The FCS playoffs saw a change in the early 2010s, going from a 20-team bracket to a 24-team bracket beginning in 2013.
What has remained consistent is North Dakota State. The Bison won eight of the 10 FCS national titles from 2010-2019.
The Missouri Valley Football Conference held a dominating 68-27 playoff record last decade. Thirty-six of the MVFC’s 68 playoff wins in the 2010s (numbers below) were by NDSU. But it hasn’t just been the Bison in the national title conversation. The Valley has had three other teams make the semifinals — Illinois State, South Dakota State and Youngstown State. ISU and YSU have made the national championship game.
Of the MVFC’s 27 playoff losses, 11 came against fellow conference opponents and seven were at the hands of NDSU.
The CAA showed great consistency last decade. Twelve different teams made the playoffs at least once and 11 of those teams got at least one win. Seven teams reached the semifinals — James Madison, Maine, Richmond, New Hampshire, Towson, Villanova and Delaware. Three teams reached the title game — JMU, Towson and Delaware — with JMU winning it all in 2016.
Of the CAA’s 44 playoffs wins, JMU owns 12 of them.
So if you take away the best teams in the MVFC and the CAA (NDSU and JMU), both conferences would have 32 playoff wins.
Here are the conference playoff records from 2010-2019:
MVFC: 68-27
CAA: 44-39
Big Sky: 30-32
Southland: 22-24
SoCon: 20-24
Big South: 13-15
OVC: 11-18
Patriot: 7-12
NEC: 2-10
Pioneer: 2-7
MEAC: 0-8
Independent: 0-1
