Updated through the January 2026 championship game.
Thirty seasons of FCS (and before 2006, Division I-AA) national champions, from Marshall’s 1996 title to Montana State’s overtime win over Illinois State in Nashville. Sixteen different programs have won it in that span, and one of them, North Dakota State, won 10 of the last 15 before leaving for the FBS this year.
| Season | Champion | Score | Runner up | Site |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Montana State | 35 to 34 (OT) | Illinois State | Nashville |
| 2024 | North Dakota State | 35 to 32 | Montana State | Frisco |
| 2023 | South Dakota State | 23 to 3 | Montana | Frisco |
| 2022 | South Dakota State | 45 to 21 | North Dakota State | Frisco |
| 2021 | North Dakota State | 38 to 10 | Montana State | Frisco |
| 2020 | Sam Houston | 23 to 21 | South Dakota State | Frisco (May 2021) |
| 2019 | North Dakota State | 28 to 20 | James Madison | Frisco |
| 2018 | North Dakota State | 38 to 24 | Eastern Washington | Frisco |
| 2017 | North Dakota State | 17 to 13 | James Madison | Frisco |
| 2016 | James Madison | 28 to 14 | Youngstown State | Frisco |
| 2015 | North Dakota State | 37 to 10 | Jacksonville State | Frisco |
| 2014 | North Dakota State | 29 to 27 | Illinois State | Frisco |
| 2013 | North Dakota State | 35 to 7 | Towson | Frisco |
| 2012 | North Dakota State | 39 to 13 | Sam Houston State | Frisco |
| 2011 | North Dakota State | 17 to 6 | Sam Houston State | Frisco |
| 2010 | Eastern Washington | 20 to 19 | Delaware | Frisco |
| 2009 | Villanova | 23 to 21 | Montana | Chattanooga |
| 2008 | Richmond | 24 to 7 | Montana | Chattanooga |
| 2007 | Appalachian State | 49 to 21 | Delaware | Chattanooga |
| 2006 | Appalachian State | 28 to 17 | Massachusetts | Chattanooga |
| 2005 | Appalachian State | 21 to 16 | Northern Iowa | Chattanooga |
| 2004 | James Madison | 31 to 21 | Montana | Chattanooga |
| 2003 | Delaware | 40 to 0 | Colgate | Chattanooga |
| 2002 | Western Kentucky | 34 to 14 | McNeese State | Chattanooga |
| 2001 | Montana | 13 to 6 | Furman | Chattanooga |
| 2000 | Georgia Southern | 27 to 25 | Montana | Chattanooga |
| 1999 | Georgia Southern | 59 to 24 | Youngstown State | Chattanooga |
| 1998 | Massachusetts | 55 to 43 | Georgia Southern | Chattanooga |
| 1997 | Youngstown State | 10 to 9 | McNeese State | Chattanooga |
| 1996 | Marshall | 49 to 29 | Montana | Huntington |
Seasons from 2010 on were decided in January of the following year. The 2020 season was played in spring 2021 because of the pandemic, with a 16 team bracket.
Titles in This Span by Program
| Program | Titles 1996 to 2025 | All time | 2026 status |
|---|---|---|---|
| North Dakota State | 10 | 10 | FBS (Mountain West) |
| Appalachian State | 3 | 3 | FBS (Sun Belt) |
| Georgia Southern | 2 | 6 | FBS (Sun Belt) |
| James Madison | 2 | 2 | FBS (Sun Belt) |
| South Dakota State | 2 | 2 | FCS (MVFC) |
| Montana State | 1 | 2 | FCS (Big Sky) |
| Youngstown State | 1 | 4 | FCS (MVFC) |
| Montana | 1 | 2 | FCS (Big Sky) |
| Eastern Washington | 1 | 1 | FCS (Big Sky) |
| Villanova | 1 | 1 | FCS (Patriot) |
| Richmond | 1 | 1 | FCS (Patriot) |
| Sam Houston | 1 | 1 | FBS (Conference USA) |
| Delaware | 1 | 1 | FBS (Conference USA) |
| Western Kentucky | 1 | 1 | FBS (Conference USA) |
| Massachusetts | 1 | 1 | FBS (MAC) |
| Marshall | 1 | 2 | FBS (Sun Belt) |
What the List Tells You
Two things jump out. First, the champion has come from the Missouri Valley or the Big Sky in 14 of the last 16 seasons; only James Madison (2016) and Sam Houston (2020) broke the pattern. Second, winning at this level is often a springboard out of it. Nine of the 16 programs on the list, including North Dakota State, now play in the FBS, which is a big reason the 2026 field feels more open than any since the Bison dynasty began.
Montana has the strangest line: two titles and six runner up finishes, the most losses in the final of any program. Illinois State has lost both of its finals, 2014 and 2025, by a combined three points.
The Bottom Line
Montana State is the reigning champion after a 35 to 34 overtime win over Illinois State, the first overtime in title game history. North Dakota State’s 10 titles in 14 seasons define the era, but the Bison are gone to the FBS and the 2026 race is wide open. For the full 48 year story, sites and records see our FCS championship history; for how a team gets there, how the FCS playoffs work. Every team by league is on our FCS teams by conference page.