Most successful FCS to FBS transitions

With FCS powerhouse North Dakota State announcing its move to the Mountain West and the FBS, it’s time to look back at some of the schools that have had extreme success in their transitions from FCS to FBS.

James Madison University - Transitioned in 2022

In their first year in the FBS division, the James Madison Dukes finished their season 8-4 after spending one week in the AP Poll and with a ranked win against Coastal Carolina.

They would have been bowl eligible, but given their recent transition from the FCS division, they were forced to comply with a two-year reclassification period.

Since then, the Dukes have been to three bowl games, and they have spent 12 total weeks ranked in the past three years, more than many Power Five schools. This past season, they made it all the way to the College Football Playoff, where they lost to the Oregon Ducks.

James Madison has been the most recent truly successful FCS to FBS transition, and they’ll look to continue their reign atop the Sun Belt with former Florida head coach Billy Napier.

Boise State - Transitioned in 1996

The Boise State Broncos are arguably the team that brought Group of Five football to national relevance. For years, the same schools reigned almighty in college football, but Boise State brought a level of intrigue that the sport was ready for.

The Broncos transitioned to FBS in 1996 and won their first Big West championship in 1999, and won it again the following year.

Their relevance to most college football fans didn’t begin, though, until their two undefeated seasons in 2006 and 2009. Their 2007 Fiesta Bowl win over Oklahoma is widely considered to be one of the most exciting bowl games of all time.

Since then, they have continued to dominate in conference play, winning five of the last ten Mountain West titles. In 2024, they made the College Football playoffs on the tail of Ashton Jeanty’s Heisman finalist season before losing to Penn State.

UCF - Transitioned in 1996

UCF transitioned to FBS in the same year as Boise State, but its success came much later than the Broncos.

The Knights struggled initially while competing without a conference, and their mediocrity continued after they joined the MAC in 2002. In 2005, they joined the Conference USA, where UCF started to become more established as a program.

In their 2013 season, they ended ranked No. 10 and with a Fiesta Bowl win over Baylor. In 2017, though, the Knights went 13-0 and were the only undefeated team in all of college football.

Because of this, they consider themselves to be the 2017 National Champions, especially following their victory over Auburn, which had beaten both Alabama and Georgia earlier that season.

UCF has since moved to the Big 12 where they have solidified their success in their move to FBS play.

Coastal Carolina - Transitioned in 2017

Coastal Carolina moved to the FBS division in 2017 and struggled initially, but in 2019, they finished ranked 14th in the AP poll with an 11-1 record.

What makes the Chanticleers’ transition so impressive is their single-season turnaround. Following their first two seasons, it seemed unlikely that this would be a success story for the school, but their third season made that no longer the case.

Coastal Carolina has continued to see success in the Sun Belt, but given their recent transition and success, there is significantly more potential left for the program.

As North Dakota State begins its first year in the FBS, it is expected to perform well, but the blueprint for success has been set by these four schools, so we will have to wait and see how the Bison compare.

Gwen Evans is a second-year student majoring in broadcast journalism. To contact her, please email her at gme5218@psu.edu.