| 2021 NCAA Division I FCS season | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Regular season | |
| Number of teams | 128 |
| Duration | August 28 – November 27 |
| Payton Award | Eric Barriere, QB, Eastern Washington |
| Buchanan Award | Isaiah Land, DL, Florida A&M |
| Playoff | |
| Duration | November 27 – December 18 |
| Championship date | January 8, 2022 |
| Championship site | Toyota Stadium, Frisco, Texas |
| Champion | North Dakota State |
| NCAA Division I FCS football seasons | |
«2020 2022» | |
The 2021 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.
After the prior season was impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States, resulting in some conferences canceling their seasons and significant rescheduling by other conferences, the 2021 season returned to its traditional fall scheduling. The season ended with a single-elimination tournament, with North Dakota State winning the championship game on January 8, 2022 at Toyota Stadium in Frisco, Texas.
Conference changes and new programs
Membership changes for 2021
On January 14, 2021, the Western Athletic Conference, which had last played football in the 2012 season as an FBS league, announced that it would reinstate football in the fall 2021 season as an FCS league. This coincides with the arrival of four new members from the Southland Conference, all located in Texas and fielding FCS football programs—Abilene Christian, Lamar, Sam Houston State, and Stephen F. Austin. Original plans were for the four Southland members, as well as Big Sky Conference member Southern Utah, to join in 2022, at which time the football league would restart. However, the entry of the Texas schools and the restart of football were moved forward to July 2021 when the Southland chose to expel its departing members.[1] These schools will join Dixie State and Tarleton State, which joined the all-sports WAC in July 2020, in the revived WAC football league. Southern Utah's entry remains on the original July 2022 schedule.[2] On the same day, UTRGV, currently a full but non-football WAC member, announced that it planned to launch an FCS football program no later than 2024. While it did not mention a conference affiliation, its existing WAC membership makes it all but certain that the school will join WAC football.[3]
On January 29, 2021, the ASUN Conference announced that it too would begin sponsoring FCS football in 2022, with its first five members being full members Kennesaw State and North Alabama (who had been football-only members of the Big South Conference), Eastern Kentucky and Jacksonville State from the Ohio Valley Conference, and Central Arkansas from the Southland Conference. On February 23, the ASUN announced that it had entered into a football partnership with the WAC, with the WAC's four incoming Texas members joined by the incoming ASUN schools in a round-robin league officially branded as the "ASUN–WAC Challenge" or "WAC–ASUN Challenge". Dixie State and Tarleton were to be included in alliance members' schedules, but not in alliance standings due to their ongoing Division I transitions, technically making them FCS independents for at least the 2021 season. While the ASUN–WAC Challenge was organized with seven members, meeting the NCAA-imposed minimum of six playoff-eligible schools for an automatic FCS tournament bid, it did not meet the NCAA's "continuity" criterion for eligibility, based on the length of time the member schools have been in the same league. ASUN and WAC jointly proposed an amendment to NCAA bylaws to make the partnership eligible for an automatic bid.[4][5] Their proposal was successful, resulting in an automatic qualifier to the postseason tournament from the seven-team Challenge, colloquially referred to as "AQ7".[6]
Future membership changes
On September 17, the ASUN announced that Austin Peay would move from the OVC to the ASUN effective July 1, 2022. Peay will become the ASUN's sixth scholarship FCS football program, joining the three 2021 arrivals and current Big South football associates Kennesaw State and North Alabama. This in turn enables the ASUN to launch its football league in 2022 with an automatic bid to the FCS playoffs, as North Alabama will complete its transition from Division II to Division I in July 2022 and become playoff-eligible.[7] Texas A&M–Commerce will also be moving to the Southland Conference from the Lone Star Conference starting in July 2022.[8]
On October 22, The Action Network reported that James Madison was on the verge of joining the FBS Sun Belt Conference alongside three members of another FBS league, Conference USA.[9] On November 6, James Madison made its move to the Sun Belt official, effective no later than July 2023.[10] The Dukes had been scheduled to play as FBS independents in the 2022 season.[11]
On November 5, Conference USA, which had nine of its schools depart to other separate conferences, handed out invitations to two of its four newcomer universities, FCS programs Jacksonville State and Sam Houston. They were both accepted and their C-USA membership takes effect also no later than July 2023.[12]
One week later on November 12, the Western Athletic Conference announced that Incarnate Word would join from the Southland after the 2021–22 school year.[13] The Southland also nearly lost McNeese to the WAC, but the Cowboys ultimately remained in the Southland.[14] In late June 2022, the Incarnate Words announced, they will no longer join the WAC, and commit to staying in the Southland Conference.[15]
Rule changes
The following rule changes, recommended by the NCAA Football Rules Committee for the 2021 season on March 12 of that year, were approved by the NCAA Playing Rules Oversight Panel on April 22.[16][17]
- In overtime, teams scoring a touchdown will be required to attempt a two-point conversion starting with the second overtime period (previously the third overtime period) and, if still tied, teams will be required to attempt alternating two point conversions starting with the third overtime (previously the fifth overtime period).
