2015 NCAA Division I FCS football season#NCAA Division I playoff bracket
{{Short description|American college football season}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=January 2016}}
{{Infobox NCAA Division I FCS season
|year = 2015
|image = NCAA logo.svg
|image_caption =
| number_of_teams = 125
|regular_season = August 29 – November 21
|playoffs = November 28 – December 19
|nc_date = January 9, 2016
|championship = Toyota Stadium, Frisco, Texas
|champions = North Dakota State
|payton = Cooper Kupp, WR, Eastern Washington
|buchanan = Deon King, LB, Norfolk State
}}
The 2015 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 29, 2015, and concluded with the 2016 NCAA Division I Football Championship Game played on January 9, 2016, at Toyota Stadium in Frisco, Texas. North Dakota State won its fifth consecutive title, defeating Jacksonville State, 37–10.
FCS team wins over FBS teams
(FCS rankings from the STATS poll)
September 4: No. 20 Fordham 37, Army 35
September 5: North Dakota 24, Wyoming 13
September 5: Portland State 24, Washington St 17
September 5: No. 16 South Dakota State 41, Kansas 38
September 19: Furman 16, UCF 15
September 26: No. 9 James Madison 48, SMU 45
October 3: No. 18 Liberty 41, Georgia State 33
October 10: No. 25 Portland State 66, North Texas 7 (NOTE: This was the largest victory margin ever by an FCS team over an FBS team. Portland State also became the first FCS team to defeat two FBS teams in the same season since North Dakota State in 2007).{{cite web|url=https://www.sbnation.com/college-football/2015/10/10/9494755/portland-state-vikings-football-washington-state-north-texas-fcs-win-records |title=FCS Portland State beat North Texas so badly, the Mean Green immediately fired their head coach|author=Rodger Sherman|publisher=SB Nation|date=October 10, 2015|access-date=May 13, 2018}}
November 21: No. 25 The Citadel 23, South Carolina 22
Conference changes and new programs
{{main|2010–2014 NCAA conference realignment}}
class="wikitable sortable" | ||
School | 2014 conference | 2015 conference |
---|---|---|
style="text-align:center;" | FCS Independent | C–USA (FBS) |
style="text-align:center;" | Revived program | FCS Independent |
style="text-align:center;" | New program | Big South |
Conference standings
cellpadding="5"
|valign="top" width=25em|{{2015 Big Sky Conference football standings}} |valign="top" width=25em|{{2015 Big South Conference football standings}} |valign="top" width=25em|{{2015 Colonial Athletic Association football standings}} |
valign="top" width=25em|{{2015 Ivy League football standings}}
|valign="top" width=25em|{{2015 Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference football standings}} |valign="top" width=25em|{{2015 Missouri Valley Football Conference standings}} |
valign="top" width=25em|{{2015 Northeast Conference football standings}}
|valign="top" width=25em|{{2015 Ohio Valley Conference football standings}} |valign="top" width=25em|{{2015 Patriot League football standings}} |
valign="top" width=25em|{{2015 Pioneer Football League standings}}
|valign="top" width=25em|{{2015 Southern Conference football standings}} |valign="top" width=25em|{{2015 Southland Conference football standings}} |
valign="top" width=25em|{{2015 Southwestern Athletic Conference football standings}}
|valign="top" width=25em|{{2015 NCAA Division I FCS independents football standings}} |
Conference summaries
=Championship games=
class=wikitable style="text-align:center;" |
style="width:50px"|Conference
!style="width:120px"|Champion !style="width:100px"|Runner-up !style="width:60px;"|Score !style="width:200px"|Offensive Player of the Year !style="width:200px"|Defensive Player of the Year !style="width:200px"|Coach of the Year |
---|
SWAC
|{{nowrap|Grambling State}} |49–21 |Johnathan Williams |Kourtney Berry |Broderick Fobbs |
=Other conference winners=
Note: Records are regular-season only, and do not include playoff games.
