The 2014 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 23, 2014, and concluded with the 2015 NCAA Division I Football Championship Game played on January 10, 2015, at Toyota Stadium in Frisco, Texas. North Dakota State won its fourth consecutive title, defeating Illinois State, 29–27.
Notable changes
Under a standard provision of NCAA rules, all FCS programs were allowed to play 12 regular-season games (not counting conference title games) 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 this season, the next season in which 12-game seasons are allowed was 2019.
On May 14, 2014, the NCAA announced its Academic Progress Rate (APR) sanctions for the 2014–15 school year. The acceptable minimum score was raised significantly for the first time since the APR was introduced, in 2004. A total of 36 programs in 11 sports were declared ineligible for postseason play after failing to meet the required APR benchmark, including the following seven FCS teams: Alabama State, Arkansas–Pine Bluff, Florida A&M, Mississippi Valley State, Prairie View A&M, Saint Francis (PA), and Savannah State.In addition these, the entire athletic program at Southern University, including the football team, was declared ineligible for postseason play for failing to supply usable academic data to the NCAA.
FCS team wins over FBS teams
(FCS rankings from the Sports Network poll; FBS rankings from the AP Poll)
August 30: No. 22 Bethune-Cookman 14, Florida International 12
August 30: No. 2 North Dakota State 34, Iowa State 14
September 6: Eastern Kentucky 17, Miami (OH) 10
September 13: Abilene Christian 38, Troy 35
September 13: Indiana State 27, Ball State 20—The Victory Bell Game
September 20: Northwestern State 30, Louisiana Tech 27
September 27: Yale 49, Army 43 OT
October 11: Liberty 55, Appalachian State 48 OT
Conference changes and new programs
Conference standings
Conference summaries
Championship games
Other conference winners
Note: Records are regular-season only, and do not include playoff games.
FCS results by conference against FBS opponents
Playoff qualifiers
Automatic berths for conference champions
At large qualifiers
Abstentions
- Ivy League – Harvard
- Southwestern Athletic Conference – Alcorn State
Postseason
NCAA Division I playoff bracket
* Home team
Winner
All times in Eastern Standard Time (UTC−05:00)
Preseason bowl game
Coaching changes
Preseason and in-season
This is restricted to coaching changes that took place on or after May 1, 2014. For coaching changes that occurred earlier in 2014, see 2013 NCAA Division I FCS end-of-season coaching changes.
End of season
See also
- 2014 NCAA Division I FCS football rankings
- 2014 NCAA Division I FBS football season
- 2014 NCAA Division II football season
- 2014 NCAA Division III football season
References