- Permanently extending the team area from between the 25-yard lines to between the 20-yard lines. A rule implemented for the 2020 season amid the COVID-19 pandemic had extended the area to between the 15-yard lines, but it had been scheduled to revert to the 25 for 2021.
- Creating a process for a review panel that can be used by teams and/or conferences for instances of teams feigning injuries to slow down teams' momentum or stop the game clock.
- Explicitly prohibiting video board and lighting system operators from creating "any distraction that obstructs play", with violations being deemed unsportsmanlike conduct.
- If replay overturns a call on the field, the game clock will only be adjusted inside of the last 2:00 of the first half and the last 5:00 of the second half.
One recommended change that would have limited blocks below the waist to inside the tackle box was not approved.
Another rule change was made during the season:
- After the FBS's Pitt quarterback Kenny Pickett's fake slide in the 2021 ACC Championship Game against Wake Forest, the NCAA Football Rules Committee changed the interpretation of the "QB Slide Rule" to require officials to interpret a fake slide as "giving himself up" and blow the play dead.
"Points of Emphasis" for the 2021 season include:
- Penalize any taunting action toward an opponent.
- Automatic unsportsmanlike conduct penalties toward a coach who leaves the team area or goes onto the field of play to argue officials' decisions or calls.
- Being more alert to players significantly in violation of uniform rules (specifically the pants, jerseys, and T-shirts that extend below the torso) and to send violators out of the game to correct the issue.
Other headlines
- September 4 – In Kevin Kelley's debut as head coach of Presbyterian, Ren Hefley threw for 10 touchdowns in the Blue Hose's 84–43 win over NAIA member St. Andrews, breaking the previous FCS record of 9 first set in 1984 by Willie Totten of Mississippi Valley State and equaled in 2007 by Drew Hubel of Portland State. Blue Hose backup quarterback Tyler Huff added 2 TD passes to set a new Division I team record (for both FCS and FBS) of 12, surpassing the previous record of 11 thrown by David Klingler of Houston against Eastern Washington in 1990.[18]
- November 12 – The Utah Legislature passed a bill to change the name of Dixie State University to Utah Tech University, effective in the 2022–23 school year. The nickname of Trailblazers will not be affected.[19]
Kickoff games
"Week Zero"
The regular season began with three games on Saturday, August 28:
- Indiana State 26, Eastern Illinois 21
- MEAC/SWAC Challenge at Center Parc Stadium in Atlanta: North Carolina Central 23, Alcorn State 14
- San Jose State 45, Southern Utah 14
FCS team wins over FBS teams
- September 2, 2021:
- UC Davis 19, Tulsa 17
- Eastern Washington 35, UNLV 33
- September 3, 2021:
- South Dakota State 42, Colorado State 23
- September 4, 2021:
- Holy Cross 38, UConn 28
- Montana 13, No. 20 Washington 7
- East Tennessee State 23, Vanderbilt 3
- September 11, 2021:
- Duquesne 28, Ohio 26
- Jacksonville State 20, Florida State 17
- September 18, 2021:
- Incarnate Word 42, Texas State 34
- Northern Arizona 21, Arizona 19
- November 6, 2021:
- Rhode Island 35, UMass 22
- November 13, 2021
- Maine 35, UMass 10
Non-DI team wins over FCS teams
- September 3, 2021:
- Southern Connecticut (D-II) 28, Central Connecticut 21
- September 4, 2021:
- West Florida (D-II) 42, McNeese State 36
- Indiana Wesleyan (NAIA) 28, Valparaiso 10
Upsets
This section lists instances of unranked teams defeating ranked teams during the season.
