FloFootball’s early 2026 FCS rankings stir debate amid realignment upheaval

FloFootball’s April 1 rankings landed 70 days after the 2025 season ended and about 150 days before the next one kicks off, and that timing is the whole argument. In an FCS world with 13 conferences, eight expected to change through movement and realignment, 127 programs and only 63 scholarships to spread across more than 63 players, “way-too-early” is not just harmless spring chatter. It is a test of who actually kept a roster together, who lost its quarterback, and which brands are getting credit for last fall instead of next fall.

Montana State is the cleanest example of why the conversation matters. The Bobcats beat Illinois State 35-34 in overtime on Jan. 5 in Nashville to win the 2025 FCS championship, the school’s second national title and its first since 1984, in the first FCS title game ever decided in overtime. Even before the confetti was swept away, Montana State still looked built to matter again, because Justin Lamson is back at quarterback, Adam Jones returns at running back, Taco Dowler is back at wide receiver and Titan Fleischmann is back on the offensive line. That is not brand inertia. That is a returning core.

The rankings also have to be judged against the turbulence around them. North Dakota State is moving to the FBS as a Mountain West football-only member, Sacramento State is headed to the MAC for football, UC Davis is joining the Mountain West in all sports except football and Saint Francis (PA) is dropping to Division III. When a sport’s most recognizable standard-bearers are changing leagues, the early rankings become a referendum on how much weight should go to last year’s logo versus next year’s depth chart. In that light, the smartest polls will reward quarterback continuity and proven returning production, not just the safest familiar names at the top.

The clock is already running toward Thursday, Aug. 27, when the 2026 FCS season opens in Week 0 with games including New Hampshire at UAlbany and Rhode Island at Merrimack. Week 1 follows on Sept. 5, which means the first real answer to these spring rankings will come fast, and it will come from the teams that survived the portal, the realignment churn and the pressure to replace production without pretending the roster rebuilt itself.