| FCS Kickoff | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Stadium | Cramton Bowl (2017–present) |
| Location | Montgomery, Alabama |
| Previous stadiums | Campus sites (2014–2016) |
| Operated | 2014–present |
| Sponsors | |
Guardian Credit Union (2017–2020) | |
| 2024 matchup | |
| Southeast Missouri State37,North Alabama 15 | |
| 2025 matchup | |
| TBA vs. TBA | |
TheFCS Kickoff is an annualcollege football game played on the Saturday before the opening weekend of the college football season. The game showcases teams from theNCAA Division I Football Championship Subdivision (FCS). For the game's first three editions, it was played at campus sites; since 2017, the game has been played at a neutral site, theCramton Bowl inMontgomery, Alabama. The game is televised nationally byESPN.
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]
Under current NCAA rules, FCS teams are not allowed to play their first regular-season game until the Thursday preceding Labor Day. However, an exception to this rule has been carved out for nationally televised events (on either over-the-air or cable networks); teams may participate in such an event against an out-of-conference opponent on the Saturday or Sunday preceding the standard season start date. No more than one team from a conference can participate in such an event in a given season, and no team can appear in such a game in three consecutive seasons.[3]
The 2017 edition marked several changes for the event. First, ESPN took ownership of the event through itsESPN Events division. The event was moved to a neutral site (the Cramton Bowl in Montgomery, Alabama); received a name sponsorship by Guardian Credit Union, a small Montgomery-basedcredit union; was co-branded as the Montgomery Kickoff Classic; and also took on Alabama FCS memberJacksonville State University as a partner for the 2017 and 2018 editions. As such,JSU participated in both editions of the event.[4][5] With Jacksonville State barred from a third consecutive FCS Kickoff appearance by NCAA rule, ESPN chose another Alabama program,Samford, as the de facto home team for the 2019 edition.[6]
The 2020 edition, which sawCentral Arkansas defeatAustin Peay, was the first since ESPN took ownership of the event that did not feature an Alabama school.[7]
The game would not be held in 2021 due to theCOVID-19 pandemic.[8] When the game returned in 2022, it would not be sponsored by Guardian Credit Union and would only be known as the FCS Kickoff.
2022 would feature Jacksonville State's third appearance in the Week 0 game as they took on theStephen F. Austin Lumberjacks. The Gamecocks would win 42-17 as the game ended prematurely with 13:18 left in the 4th quarter due to weather.[9]
The 2023 rendition would feature theMercer Bears and theNorth Alabama Lions. The Bears would defeat the Lions 17-7. The game was also the second FCS Kickoff game to feature a weather delay as lightning would halt play for 76 minutes in the 3rd quarter.[10]
The Lions would return in 2024 to face off againstSoutheast Missouri State. The Lions would once again fall as they were defeated by the Redhawks 37-15.[11]
| Season | Date | Winning team | Losing team | Venue | Attendance | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2014 | August 23 | No. 1 Eastern Washington | 56 | No. 17Sam Houston State | 35 | Roos Field (Cheney, WA) | 10,310[12] |
| 2015 | August 29 | No. 13 Montana | 38 | No. 1North Dakota State | 35 | Washington–Grizzly Stadium (Missoula, MT) | 26,472[13] |
| 2016 | August 27 | No. 1North Dakota State | 24 | No. 7Charleston Southern | 17 | Fargodome (Fargo, ND) | 18,881[14] |
| 2017 | August 26 | No. 6Jacksonville State | 27 | No. 12Chattanooga | 13 | Cramton Bowl (Montgomery, AL) | 12,952[15] |
| 2018 | August 25 | No. 14North Carolina A&T | 20 | No. 6Jacksonville State | 17 | 13,500[16] | |
| 2019 | August 24 | Youngstown State | 45 | Samford | 22 | 12,560[17] | |
| 2020 | August 29 | No. 11Central Arkansas | 24 | No. 13 Austin Peay | 17 | 2,000[18] | |
| 2022 | August 27 | Jacksonville State | 42 | No. 10Stephen F. Austin | 17 | 5,235 | |
| 2023 | August 26 | No. 20Mercer | 17 | North Alabama | 7 | 5,566[19] | |
| 2024 | August 24 | Southeast Missouri State | 37 | North Alabama | 15 | 4,358[20] | |
Rankings are from theSTATS FCS Poll.
| Season | Date | Matchup | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | August 23, 2025 | Mercer | UC Davis |
| Rank | Team | Apps | Record | Win % | PF | PA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Central Arkansas | 1 | 1–0 | 1.000 | 24 | 17 |
| Eastern Washington | 1 | 1–0 | 1.000 | 56 | 35 | |
| Mercer | 1 | 1–0 | 1.000 | 17 | 7 | |
| Montana | 1 | 1–0 | 1.000 | 38 | 35 | |
| North Carolina A&T | 1 | 1–0 | 1.000 | 20 | 17 | |
| Southeast Missouri State | 1 | 1–0 | 1.000 | 37 | 15 | |
| Youngstown State | 1 | 1–0 | 1.000 | 45 | 22 | |
| 7 | Jacksonville State[a] | 3 | 2–1 | .667 | 86 | 50 |
| 8 | North Dakota State | 2 | 1–1 | .500 | 59 | 55 |
| 9 | Austin Peay | 1 | 0–1 | .000 | 17 | 24 |
| Charleston Southern | 1 | 0–1 | .000 | 17 | 24 | |
| Chattanooga | 1 | 0–1 | .000 | 13 | 27 | |
| North Alabama | 2 | 0–2 | .000 | 22 | 54 | |
| Sam Houston[a][b] | 1 | 0–1 | .000 | 35 | 56 | |
| Samford | 1 | 0–1 | .000 | 22 | 45 | |
| Stephen F. Austin | 1 | 0–1 | .000 | 17 | 42 |
| Rank | Conference | Apps | Record | Win % | PF | PA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Big Sky | 2 | 2–0 | 1.000 | 94 | 70 |
| ASUN | 1 | 1–0 | 1.000 | 42 | 17 | |
| MEAC | 1 | 1–0 | 1.000 | 20 | 17 | |
| OVC–BSC | 1 | 1–0 | 1.000 | 37 | 15 | |
| 5 | MVFC | 3 | 2–1 | .667 | 104 | 77 |
| 6 | Southland | 2 | 1–1 | .500 | 59 | 73 |
| 7 | OVC | 3 | 1–2 | .333 | 61 | 57 |
| Southern | 3 | 1–2 | .333 | 52 | 79 | |
| 9 | Big South | 1 | 0–1 | .000 | 17 | 24 |
| UAC | 2 | 0–2 | .000 | 22 | 54 | |
| WAC | 1 | 0–1 | .000 | 17 | 42 |
The 2021 FCS Kickoff was cancelled due to COVID
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