North Dakota State has been the dominating force in FCS, winning nine of the last 12 NCAA FCS national football titles. That's good enough to put the Bison three titles ahead of the next closest program for most all-time FCS national championships.
North Dakota State broke a tie with Georgia Southern (now an FBS Sun Belt member) with its seventh national title in 2018 over Eastern Washington. One year later, the Bison added an eighth championship with a win over James Madison. North Dakota State then beat Montana State in the 2021 season.
South Dakota State is the most recent first-time FCS national champion after defeating North Dakota State for the 2022 title. Twenty-three different schools have now lifted the trophy since 1978.
Here is a list of every institution to win an FCS championship, ranked in order from most titles to least.
Schools with the most NCAA FCS football championships:
| School | Number of titles | Year(s) |
|---|---|---|
| North Dakota State | 9 | 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2021 |
| Georgia Southern | 6 | 1985, 1986, 1989, 1990, 1999, 2000 |
| Youngstown State | 4 | 1991, 1993, 1994, 1997 |
| Appalachian State | 3 | 2005, 2006, 2007 |
| Eastern Kentucky | 2 | 1979, 1982 |
| James Madison | 2 | 2004, 2016 |
| Marshall | 2 | 1992, 1996 |
| Montana | 2 | 1995, 2001 |
| Boise State | 1 | 1980 |
| Delaware | 1 | 2003 |
| Eastern Washington | 1 | 2010 |
| Florida A&M | 1 | 1978 |
| Furman | 1 | 1988 |
| Idaho State | 1 | 1981 |
| Louisiana-Monroe | 1 | 1987 |
| Massachusetts | 1 | 1998 |
| Montana State | 1 | 1984 |
| Richmond | 1 | 2008 |
| Sam Houston | 1 | 2020 |
| South Dakota State | 1 | 2022 |
| Southern Illinois | 1 | 1983 |
| Villanova | 1 | 2009 |
| Western Kentucky | 1 | 2002 |
FCS CHAMPIONSHIP INFORMATION AND TICKETS
5 FCS football facts worth knowing
- Four schools have won titles in at least two consecutive seasons. North Dakota State owns the longest streak at five in a row (2011-15) and also three-peated as champs from 2017-19. Appalachian State won three straight titles from 2005-07. Georgia Southern (1985-86,1989-90, 1999-00) and Youngstown State (1993-94) are the other two schools to go back to back.
- Jim Tressel (Youngstown State) and Chris Klieman (North Dakota State) are tied for the most championship wins among head coaches in FCS history at four apiece. Klieman matched Tressel in 2018 before leaving to coach Kansas State in the FBS. Craig Bohl (North Dakota State), Jerry Moore (Appalachian State) and Erk Russell (Georgia Southern) all won three championships as head coach.
- KC Keeler became the first coach to win FCS titles at multiple schools — one at Delaware (2003) and one at Sam Houston (2020).
- North Dakota State (9-1 title game record) has the most all-time championship game appearances with 10, ahead of Georgia Southern's eight (6-2). Youngstown State (4-3) and Montana (2-5) follow, having been to the finals seven times each.
- Thirty-five different programs have appeared in the FCS national championship game. Only one school — McNeese — has reached that level twice without a trophy to show for it. Sam Houston was previously on this list before its 2020 title, having finished runner-up in 2011-12.
RELATED: Complete FCS championship history | Future sites and dates
