The FCS players who carry a chip on their shoulder about not being on the FBS level can do something about it – go out and beat the upper tier in Division I.
UIW first-year coach Clint Killough makes sure FBS wins are part of his program’s recruiting pitch – the Cardinals beat Texas State in 2021 and Nevada last year. Holy Cross is the only other FCS program to also post multiple wins in that time.
“That’s a big deal,” Killough said. “It’s pretty cool to hear our guys talk about those games.”
In the 2023 season, there are 118 scheduled matchups, involving 96 of the 128 FCS programs and 13 of the 15 conferences (all but the Ivy and Pioneer leagues).
Eight FCS teams posted wins in 120 games against FBS opposition last season, and seven of them went on to make the national playoffs.
Below is the full list of 2023 FCS vs. FBS matchups:
ASUN
2023 FCS vs. FBS Matchups (5) – Austin Peay: Tennessee (Sept. 9); Central Arkansas: Oklahoma State (Sept. 2); Eastern Kentucky: Cincinnati (Sept. 2) and Kentucky (Sept. 9); North Alabama: Florida State (Nov. 18)
Did You Know? – Eastern Kentucky’s 59-57, seven-overtime win at Bowling Green last season marked the most overtimes in a game between FCS and FBS teams.
Big Sky
2023 FCS vs. FBS Matchups (13) – Cal Poly: San Jose State (Sept. 9); Eastern Washington: Fresno State (Sept. 9); Idaho: Nevada (Sept. 9) and California (Sept. 16); Idaho State: San Diego State (Sept. 2) and Utah State (Sept. 9); Northern Arizona: Arizona (Sept. 2); Northern Colorado: Washington State (Sept. 16); Portland State: Oregon (Sept. 2) and Wyoming (Sept. 9); Sacramento State: Stanford (Sept. 16); UC Davis: Oregon State (Sept. 9); Weber State: Utah (Sept. 16)
Did You Know? – Sacramento State’s second all-time matchup with Stanford pits the Hornets against Troy Taylor, who led them to Big Sky titles in each of their past three seasons (2019, ’21 and ’22).
Big South
2023 FCS vs. FBS Matchups (5) – Bryant: UNLV (Sept. 2); Charleston Southern: Clemson (Sept. 9); Gardner-Webb: Appalachian State (Sept. 2) and East Carolina (Sept. 23); Robert Morris: Air Force (Sept. 2)
Did You Know? – Out of the four Big South football programs, only Gardner-Webb has posted an FBS win, beating Akron 38-37 in overtime in 2010.
CAA Football
2023 FCS vs. FBS Matchups (15) – UAlbany: Marshall (Sept. 2) and Hawaii (Sept. 9); Campbell: North Carolina (Nov. 4); Delaware: Penn State (Sept. 9); Elon: Wake Forest (Aug. 31); Maine: FIU (Sept. 2); Monmouth: Florida Atlantic (Sept. 2); New Hampshire: Central Michigan (Sept. 9); North Carolina A&T: UAB (Aug. 31); Rhode Island: Georgia State (Aug. 31); Richmond: Michigan State (Sept. 9); Stony Brook: Arkansas State (Sept. 16); Towson: Maryland (Sept. 2); Villanova: UCF (Sept. 16); William & Mary: Virginia (Oct. 7)
Did You Know? – In the last 10 seasons, 10 different CAA programs have posted at least one win over FBS opposition.
Independent
2023 FCS vs. FBS Matchup (1) – Kennesaw State: Sam Houston (Nov. 4)
Did You Know? – The Owls, 0-4 all-time against the FBS, lost at Sam Houston 34-27 in a 2017 FCS quarterfinal-round playoff game in their only previous matchup.
MEAC
2023 FCS vs. FBS Matchups (9) – Delaware State: Army (Sept. 9) and Miami-Ohio (Sept. 23); Howard: Eastern Michigan (Sept. 1) and Northwestern (Oct. 7); Morgan State: Akron (Sept. 9); North Carolina Central: UCLA (Sept. 16); Norfolk State: Temple (Sept. 16); South Carolina State: Charlotte (Sept. 2) and Georgia Tech (Sept. 9)
Did You Know? – N.C. Central, the reigning Celebration Bowl champion, will travel over 2,500 miles across the country to become UCLA’s second FCS opponent (Alabama State was the first last season).
Missouri Valley
2023 FCS vs. FBS Matchups (11) – Indiana State: Indiana (Sept. 9) and Ball State (Sept. 16); Missouri State: Kansas (Sept. 1); Murray State: Louisville (Sept. 7) and Middle Tennessee (Sept. 16); North Dakota: Boise State (Sept. 16); Northern Iowa: Iowa State (Sept. 2); South Dakota: Missouri (Sept. 2); Southern Illinois: Northern Illinois (Sept. 9); Western Illinois: New Mexico State (Sept. 2); Youngstown State: Ohio State (Sept. 9)
Did You Know? – Youngstown State has the most FBS wins (20) out of all programs in their FCS era.
