2008 NCAA Division I FCS football season

Conference changes and new programs

• The Gateway Football Conference adopted its present-day name, Missouri Valley Football Conference (MVFC).
• Following the 2007 season, the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference dropped its football sponsorship.

FCS team wins over FBS teams

August 30 – Cal Poly 29, San Diego State 27

September 6 – New Hampshire 28, Army 10

Notable upsets

• August 30 – 21, Arkansas-Pine Bluff 0 (Division II over Division I FCS)
• August 31 – 33, 22 (Division II over Division I FCS)
• September 4 – 21, 0 (NAIA over Division I FCS non-scholarship)
• September 4 – 35, Missouri State 27 (Division II over Division I FCS)
• September 5 – 14, Wagner 13 (Division II over Division I FCS)
• September 6 – 32, Campbell 21 (Division III over Division I FCS non-scholarship)
• September 6 – 21, Davidson 9 (Division II over Division I FCS non-scholarship)
• September 6 – 34, Arkansas-Pine Bluff 0 (Division II over Division I FCS)
• September 13 – 31, 28 (Division III over Division I FCS non-scholarship)
• September 20 – 22, Jacksonville 21 (Division II over Division I FCS non-scholarship)
• September 20 – 13, 10 (NAIA over Division I FCS non-scholarship)
• October 4 – 34, Alabama A&M 24 (Division II over Division I FCS)
• October 11 – 23, 12 (Division III over Division I FCS non-scholarship)

Conference standings

Conference champions

Automatic berths

Invitation

Abstains

*Overall record, Conference record

Postseason

NCAA Division I playoff bracket

December 6 Campus sites December 12 and December 13 Campus sites

December 19 Finley Stadium Chattanooga, Tennessee | team-width= | RD1-seed01= | RD1-team01= Wofford | RD1-score01= 35 | RD1-seed02=1 | RD1-team02= James Madison* | RD1-score02= 38 | RD1-seed03= | RD1-team03= Colgate | RD1-score03= 28 | RD1-seed04= | RD1-team04= Villanova* | RD1-score04= 55 | RD1-seed05= | RD1-team05= Texas State | RD1-score05= 13 | RD1-seed06=4 | RD1-team06= Montana* | RD1-score06= 31 | RD1-seed07= | RD1-team07= Weber State | RD1-score07= 49 | RD1-seed08= | RD1-team08= Cal Poly* | RD1-score08= 35 | RD1-seed09= | RD1-team09= South Carolina State | RD1-score09= 21 | RD1-seed10=2 | RD1-team10= Appalachian State* | RD1-score10= 37 | RD1-seed11= | RD1-team11= Eastern Kentucky | RD1-score11= 10 | RD1-seed12= | RD1-team12= Richmond* | RD1-score12= 38 | RD1-seed13= | RD1-team13= Maine | RD1-score13= 15 | RD1-seed14=3 | RD1-team14= Northern Iowa* | RD1-score14= 40 | RD1-seed15= | RD1-team15= New Hampshire | RD1-score15= 29 | RD1-seed16= | RD1-team16= Southern Illinois* | RD1-score16= 20 | RD2-seed01= 1 | RD2-team01= James Madison* | RD2-score01=31 | RD2-seed02= | RD2-team02= Villanova | RD2-score02=27 | RD2-seed03= 4 | RD2-team03= Montana* | RD2-score03=24 | RD2-seed04= | RD2-team04= Weber State | RD2-score04=13 | RD2-seed05= 2 | RD2-team05= Appalachian State* | RD2-score05=13 | RD2-seed06= | RD2-team06= Richmond | RD2-score06=33 | RD2-seed07= 3 | RD2-team07= Northern Iowa* | RD2-score07= 36 | RD2-seed08= | RD2-team08= New Hampshire | RD2-score08=34 | RD3-seed01=1 | RD3-team01=James Madison* | RD3-score01=27 | RD3-seed02= 4 | RD3-team02= Montana | RD3-score02=35 | RD3-seed03= | RD3-team03= Richmond | RD3-score03= 21 | RD3-seed04= 3 | RD3-team04= Northern Iowa* | RD3-score04= 20 | RD4-seed01= 4 | RD4-team01= Montana | RD4-score01= 7 | RD4-seed02= 7 | RD4-team02= Richmond | RD4-score02= 24

• Host institution

[[SWAC Championship Game]]

Gridiron Classic

The Gridiron Classic is an annual game between the champions of the Northeast Conference and the Pioneer Football League that has been held since December 2006.

