D1 FCS Football Colleges With Roster Openings

121 D1 FCS programs, and how many players each one loses after this season.

players leave a typical team: 25
lose a quarterback: 75%

2026-27 rosters, read September 29, 2026

Email these coaches free

7-day free trial. Emails send from your own Gmail.

All 121 D1 FCS schools

Most players leaving first. Players leaving are players in their last season on the 2026-27 roster.

121 schools

Incarnate Word
San Antonio, TX
D1 FCS
51players leaving
Positions
Houston Christian
Houston, TX
D1 FCS
48players leaving
Positions
Jackson State
Jackson, MS
D1 FCS
48players leaving
Positions

See which positions each school needs.

Roster Needs is part of Pro. It shows the positions each school is losing, so you can email the coaches who need your position.

Unlock with Pro

Tennessee Tech
Cookeville, TN
D1 FCS
48players leaving
Positions
The Citadel
Charleston, SC
D1 FCS
47players leaving
Positions
New Haven
West Haven, CT
D1 FCS
46players leaving
Positions
Prairie View A&M
Prairie View, TX
D1 FCS
46players leaving
Positions
Rhode Island
Kingston, RI
D1 FCS
44players leaving
Positions
Montana
Missoula, MT
D1 FCS
42players leaving
Positions
Montana State
Bozeman, MT
D1 FCS
42players leaving
Positions
North Carolina Central
Durham, NC
D1 FCS
41players leaving
Positions
UTRGV
Edinburg, TX
D1 FCS
41players leaving
Positions

