The RFC Offseason Schedule Tracker: Ivy League (FCS)

Ivy League-(FCS)

Overview: The Ivy League experienced multiple changes in 2025, with the biggest being that all eight teams were eligible for the FCS playoffs for the first time in the storied history of the "Ancient Eight".

One team that made the most of this change was the Yale University Bulldogs. The Bulldogs pulled off the upset over their longtime archrivals in the Harvard University Crimson to clinch the Ivy League's first-ever automatic bid to the FCS playoffs. The Bulldogs then rallied from a 28-point halftime deficit to defeat and eliminate Youngstown State for Yale's first-ever FCS playoff win a week later. Yale's historic season came to a close the following week after giving eventual FCS national champion Montana State all it could handle before succumbing 21-13 to finish at 9-3 overall.

As for Harvard, the Crimson saw its quest for an undefeated regular season end after being upset by Yale, 45-28, and settled for a share of the Ivy League championship. Harvard was eliminated by Villanova in its first-ever FCS playoff game, 52-7. The Crimson finished its 2025 campaign at 9-2 overall.

With the 2026 season soon to start in just a matter of months, the questions are these: Will Harvard and Yale make it a two-team race for the Ivy League title, with both squads finishing the 2025 season at 6-1 in conference play? Or will one or more of the other six squads have a say in who comes out on top this fall?

142. Brown

143. Columbia 

144. Cornell (N.Y.)

145. Dartmouth

146. Harvard

147. Penn*

148. Princeton 

149. Yale

*-Schedule courtesy of fbschedules.com.


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The RFC Offseason Schedule Tracker: Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC)-(FCS)

Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC)-(FCS)

Overview:  After one of the most competitive football seasons in Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) history, the Prairie View A&M University Panthers traveled to Jackson, Mississippi, and knocked off the Jackson State University Tigers, 23-21, on Saturday, December 6, 2025, to win their first SWAC title since 2009. The Panthers then fell to MEAC champion South Carolina State, 40-38, in four overtimes at the Celebration Bowl the following week, to end the 2025 season at 10-4 overall.

 

The 2026 season promises more of the same intense competition from top to bottom, with Jackson State (9-3 overall in 2025) and Alabama State (10-2 in 2025) looking to win the East Division title, while Prairie View hopes to repeat as SWAC champions this fall.

However, there's one squad that won't be part of the conference championship conversation this season due to poor academic performance with the Florida A&M University Rattlers. On April 10, 2026, the NCAA banned FAMU from postseason play after receiving Level Two Academic Progress Rate (APR) penalties, which include practice restrictions, in addition to missing out on postseason action.

East Division

130. Alabama A&M

131. Alabama State

132. Bethune-Cookman

133. Florida A&M

134. Jackson State

135. Mississippi Valley State

West Division

136. Alcorn State

137. Grambling State

138. Prairie View A&M

139. Southern

140. Texas Southern*

141. UAPB

*-Schedule courtesy of fbschedules.com.

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The RFC Offseason Schedule Tracker: Quick Schedule Updates-Louisiana Tech, San Diego, and West Florida

Editor's Note: Louisiana Tech, San Diego, and West Florida have updated their schedules as of Friday, May 1, 2026. Please click the following links listed below to find those schedules. All schedules are subject to change.)

Louisiana Tech (Schedule includes games vs. Sun Belt Conference opponents for the 2026 season.)

San Diego (11-game regular-season schedule in 2026) 

West Florida (12-game regular season schedule for the Argonauts first season at the FCS level in 2026. The schedule is courtesy of fbschedules.com.)

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The RFC Offseason Schedule Tracker: Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC)-(FCS)

 Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC)-(FCS)

Overview:  After outlasting SWAC champion Prairie View A&M 40-38 in four overtimes to win the Celebration Bowl on December 13, 2025, the South Carolina State University Bulldogs, who ended last year with a 10-3 overall record and unbeaten in conference play at 5-0, will enter the 2026 season hoping to win their third-straight title this fall. 

But S.C. State will get some serious competition this season from the Delaware State University Hornets, who finished their 2025 season at 4-1 in MEAC action en route to a final overall record of 8-4. Don't count North Carolina Central (8-4, 3-2) out of the MEAC mix either.

 

124. Delaware State

125. Howard

126. Morgan State

127. Norfolk State

128. North Carolina Central

129. South Carolina State

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The RFC Offseason Schedule Tracker: United Athletic Conference (UAC)-(FCS)

United Athletic Conference (UAC)-(FCS)

Overview:  Despite only being in existence since 2023, the United Athletic Conference (UAC) has quickly established itself as one of the strongest conferences at the FCS level.