Regular season
During the regular season, 33 unranked teams have defeated a ranked team.
- September 4, 2021:
- Furman 29, No. 25 North Carolina A&T 18
- September 11, 2021:
- Merrimack 35, No. 24 Holy Cross 21
- September 25, 2021
- Holy Cross 45, No. 20 Monmouth 15
- Eastern Kentucky 35, No. 19 Austin Peay 27
- UT Martin 34, No. 9 Jacksonville State 31
- October 2, 2021
- Elon 20, No. 22 Richmond 7
- The Citadel 35, No. 18 VMI 24
- October 9, 2021
- Idaho State 27, No. 7 UC Davis 17
- South Dakota 20, No. 13 North Dakota 13
- Youngstown State 41, No. 16 Missouri State 33
- October 16, 2021
- Dartmouth 38, No. 23 New Hampshire 21
- Chattanooga 21, No. 10 East Tennessee State 16
- Sacramento State 28, No. 5 Montana 27
- Stony Brook 34, No. 14 Delaware 17
- Towson 28, No. 12 Rhode Island 7
- October 22, 2021
- Columbia 19, No. 25 Dartmouth 0
- October 23, 2021
- Weber State 35, No. 2 Eastern Washington 34
- Illinois State 20, No. 15 South Dakota 14
- McNeese State 28, No. 16 Incarnate Word 20
- October 30, 2021
- William & Mary 31, No. 4 Villanova 18
- Maine 45, No. 24 Rhode Island 24
- November 5, 2021
- Dartmouth 31, No. 20т Princeton 7
- November 6, 2021
- Portland State 30, No. 24 Weber State 18
- Delaware 24, No. 20т William & Mary 3
- Illinois State 17, No. 13 Northern Iowa 10 OT
- Stephen F. Austin 31, No. 25 Eastern Kentucky 17
- November 13, 2021
- Alcorn State 31, No. 24 Prairie View A&M 29
- Furman 37, No. 21 VMI 31
- Mercer 10, No. 22т Chattanooga 6
- November 20, 2021
- Southeast Missouri State 31, No. 13 UT Martin 14
- Nicholls 45, No. 15 Southeastern Louisiana 42
- Youngstown State 35, No. 17 Southern Illinois 18
- Elon 43, No. 25 Rhode Island 28
Bowl games
| Date | Game | Site | Television | Participants | Affiliations | Results | References |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dec. 18 | Celebration Bowl | Mercedes-Benz Stadium Atlanta, Georgia 12:00 pm |
ABC | South Carolina State Bulldogs (6–5) Jackson State Tigers (11–1) |
MEAC SWAC |
South Carolina State 31 Jackson State 10 |
[20][21] |
Regular season top 10 matchups
Rankings reflect the Stats Perform Poll.
- Week 3
- No. 3 James Madison defeated No. 9 Weber State, 37–24 (Stewart Stadium, Ogden, Utah)
- Week 5
- No. 6 Eastern Washington defeated No. 4 Montana, 30–24 (Roos Field, Cheney, Washington)
- No. 5 North Dakota State defeated No. 10 North Dakota, 16–10 (Alerus Center, Grand Forks, North Dakota)
- Week 6
- No. 8 Southern Illinois defeated No. 2 South Dakota State, 42–41 OT (Dana J. Dykhouse Stadium, Brookings, South Dakota)
- Week 10
- No. 4 Montana State defeated No. 5 Eastern Washington, 23–20 (Roos Field, Cheney, Washington)
- No. 9 South Dakota State defeated No. 2 North Dakota State, 27–19 (Dana J. Dykhouse Stadium, Brookings, South Dakota)
- Week 11
- No. 7 Eastern Washington defeated No. 6 UC Davis, 38–20 (UC Davis Health Stadium, Davis, California)
- Week 12
- No. 6 Montana defeated No. 3 Montana State, 29–10 (Washington–Grizzly Stadium, Missoula, Montana)
Rankings
The top 25 from the Stats Perform and USA Today Coaches Polls.