Show all 121 schools

Youngstown State
Youngstown, OH
D1 FCS
41players leaving
Positions
Central Connecticut
New Britain, CT
D1 FCS
39players leaving
Positions
Nicholls
Thibodaux, LA
D1 FCS
39players leaving
Positions
Northern Iowa
Cedar Falls, IA
D1 FCS
39players leaving
Positions
Southeast Missouri State
Cape Girardeau, MO
D1 FCS
39players leaving
Positions
Idaho
Moscow, ID
D1 FCS
37players leaving
Positions
Duquesne
Pittsburgh, PA
D1 FCS
36players leaving
Positions
Eastern Kentucky
Richmond, KY
D1 FCS
36players leaving
Positions
Lindenwood
Saint Charles, MO
D1 FCS
36players leaving
Positions
Mercyhurst
Erie, PA
D1 FCS
36players leaving
Positions
Cal Poly
San Luis Obispo, CA
D1 FCS
34players leaving
Positions
North Dakota
Grand Forks, ND
D1 FCS
34players leaving
Positions
Alcorn State
Alcorn State, MS
D1 FCS
33players leaving
Positions
Illinois State
Normal, IL
D1 FCS
33players leaving
Positions
Western Illinois
Macomb, IL
D1 FCS
33players leaving
Positions
Bryant
Smithfield, RI
D1 FCS
32players leaving
Positions
Butler
Indianapolis, IN
D1 FCS
32players leaving
Positions
Furman
Greenville, SC
D1 FCS
32players leaving
Positions
Mercer
Macon, GA
D1 FCS
32players leaving
Positions
Austin Peay
Clarksville, TN
D1 FCS
31players leaving
Positions
Princeton
Princeton, NJ
D1 FCS
31players leaving
Positions
Brown
Providence, RI
D1 FCS
30players leaving
Positions
Chattanooga
Chattanooga, TN
D1 FCS
30players leaving
Positions
Hampton
Hampton, VA
D1 FCS
30players leaving
Positions
Idaho State
Pocatello, ID
D1 FCS
30players leaving
Positions
Southeastern Louisiana
Hammond, LA
D1 FCS
30players leaving
Positions
Columbia
New York, NY
D1 FCS
29players leaving
Positions
Delaware State
Dover, DE
D1 FCS
29players leaving
Positions
Howard
Washington, DC
D1 FCS
29players leaving
Positions
Northern Colorado
Greeley, CO
D1 FCS
29players leaving
Positions
Northwestern State
Natchitoches, LA
D1 FCS
29players leaving
Positions
Campbell
Buies Creek, NC
D1 FCS
28players leaving
Positions
Dartmouth
Hanover, NH
D1 FCS
28players leaving
Positions
Dayton
Dayton, OH
D1 FCS
28players leaving
Positions
Eastern Illinois
Charleston, IL
D1 FCS
28players leaving
Positions
Florida A&M
Tallahassee, FL
D1 FCS
28players leaving
Positions
Fordham
Bronx, NY
D1 FCS
27players leaving
Positions
Gardner-Webb
Boiling Springs, NC
D1 FCS
27players leaving
Positions
Harvard
Cambridge, MA
D1 FCS
27players leaving
Positions
Marist
Poughkeepsie, NY
D1 FCS
27players leaving
Positions
Mississippi Valley State
Itta Bena, MS
D1 FCS
27players leaving
Positions
Texas Southern
Houston, TX
D1 FCS
27players leaving
Positions
Weber State
Ogden, UT
D1 FCS
27players leaving
Positions
Arkansas-Pine Bluff
Pine Bluff, AR
D1 FCS
26players leaving
Positions
Stony Brook
Stony Brook, NY
D1 FCS
26players leaving
Positions
Abilene Christian
Abilene, TX
D1 FCS
25players leaving
Positions
Drake
Des Moines, IA
D1 FCS
25players leaving
Positions
Morgan State
Baltimore, MD
D1 FCS
25players leaving
Positions
Norfolk State
Norfolk, VA
D1 FCS
25players leaving
Positions
Western Carolina
Cullowhee, NC
D1 FCS
25players leaving
Positions
Central Arkansas
Conway, AR
D1 FCS
24players leaving
Positions
Robert Morris
Moon Township, PA
D1 FCS
24players leaving
Positions
UC Davis
Davis, CA
D1 FCS
24players leaving
Positions
Cornell
Ithaca, NY
D1 FCS
23players leaving
Positions
New Hampshire
Durham, NH
D1 FCS
23players leaving
Positions
South Dakota State
Brookings, SD
D1 FCS
23players leaving
Positions
Utah Tech
Saint George, UT
D1 FCS
23players leaving
Positions
Georgetown
Washington, DC
D1 FCS
22players leaving
Positions
McNeese
Lake Charles, LA
D1 FCS
22players leaving
Positions
Murray State
Murray, KY
D1 FCS
22players leaving
Positions
San Diego
San Diego, CA
D1 FCS
22players leaving
Positions
Albany
Albany, NY
D1 FCS
21players leaving
Positions
East Tennessee State
Johnson City, TN
D1 FCS
21players leaving
Positions
Lafayette
Easton, PA
D1 FCS
21players leaving
Positions
Presbyterian
Clinton, SC
D1 FCS
21players leaving
Positions
Richmond
University of Richmond, VA
D1 FCS
21players leaving
Positions
South Carolina State
Orangeburg, SC
D1 FCS
21players leaving
Positions
Southern Illinois
Carbondale, IL
D1 FCS
21players leaving
Positions
Wagner
Staten Island, NY
D1 FCS
21players leaving
Positions
East Texas A&M
Commerce, TX
D1 FCS
20players leaving
Positions
Indiana State
Terre Haute, IN
D1 FCS
20players leaving
Positions
Lehigh
Bethlehem, PA
D1 FCS
20players leaving
Positions
St. Thomas
Saint Paul, MN
D1 FCS
20players leaving
Positions
Stonehill
Easton, MA
D1 FCS
20players leaving
Positions
Wofford
Spartanburg, SC
D1 FCS
20players leaving
Positions
Yale
New Haven, CT
D1 FCS
20players leaving
Positions
Bethune-Cookman
Daytona Beach, FL
D1 FCS
19players leaving
Positions
Grambling State
Grambling, LA
D1 FCS
19players leaving
Positions
Southern Utah
Cedar City, UT
D1 FCS
19players leaving
Positions
Stephen F. Austin
Nacogdoches, TX
D1 FCS
19players leaving
Positions
Towson
Towson, MD
D1 FCS
19players leaving
Positions
Davidson
Davidson, NC
D1 FCS
18players leaving
Positions
Eastern Washington
Cheney, WA
D1 FCS
18players leaving
Positions
Monmouth
West Long Branch, NJ
D1 FCS
18players leaving
Positions
Penn
Philadelphia, PA
D1 FCS
18players leaving
Positions
Charleston Southern
Charleston, SC
D1 FCS
17players leaving
Positions
Colgate
Hamilton, NY
D1 FCS
17players leaving
Positions
Holy Cross
Worcester, MA
D1 FCS
17players leaving
Positions
Samford
Birmingham, AL
D1 FCS
17players leaving
Positions
Tennessee State
Nashville, TN
D1 FCS
17players leaving
Positions
Tennessee-Martin
Martin, TN
D1 FCS
17players leaving
Positions
West Georgia
Carrollton, GA
D1 FCS
17players leaving
Positions
Bucknell
Lewisburg, PA
D1 FCS
16players leaving
Positions
Villanova
Villanova, PA
D1 FCS
16players leaving
Positions
North Carolina A&T
Greensboro, NC
D1 FCS
15players leaving
Positions
Northern Arizona
Flagstaff, AZ
D1 FCS
15players leaving
Positions
Maine
Orono, ME
D1 FCS
14players leaving
Positions
Portland State
Portland, OR
D1 FCS
14players leaving
Positions
South Dakota
Vermillion, SD
D1 FCS
14players leaving
Positions
Southern
Baton Rouge, LA
D1 FCS
14players leaving
Positions
Stetson
DeLand, FL
D1 FCS
14players leaving
Positions
Elon
Elon, NC
D1 FCS
13players leaving
Positions
Morehead State
Morehead, KY
D1 FCS
13players leaving
Positions
North Alabama
Florence, AL
D1 FCS
13players leaving
Positions
Alabama A&M
Normal, AL
D1 FCS
12players leaving
Positions
Alabama State
Montgomery, AL
D1 FCS
11players leaving
Positions
Valparaiso
Valparaiso, IN
D1 FCS
9players leaving
Positions
William & Mary
Williamsburg, VA
D1 FCS
9players leaving
Positions
VMI
Lexington, VA
D1 FCS
4players leaving
Positions

Found schools you like?