One case in point came in 2025, with five of the UAC's nine teams posting winning overall records last fall. Two of those teams, Tarleton State (12-2 overall in 2025) and Abilene Christian (9-5), both advanced to the FCS playoffs last season, with the Texans defeating North Dakota, 31-13, in the second round before succumbing to Villanova, 26-21, in the quarterfinals.

 

On the other hand, the Wildcats from Abilene, Texas, outlasted Lamar, 38-20 in the first round, only to see their season come to a heartbreaking end in a 41-34 loss to Stephen F. Austin in the second round. ACU handed Tarleton State its lone regular-season loss in a 31-28 upset win over the Texans on November 1. That win helped ACU win the UAC's automatic bid to the FCS playoffs.

The upcoming 2026 season will bring significant changes to the UAC line-up, with Southern Utah and Utah Tech leaving to rejoin the Big Sky Conference, while the University of West Florida moves up from NCAA Division II to the FCS ranks. The addition of UWF will bring instant credibility to this up-and-coming conference, as the Argonauts from Pensacola, Florida, won the Division II national championship in 2019.

116. Abilene Christian

117. Austin Peay

118. Central Arkansas

119. Eastern Kentucky

120. North Alabama

121. Tarleton State

122. West Florida*

123. West Georgia**

*-West Florida has started the first season of its four-season transition from the NCAA Division II to the NCAA Division I (FCS) level and is ineligible for postseason play during that span. UWF's first full season of FCS postseason eligibility is 2030.

**-West Georgia is currently transitioning from the NCAA Division II to the NCAA Division I (FCS) level and is ineligible for postseason play during the next two seasons. UWG's first full season of FCS postseason eligibility is 2027.

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The RFC Offseason Schedule Tracker 2026: Pioneer Football League (PFL)-(FCS)

Overview: The Pioneer Football League (PFL) will enter the 2026 season with the same 11 teams that played the 2025 season from start to finish. The Drake University Bulldogs from Des Moines, Iowa, will look to win another PFL title after finishing 7-1 in conference play and 8-4 overall last fall. The Bulldogs lost to eventual national quarterfinalist South Dakota, 38-17, in the first round of the FCS playoffs last season.

Teams that hope to dethrone Drake in PFL play this season include Presbyterian (10-2 overall, 6-2 in the PFL in 2025), San Diego (8-4, 6-2), Dayton (7-4, 5-3), and St. Thomas (Minn.) (7-5, 5-3).

Pioneer Football League (PFL)

105. Butler 

106. Davidson

107. Dayton

108. Drake

109. Marist

110. Morehead State

111. Presbyterian

112. San Diego

113. Stetson

114. St. Thomas (Minn.)

115. Valparaiso

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The RFC Offseason Schedule Tracker 2026: Northeast and Missouri Valley Football Conferences (FCS)

Overview: The Central Connecticut State University Blue Devils will try to advance to the FCS playoffs, as well as win three straight Northeast Conference (NEC) titles, all while starting the 2026 season with three straight road games at South Dakota, FBS Group of Six Conference foe Toledo, and defending FCS national champion Montana State, during the first three weeks.

Meanwhile, the Missouri Valley Football Conference (MVFC) must adjust to a new look in its conference membership, as 10-time FCS national champion North Dakota State has moved on to the Mountain West Conference and the Group of Six ranks for 2026. NDSU's departure makes for a wide-open race for the MVFC title this fall, as squads such as South Dakota State, South Dakota, North Dakota, and national runner-up Illinois State hope to be in the championship conversation from start to finish.

Some notable early-season non-conference match-ups involving teams from both leagues include Long Island University (LIU) at North Dakota on August 27th, Central Connecticut State at South Dakota on August 29th, and Duquesne at Youngstown State on September 12th.

Finally, the NEC will have one less program among its membership in 2026, as St. Francis (Pa.) will downgrade to the NCAA Division III level after spending the past 35 seasons as an FCS program. Also, Stonehill becomes a fully-eligible FCS member after four seasons of being ineligible for postseason play, while Mercyhurst will enter the third season of its four-year transition period from the NCAA Division II ranks, and New Haven goes into season #2 of its transition period.

Northeast Conference (NEC)

88. Central Connecticut State (schedule courtesy of Hero Sports)

89. Duquesne

90. LIU

91. Mercyhurst

92. New Haven

93. Robert Morris

94. Stonehill

95. Wagner

 Missouri Valley Football Conference

96. Illinois State

97. Indiana State

98. Murray State

99. North Dakota

100. Northern Iowa

101. South Dakota

102. South Dakota State (schedule courtesy of Hero Sports)

103. Southern Illinois

104. Youngstown State

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