The NCAA Division I FCS Mid Major National Football Championship was a label that began in 2001 and ended after the 2007 season. Prior to 2001, mid-major National Champions were named by various polls like Don Hansen's National Weekly Football Gazette and the Dopke collegesportsreport.com polls, but no "consensus" champion was named. Beginning with the 2008 season, the Sports Network ceased the mid-major poll and began including the teams previously ranked in the mid-major poll into more serious consideration for the full Division I FCS poll.
Generally, the teams that were ranked in the poll were from three conferences, the Pioneer Football League, the Northeast Conference and the Metro Atlantic Athletic Association (before pulling sponsorship of FCS football after the 2007 season). These conferences were three of six Division I FCS football conferences that did not receive automatic bids to the NCAA Division I Football Championship Subdivision championship tournament. (Beginning with the 2010 season, the winner of the Northeast Conference will be awarded an automatic bid to the FCS playoffs.)
The Sports Network Cup was awarded annually to the winner. Like the Stanley Cup, the Sports Network Cup was a traveling trophy. It spent the year at the winning school and is passed on to the next winner annually.
The polls that were used to determine the annual champion are the Sports Network (for which the trophy is named), Don Hansen's National Weekly Football Gazette, and the Dopke College Sports Report Polls.
(Notes: A team does not have to be named the national champion by all three polls in order to win the Sports Network Cup. They must only be named so by the Sports Network. Hence, the trophy is named the Sports Network Cup. "Consensus" in this instance then means more in the regard of the Sports Network's authority to name a national champion rather than an agreement by all three major polls.)
Contents |
| Year | Champion | Coach | League | Record |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2001 | Sacred Heart Pioneers | Jim Fleming | Northeast Conference | 11–0 |
| 2002 | Dayton Flyers | Mike Kelly | Pioneer Football League | 11–1 |
| 2003 | Duquesne Dukes | Greg Gattuso | Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference | 8–3 |
| 2004 | Monmouth Hawks | Kevin Callahan | Northeast Conference | 10–1 |
| 2005 | San Diego Toreros | Jim Harbaugh | Pioneer Football League | 10–1 |
| 2006 | San Diego Toreros | Jim Harbaugh | Pioneer Football League | 11–1 |
| 2007 | Dayton Flyers | Mike Kelly | Pioneer Football League | 11–1 |
| Season | Champion | Runner-up | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1993 | Dayton Flyers | 27 | Iona Gaels | 3 |
| 1994 | St. John's Red Storm | 17 | Butler Bulldogs | 13 |
| 1995 | Duquesne Dukes | 15 | Drake Bulldogs | 9 |
| 1996 | Dayton Flyers | 27 | Duquesne Dukes | 3 |
| 1997 | Georgetown Hoyas | 28 | Dayton Flyers | 3 |
| 1998 | Robert Morris Colonials | 14 | Drake Bulldogs | 10 |
| 1999 | Dayton Flyers | 14 | Robert Morris Colonials | 6 |
| 2000 | Duquesne Dukes | 17 | Drake Bulldogs | 7 |
| Season | Champion | Runner-up | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2001[1] | Sacred Heart Pioneers | 15 | Dayton Flyers | 6 |
| 2002[2] | Dayton Flyers | 17 | Albany Great Danes | 7 |
| 2003[3] | Duquesne Dukes | 12 | San Diego Toreros | 6 |
| 2004[4] | Monmouth Hawks | 19 | Drake Bulldogs | 5 |
| 2005[5] | San Diego Toreros | 26 | Dayton Flyers | 0 |
| 2006[6] | San Diego Toreros | 20 | Monmouth Hawks | 0 |
| 2007[7] | Dayton Flyers | 30 | San Diego Toreros | 0 |
*Note: Score equals the number of first place votes