1978 NCAA Division I-AA football season

American college football season December 2025 the first Division I-AA (now FCS) season the first Division I-A (now FBS) season 1978 NCAA Division I-A football season August 2023 1978 NCAA 70s logo.svg 38http://cfbscores.infinityfreeapp.com/standings.php?season=1978&class=FCS Standings for the 1978 FCS Season 2025-02-25 August 2–November 252025-02-24 1978 (Admin) http://cfbscores.infinityfreeapp.com/file.php?season=1978&att=FCS December 9–December 16a December 16, 1978 Memorial StadiumWichita Falls, Texas Florida A&M The 1978 NCAA Division I-AA football season was the first season of Division I-AA college football. Division I-AA was created in January 1978 when Division I was subdivided into Division I-A and Division I-AA for football only.https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=GGFQAAAAIBAJ&sjid=j1gDAAAAIBAJ&pg=5884,2458519 St. Petersburg Independent Florida Associated Press Big schools win battle January 13, 1978 5C It was anticipated that 65 Division I football schools would transition to Division I-AA.https://vault.si.com/vault/1978/01/23/the-ncaa-splits-its-decision https://web.archive.org/web/20201129023224/https://vault.si.com/vault/1978/01/23/the-ncaa-splits-its-decision dead November 29, 2020 Sports Illustrated Underwood John The NCAA splits its decision January 23, 1978 August 22, 2023 Instead, just eight programs (seven teams from the Southwestern Athletic Conference, which had just joined Division I a year before, plus independent Northwestern State) voluntarily opted for Division I-AA for the 1978 season. They were joined by 35 schools that had reclassified from Division II. The season began in August 1978 and concluded with the Division I-AA Football Championship Game, played in the Pioneer Bowl on December 16 at Memorial Stadium in Wichita Falls, Texas. The Florida A&M Rattlers won the first I-AA championship, defeating the UMass Minutemen 35–28.1978 NCAA Division I Football Championship http://fs.ncaa.org/Docs/stats/football_champs_records/2012/d1/2012FCSfbchamp.pdf NCAA.org December 29, 2013 14 Florida A&M of 1978 remains the only HBCU program to play in (and win) the I-AA/FCS national championship game. Initial membership The Southwestern Athletic was the only conference competing in the 1977 NCAA Division I football season to join Division I-AA in 1978. Four conferences, the Big Sky, Mid-Eastern Athletic, Ohio Valley, and Yankee, transitioned from Division II to Division I, classifying their football programs in Division I-AA. Of the eight programs moving to Division I-AA as independents, one came from Division I and seven came from Division II. School 1977 Conference 1978 Conference Alcorn State SWAC (D-I) SWAC (I-AA) Austin Peay Ohio Valley (D-II) Ohio Valley (I-AA) Boise State Big Sky (D-II) Big Sky (I-AA) Boston University Yankee (D-II) Yankee (I-AA) Bucknell D-II Independent I-AA Independent Connecticut Yankee (D-II) Yankee (I-AA) Delaware State MEAC (D-II) MEAC (I-AA) Eastern Kentucky Ohio Valley (D-II) Ohio Valley (I-AA) Florida A&M SIAC (D-II) I-AA Independent Grambling State SWAC (D-I) SWAC (I-AA) Howard MEAC (D-II) MEAC (I-AA) Idaho ^ Big Sky (D-II) Big Sky (I-AA) Idaho State Big Sky (D-II) Big Sky (I-AA) Jackson State SWAC (D-I) SWAC (I-AA) Lafayette D-II Independent I-AA Independent Lehigh D-II Independent I-AA Independent Maine Yankee (D-II) Yankee (I-AA) Middle Tennessee State Ohio Valley (D-II) Ohio Valley (I-AA) Montana Big Sky (D-II) Big Sky (I-AA) Montana State Big Sky (D-II) Big Sky (I-AA) Morehead State Ohio Valley (D-II) Ohio Valley (I-AA) Murray State Ohio Valley (D-II) Ohio Valley (I-AA) New Hampshire Yankee (D-II) Yankee (I-AA) Northeastern D-II Independent I-AA Independent Nevada D-II Independent I-AA Independent North Carolina A&T MEAC (D-II) MEAC (I-AA) Northern Arizona Big Sky (D-II) Big Sky (I-AA) Northwestern State D-I Independent I-AA Independent Portland State D-II Independent I-AA Independent Prairie View A&M SWAC (D-I) SWAC (I-AA) Rhode Island Yankee (D-II) Yankee (I-AA) South Carolina State MEAC (D-II) MEAC (I-AA) Southern SWAC (D-I) SWAC (I-AA) Tennessee Tech Ohio Valley (D-II) Ohio Valley (I-AA) Texas Southern SWAC (D-I) SWAC (I-AA) UMass Yankee (D-II) Yankee (I-AA) Weber State Big Sky (D-II) Big Sky (I-AA) Western Kentucky Ohio Valley (D-II) Ohio Valley (I-AA) ^ Idaho was previously in Division I for football, but also a member of the Big Sky Conference (D-II for football only) Conference standings Conference champions List of NCAA Division I-AA/FCS football seasons Conference championsBig Sky Conference – Northern Arizona Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference – South Carolina State Ohio Valley Conference – Western Kentucky Southwestern Athletic Conference – Grambling State Yankee Conference – UMass Postseason NCAA Division I-AA playoff bracket The bracket consisted of three regional selections (West, East, and South) plus an at-large team.https://www.newspapers.com/clip/28224327/iaa_finals_set_at_pioneer_bowl/ I-AA Finals Set At Pioneer Bowl David Climer The Tennessean Nashville, Tennessee 20 July 22, 1978 February 9, 2019 newspapers.com Florida A&M (FAMU) of the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SIAC) was the at-large selection.https://www.newspapers.com/clip/28224561/famu_gains_iaa_playoffs/ FAMU Gains I-AA Playoffs Fort Lauderdale News Fort Lauderdale, Florida 19 December 4, 1978 February 9, 2019 newspapers.com While the SIAC was a Division II conference, FAMU had successfully petitioned the NCAA for Division I classification (Division I-AA in football), which took effect on September 1, 1978.https://www.newspapers.com/clip/31514902/florida_am_granted_divison_1_status/ Florida A&M granted Division 1 status Barry Cooper Tallahassee Democrat Tallahassee, Florida 1B August 31, 1978 May 13, 2019 newspapers.com SemifinalsDecember 9Campus sites National Championship GameDecember 17Pioneer BowlMemorial Stadium–Wichita Falls, TX AtLg Florida A&M 15 South Jackson State* 10 East UMass 44 West Nevada* 21 AtLg Florida A&M 35 East UMass 28 * Denotes host institution Notes 1.aThe Gold Bowl was a postseason game that was separate from the playoffs and took place on December 2.http://cfbscores.infinityfreeapp.com/file.php?season=1978&att=FCS 1978 (Admin) 2025-02-24 See also 1978 NCAA Division I-AA football rankings 1978 NCAA Division I-A football season 1978 NCAA Division II football season 1978 NCAA Division III football season 1978 NAIA Division I football season 1978 NAIA Division II football season References 2