The 2016 NCAA Division I FCS football season, part of college football in the United States, was organized by the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) at the Division I Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) level. The NCAA Division I Football Championship Game was played on January 7, 2017, in Frisco, Texas. The James Madison Dukes defeated the Youngstown State Penguins, 28–14, to capture their second national championship in team history.
Rule changes
The following rule changes were voted on by the NCAA Football Rules Committee for the 2016 season:[1]
- Requiring replay officials to review all aspects of targeting penalties, including the option to call a targeting foul missed by the on-field officials if the foul is deemed egregious.
- Allowing electronic devices to be used for coaching purposes in the press box and locker room during the game. Electronic devices will still be prohibited on the field and sideline.
- Coaches can now be ejected after receiving two unsportsmanlike conduct penalties in one game, the same as players.
- A ball carrier who "gives himself up" (e.g., by sliding) will now be considered a defenseless player.
- Deliberate tripping of a ball carrier with the leg is now a penalty (15 yards for tripping).
- Players who leave the tackle box are now prohibited from blocking below the waist toward the initial position of the ball.
- An exception to a rule introduced for the 2015 season regarding low hits to passers (i.e., at or below the knee) was eliminated. Last season, a defensive player would not have been penalized for such a hit if making a bona fide attempt at a tackle, but will now be penalized in the same situation.
- Teams attempting a scrimmage kick (field goals/PATs/punts) must have five offensive linemen (numbered 50–79) on the scrimmage line unless the kicking team has at least two players seven yards OR one player at least 10 yards behind the line of scrimmage. Previously only one player had to be lined up seven yards behind the line to avoid using five linemen, causing confusion in kick coverage on defense.
The committee, once again, took no action on changing the ineligible receiver downfield rule from three yards to one yard; however it will once again be a "point of emphasis" and will adjust officiating mechanics to better officiate those plays.
In addition to the above changes, the NCAA approved an experimental rule on kickoffs and touchbacks to be used this season by the Ivy League in conference games only. In those games, kickoffs were taken from the 40-yard line instead of the 35, and touchbacks were brought back to the 20-yard line instead of the 25. The Ivies proposed the experiment in the interest of player safety, believing that increasing the frequency of touchbacks would reduce injury risk from kick returns. The Ivies were scheduled to report the results of the experiment to the NCAA in February 2017.[2]
Updated stadiums
- South Dakota State debuted the Dana J. Dykhouse Stadium which seats 19,340. The stadium was half finished for the 2015 season and finished in time for the Luke Bryan concert on September 8, 2016, and the first football game the evening of September 10.
- New Hampshire debuted a major renovation and expansion of the renamed Wildcat Stadium. The venue, previously with a capacity of 6,500, now seats slightly over 11,000.
- William & Mary also debuted a major renovation and expansion to its Zable Stadium, which the saw the addition of an upper deck and an increase in capacity to 12,259.
- Prairie View A&M started its home schedule on September 3, 2016 in the new on-campus 15,000 seat Panther Stadium against Texas Southern.[13][14]
Two teams played their final season in their then-current venues:
FCS team wins over FBS teams
(FCS rankings from the STATS poll)
- September 2:
- September 3:
- September 10:
- September 17:
- #1 North Dakota State 23, No. 13 (FBS) Iowa 21
- NDSU went to No. 13 FBS Ranked Iowa and became just the 4th FCS team to beat an AP ranked FBS team by beating the Hawkeyes on a game-winning field goal 23–21. This was Iowa's first loss to a non FBS opponent. The next day NDSU received 74 votes for the AP top-25 rankings (No. 27 overall), which is the most votes ever received by an FCS team, beating the old record held by North Dakota State in 2013 when they received 17 and were No. 33 after the 2013 season.[15]
- September 24:
Conference summaries
Championship games
| Conference
|
Champion
|
Runner-up
|
Score
|
Offensive Player of the Year
|
Defensive Player of the Year
|
Coach of the Year
|
| SWAC
|
Grambling State
11–1 (9–0)
|
Alcorn State
5–6 (5–4)
|
27–20
|
Devante Kincade
(Grambling State)
|
Tiger Donovan McCray
(Grambling State)
|
Broderick Fobbs
(Grambling State)
|
Other conference winners
Note: Records are regular-season only, and do not include playoff games.
Playoff qualifiers
Automatic berths for conference champions
At large qualifiers
Abstentions
NC Central and Grambling, as the winners of the MEAC and SWAC, will face off in the 2016 Celebration Bowl on December 17 for the unofficial HBCU national championship.
Postseason
NCAA Division I playoff bracket
* Home team
Winner
All times in Eastern Standard Time (UTC−05:00)
Bowl games
Coaching changes
In-season
This is restricted to coaching changes that took place on or after May 1, 2016. For coaching changes that occurred earlier in 2016, see 2015 NCAA Division I FCS end-of-season coaching changes.
End of season
