2009 NCAA Division I FCS football season

The 2009 NCAA Division I FCS football season, the 2009 season of college football for teams in the Football Championship Subdivision (FCS), began in August 2009 and concluded with the 2009 NCAA Division I Football Championship Game on December 18, 2009, in Chattanooga, Tennessee, won by Villanova 23–21 over Montana. == Conference changes and new programs == == FCS team wins over FBS teams == September 3 – Villanova 27, Temple 24 September 5 – Richmond 24, Duke 16 September 5 – William & Mary 26, Virginia 14 September 12 – New Hampshire 23, Ball State 16 September 19 – Central Arkansas 28, Western Kentucky 7 == Notable upsets == August 27 – Quincy 26, Indiana State 20 OT (Division II over Division I FCS) September 5 – Arkansas-Monticello 27, Arkansas-Pine Bluff 3 (Division II over Division I FCS) September 5 – Shaw 20, Bethune-Cookman 6 (Division II over Division I FCS) September 5 – Saint Joseph's (IN) 31, Valparaiso 6 (Division II over Division I FCS non-scholarship) September 5 – Stonehill 45, Wagner 42 (Division II over Division I FCS) September 12 – Birmingham–Southern 35, Campbell 28 OT (Division III over Division I FCS non-scholarship) September 12 – Lenoir-Rhyne 42, Davidson 0 (Division II over Division I FCS non-scholarship) September 12 – Urbana 13, Dayton 10 (Division II over Division I FCS non-scholarship) September 26 – Carthage 34, Valparaiso 24 (Division III over Division I FCS non-scholarship) September 26 – Concordia (AL) 23, Savannah State 21 (USCAA over Division I FCS) September 26 – Central Washington 33, Idaho State 22 (Division II over Division I FCS) October 17 – Sioux Falls 28, North Dakota 13 (NAIA over Division I FCS) November 14 – Webber International 35, Savannah State 20 (NAIA over Division I FCS) November 26 – Tuskegee 21, Alabama State 0 (Division II over Division I FCS) == Eastern Illinois coach's death == On Saturday, November 28, just hours after Eastern Illinois lost to Southern Illinois 48–7 in the first round of the FCS playoffs, Eastern Illinois' offensive coordinator Jeffrey O. Hoover, age 41, was killed in a car accident. The single-vehicle accident occurred south of Effingham when Hoover, his family and EIU strength coach Eric Cash struck a deer while driving home from Carbondale, the home of SIU. Hoover's death was the second Eastern Illinois coaching death within a month. On November 4, women's basketball assistant coach Jackie Moore, 28, died after collapsing during a workout on campus. == Conference standings == == Conference champions == === Automatic berths === Big Sky Conference – Montana Colonial Athletic Association – Villanova Missouri Valley Football Conference – Southern Illinois Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference – South Carolina State Ohio Valley Conference – Eastern Illinois (Jacksonville State had the best record in conference play, but was not eligible for the FCS playoffs because of APR violations.) Patriot League – Holy Cross Southern Conference – Appalachian State Southland Conference – Stephen F. Austin === Invitation === Great West Conference – UC Davis Big South Conference – Liberty and Stony Brook, co-champions Northeast Conference – Central Connecticut State Pioneer Football League – Butler and Dayton, co-champions; Butler received the conference's berth in the Gridiron Classic. In order to be eligible for the playoffs, these teams must have a minimum of eight Division I wins, with at least two against teams in automatic bid conferences. They also must be ranked an average of 16 or better in the national rankings, made up of the following components: The Sports Network media poll The FCS Coaches poll A variation of the Gridiron Power Index, using only five of the computer rankings used in that system No team in the invitational conferences qualified. Starting in 2010, the Big South and NEC will become automatic bid conferences with the expansion of the playoff field to 20 teams. === Abstains === Ivy League – Penn (8–2, 7–0) Southwestern Athletic Conference – Prairie View A&M (9–1, 7–0) (Overall Record, Conference Record) == Postseason == === NCAA Division I playoff bracket === * 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 == == References ==