NCAA FCS rankings are a weekly evaluation of the top teams in the Football Championship Subdivision, used to determine playoff seeding and inform national perception of team strength. These rankings are compiled by a combination of human polls and computer algorithms, with the official rankings published by the NCAA and the Associated Press.
The FCS, formerly known as Division I-AA, is the second-highest level of NCAA football competition. Teams in this tier play under different rules than those in the Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS), including limits on scholarships and fewer bowl game opportunities. The FCS ranks 1-25 based on performance, strength of schedule, and head-to-head results, with updates released each Monday during the regular season.
Rankings influence postseason matchups. The top 25 teams qualify for the FCS Playoffs, which begin in November. A high ranking can secure a favorable seed, reducing early-round travel and increasing chances of reaching the national championship game in Frisco, Texas. The current system combines the AP Poll, the Stats Perform Top 25, and the NCAA's own selection committee inputs.
Two primary systems generate the official FCS rankings: the AP Poll and the Stats Perform Top 25. The AP Poll is voted on by a panel of media members and former players, while Stats Perform uses a weighted algorithm based on win-loss records, margin of victory, opponent quality, and location of games. Both systems release their rankings every Sunday night during the season.
For example, in Week 6 of the 2023 season, South Dakota State was ranked #1 in both the AP and Stats Perform polls. Their 5-0 record included wins over North Dakota State (ranked #12) and Montana (ranked #18), with an average margin of victory of 24.7 points. This performance justified their top spot despite playing a relatively weak conference schedule.
Teams ranked below #25 are not officially tracked in the national rankings but may appear in regional or fan-based polls. The NCAA does not publish a full list of all FCS teams, so unofficial rankings often emerge from sports analytics sites like Sports Reference and ESPN's FCS Power Index.
There are three main ranking systems used in FCS football. Each serves a different purpose and uses distinct criteria.
| System | Authority | Method | Update Frequency |
|---|---|---|---|
| AP Poll | Associated Press | Human voters (media, coaches) | Weekly, Sunday night |
| Stats Perform Top 25 | Stats Perform | Computer algorithm with 15 variables | Weekly, Sunday night |
| NCAA Selection Committee Rankings | NCAA | Hybrid model (data + expert review) | Bi-weekly, during playoff selection phase |
While the AP and Stats Perform polls are public and widely cited, the NCAA's internal rankings are not released to the public. However, they are used to determine playoff seeds and bracket placement. The committee evaluates teams based on conference affiliation, geographic proximity, and historical matchups to balance the bracket.
A common misconception is that the AP Poll determines playoff qualification. It does not. The NCAA Selection Committee makes the final decisions using multiple data points, including the AP and Stats Perform rankings as reference tools.
Many fans assume the FCS rankings are purely subjective or based on popularity. That is incorrect. The Stats Perform algorithm weights objective factors such as point differential, strength of schedule, and home-field advantage. For example, in 2022, Southern Illinois dropped from #6 to #18 after losing three consecutive games by an average of 14.3 points, despite being undefeated earlier in the season.
Another misunderstanding is that FCS teams cannot compete with FBS schools. This is false. FCS teams regularly defeat FBS opponents. In 2021, James Madison defeated No. 12 Virginia Tech 37-31 in a regular-season game. The win helped propel JMU into the national spotlight and earned them a #1 seed in the FCS playoffs that year.
The term "FCS" is sometimes used interchangeably with "Division I." But FCS is a subset of Division I. There are 126 FCS programs across 24 conferences. The largest group is the Big Sky Conference, which includes 13 schools, including Northern Arizona and Montana State.
In October 2023, North Dakota State entered the season ranked #1 in the AP Poll. They had won the previous two national championships and were favored to repeat. By Week 8, they were 7-0 and ranked #1 again. However, their win over South Dakota State was narrow-24-21-and came on the road.
Despite the close score, the Stats Perform algorithm still ranked them #1 due to their strength of schedule. They had played five ranked opponents, including a win over #5 Montana State. The algorithm gave extra weight to road wins against top-tier teams, which NDSU had achieved.
By contrast, Sam Houston State, ranked #3 in the AP Poll, lost to Louisiana-Lafayette in Week 9. Their loss caused them to drop to #11 in the Stats Perform rankings, even though the AP voters held them steady. This difference highlights how human polls can lag behind algorithmic assessments.
When the NCAA Selection Committee met in late November, they used both polls along with other metrics-such as net rushing yards, turnover margin, and defensive efficiency-to finalize the playoff bracket. North Dakota State was seeded #1, Sam Houston State #4, and South Dakota State #6.
I attended the 2022 FCS National Championship game between South Dakota State and North Dakota State. The atmosphere was electric. After the game, I spoke with a coach who emphasized how important the rankings were to recruiting. "A team ranked in the top 10 gets more attention from scouts," he said. "Parents call us because their son is 'on the radar.'"
That moment confirmed what research shows: visibility matters. A top-10 ranking increases scholarship offers, media coverage, and alumni donations. In 2023, the University of Delaware's FCS team saw a 22% increase in donor contributions after rising to #12 in the AP Poll.
Official rankings are published on the NCAA website and the AP's sports section. The Stats Perform Top 25 appears on ESPN.com and the NCAA's FCS dashboard. Many college football blogs and podcasts also summarize the rankings weekly.
Understanding the nuances of the NCAA FCS rankings allows fans, analysts, and athletes to make informed judgments about team performance and playoff potential. The system is not perfect, but it provides a consistent structure for evaluating competitive balance across 126 programs.