class=wikitable style="text-align:center;" |
Conference
!Champion !Record !Offensive Player of the Year !Defensive Player of the Year !Coach of the Year |
---|
Big Sky
|8–3 (7–1) |Cooper Kupp |James Cowser |
Big South
|9–2 (6–0) |De'Angelo Henderson |Chima Uzowihe |Jamey Chadwell |
CAA
|James Madison |9–2 (6–2) |Vad Lee |DeAndre Houston-Carson |Danny Rocco |
Ivy
|9–1 (6–1) |Scott Hosch |Tyler Drake |Ray Priore |
MEAC
|Bethune-Cookman |9–2 (7–1) |Tarik Cohen |Javon Hargrave |Terry Sims |
MVFC
|Illinois State |9–2 (7–1) |Marshaun Coprich |Deiondre' Hall |
NEC
|8–3 (5–1) |Ricardo McCray |Christian Kuntz |
OVC
|10–1 (8–0) |Eli Jenkins |Dino Fanti |John Grass |
Patriot
|7–4 (6–0) |Clayton Ewell |Dan Hunt |
Pioneer
|10–1 (7–1) |Austin Gahafer |Donald Payne |Rick Chamberlin |
Southern
|8–3 (6–1) |Jacob Huesman |Mitchell Jeter |Mike Houston |
Southland
|10–0 (9–0) |Kade Harrington |Wallace Scott |Matt Viator |
{{reflist|group=a}}
Playoff qualifiers
=Automatic berths for conference champions=
class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align: center;"
!Conference !Team !data-sort-type=number|Appearance !Last bid !Result | ||||
Big Sky Conference | Southern Utah | 2nd | 2013 | First Round (L – Sam Houston State) |
Big South Conference | Charleston Southern | 1st | – | – |
Colonial Athletic Association | Richmond | 10th | 2014 | Second Round (L – Coastal Carolina) |
Missouri Valley Football Conference | North Dakota State | 6th | 2014 | National Champions (W – Illinois State) |
Northeast Conference | Duquesne | 1st | – | – |
Ohio Valley Conference | Jacksonville State | 6th | 2014 | Second Round (L – Sam Houston State) |
Patriot League | Colgate | 10th | 2012 | First Round (L – Wagner) |
Pioneer Football League | Dayton | 1st | – | – |
Southern Conference | Chattanooga | 3rd | 2014 | Quarterfinals (L – New Hampshire) |
Southland Conference | McNeese State | 16th | 2013 | Second Round (L – Jacksonville State) |
=At large qualifiers=
=Abstentions=
Postseason
=Bowl game=
class=wikitable style="text-align:center;" |
style="width:50px"|Game
!style="width:100px"|Date/TV !style="width:100px"|Location !style="width:100px"|Winning Team !style="width:100px"|Losing Team ! style="width:60px;"|Score !style="width:150px"|Offensive MVP !style="width:150px"|Defensive MVP |
---|
Celebration Bowl
|December 19 |North Carolina A&T |Alcorn State Braves |41–34 |Tarik Cohen |Denzel Jones |
=NCAA Division I playoff bracket=
{{24TeamBracket-Byes2|compact=y|nowrap=y
|RD1=First Round
November 28
Campus sites
|RD2=Second Round
December 5
Campus sites
|RD3=Quarterfinals
December 11 and 12
Campus sites
|RD4=Semifinals
December 18 and 19
Campus sites
|RD5=National Championship
January 9
Toyota Stadium, Frisco, Texas
|RD1-seed1=
|RD1-team1= Chattanooga*
|RD1-score1= 50
|RD1-seed2=
|RD1-team2= Fordham
|RD1-score2= 20
|RD1-seed3=
|RD1-team3= Coastal Carolina*
|RD1-score3= 38
|RD1-seed4=
|RD1-team4= The Citadel
|RD1-score4= 41
|RD1-seed5=
|RD1-team5= {{nowrap|Sam Houston State*}}
|RD1-score5= 42
|RD1-seed6=
|RD1-team6= Southern Utah
|RD1-score6= 39
|RD1-seed7=
|RD1-team7= New Hampshire*
|RD1-score7= 20
|RD1-seed8=