Pre-season polls
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Final rankings
| Rank | Stats Perform[22] | Coaches' Poll[23] |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | North Dakota State (14–1) (50) | North Dakota State (14–1) (24) |
| 2 | Montana State (12–3) | Montana State (12–3) |
| 3 | James Madison (12–2) | James Madison (12–2) |
| 4 | South Dakota State (11–4) | Sam Houston State (11–1) |
| 5 | Sam Houston State (11–1) | South Dakota State (11–4) |
| 6 | Montana (10–3) | Montana (10–3) |
| 7 | Eastern Washington (10–3) | East Tennessee State (11–2) |
| 8 | Villanova (10–3) | Villanova (10–3) |
| 9 | East Tennessee State (11–2) | Eastern Washington (10–3) |
| 10 | Sacramento State (9–3) | Kennesaw State (11–2) |
| 11 | Kennesaw State (11–2) | Sacramento State (9–3) |
| 12 | Incarnate Word (10–3) | UT Martin (10–3) |
| 13 | UT Martin (10–3) | Incarnate Word (10–3) |
| 14 | Missouri State (8–4) | Missouri State (8–4) |
| 15 | Southeastern Louisiana (9–4) | Southeastern Louisiana (9–4) |
| 16 | Southern Illinois (8–5) | UC Davis (8–4) |
| 17 | UC Davis (8–4) | Southern Illinois (8–5) |
| 18 | South Dakota (7–5) | Stephen F. Austin (8–4) |
| 19 | Holy Cross (10–3) | Jackson State (11–2) |
| 20 | Dartmouth (9–1) | South Dakota (7–5) |
| 21 | Stephen F. Austin (8–4) | Princeton (9–1) |
| 22 | Jackson State (11–2) | Holy Cross (10–3) |
| 23 | Northern Iowa (6–6) | Dartmouth (9–1) |
| 24 | Princeton (9–1) | Florida A&M (9–3) |
| 25 | Florida A&M (9–3) | Northern Iowa (6–6) |
Conference standings
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Conference summaries
SWAC Championship Game
| Date | Location | Venue | West Div. Champion | Result | East Div. Champion |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| December 4, 2021 | Mississippi Veterans Memorial Stadium | Jackson, Mississippi | Prairie View A&M | 10–27 | Jackson State |
Postseason
After the prior season's playoffs were reduced to a 16-team bracket, FCS returned to a 24-team bracket for this season: 11 of the teams were decided via automatic bids issued to conference champions (listed below) and 13 teams were determined via at-large bids; the top eight teams were seeded.[24]
Playoff qualifiers
Automatic berths for conference champions
| Conference | Team | Appearance | Last bid | Result of last appearance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Big Sky Conference | Sacramento State | 2nd | 2019 | Second Round (L – Austin Peay) |
| Big South Conference | Kennesaw State | 4th | 2019 | Second Round (L – Weber State) |
| Colonial Athletic Association | Villanova | 14th | 2019 | First Round (L – Southeastern Louisiana) |
| Missouri Valley Football Conference | North Dakota State | 12th | 2020 | Quarterfinals (L – Sam Houston State) |
| Northeast Conference | Sacred Heart | 4th | 2020 | First Round (L – Delaware) |
| Ohio Valley Conference | UT Martin | 2nd | 2006 | Second Round (L – Southern Illinois) |
| Patriot League | Holy Cross | 4th | 2020 | First Round (L – South Dakota State) |
| Pioneer Football League | Davidson | 2nd | 2020 | First Round (L – Jacksonville State) |
| Southern Conference | East Tennessee State | 3rd | 2018 | First Round (L – Jacksonville State) |
| Southland Conference | Incarnate Word | 2nd | 2018 | First Round (L – Montana State) |
| Western Athletic Conference | Sam Houston State | 13th | 2020 | National Champions (W – South Dakota State) |
At large qualifiers
| Conference | Team | Appearance | Last bid | Result of last appearance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Big Sky Conference | Eastern Washington | 15th | 2020 | First Round (L – North Dakota State) |
| Montana | 25th | 2019 | Quarterfinals (L – Weber State) | |
| Montana State | 11th | 2019 | Semifinals (L – North Dakota State) | |
| UC Davis | 2nd | 2018 | Quarterfinals (L – Eastern Washington) | |
| Colonial Athletic Association | James Madison | 18th | 2020 | Semifinals (L – Sam Houston State) |
| Missouri Valley Football Conference | Missouri State | 3rd | 2020 | First Round (L – North Dakota) |
| Northern Iowa | 23rd | 2019 | Quarterfinals (L – James Madison) | |
| South Dakota | 2nd | 2017 | Second Round (L – Sam Houston State) | |
| South Dakota State | 11th | 2020 | Championship Game (L – Sam Houston State) | |
| Southern Illinois | 10th | 2020 | Quarterfinals (L – South Dakota State) | |
