The FCS level of Division I college football has long taken pride in the way it crowns a national champion via its playoff system.
The FBS level eventually caught on to the fun, too.
First implemented as a four-team playoff in the first season of the Division I split in football (1978), the FCS’ season-ending extravaganza has grown to 24 qualifiers, with the championship game held in most seasons at a neutral site, and in every season since 1997.
Following are the year-by-year championship game results (a Most Outstanding Player Award has been presented since 2009):
NCAA Division I FCS Championship Game
2023: South Dakota State (head coach Jimmy Rogers) 23, Montana 3 – site: Frisco, Texas
Most Outstanding Player Award: Mark Gronowski, QB, South Dakota State
2022: South Dakota State (John Stiegelmeier) 45, North Dakota State 21 – Frisco, Texas
Most Outstanding Player Award: Mark Gronowski, QB, South Dakota State
2021: North Dakota State (Matt Entz) 38, Montana State 10 – Frisco, Texas
Most Outstanding Player Award: Hunter Luepke, FB, North Dakota State
2020: Sam Houston (K.C. Keeler) 23, South Dakota State 21 – Frisco, Texas
Most Outstanding Player Award: Jequez Ezzard, WR, Sam Houston
2019: North Dakota State (Matt Entz) 28, James Madison 20 – Frisco, Texas
Most Outstanding Player Award: Trey Lance, QB, North Dakota State
2018: North Dakota State (Chris Klieman) 38, Eastern Washington 24 – Frisco, Texas
Most Outstanding Player Award: Darrius Shepherd, WR, North Dakota State
2017: North Dakota State (Chris Klieman) 17, James Madison 13 – Frisco, Texas
Most Outstanding Player Award: Easton Stick, QB, North Dakota State
2016: James Madison (Mike Houston) 28, Youngstown State 14 – Frisco, Texas
Most Outstanding Player Award: Khalid Abdullah, RB, James Madison
2015: North Dakota State (Chris Klieman) 37, Jacksonville State 10 – Frisco, Texas
Most Outstanding Player Award: Carson Wentz, QB, North Dakota State
2014: North Dakota State (Chris Klieman) 29, Illinois State 27 – Frisco, Texas
Most Outstanding Player Award: Carson Wentz, QB, North Dakota State
2013: North Dakota State (Craig Bohl) 35, Towson 7 – Frisco, Texas
Most Outstanding Player Award: Brock Jensen, QB, North Dakota State
2012: North Dakota State (Craig Bohl) 39, Sam Houston State 13 – Frisco, Texas
Most Outstanding Player Award: Brock Jensen, QB, North Dakota State
2011: North Dakota State (Craig Bohl) 17, Sam Houston State 6 – Frisco, Texas
Most Outstanding Player Award: Travis Beck, LB, North Dakota State
2010: Eastern Washington (Beau Baldwin) 20, Delaware 19 – Frisco, Texas
Most Outstanding Player Award: Bo Levi Mitchell, QB, Eastern Washington
2009: Villanova (Andy Talley) 23, Montana 21 – Chattanooga, Tenn.
Most Outstanding Player Award: Matt Szczur, WR, Villanova
2008: Richmond (Mike London) 24, Montana 7 – Chattanooga, Tenn.
2007: Appalachian State (Jerry Moore) 49, Delaware 21 – Chattanooga, Tenn.
2006: Appalachian State (Jerry Moore) 28, Massachusetts 17 – Chattanooga, Tenn.
2005: Appalachian State (Jerry Moore) 21, Northern Iowa 16 – Chattanooga, Tenn.
2004: James Madison (Mickey Matthews) 31, Montana 21 – Chattanooga, Tenn.
2003: Delaware (K.C. Keeler) 40, Colgate 0 – Chattanooga, Tenn.
2002: Western Kentucky (Jack Harbaugh) 34, McNeese State 14 – Chattanooga, Tenn.
2001: Montana (Joe Glenn) 13, Furman 6 – Chattanooga, Tenn.
2000: Georgia Southern (Paul Johnson) 27, Montana 25 – Chattanooga, Tenn.
1999: Georgia Southern (Paul Johnson) 59, Youngstown State 24 – Chattanooga, Tenn.
1998: Massachusetts (Mark Whipple) 55, Georgia Southern 43 – Chattanooga, Tenn.
1997: Youngstown State (Jim Tressel) 10, McNeese State 9 – Chattanooga, Tenn.
1996: Marshall (Bob Pruett) 49, Montana 29 – Huntington, W.Va.
1995: Montana (Don Read) 22, Marshall 20 – Huntington, W.Va.
1994: Youngstown State (Jim Tressel) 28, Boise State 14 – Huntington, W.Va.
1993: Youngstown State (Jim Tressel) 17, Marshall 5 – Huntington, W.Va.
1992: Marshall (Jim Donnan) 31, Youngstown State 28 – Huntington, W.Va.
1991: Youngstown State (Jim Tressel) 25, Marshall 17 – Statesboro, Ga.
1990: Georgia Southern (Tim Stowers) 36, Nevada 13 – Statesboro, Ga.
1989: Georgia Southern (Erk Russell) 37, Stephen F. Austin 34 – Statesboro, Ga.
1988: Furman (Jimmy Satterfield) 17, Georgia Southern 12 – Pocatello, Idaho
1987: Northeast Louisiana (Pat Collins) 43, Marshall 42 – Pocatello, Idaho
1986: Georgia Southern (Erk Russell) 48, Arkansas State 21 – Tacoma, Wash.
1985: Georgia Southern (Erk Russell) 44, Furman 42 – Tacoma, Wash.
1984: Montana State (Dave Arnold) 19, Louisiana Tech 6 – Charleston, S.C.
1983: Southern Illinois (Rey Dempsey) 43, Western Carolina 7 – Charleston, S.C.
1982: Eastern Kentucky (Roy Kidd) 17, Delaware 14 – Wichita Falls, Texas
1981: Idaho State (Dave Kragthorpe) 34, Eastern Kentucky 23 – Wichita Falls, Texas
1980: Boise State (Jim Criner) 31, Eastern Kentucky 29 – Sacramento, Calif.
1979: Eastern Kentucky (Roy Kidd) 30, Lehigh 7 – Orlando, Fla.
1978: Florida A&M (Rudy Hubbard) 35, Massachusetts 28 – Wichita Falls, Texas