The 2026 season is the 49th in FCS football history and it figures to be stuffed with one thrill after another. Here’s a list of many key dates to know from July to January.
With Week 0 now available to all teams in FCS football, the 2026 season can’t get here soon enough on the night of Aug. 27 followed by a full weekend of action.
There are many key dates to know before, during and after an FCS season that will have 128 programs and 13 leagues. Montana State is the reigning national champion, with its collective eyes on a title repeat when the season concludes on Jan. 11 in Nashville, Tennessee.
Following are many key dates before, during and after the 2026 FCS football season (subject to change):
Conference Football Media Days/Preseason Releases
Dates without cities are considered virtual media days
July 14 – Missouri Valley Football Conference (Sioux Falls, South Dakota)
July 15 – Southwestern Athletic Conference (Birmingham, Alabama)
July 17 – Ohio Valley Conference (Nashville, Tennessee) – players to watch on July 14-15 and preseason poll on July 16
July 21 – United Athletic Conference (Arlington, Texas)
July 21 – Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (Baltimore)
July 21 – Southern Conference (Greenville, South Carolina)
July 21 – Southland Conference (San Antonio)
July 22-23 – CAA Football – preseason poll on July 22
July 25-27 – Big Sky Conference (Airway Heights, Washington)
July 27-28 – Pioneer Football League – preseason poll on July 27 and team on July 28
July 29-30 – Patriot League – preseason poll and team on July 29
Aug. 3 – NEC Football
Aug. 10 – Ivy League – preseason poll on Aug. 3
Stats Perform Preseason Honors
The FCS National Awards are celebrating their 40th anniversary.
July 13 – FCS Preseason All-America Team
July 14 – Walter Payton Award Watch List
July 14 – Buck Buchanan Award Watch List
July 29 – HBCU National Player of the Year Watch List
Aug. 3 – FCS Preseason Top 25 Poll
The Analyst FCS Conference Predictions
Aug. 5 – United Athletic Conference
Aug. 6 – Southern Conference
Aug. 7 – Ohio Valley Conference
Aug. 10 – Southwestern Athletic Conference
Aug. 11 – Southland Conference
Aug. 12 – Missouri Valley Football Conference
Aug. 13 – NEC Conference
Aug. 14 – Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference
Aug. 17 – Big Sky Conference
Aug. 18 – Patriot League
Aug. 19 – CAA Football
Aug. 20 – Pioneer Football League
Aug. 21 – Ivy League
FCS In-Season/Postseason Dates
Aug. 27-29 – Week 0 season kickoff (Chicago State’s inaugural game versus Roosevelt on Aug. 29)
Aug. 31 – Weekly in-season start to Stats Perform FCS Top 25 Poll and National Players/Team of the Week
Oct. 21 – Jerry Rice Award Watch List announced
Nov. 17 – Doris Robinson Scholar-Athlete Award finalists announced
Nov. 21 – Final full Saturday of FCS regular season
Nov. 22 – 24-team FCS playoff pairings announced (11 conference champions and 13 at-large bids)
Nov. 23 – Jerry Rice Award and Eddie Robinson Award finalists announced
Nov. 24 – Walter Payton Award and Buck Buchanan Award finalists announced
Nov. 25 – HBCU FCS National Player of the Year finalists announced
Nov. 28 – FCS playoff first round
Dec. 1 – Walter Payton Award top-three finalists announced
Dec. 1 – Buck Buchanan Award top-three finalists announced
Dec. 2 – Jerry Rice Award recipient announced
Dec. 3 – Eddie Robinson Award recipient announced
Dec. 5 – FCS playoff second round
Dec. 5 – SWAC Championship Game
Dec. 7 – HBCU FCS National Player of the Year recipient announced
Dec. 8 – Doris Robinson Scholar-Athlete Award recipient announced
Dec. 11-12 – FCS playoff quarterfinals
Dec. 12 – Celebration Bowl at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta (MEAC and SWAC champions)
Dec. 16 – Stats Perform FCS All-America Team announced
Dec. 19 – FCS playoff semifinals
Jan. 9 – Walter Payton Award and Buck Buchanan Award recipients announced
Jan. 11 – FCS Championship Game at FirstBank Stadium in Nashville, Tennessee
Jan. 12 – Season-ending Stats Perform FCS Top 25 Poll
For more FCS football coverage, follow at X, Facebook, Instagram and Bluesky.
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