On Wednesday, Oct. 30, the Division I Football Championship Committee released its in-season top 10 rankings for FCS teams. This announcement arrived shortly after 2 p.m. ET during a broadcast on ESPN2’s College Football Live. With only 25 days left until the highly anticipated FCS playoff selection Sunday, these rankings provide a crucial snapshot of how the committee views the teams as the regular season nears its conclusion.
The committee evaluated games played through Oct. 26, using various criteria to determine the rankings. Notably, this year the FCS Coaches Poll and the FCS STATS Perform Poll were not considered in these rankings. The top 10 gives an important glimpse into which teams might secure the eight coveted first-round byes in the playoff bracket.
In a significant change for 2024, the committee will also seed teams ranked Nos. 9-16 in the playoffs, increasing the significance of the lower-ranked teams and their performances in the coming weeks. Currently, the ESPN predictive metrics and results-based data compiled for the committee are not publicly available; however, the Massey ratings provide insights into the current season’s performance, albeit factoring in last year’s results as well.
As we head into the final stretch of the regular season, anticipation is building among fans and teams. The ranking reveals how competition is heating up as teams vie for playoff positioning. Stay tuned for updates as the FCS picture continues to unfold leading up to the playoff selections.