Start your 7-day free trial. NextCommit writes a personal email to each coach, and you send it from your own Gmail.

Email these coaches free

Not sure which level fits you? Try the free Football Recruit Score.

More football lists

Other sports

Free tools

Questions

How many D1 FCS football teams are there?

NextCommit's coach data lists 124 NCAA Division I FCS football programs for 2026. This page shows the 121 whose 2026-27 rosters we could read in full on September 29, 2026.

How many players does a D1 FCS football program lose each year?

The typical D1 FCS football program on this list has 25 players in their last season on its 2026-27 roster. Defensive backs are the most common opening: 99% of these programs lose at least one, then defensive linemen at 98%.

What does "players leaving" mean?

Players in their last season on the college's 2026-27 roster page: seniors, graduate students and fifth-year players at four-year schools, and sophomores at junior colleges. Redshirt marks do not change the count. Their spots open for recruits who start college in 2027.

Does a player leaving mean an open scholarship?

No. It means a roster spot the coaches have to refill, with high school recruits, transfers or walk-ons. How many spots carry aid depends on the level: Division I schools in the House settlement have a 105-player roster limit and no scholarship cap, Division II has 36 football equivalencies shared across the team, Division III gives no athletic aid, the NAIA allows 24 and the NJCAA 85. Some players also get an extra year through a waiver.

Which positions does each school need?

That is Roster Needs, part of NextCommit Pro. It shows the positions each school is losing and filters your coach list to the programs that need your position. This page shows each school's total only.

How should I use this list?

Find schools at your level with players leaving, check which level fits you with the free Football Recruit Score, then email the position coach or recruiting coordinator with your film, measurables and GPA. Follow up when you have something new to share.

How often is this data updated?

NextCommit reads college roster pages twice a year, after fall and spring rosters are posted. This page shows the September 29, 2026 read of 2026-27 rosters. Schools we could not read in full join the list when a later read passes.

How we got these numbers

We read each college's own roster page on September 29, 2026. Players leaving are players in their last season on the 2026-27 roster: seniors, graduate students and fifth-year players at four-year schools, and sophomores at junior colleges. Redshirt marks don't change the count.

This list shows 121 of the 124 programs in NextCommit's coach data (98%). Schools whose roster we couldn't read in full aren't listed yet. We call a list complete when we can read at least 75% of its rosters.

Divisions are for the 2026 season, including North Dakota State and Sacramento State moving to FBS and Saint Francis (PA) moving to Division III.

A player leaving is a spot to refill, not a scholarship offer. Coaches also fill spots from the transfer portal, some players get an extra year, and a roster page can lag behind the team. Use the numbers to decide where to look, then ask the coach.

Last updated November 3, 2026.

Ready to email these coaches?

1Start your 7-day free trial.
2Pick the schools you like.
3NextCommit writes each coach a personal email. You send it from your Gmail.

Email these coaches free

7-day free trial. Emails send from your own Gmail.

D1 FCS Football Colleges With Roster Openings

All 121 D1 FCS schools

Incarnate Word

Houston Christian

Jackson State

Tennessee Tech

The Citadel

New Haven

Prairie View A&M

Rhode Island

Montana

Montana State

North Carolina Central

UTRGV

Youngstown State

Central Connecticut

Nicholls

Northern Iowa

Southeast Missouri State

Idaho

Duquesne

Eastern Kentucky

Lindenwood

Mercyhurst

Cal Poly

North Dakota

Alcorn State

Illinois State

Western Illinois

Bryant

Butler

Furman

Mercer

Austin Peay

Princeton

Brown

Chattanooga

Hampton

Idaho State

Southeastern Louisiana

Columbia

Delaware State

Howard

Northern Colorado

Northwestern State

Campbell

Dartmouth

Dayton

Eastern Illinois

Florida A&M

Fordham

Gardner-Webb

Harvard

Marist

Mississippi Valley State

Texas Southern

Weber State

Arkansas-Pine Bluff

Stony Brook

Abilene Christian

Drake

Morgan State

Norfolk State

Western Carolina

Central Arkansas

Robert Morris

UC Davis

Cornell

New Hampshire

South Dakota State

Utah Tech

Georgetown

McNeese

Murray State

San Diego

Albany

East Tennessee State

Lafayette

Presbyterian

Richmond