| Year: | 2014 |
| Number Of Teams: | 124 |
| Regular Season: | August 23 – November 22 |
| Playoffs: | November 29 – December 20 |
| Nc Date: | January 10, 2015 |
| Championship: | Toyota Stadium, Frisco, TX |
| Champions: | North Dakota State |
| Payton: | John Robertson, QB, Villanova |
| Buchanan: | Kyle Emanuel, DE, North Dakota State |
The 2014 NCAA Division I FCS football season, part of college football in the United States, was organized by the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) at the Division I Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) level. The season began on August 23, 2014, and concluded with the 2015 NCAA Division I Football Championship Game played on January 10, 2015, at Toyota Stadium in Frisco, Texas. North Dakota State won its fourth consecutive title, defeating Illinois State, 29–27.
Under a standard provision of NCAA rules, all FCS programs were allowed to play 12 regular-season games (not counting conference title games) in 2014. In years when the period starting with the Thursday before Labor Day and ending with the final Saturday in November contains 14 Saturdays, FCS programs may play 12 games instead of the regular 11. After this season, the next season in which 12-game seasons are allowed was 2019.[1]
On May 14, 2014, the NCAA announced its Academic Progress Rate (APR) sanctions for the 2014–15 school year. The acceptable minimum score was raised significantly for the first time since the APR was introduced, in 2004. A total of 36 programs in 11 sports were declared ineligible for postseason play after failing to meet the required APR benchmark, including the following seven FCS teams:[2] Alabama State, Arkansas–Pine Bluff, Florida A&M, Mississippi Valley State, Prairie View A&M, Saint Francis (PA), and Savannah State.In addition these, the entire athletic program at Southern University, including the football team, was declared ineligible for postseason play for failing to supply usable academic data to the NCAA.
(FCS rankings from the Sports Network poll; FBS rankings from the AP Poll)
August 30: No. 22 Bethune-Cookman 14, Florida International 12
August 30: No. 2 North Dakota State 34, Iowa State 14
September 6: Eastern Kentucky 17, Miami (OH) 10
September 13: Abilene Christian 38, Troy 35
September 13: Indiana State 27, Ball State 20—The Victory Bell Game
September 20: Northwestern State 30, Louisiana Tech 27
September 27: Yale 49, Army 43 OT
October 11: Liberty 55, Appalachian State 48 OT
See main article: 2010–13 NCAA conference realignment.
| School | 2013 Conference | 2014 Conference | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Southland | |||
| Sun Belt (FBS) | |||
| CAA | |||
| Sun Belt (FBS) | |||
| Southland | |||
| Southland | |||
| SoCon | |||
| Big South | |||
| C-USA (FBS) | |||
| SoCon |
Note: Records are regular-season only, and do not include playoff games.
| Conference | Champion | Record | Offensive Player of the Year | Defensive Player of the Year | Coach of the Year | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Big Sky | Eastern Washington | 10–2 (7–1) | Vernon Adams (QB, Eastern Washington) | Zack Wagenmann (DE, Montana) | Mike Kramer (Idaho State) | |
| Big South | Coastal Carolina Liberty | 11–1 (4–1) 8–4 (4–1) | Alex Ross (QB, Coastal Carolina) | Quinn Backus (LB, Coastal Carolina) | Joe Moglia (Coastal Carolina) Harold Nichols (Presbyterian) | |
| CAA | New Hampshire | 10–1 (8–0) | John Robertson (QB, Villanova) | Mike Reilly (DL, William & Mary) | Sean McDonnell (New Hampshire) | |
| Ivy | Harvard | 10–0 (7–0) | Tyler Varga (RB, Yale) | Zack Hodges (DE, Harvard) Mike Zeuli (LB, Princeton) | Tim Murphy (Harvard) | |