Northeast
2023 FCS vs. FBS Matchups (10) – Central Connecticut State: Kent State (Sept. 16); Duquesne: West Virginia (Sept. 9) and Coastal Carolina (Sept. 16); LIU: Ohio (Sept. 2) and Baylor (Sept. 16); Merrimack: UMass (Nov. 4); Sacred Heart: UConn (Nov. 18); Saint Francis: Western Michigan (Aug. 31); Wagner: Navy (Sept. 9) and Rutgers (Sept. 30)
Did You Know? – Duquesne topped Ohio 28-26 in 2021 for the NEC’s only win in 37 all-time matchups against FBS programs.
Ohio Valley
2023 FCS vs. FBS Matchups (5) – Eastern Illinois: Bowling Green (Sept. 9); Southeast Missouri: Kansas State (Sept. 2); Tennessee State: Notre Dame (Sept. 2); Tennessee Tech: New Mexico (Sept. 9); UT Martin: Georgia (Sept. 2)
Did You Know? – Tennessee State will become Notre Dame’s first-ever HBCU and FCS opponent. In TSU coach Eddie George’s 1995 Heisman Trophy season at Ohio State, he rushed for 207 yards and two touchdowns in his only career game against the Irish.
Patriot
2023 FCS vs. FBS Matchups (6) – Bucknell: James Madison (Sept. 2); Colgate: Syracuse (Sept. 2); Fordham: Buffalo (Sept. 9); Holy Cross: Boston College (Sept. 9) and Army (Nov. 11); Lafayette: Duke (Sept. 9)
Did You Know? – In a 6-6 tie between Colgate and Syracuse in 1897, a newspaper reporter tackled a Syracuse player who was trying to score the winning touchdown because he was sympathetic to Colgate’s cause.
Southern
2023 FCS vs. FBS Matchups (9) – Chattanooga: Alabama (Nov. 18); ETSU: Jacksonville State (Sept. 2); Furman: South Carolina (Sept. 9); Mercer: Ole Miss (Sept. 2); Samford: Auburn (Sept. 16); The Citadel: Georgia Southern (Sept. 2); VMI: NC State (Sept. 16); Western Carolina: Arkansas (Sept. 2); Wofford: Pittsburgh (Sept. 2)
Did You Know? – Western Carolina has a 62-game losing streak against FBS opponents.
Southland
2023 FCS vs. FBS Matchups (11) – HCU: Western Kentucky (Sept. 9); Lamar: ULM (Sept. 9); McNeese: Florida (Sept. 9); Nicholls: TCU (Sept. 9) and Tulane (Sept. 23); Northwestern State: Louisiana (Sept. 2) and Louisiana Tech (Sept. 9); Southeastern Louisiana: Mississippi State (Sept. 2) and South Alabama (Sept. 9); Texas A&M-Commerce: Old Dominion (Sept. 23); UIW: UTEP (Sept. 2)
Did You Know? – Nicholls is the only FCS program to be facing multiple FBS opponents that finished in the final AP Top 25 last season – No. 2 TCU, the national runner-up, and No. 9 Tulane.
SWAC
2023 FCS vs. FBS Matchups (11) – Alabama A&M: Vanderbilt (Sept. 2); Alcorn State: Southern Miss (Sept. 2); Arkansas-Pine Bluff: Tulsa (Aug. 31); Bethune-Cookman: Memphis (Sept. 2) and Miami-Florida (Sept. 14); Florida A&M: USF (Sept. 9); Grambling State: LSU (Sept. 9); Jackson State: Texas State (Sept. 16); Prairie View A&M: SMU (Sept. 16); Texas Southern: Toledo (Sept. 9) and Rice (Sept. 16)
Did You Know? – A SWAC program hasn’t posted an FBS win since coach Eddie Robinson led Grambling State past Oregon State 23-6 on Sept. 28, 1985 in Shreveport, Louisiana.
WAC
2023 FCS vs. FBS Matchups (7) – Abilene Christian: North Texas (Sept. 30) and Texas A&M (Nov. 18); Southern Utah: Arizona State (Aug. 31) and BYU (Sept. 9); Stephen F. Austin: Troy (Sept. 2); Tarleton: Texas Tech (Sept. 16); Utah Tech: Colorado State (Sept. 30)
Did You Know? – Tarleton’s first win as an FCS program (second overall) was at FBS New Mexico State 43-17 on Feb. 21, 2021.