FCS Elite Programs

[ALPHAGRIZ1]

That was 1840 wasn't it?

1884, I know it was before MT was a state

[ZHerd]

pretty hard to leave out a team with this resume

Southland Champs - 2001,2004,2011,2012,2014,2016

Playoff Rounds

2001 - QTR
2004 - Semis
2011 - Finals
2012 - Finals
2013 - 2nd round
2014 - Semis
2015 - Semis
2016 - Qtrs
2017 - Semis

Thats a record many would die for including CAA, MVFC, BSC, SoCON teams

That list stops at 2013. All their southland championships and playoff appearances since then are meaningless. They have been overated and hot garbage against really good teams.

[Honeybooboo]

That list stops at 2013. All their southland championships and playoff appearances since then are meaningless. They have been overated and hot garbage against really good teams.

ok, team they beat those years

2014 - SE LA, Jacksonville St, Villanova...Lost to NDSU Eventual Champion
2015 - SUU, McNeese, Colgate...Lost to JSU National Runner up
2016 - Chattanooga...lost to JMU Eventual Champion
2017 - South Dakota, Kennesaw St...and lost to either the champ or runner up again

you don't go that far by being as shitty as you say they are

[ZHerd]

ok, team they beat those years

2014 - SE LA, Jacksonville St, Villanova...Lost to NDSU Eventual Champion
2015 - SUU, McNeese, Colgate...Lost to JSU National Runner up
2016 - Chattanooga...lost to JMU Eventual Champion
2017 - South Dakota, Kennesaw St...and lost to either the champ or runner up again

you don't go that far by being as shitty as you say they are

Elite teams dont get dominated by top level competition the way that they have. Being able to play with the upper echelon is part of what makes a team elite imo. They are horrible against top tier teams. I'm not willing to label a football team that doesn't have any clue what a defense is as "elite."

[NDSUstudent]

SHSU has not and will not be elite until they get a new coach. They were legit under Fritz, now they are pretty much the FCS version of Mike Leach...entertaining to watch but no threat at all to ever win a title.

SDSU is similar, not ever happening with Stig at the helm.

[Honeybooboo]

Elite teams dont get dominated by top level competition the way that they have. Being able to play with the upper echelon is part of what makes a team elite imo. They are horrible against top tier teams. I'm not willing to label a football team that doesn't have any clue what a defense is as "elite."

thats fine, but no way you can deny they have not been one of the most successful programs of this decade

and im not disagreeing with you, just wanted to show what they did, and im guessing most other fanbases would consider them "elite'

[CaBisonFan]

There aren't many elite programs in the FCS.

[ZHerd]

thats fine, but no way you can deny they have not been one of the most successful programs of this decade

and im not disagreeing with you, just wanted to show what they did, and im guessing most other fanbases would consider them "elite'

They certainly have won lots of games and if Fritz were still there they probably would have been a whole lot better in the playoffs

[NDSUstudent]

Delaware and Montana are programs to watch out for, both have or are going back to their roots.

Delaware just missed the playoffs and gave JMU a very tough game, they should be a playoff team next year.

[tony]

Sam Houston is an elite program. They've made it to the semis six times and the championship game twice. Nobody but NDSU has more playoff wins this decade. And they've smacked the ever-living snot out of a ton of "power conference" teams while doing so.

The only way that they wouldn't be considered elite is if the minimum qualification is a national championship in the last x years.