|RD1-team8= Colgate
|RD1-score8= 27
|RD1-seed9=
|RD1-team9= Dayton*
|RD1-score9= 7
|RD1-seed10=
|RD1-team10= Western Illinois
|RD1-score10= 24
|RD1-seed11=
|RD1-team11= William & Mary*
|RD1-score11= 52
|RD1-seed12=
|RD1-team12= Duquesne
|RD1-score12= 49
|RD1-seed13=
|RD1-team13= Montana*
|RD1-score13= 24
|RD1-seed14=
|RD1-team14= South Dakota State
|RD1-score14= 17
|RD1-seed15=
|RD1-team15= Northern Iowa*
|RD1-score15= 53
|RD1-seed16=
|RD1-team16= Eastern Illinois
|RD1-score16= 17
|RD2-seed1= 1
|RD2-team1= Jacksonville State*
|RD2-score1= 41†
|RD2-seed2=
|RD2-team2= Chattanooga
|RD2-score2= 35
|RD2-seed3= 8
|RD2-team3= {{nowrap|Charleston Southern*}}
|RD2-score3= 14
|RD2-seed4=
|RD2-team4= The Citadel
|RD2-score4= 6
|RD2-seed5= 4
|RD2-team5= McNeese State*
|RD2-score5= 29
|RD2-seed6=
|RD2-team6= Sam Houston State
|RD2-score6= 34
|RD2-seed7= 5
|RD2-team7= James Madison*
|RD2-score7= 38
|RD2-seed8=
|RD2-team8= Colgate
|RD2-score8= 44
|RD2-seed9= 2
|RD2-team9= Illinois State*
|RD2-score9= 36
|RD2-seed10=
|RD2-team10= Western Illinois
|RD2-score10= 19
|RD2-seed11= 7
|RD2-team11= Richmond*
|RD2-score11= 48
|RD2-seed12=
|RD2-team12= William & Mary
|RD2-score12= 13
|RD2-seed13= 3
|RD2-team13= North Dakota State*
|RD2-score13= 37
|RD2-seed14=
|RD2-team14= Montana
|RD2-score14= 6
|RD2-seed15= 6
|RD2-team15= Portland State*
|RD2-score15= 17
|RD2-seed16=
|RD2-team16= Northern Iowa
|RD2-score16= 29
|RD3-seed1= 1
|RD3-team1= Jacksonville State*
|RD3-score1= 58
|RD3-seed2= 8
|RD3-team2= Charleston Southern
|RD3-score2= 38
|RD3-seed3=
|RD3-team3= {{nowrap|Sam Houston State*}}
|RD3-score3= 48
|RD3-seed4=
|RD3-team4= Colgate
|RD3-score4= 21
|RD3-seed5= 2
|RD3-team5= Illinois State*
|RD3-score5= 27
|RD3-seed6= 7
|RD3-team6= Richmond
|RD3-score6= 39
|RD3-seed7= 3
|RD3-team7= North Dakota State*
|RD3-score7= 23
|RD3-seed8=
|RD3-team8= Northern Iowa
|RD3-score8= 13
|RD4-seed1= 1
|RD4-team1= Jacksonville State*
|RD4-score1= 62
|RD4-seed2=
|RD4-team2= Sam Houston State
|RD4-score2= 10
|RD4-seed3= 7
|RD4-team3= Richmond
|RD4-score3= 7
|RD4-seed4= 3
|RD4-team4= North Dakota State*
|RD4-score4= 33
|RD5-seed1= 1
|RD5-team1= Jacksonville State
|RD5-score1= 10
|RD5-seed2= 3
|RD5-team2= North Dakota State
|RD5-score2= 37
}}
† Overtime
Winner
Updated stadiums
Home facilities for the two new FCS programs in the 2015 season:
- East Tennessee State played at Kermit Tipton Stadium, located on the campus of Science Hill High School in Johnson City, Tennessee.{{cite news|url=http://www.johnsoncitypress.com/Local/2014/11/25/ETSU-looks-to-Science-Hill-for-home-field-advantage-over-next-2-seasons|author=Nathan Baker|title=ETSU looks to Science Hill for home field advantage over next 2 seasons|publisher=Johnson City Press|date=November 25, 2014|access-date=May 13, 2018}}
- Kennesaw State played on campus at Fifth Third Bank Stadium, capacity 8,318 (planned expansion to over 10,000).
Coaching changes
=Preseason and in-season=
This is restricted to coaching changes that took place on or after May 1, 2015. For coaching changes that occurred earlier in 2015, see 2014 NCAA Division I FCS end-of-season coaching changes.