Seven FCS Programs Hold Longest Active Consecutive Winning-Season Streaks Entering 2026

Opta/Analyst compiled a seasons-based ranking of active consecutive winning-season streaks in the FCS and concluded, “Seven different FCS football programs will enter the 2026 season only knowing winning records during the 2020s decade – if not longer.” The big headline is structural: North Dakota State’s move to the FBS takes a 16-season stretch out of the FCS picture and elevates South Dakota State into the top active slot with 14 straight winning seasons.

Opta/Analyst notes South Dakota State’s run stretches back to 2012 and that each of those seasons “have all led to the FCS playoffs.” The Jackrabbits’ streak includes back-to-back national championships in 2022 and 2023 and four Missouri Valley Football Conference titles this decade. The program also endured a midseason injury to starting quarterback Chase Mason; as the preview material states, “Before starting quarterback Chase Mason got hurt, SDSU was ranked No. 2 in the country and undefeated.” The Jackrabbits “lost four of five regular season games without Mason,” but “When Mason returned for the playoffs, he completed 63 percent of his passes for 586 yards and four touchdowns, rushing for two more scores.” With Mason and others healthy, South Dakota State projects to remain a title contender.

Montana sits next with 13 consecutive winning seasons since 2013. The Grizzlies bring depth of postseason history to the streak - Opta/Analyst observes that “No program has more appearances than the Grizzlies (29).” Montana also weathered the pandemic by playing only two games in spring 2021 and winning both.

Montana State is listed with seven straight winning seasons beginning in 2018, a streak Opta/Analyst says “surrounds” the pandemic-impacted 2020-21 academic year when the Bobcats did not play; that run is capped by the 2025 national championship season. A separate, games-based table tracking winning streaks through Jan. 19, 2026 lists Montana State at 14 in the Big Sky, but that metric counts consecutive game wins and is not the same as a seasons-based consecutive winning-season streak.

Rhode Island rounds out the Opta/Analyst list shown in the excerpt with six straight winning seasons since 2020. Other program notes from the season previews include Monmouth’s coaching change, “Monmouth enters a new era as Jeff Gallo replaces the only head coach in program history, Kevin Callahan”, and quarterback Frankie Weaver’s late-season production of 1,331 yards and 14 touchdowns in six games. Youngstown State returns Walter Payton Award winner Beau Brungard and beefs up personnel with eight FBS and six FCS transfers, and Tarleton State, Southeastern Louisiana and others bring postseason pedigree from 2025.

North Dakota State’s departure explains the one-two shift atop Opta/Analyst’s seasons list. As the piece puts it, “North Dakota State would have topped the list, but its FCS run has come to an end with 16 consecutive winning seasons because it’s moving up to the FBS this year.” The move, effective July 1, will place NDSU in the Mountain West; Mountain West Commissioner Gloria Nevarez said, “The Bison bring a championship mindset and a bold vision for growth that aligns with the unwavering commitment to the excellence of the Mountain West. Their dedication to elevating the student-athlete experience, on the field, in the classroom, and throughout the community, will energize the Mountain West and help propel our football profile to new heights nationwide.” NDSU finished 12-1 in 2025, losing 29-28 at home in the second round to eventual runner-up Illinois State, and is 9-5 all-time versus FBS opponents.

For FCS fans, the takeaway is structural as much as competitive: South Dakota State inherits the mantle of longest active winning-seasons streak and will be the program to beat, Montana and Montana State remain cornerstones of sustained excellence, and the loss of NDSU to FBS alters playoff pecking order, conference balance, and recruiting narratives heading into 2026. Expect roster churn, coaching adjustments, and renewed runs from the Jackrabbits, Grizzlies, Bobcats and the other programs that have only known winning seasons in the 2020s.