FCS Kickoff

FCS Kickoff
Stadium Rotating
Location Campus sites
Operated 2014–present
2014 matchup
Eastern Washington vs. Sam Houston State (56–35)

The FCS Kickoff is an annual college football game played on the Saturday before the opening weekend of the college football season. The game showcases teams from the NCAA Division I Football Championship Subdivision and rotates to various campus sites. The game is televised nationally by ESPN.

History

In February of 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]

Game results

Date Winning team Losing team Venue Attendance
August 23, 2014 #1 Eastern Washington Eagles 56 #17 Sam Houston State Bearkats 35 Roos Field (Cheney, WA) 10,310[3]

Rankings are from The Sports Network FCS Poll.

Future games

Records

By team

Rank Team Apps Record Win %
1 Eastern Washington 1 1–0 1.000
2 Sam Houston State 1 0–1 .000

By conference

Rank Conference Apps Record Win %
1 Big Sky 1 1–0 1.000
2 Southland 1 0–1 .000

References

  1. ↑ "ESPN to give college football season an early start in 2014". usatoday.com. Retrieved 20 February 2014.
  2. ↑ "College football season to kick off with FCS battle between Sam Houston State and Eastern Washington on August 23". sports.yahoo.com. Retrieved 20 February 2014.
  3. ↑ "Sam Houston State Bearkats vs. Eastern Washington Eagles Box Score". ESPN.com. Retrieved 23 August 2014.
  4. ↑ "North Dakota St., Montana to meet in 2015 FCS Kickoff". idahostatesman.com. Retrieved 20 November 2014.