FCS playoff historical past is stuffed with dynasty applications and groups profitable nationwide championships in consecutive seasons, however loads of winners haven’t been the No. 1 seed. In truth, the variety of champions that weren’t within the high 4 seeds or seeded in any respect are in double figures.
All through historical past, the FCS playoffs haven’t fairly been coated in chalk.
With the 2024 season the forty seventh for the Division I subdivision, its FCS champions have come from a wide-ranging group of playoff seeds – some even unseeded.
About 28% of No. 1 seeds have claimed nationwide titles, however groups behind Montana State, this 12 months’s No. 1 coming into the 24-team area, have cause to consider they will flip the playoff seeding the wrong way up.
The primary three playoffs from 1978 to ’80 have been four-team fields and didn’t make the most of seeding. The sphere was doubled to eight groups and included 4 seeds in 1981, and at the moment, 16 of the 24 groups have seeds.
9 totally different seeds have produced FCS champions – 1 by way of 8 plus No. 11 UMass in a totally seeded 16-team area in 1995. 5 unseeded groups, when the sphere had both 4 or eights seeds, even have claimed nationwide titles.
Not surprisingly, North Dakota State, the all-time chief with 9 FCS titles, has been the No. 1 seed essentially the most instances – 5, together with 4 that ended with the Bison as FCS champions.
FCS Champions by Seed
By way of 2023 season
No. 1 Seed (12): Jap Kentucky (1982), Southern Illinois (1983), Georgia Southern (1989), Youngstown State (1994), Montana (2001), Appalachian State (2006), North Dakota State (2012, 2013, 2018, 2019), South Dakota State (2022, 2023)
No. 2 Seed (12): Idaho State (1981), Northeast Louisiana (1987), Marshall (1996), Georgia Southern (1999), Delaware (2003), Appalachian State (2005), Villanova (2009), North Dakota State (2011, 2014, 2017, 2021), Sam Houston State (2020)
No. 3 Seed (4): Montana State (1984), Georgia Southern (1990, 2000), North Dakota State (2015)
No. 4 Seed (3): Georgia Southern (1986), Furman (1988), James Madison (2016)
No. 5 Seed (2): Appalachian State (2007), Jap Washington (2010)
No. 6 Seed (1): Montana (1995)
No. 7 Seed (1): Richmond (2008)
No. 8 Seed (2): Youngstown State (1997), James Madison (2004)
No. 11 Seed (1): UMass (1998)
Unseeded (5): Georgia Southern (1985), Youngstown State (1991, 1993), Marshall (1992), Western Kentucky (2002)
No Seeds Utilized (3): 1978, 1979, 1980
No. 1 Playoff Seeds by Faculty
Together with 2024 season; *-FCS champion
No seeds have been utilized from 1978-80
North Dakota State (5): 2012*, 2013*, 2016, 2018*, 2019*
Montana (4): 1996, 2000, 2001*, 2009
Appalachian State (3): 1987, 2006*, 2010
Georgia Southern (3): 1989*, 1993, 1998
McNeese State (3): 1995, 2002, 2003
South Dakota State (3): 2020, 2022*,2023*
Jap Kentucky (2): 1981, 1982*
James Madison (2): 2008, 2017
Center Tennessee State (2): 1985, 1990
Nevada (2): 1986, 1991
New Hampshire (2): 2005, 2014
Sam Houston State (2): 2011, 2021
Southern Illinois (2): 1983*, 2004
Alcorn State (1): 1984
Idaho (1): 1988
Jacksonville State (1): 2015
Montana State (1): 2024
Northeast Louisiana (1): 1992
Northern Iowa (1): 2007
Tennessee State (1): 1999
Villanova (1): 1997
Youngstown State (1): 1994*
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