| Year: | 2009 |
| Number Of Teams: | 125 |
| Regular Season: | August – November |
| Playoffs: | November 28 – December 18 |
| Nc Date: | December 18, 2009 |
| Championship: | Finley Stadium Chattanooga, Tennessee |
| Champions: | Villanova |
| Payton: | Armanti Edwards[1] |
| Buchanan: | Arthur Moats[2] |
The 2009 NCAA Division I FCS football season, the 2009 season of college football for teams in the Football Championship Subdivision (FCS), began in August 2009 and concluded with the 2009 NCAA Division I Football Championship Game on December 18, 2009, in Chattanooga, Tennessee, won by Villanova 23–21 over Montana.[3]
September 3 – Villanova 27, Temple 24
September 5 – Richmond 24, Duke 16
September 5 – William & Mary 26, Virginia 14
September 12 – New Hampshire 23, Ball State 16
September 19 – Central Arkansas 28, Western Kentucky 7
| School | 2008 Conference | 2009 Conference | |
|---|---|---|---|
| NEC | |||
| Dropped Program | |||
| Pioneer | |||
| New Program |
On Saturday, November 28, just hours after Eastern Illinois lost to Southern Illinois 48–7 in the first round of the FCS playoffs, Eastern Illinois' offensive coordinator Jeffrey O. Hoover, age 41, was killed in a car accident.[4] The single-vehicle accident occurred south of Effingham when Hoover, his family and EIU strength coach Eric Cash struck a deer while driving home from Carbondale, the home of SIU.[5]
Hoover's death was the second Eastern Illinois coaching death within a month. On November 4, women's basketball assistant coach Jackie Moore, 28, died after collapsing during a workout on campus.[4]
In order to be eligible for the playoffs, these teams must have a minimum of eight Division I wins, with at least two against teams in automatic bid conferences. They also must be ranked an average of 16 or better in the national rankings, made up of the following components:
No team in the invitational conferences qualified. Starting in 2010, the Big South and NEC will become automatic bid conferences with the expansion of the playoff field to 20 teams.
(Overall Record, Conference Record)
* Host institution
| Date | Location | Venue | West Div. Champion | East Div. Champion | Result | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| December 12 | Birmingham, Alabama | Legion Field | Prairie View A&M | Alabama A&M | Prairie View A&M 30–24 |
The Gridiron Classic is an annual game between the champions of the Northeast Conference and the Pioneer Football League that has been held since December 2006.
| Date | Location | Venue | NEC Champion | PFL Champion | Result | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| December 5 | Indianapolis | Butler Bowl | Central Connecticut State | Butler | Butler 28–23 |
Standings are from The Sports Network final poll.
| Rank | Team | Record | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 14–1 | ||
| 2 | 14–1 | ||
| 3 | 11–3 | ||
| 4 | 11–3 | ||
| 5 | 11–2 | ||
| 6 | 11–2 | ||
| 7 | 10–3 | ||
| 8 | 10–2 | ||
| 9 | 9–3 | ||
| 10 | 10–3 | ||
| 11 | 8–4 | ||
| 12 | 9–3 | ||
| 13 | 8–4 | ||
| 14 | 9–3 | ||
| 15 | 9–1 | ||
| 16 | 8–3 | ||
| 17 | 7–5 | ||
| 18 | 7–4 | ||
| 19 | 8–4 | ||
| 20 | 8–2 | ||
| 21 | 9–2 | ||
| 22 | 8–3 | ||
| 23 | 8–3 | ||
| 24 | 8–3 | ||
| 25 | 7–4 |
Standings are from the FCS Coaches final poll.
| Rank | Team | Record | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 14–1 | ||
| 2 | 14–1 | ||
| T-3 | 11–3 | ||
| T-3 | 11–3 | ||
| 5 | 11–2 | ||
| 6 | 11–2 | ||
| 7 | 10–3 | ||
| 8 | 10–2 | ||
| 9 | 10–3 | ||
| 10 | 9–3 | ||
| 11 | 8–4 | ||
| 12 | 9–3 | ||
| 13 | 8–4 | ||
| 14 | 9–3 | ||
| 15 | 8–4 | ||
| 16 | 8–3 | ||
| 17 | 7–5 | ||
| 18 | 7–4 | ||
| 19 | 9–1 | ||
| 20 | 9–2 | ||
| 21 | 8–3 | ||
| 22 | 8–3 | ||
| 23 | 8–2 | ||
| 24 | 7–4 | ||
| 25 | 8–3 |