FCS Kickoff
| FCS Kickoff | |
|---|---|
| Stadium | Rotating |
| Location | Campus sites |
| Operated | 2014–present |
| 2015 matchup | |
| Montana vs. North Dakota State (38–35) | |
The FCS Kickoff is an annual college football game played on the Saturday before the opening weekend of the college football season. The game showcases teams from the NCAA Division I Football Championship Subdivision and rotates to various campus sites. The game is televised nationally by ESPN.
History
In February 2013, ESPN announced that the 2014 college football season would begin at its earliest point in 11 years with the creation of the "FCS Kickoff", an annual game which would showcase two top-level teams from the NCAA Division I Football Championship Subdivision. ESPN stated that during meetings with FCS conference commissioners there was an interest in creating a "tentpole type" event around FCS football[1] and to showcase the quality and depth of FCS football to a national audience.[2]
Game results
| Date | Winning team | Losing team | Venue | Attendance | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| August 23, 2014 | #1 Eastern Washington Eagles | 56 | #17 Sam Houston State Bearkats | 35 | Roos Field (Cheney, WA) | 10,310[3] |
| August 29, 2015 | #13 Montana Grizzlies | 38 | #1 North Dakota State Bison | 35 | Washington–Grizzly Stadium (Missoula, MT) | 26,472[4] |
| August 27, 2016 | Charleston Southern Buccaneers @ North Dakota State Bison | Fargodome (Fargo, ND)[5] | ||||
Rankings are from the STATS FCS Poll.
Records
By team
| Rank | Team | Apps | Record | Win % | PF | PA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Eastern Washington | 1 | 1–0 | 1.000 | 56 | 35 |
| Montana | 1 | 1–0 | 1.000 | 38 | 35 | |
| 3 | North Dakota State | 1 | 0–1 | .000 | 35 | 38 |
| Sam Houston State | 1 | 0–1 | .000 | 35 | 56 |
By conference
| Rank | Conference | Apps | Record | Win % | PF | PA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Big Sky | 2 | 2–0 | 1.000 | 94 | 70 |
| 2 | MVFC | 1 | 0–1 | .000 | 35 | 38 |
| Southland | 1 | 0–1 | .000 | 35 | 56 |
References
- ↑ "ESPN to give college football season an early start in 2014". usatoday.com. Retrieved February 20, 2014.
- ↑ "College football season to kick off with FCS battle between Sam Houston State and Eastern Washington on August 23". sports.yahoo.com. Retrieved February 20, 2014.
- ↑ "Sam Houston State Bearkats vs. Eastern Washington Eagles Box Score". ESPN.com. Retrieved August 23, 2014.
- ↑ "North Dakota State Bison vs. Montana Grizzlies Box Score". ESPN.com. Retrieved August 29, 2015.
- ↑ "NDSU to Open Season on ESPN for Second Straight Year". North Dakota State Bison Athletics. March 15, 2016.
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