semifinals (L – James Madison)Ohio Valley Conference Southeast Missouri State 2nd 2010 Second Round (L – Eastern Washington)Southern Conference East Tennessee State 2nd 1996 Quarterfinals (L – Montana) Southland Conference Incarnate Word 1st – Lamar 1st –
Abstentions Ivy League – Princeton Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference – North Carolina A&T Southwestern Athletic Conference – Alcorn State
Postseason
Bowl game DateGameSiteTelevisionParticipantsAffiliationsResultsDecember 15Celebration BowlMercedes-Benz StadiumAtlanta, Georgia12:00pmABCNorth Carolina A&T Aggies (9–2)Alcorn State Braves (9–3)MEACSWACNorth Carolina A&T 24Alcorn State 22
NCAA Division I playoff bracket
Pre-season international exhibitions DateNameLocationNCAA teamHosting TeamScoreMay 26, 2018Drake-China Ambassadors BowlUIBE, Beijing, ChinaDrakeChina All-Stars(AFLC, CAFL, & CBL)77–0
Kickoff games One kickoff game was played during "Week Zero" on August 25: FCS Kickoff (Cramton Bowl, Montgomery): North Carolina A&T defeated Jacksonville State, 20–17
Awards and honors
Walter Payton Award The Walter Payton Award is given to the year's most outstanding offensive player. Finalists: Chandler Burks (QB), Kennesaw State Devlin Hodges (QB), Samford Easton Stick (QB), North Dakota State
Buck Buchanan Award The Buck Buchanan Award is given to the year's most outstanding defensive player. Finalists: Zach Hall (LB), Southeast Missouri State Dante Olson (LB), Montana Derick Roberson (DE), Sam Houston State
Jerry Rice Award The Jerry Rice Award is given to the year's most outstanding freshman. Winner: Josh Davis (RB), Weber State
Coaches AFCA Coach of the Year: Joe Harasymiak, Maine Eddie Robinson Award: Dan Hawkins, UC Davis
Coaching changes
Preseason and in-season This is restricted to coaching changes that took place on or after May 1, 2018. For coaching changes that occurred earlier in 2018, see 2017 NCAA Division I FCS end-of-season coaching changes.
SchoolOutgoing coachDateReasonReplacement Stephen F. Austin Clint Conque August 6 Resigned Jeff Byrd (interim) Jackson State Tony Hughes October 28 Fired John Hendrick
End of season SchoolOutgoing coachDateReasonReplacement Eastern Illinois Kim Dameron November 18 Contract not renewed Adam Cushing William & Mary Jimmye Laycock November 18 Retired Mike London Howard Mike London November 19 Hired as head coach by William & Mary Ron Prince Northern Arizona Jerome Souers November 19 Retired Chris Ball Brown Phil Estes November 19 Resigned James Perry McNeese State Lance Guidry November 20 Contract not renewed Sterlin Gilbert Sacramento State Jody Sears November 26 Fired Troy Taylor Texas Southern Michael Haywood November 27 Resigned Clarence McKinney Stephen F. Austin Jeff Byrd (interim) December 1 Permanent replacement Colby CarthelJames MadisonMike HoustonDecember 3Hired as head coach by East CarolinaCurt CignettiBryantJames PerryDecember 3Hired as head coach by BrownChris MerrittAustin PeayWill HealyDecember 4Hired as head coach by CharlotteMark Hudspeth Charleston Southern Mark Tucker December 7 Resigned Autry Denson Savannah State Erik Raeburn December 7 Fired Shawn Quinn (interim) Lehigh Andy Coen December 7 Retired Tom Gilmore North Dakota State Chris Klieman December 10 Hired as head coach by Kansas State Matt Entz Drake Rick Fox December 10 Resigned Todd Stepsis North Carolina Central Granville Eastman (interim) December 12 Permanent replacement Trei OliverChattanoogaTom ArthDecember 14Hired as head coach by Akron Rusty WrightElonCurt CignettiDecember 14Hired as head coach by James MadisonTony Trisciani Maine Joe Harasymiak December 21 Hired as defensive assistant by Minnesota Nick Charlton Bucknell Joe Susan January 14 Resigned Dave Cecchini Central Connecticut Peter Rossomando January 23 Hired as offensive line coach by Rutgers Ryan McCarthy Valparaiso Dave Cecchini February 6 Hired as head coach by Bucknell Landon Fox Morgan State Ernest T. Jones (interim) February 7 Permanent replacement Tyrone Wheatley
Attendances
Top 30 teams by average home attendance:
# Team Home games Total attendance Average attendance 1 Jackson State Tigers 4 99,079 24,770 2 Montana Grizzlies 6 148,064 24,677 3 James Madison Dukes 6 125,466 20,911 4 Southern Jaguars 4 75,212 18,803 5 North Dakota State Bison 10 181,055 18,106 6 Florida A&M Rattlers 6 107,239 17,873 7 Jacksonville State Gamecocks 6 101,421 16,904 8 Montana State Bobcats 7 115,299 16,471 9 Delaware Fightin' Blue Hens 6 97,791 16,299 10 Alabama State Hornets 4 64,293 16,073 11 North Carolina A&T Aggies 5 77,468 15,494 12 Alcorn State Braves 6 91,103 15,184 13 Alabama A&M Bulldogs 4 50,086 12,522 14 Youngstown State Penguins 6 69,322 11,554 15 Idaho Vandals 5 56,400 11,280 16 McNeese Cowboys 5 54,814 10,963 17 Western Carolina Catamounts 5 52,900 10,580 18 Tennessee State Tigers 4 41,688 10,422 19 South Dakota State Jackrabbits 7 71,243 10,178 20 New Hampshire Wildcats 6 60,921 10,154 21 Harvard Crimson 5 49,211 9,842 22 Mercer Bears 5 49,015 9,803 23 South Dakota Coyotes 5 47,098 9,420 24 The Citadel Bulldogs 5 46,715 9,343 25 Northern Iowa Panthers 6 56,020 9,337 26 North Dakota Fighting Hawks 5 46,682 9,336 27 Illinois State Redbirds 6 55,561 9,260 28 William & Mary Tribe 4 36,922 9,231 29 South Carolina State Bulldogs 5 45,871 9,174 30 Abilene Christian Wildcats 5 44,953 8,991
Source:
See also 2018 NCAA Division I FCS football rankings 2018 NCAA Division I FBS football season 2018 NCAA Division II football season
References