In recent years, first-time qualifiers have fared well in the FCS playoffs. Here are the football programs that are chasing their first all-time bid in 2026.
One year after Ivy League powers Yale and Harvard finally got in on the fun, plenty of FCS football programs will seek their first bid to the NCAA playoffs in 2026.
More than one quarter of the 126 current FCS programs have not qualified for the playoffs, which have been a staple of the Division I subdivision since its inception in 1978 (and growing from four teams initially to 24 qualifiers today).
In 2025, Yale posted a 28-point comeback win at Youngstown State in the first round and Harvard also was a qualifier in the Ivy League’s first season of playoff eligibility. In the last four playoffs, five of the seven first-time qualifiers have posted a win – Gardner-Webb in 2022, Mercer in 2023, Abilene Christian and Tarleton State in 2024, then Yale last season.
The 2026 FCS playoffs – the 49th overall – will begin on Nov. 28 and conclude in early January in Nashville, Tennessee. Montana State is the defending champion.
MORE FCS FOOTBALL ON OPTA ANALYST
FCS FootballWhat Are the FCS Conference Realignment Changes in 2026?
1 week ago Craig Haley FCS FootballFCS Programs That Enter 2026 With the Most Consecutive Winning Seasons
2 weeks ago Craig Haley FCS FootballYear-by-Year Results of the Division I FCS National Championship Game
2 months ago Craig Haley2026 Programs to Never Qualify for FCS Playoffs
Big Sky – Northern Colorado, Utah Tech
CAA Football – Bryant, Campbell
Ivy – Brown, Columbia, Cornell, Dartmouth, Penn, Princeton
NEC Football – Chicago State (start-up program is ineligible for NEC title and automatic playoff bid in 2026), Long Island University, Mercyhurst (eligible in 2027), New Haven (eligible in 2028), Stonehill
Ohio Valley – Lindenwood
Patriot – Bucknell, Georgetown
Pioneer – Marist, Morehead State, Presbyterian, Stetson, St. Thomas, Valparaiso
Southland – East Texas A&M, Houston Christian, UTRGV
SWAC – Alabama A&M, Alabama State, Arkansas-Pine Bluff, Prairie View A&M, Southern, Texas Southern
UAC – North Alabama, West Georgia (eligible in 2027)
Independent – Merrimack
For more FCS football coverage, follow on social media at X, Facebook, Instagram and Bluesky.
Playoff-Bound? FCS Football Teams That Seek Their First Bid in 2026 Opta Analyst.
Hence then, the article about playoff bound fcs football teams that seek their first bid in 2026 was published today ( ) and is available on The Analyst ( Middle East ) The editorial team at PressBee has edited and verified it, and it may have been modified, fully republished, or quoted. You can read and follow the updates of this news or article from its original source.
Read More Details
Finally We wish PressBee provided you with enough information of ( Playoff-Bound? FCS Football Teams That Seek Their First Bid in 2026 )
Also on site :
- Peter Mandelson arrest latest: Peer released on bail as Epstein accuser Virginia Giuffre’s family issues statement
- Discord cuts ties with Peter Thiel-backed verification software after its code was found tied to U.S. surveillance efforts
- Kate Spade Outlet Has a Jewelry Holder for Just $31 That’s Perfect for Spring Travel Season