| Southland Conference | Southeastern Louisiana | 4th | 2019 | Second Round (L – Montana) |
| Southwestern Athletic Conference | Florida A&M | 8th | 2001 | First Round (L – Georgia Southern) |
| Western Athletic Conference | Stephen F. Austin | 8th | 2014 | First Round (L – Northern Iowa) |
Abstentions
NCAA Division I playoff bracket
| First Round November 27 Campus sites | Second Round December 3/4 Campus sites | Quarterfinals December 10/11 Campus sites | Semifinals December 17/18 Campus sites | National Championship January 8 12:00 pm EST Toyota Stadium, Frisco, Texas | ||||||||||||||||||||
| 1 | Sam Houston State | 49 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Stephen F. Austin | 28 | Incarnate Word | 42 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Incarnate Word | 35 | 1 | Sam Houston State | 19 | ||||||||||||||||||||
| 8 | Montana State | 42 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 8 | Montana State | 26 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| UT Martin | 32 | UT Martin | 7 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Missouri State | 31 | 8 | Montana State | 31 | ||||||||||||||||||||
| South Dakota State | 17 | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| 5 | Villanova | 21 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Sacred Heart | 10 | Holy Cross | 16 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Holy Cross | 13 | 5 | Villanova | 21 | ||||||||||||||||||||
| South Dakota State | 35 | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| 4 | Sacramento State | 19 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| UC Davis | 24 | South Dakota State | 24 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| South Dakota State | 56 | 8 | Montana State | 10 | ||||||||||||||||||||
| 2 | North Dakota State | 38 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 3 | James Madison | 59 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Florida A&M | 14 | Southeastern Louisiana | 20 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Southeastern Louisiana | 38 | 3 | James Madison | 28 | ||||||||||||||||||||
| 6 | Montana | 6 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 6 | Montana | 57 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Northern Iowa | 9 | Eastern Washington | 41 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Eastern Washington | 19 | 3 | James Madison | 14 | ||||||||||||||||||||
| 2 | North Dakota State | 20 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 7 | East Tennessee State | 32 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Davidson | 21 | Kennesaw State | 31 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Kennesaw State | 48 | 7 | East Tennessee State | 3 | ||||||||||||||||||||
| 2 | North Dakota State | 27 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2 | North Dakota State | 38 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Southern Illinois | 22 | Southern Illinois | 7 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| South Dakota | 10 | |||||||||||||||||||||||
Source:[25]
Coaching changes
Preseason and in-season
This is restricted to coaching changes that took place on or after May 1, 2021. For coaching changes that occurred earlier in 2021, see 2020 NCAA Division I FCS end-of-season coaching changes.
| Team | Outgoing coach | Date | Reason | Replacement |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stetson | Roger Hughes | May 7, 2021 | Resigned[26] | Brian Young |
| Colgate | Dan Hunt | May 17, 2021 | Resigned[27] | Stan Dakosty |
| LIU | Bryan Collins | June 29, 2021 | Resigned[28] | Jonathan Gill (interim) |
| Alabama State | Donald Hill-Eley | November 1, 2021 | Fired[29] | Travis Pearson (interim) |
| Jacksonville State | John Grass | November 6, 2021 | Resigned[30] | Maxwell Thurmond (interim) |
| Grambling State | Broderick Fobbs | November 15, 2021 | Fired[31] | Terrence Graves (interim) |
End of season
See also
References
- ↑ Blum, Sam (January 14, 2021). "As WAC announces addition of 5 schools, Frisco-based Southland Conference left in no man's land". The Dallas Morning News. Retrieved January 18, 2021.
- ↑ "WAC Announces Expansion, Plans to Reinstate Football" (Press release). Western Athletic Conference. January 14, 2021. Retrieved January 15, 2021.