| MEAC | Bethune-Cookman Morgan State North Carolina A&T North Carolina Central South Carolina State | 9–3 (6–2) 7–5 (6–2) 9–3 (6–2) 7–5 (6–2) 8–4 (6–2) | Tarik Cohen (RB, North Carolina A&T)<br>Greg McGhee (QB, Howard) | Javon Hargrave (DT, South Carolina State) | Lee Hull (Morgan State) | |
| MVFC | Illinois State North Dakota State | 10–1 (7–1) 11–1 (7–1) | Marshaun Coprich (RB, Illinois State) | Kyle Emanuel (DE, North Dakota State) | Brock Spack (Illinois State) | |
| NEC | Sacred Heart Wagner | 9–2 (5–1) 7–4 (5–1) | Khairi Dickson (RB, Saint Francis (PA)) | Jeff Covitz (DE, Bryant) | Mark Nofri (Sacred Heart) | |
| OVC | Jacksonville State | 10–1 (8–0) | Dy'Shawn Mobley (RB, Eastern Kentucky) | Devaunte Sigler (DT, Jacksonville State) | John Grass (Jacksonville State) | |
| Patriot | Fordham | 10–2 (6–0) | Mike Nebrich (QB, Fordham) | Evan Byers (LB, Bucknell) | Joe Susan (Bucknell) | |
| Pioneer | San Diego | 9–1 (7–1) | Connor Kacsor (RB, Dayton) | Donald Payne (S, Stetson) | Dale Lindsey (San Diego) | |
| Southern | Chattanooga | 9–3 (7–0) | Jacob Huesman (QB, Chattanooga) | Davis Tull (DL, Chattanooga) | Russ Huesman (Chattanooga) | |
| Southland | Sam Houston State Southeastern Louisiana | 8–4 (7–1) 9–3 (7–1) | Bryan Bennett (QB, Southeastern Louisiana) Gus Johnson (RB, Stephen F. Austin) | Jonathan Woodard (DE, Central Arkansas) | Clint Conque (Stephen F. Austin) |
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| Conference | Team | data-sort-type="number" | Appearance | Last bid | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 11th | Semifinals (L – Towson) | ||||
| 1st | – | – | |||
| 13th | Semifinals (L – North Dakota State) | ||||
| 1st | – | – | |||
| 5th | National Champions (W – Towson) | ||||
| 2nd | First Round (L – Fordham) | ||||
| 5th | Quarterfinals (L – Eastern Washington) | ||||
| 4th | Second Round (L – Towson) | ||||
| 1st | – | – | |||
| 2nd | First Round (L – Arkansas State) | ||||
| 8th | Second Round (L – Southeastern Louisiana) |
| Conference | Team | data-sort-type="number" | Appearance | Last bid | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 23rd | Second Round (L – Coastal Carolina) | ||||
| 8th | Quarterfinals (L – Sam Houston State) | ||||
| 5th | Quarterfinals (L – North Dakota State) | ||||
| 10th | Second Round (L – North Dakota State) | ||||
| 9th | Quarterfinals (L – Appalachian State) | ||||
| 11th | First Round (L – Stony Brook) | ||||
| None | |||||
| 5th | Quarterfinals (L – Eastern Washington) | ||||
| 3rd | Quarterfinals (L – Middle Tennessee State) | ||||
| 17th | Quarterfinals (L – Montana) | ||||
| 4th | Second Round (L – Eastern Washington) | ||||
| None | |||||
| 21st | First Round (L – James Madison) | ||||
| None | |||||
| 2nd | Quarterfinals (L – New Hampshire) | ||||
| 6th | Second Round (L – Villanova) | ||||
* Home team
Winner
All times in Eastern Standard Time
This is restricted to coaching changes that took place on or after May 1, 2014. For coaching changes that occurred earlier in 2014, see 2013 NCAA Division I FCS end-of-season coaching changes.
| School | Outgoing coach | Date | Reason | Replacement | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nicholls State | Charlie Stubbs | September 14 | Resigned[3] | Steve Axman (interim)[4] | |
| Florida A&M | Earl Holmes | October 29 | Fired[5] | Corey Fuller (interim) |
| School | Outgoing coach | Date announced | Reason | Replacement | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nicholls State | Steve Axman | November 20 | Resigned[6] | Tim Rebowe[7] | |
| VMI | Sparky Woods | November 24 | Fired[8] | Scott Wachenheim[9] | |
| Bethune-Cookman | Brian Jenkins | December 16 | Hired by Alabama State[10] | Terry Sims[11] | |
| Florida A&M | Corey Fuller | December 23 | Permanent Replacement | Alex Wood[12] |