Final poll standings

Standings are from The Sports Network final 2008 poll.

Rule changes for 2008

The NCAA football rules committee made several rule changes for 2008, and includes the following:

• The 25-second play clock was replaced by a 40-second version similar to one that was used in the NFL until 2005.
• The penalty for kicking the ball out of bounds on the kickoff is increased, placing the ball at the 40-yard line, similar to the NFL.
• All face-mask penalties result in a 15-yard penalty. Incidental contact with the face mask is no longer penalized.
• All horse-collar tackles are now subject to a 15-yard penalty.
• If a coach challenges a play and they win the challenge, they are given a second challenge to use later in the game, and each coach has a maximum of two challenges per game even if both are decided in their favor.

Attendances

The top 30 NCAA Division I FCS football teams by average home attendance: !#!!College football team!!Average attendance |- | style"text-align:center;"| _row_count || Appalachian State Mountaineers || 25,161 |- | style"text-align:center;"| _row_count || Montana Grizzlies || 23,923 |- | style"text-align:center;"| _row_count || Delaware Fightin' Blue Hens || 21,609 |- | style"text-align:center;"| _row_count || Jackson State Tigers || 21,263 |- | style"text-align:center;"| _row_count || Georgia Southern Eagles || 18,168 |- | style"text-align:center;"| _row_count || North Dakota State Bison || 18,032 |- | style"text-align:center;"| _row_count || Harvard Crimson || 17,360 |- | style"text-align:center;"| _row_count || Southern Jaguars || 16,323 |- | style"text-align:center;"| _row_count || Tennessee State Tigers || 15,444 |- | style"text-align:center;"| _row_count || James Madison Dukes || 15,362 |- | style"text-align:center;"| _row_count || Alabama State Hornets || 15,218 |- | style"text-align:center;"| _row_count || Youngstown State Penguins || 14,497 |- | style"text-align:center;"| _row_count || Florida A&M Rattlers || 14,383 |- | style"text-align:center;"| _row_count || McNeese State Cowboys || 13,829 |- | style"text-align:center;"| _row_count || Montana State Bobcats || 13,406 |- | style"text-align:center;"| _row_count || South Carolina State Bulldogs || 13,383 |- | style"text-align:center;"| _row_count || Liberty Flames || 13,147 |- | style"text-align:center;"| _row_count || Massachusetts Minutemen || 12,383 |- | style"text-align:center;"| _row_count || The Citadel Bulldogs || 12,261 |- | style"text-align:center;"| _row_count || Northern Iowa Panthers || 12,178 |- | style"text-align:center;"| _row_count || Penn Quakers || 11,284 |- | style"text-align:center;"| _row_count || Jacksonville State Gamecocks || 11,281 |- | style"text-align:center;"| _row_count || Texas State Bobcats || 11,225 |- | style"text-align:center;"| _row_count || Grambling State Tigers || 11,219 |- | style"text-align:center;"| _row_count || Yale Bulldogs || 11,071 |- | style"text-align:center;"| _row_count || North Carolina A&T Aggies || 10,764 |- | style"text-align:center;"| _row_count || Norfolk State Spartans || 10,645 |- | style"text-align:center;"| _row_count || Illinois State Redbirds || 10,591 |- | style"text-align:center;"| _row_count || Sam Houston State Bearkats || 10,076 |- | style"text-align:center;"| _row_count || Furman Paladins || 10,073 |- |} }}

References

References

1. "Armanti Edwards wins 2008 Walter Payton Award". The Sports Network.
2. "Greg Peach captures 2008 Buck Buchanan Award". The Sports Network.
3. Associated Press. (2008-12-19). "Richmond cruises to first football title". ESPN.
4. "2008 Playoff Bracket". NCAA.
5. Associated Press. (2008-12-13). "Grambling St. 41, Jackson St. 9". ESPN.
6. Associated Press. (2008-12-06). "Albany, N.Y. 28, Jacksonville 0". ESPN.
7. "Final Sports Network's 2008 FCS College Football Poll". The Sports Network.
8. (2008-02-13). "NCAA Football Rules Committee Proposes Rules to Enhance Student-Athlete Safety and Encourage Consistent Pace of Play". NCAA.
9. Olin Buchanan. (2008-02-13). "More new timing rules among NCAA proposal". Rivals.
10. "2008 NATIONAL COLLEGE FOOTBALL ATTENDANCE".