- ↑ Jeyarajah, Shehan (January 14, 2021). "UTRGV commits to add FCS football by 2024". Dave Campbell's Texas Football. Retrieved January 15, 2021.
- ↑ "ASUN, WAC Conferences Announce Football Partnership for 2021" (Press release). ASUN Conference. February 23, 2021. Retrieved February 23, 2021.
- ↑ "From the Commissioner's Desk: @ASUN_Football Update" (Press release). ASUN Conference. February 23, 2021. Retrieved February 23, 2021.
- ↑ "FCS college football 2021: AQ7 preview". KRQE. Stats Perform. August 20, 2021. Retrieved September 5, 2021.
- ↑ "ASUN Conference Welcomes Austin Peay State University as its Newest Member" (Press release). ASUN Conference. September 17, 2021. Retrieved September 17, 2021.
- ↑ "Texas A&M University-Commerce Accepts Invitation to Southland Conference" (Press release). A&M Commerce Athletics. September 28, 2021. Retrieved October 1, 2021.
- ↑ McMurphy, Brett (October 22, 2021). "Sources: Southern Miss Joins Sun Belt; Marshall, Old Dominion, JMU Will Join in Coming Days". The Action Network. Retrieved October 22, 2021.
- ↑ "James Madison Joins Sun Belt Conference". Sun Belt Conference. November 6, 2021. Retrieved November 10, 2021.
- ↑ Randle, Caitlin; Jacob Kisamore (November 5, 2021). "James Madison University receives final approval to join Sun Belt Conference". Elon News Network. Retrieved December 20, 2021.
- ↑ "Conference USA to add Liberty, Jacksonville State, New Mexico State, Sam Houston State beginning in 2023". ESPN. November 5, 2021. Retrieved November 10, 2021.
- ↑ "University of the Incarnate Word Accepts Invitation to Join the WAC" (Press release). Western Athletic Conference. November 12, 2021. Retrieved November 12, 2021.
- ↑ Gazzolo, Jim (November 9, 2021). "McNeese sticks with Southland in move that will bring millions in for SW La. tourism". American Press. Lake Charles, LA. Retrieved November 12, 2021.
- ↑ Jim Gazzolo (June 24, 2022). "... Incarnate Word will stay in Southland Conference". American Press. Retrieved June 24, 2022.
- ↑ "2021 Football Rules Committee recommends tweak to overtime rules" (Press release). NCAA. March 12, 2021. Retrieved March 12, 2021.
- ↑ "Panel approves changes to overtime rules in football". NCAA. April 22, 2021. Retrieved April 29, 2021.
- ↑ "Presbyterian Blue Hose QB Ren Hefley sets FCS TD pass record in season-opener". ESPN.com. Associated Press. September 4, 2021. Retrieved September 4, 2021.
- ↑ Imlay, Ashley (November 10, 2021). "Utah Legislature passes Dixie State name change". KSL-TV. Retrieved November 13, 2021.
- ↑ "South Carolina State will take on Jackson State in the Celebration Bowl". Twitter. Retrieved December 5, 2021.
- ↑ Thompson, Khari (December 18, 2021). "Jackson State football crushed by South Carolina State in Celebration Bowl: Our top takeaways". Mississippi Clarion Ledger. Retrieved December 18, 2021 – via Yahoo! News.
- ↑ "'Herd' It Before: North Dakota State is Unanimous No. 1 in Final Stats Perform FCS Top 25". The Analyst. Retrieved January 10, 2022.
- ↑ "[FCS Poll] North Dakota State ends 2021 at No. 1 in the AFCA Top 25". AFCA. Retrieved January 10, 2022.
- ↑ Herder, Sam (August 9, 2021). "Predicting The 2021 FCS Playoff Bracket". herosports.com. Retrieved September 5, 2021.
- ↑ "2021 FCS Football Official Bracket". NCAA.org. November 2021. Retrieved November 21, 2021.
- ↑ Harper, Mark (May 7, 2021). "Roger Hughes, Stetson's football coach, has a new job: president at his alma mater". The Daytona Beach News-Journal. Retrieved August 11, 2021.
- ↑ "Hunt Stepping Down, Dakosty Named Interim". Colgate University Athletics. May 17, 2021. Retrieved July 24, 2021.
- ↑ "Collins Announces Departure from LIU Football Program" (Press release). LIU Sharks. June 29, 2021. Retrieved July 3, 2021.
- ↑ "Alabama State fires head football coach Donald Hill-Eley after fourth consecutive loss to rival Alabama A&M". ESPN.com. Associated Press. November 1, 2021. Retrieved November 1, 2021.
- ↑ Stephenson, Creg (November 6, 2021). "John Grass steps down as head football coach at Jacksonville State". AL.com. Retrieved November 11, 2021.
- ↑ "Grambling State fires Broderick Fobbs after seven seasons". hbcusports.com. November 15, 2021. Retrieved November 16, 2021.
- ↑ Hefferman, Todd (November 10, 2021). "Western Illinois moving on from football coach Jared Elliott". The Southern Illinoisan. Retrieved November 11, 2021.
- ↑ McDonald, Ryan (November 15, 2021). "This Utah college football team is now looking for a new head coach". Deseret News. Retrieved November 16, 2021.
- ↑ Wiebe, Stephan (November 18, 2021). "Petrino out as Idaho football coach". Moscow-Pullman Daily News. Retrieved November 19, 2021.
- ↑ Barnett, Zach (November 21, 2021). "Abilene Christian announces coaching change". footballscoop.com. Retrieved November 22, 2021.
- ↑ Moon, Eric (November 21, 2021). "Rob Phenicie fired as Idaho State Football Head Coach after five seasons". KIFI-TV. Retrieved November 22, 2021.
- ↑ "Lafayette Athletics Announces Head Football Coaching Change". goleopards.com. November 22, 2021. Retrieved November 23, 2021.
- ↑ "Alabama State names alum, NFL veteran as next head football coach". WSFA. November 26, 2021. Retrieved November 27, 2021.
- ↑ Barnett, Zach (November 28, 2021). "Jim Mora piecing UConn staff together". footballscoop.com. Football Scoop. Retrieved November 28, 2021.
- ↑ McAneny, DJ (November 29, 2021). "Rocco out as University of Delaware football coach". wdel.com. Retrieved November 30, 2021.
- ↑ Tresolini, Kevin (December 10, 2021). "Ex-Blue Hens QB Carty named University of Delaware football coach". Delaware News-Journal.
- ↑ Rittenberg, Adam (November 29, 2021). "Jacksonville State hires Rich Rodriguez as head football coach ahead of 2023 FBS move". ESPN.com. Retrieved December 1, 2021.
- ↑ Riggone, Bella (November 30, 2021). "Jeff Voris resigns as Butler football head coach". thebutlercollegian.com. Retrieved December 1, 2021.
- ↑ "Coach Mac Retires". unhwildcats.com. December 1, 2021. Retrieved December 1, 2021.
- ↑ "Presbyterian's no-punt coach Kelley resigns after 1 season". apnews.com. December 4, 2021. Retrieved December 5, 2021.
- ↑ "Washington State football team hiring Eric Morris as offensive coordinator, Clay McGuire as offensive line coach". The Spokesman-Review. December 5, 2021. Retrieved December 13, 2021.
- ↑ "Frank Wilson's LSU contract terms: A three-year deal as associate head football coach". The Advocate. December 8, 2021. Retrieved December 13, 2021.
- 1 2 Robinson, Perry (December 7, 2021). "Eric Dooley officially introduced as the new football coach at Southern University". KPLC. NBC News. Retrieved December 13, 2021.
- ↑ "Grambling State Tabs Hue Jackson as Head Football Coach". GSU Tigers. December 10, 2021. Retrieved December 11, 2021.
- ↑ "Randy Sanders announces retirement from football". ETSU Athletics. Retrieved December 13, 2021.
- ↑ "Long Island University hires Ron Cooper as football coach". ESPN.com. Associated Press. January 4, 2022. Retrieved May 7, 2022.
- ↑ Wiseman, Steve (January 4, 2022). "Mike Elko to add Eastern Illinois head coach, Giants assistant to Duke football staff". The News & Observer. Retrieved May 7, 2022.
- ↑ DiLalla, Aric (January 4, 2022). "Broncos name Tyrone Wheatley as running backs coach". Denver Broncos. Retrieved May 7, 2022.
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