A Complete Record of FBS (I-A) vs. Division II/III & NAIA

Post Highlights

• FBS (I-A) schools are 151-43-2 vs. lower level (Div II/III & NAIA) schools Since 1978.

• Only six current FBS members (as FBS members) have lost to a lower level school since 1978.  They include Eastern Michigan, Fresno State, Kent State, Louisiana-Lafayette, Louisiana-Monroe, and UTEP.

• Louisiana-Lafayette is the last FBS member to lose to a lower level school.  They lost to Division II North Alabama 48-42 in 1997.

• As a Div II school Delaware collected five wins against FBS (I-A) opponents from 1978 to 1979.  The most ever by a lower level school against FBS (I-A) opponents.

Despite the glaring differences in terms of depth and talent, since 1978 schools from the FBS (I-A) have on 196 occasions faced off against schools from college football’s lower levels (Div II/III & NAIA).  On a few occasions the school from college football’s lower level has even defeated a school from the FBS (I-A).  Listed below are the records FBS schools have against lower level opponents, the records lower level schools have against FBS opponents, and a listing of upsets by lower level schools over FBS programs.

Important Classification Information

In 1978 the NCAA split Division I football into two levels.  All records go back to that split.  The only games counted were the ones where a then FBS (I-A) program played a then lower level (Div II/III & NAIA) school.  Meaning Akron’s victory over Kent State in 1979 was counted, because although Akron is now a member of the FBS, at the time of that victory they were a member of Division II.

It’s important to emphasize I only counted games involving FBS vs. lower level (Div II/III & NAIA).  If you want to see a complete record of FBS (I-A) vs. FCS (I-AA) click here (also includes FBS/I-A classification information).

I counted probationary seasons.  Meaning Florida Atlantic was considered a FBS (I-A) team in 2004 when they faced off against NAIA Edward Waters.  Probationary seasons were counted in a similar manner in the lower divisions.  Meaning UC Davis’ victory over Stanford in 2005 wasn’t counted as a Div II victory, but as a FCS (I-AA) upset, thus not counted in this post.

Classification information was found in the 2000 NCAA Record Book and at College Football Data Warehouse.  A few classifications (mostly NAIA) were found in abstracts of old newspapers.

FBS (I-A) Schools vs. Div II/III & NAIA Schools (Since 1978)

Current FBS (I-A)	W	L	T	W Pct			Last Loss to Lower Level	Score
Air Force	1	0		1.000
Arkansas St	4	0		1.000
Ball St	1	0		1.000
Boston College	1	0		1.000
Bowling Green	1	0		1.000
Central Michigan	2	0		1.000
Cincinnati	1	0		1.000
Clemson	1	0		1.000
Colorado St	2	0		1.000
Eastern Michigan	2	2		0.500			1979: Akron	12-24
Florida Atlantic	1	0		1.000
Fresno St	5	2		0.714			1979: Cal Poly	0-26
Hawaii	3	0		1.000
Idaho	1	0		1.000
Kansas St	3	0		1.000
Kent St	0	1		0.000			1979: Akron	13-15
Louisiana Tech	1	0		1.000
Louisiana-Lafayette	1	1		0.500			1997: North Alabama	42-48
Louisiana-Monroe	2	3		0.400			1979: SE Louisiana	0-13
Louisville	2	0		1.000
Miami OH	0	0	1	0.500
New Mexico St	2	2		0.500
Northern Illinois	1	0		1.000
Oregon	1	0		1.000
Oregon St	1	0		1.000
San Jose St	5	0		1.000
Southern Miss	2	0		1.000
Temple	4	0		1.000
UNLV	2	0		1.000
Utah	1	0		1.000
UTEP	3	1		0.750			1981: TX AM-Kingsville	15-37
Virginia	1	0		1.000
Western Kentucky	1	0		1.000
Western Michigan	1	0		1.000
Wyoming	4	0		1.000
Former FBS (I-A)	W	L	T	W Pct
Appalachian St	4	0		1.000
Chattanooga	3	0		1.000
Citadel	10	1		0.909
Colgate	0	2		0.000
Drake	4	1		0.800
East Tennessee St	4	2		0.667
Fullerton St	11	2		0.846
Furman	4	2	1	0.643
Illinois St	2	7		0.222
Indiana St	4	0		1.000
Lamar	3	2		0.600
Long Beach St	3	1		0.750
McNeese St	2	0		1.000
Pacific	8	5		0.615
Southern Illinois	1	1		0.500
Tennessee St	10	0		1.000
Villanova	1	3		0.250
West Texas A&M	1	0		1.000
Western Carolina	6	0		1.000
Wichita St	4	1		0.800
William & Mary	2	1		0.667

FBS (I-A) schools are 151-43-2 vs. lower level (Div II/III & NAIA) schools.

Clemson is the only school since 1978 to have ever won a major national championship and have played a lower level school (Div II/III & NAIA).  Both events occurred in 1981.

Only six current FBS members (as FBS members) have ever lost to a lower level school.  They include Eastern Michigan, Fresno State, Kent State, Louisiana-Lafayette, Louisiana-Monroe, and UTEP.

As a FBS (I-A) member, Illinois State lost seven games to lower level schools from 1978-80.  Including being shutout in three of those seven losses.

Louisiana-Lafayette is the last FBS member to lose to a lower level school.  They lost to Division II North Alabama 48-42 in 1997.

No FBS member has ever lost to a Division III school.  However then Division III Dayton tied Miami OH 10-10 in 1978.

East Tennessee State is the last FBS member to have lost to a NAIA school.  They lost to Wofford 16-9 in 1980.

In 2007 Western Kentucky defeated NAIA West Virginia Tech 87-0.  Western Kentucky scored 49 points in the 1st quarter alone (tied an NCAA FBS record).  It was the greatest margin of victory by an FBS school over a lower level school.

FBS schools have an average point margin of +16 points all-time vs. lower level opponents.

Div II/III & NAIA Schools vs. FBS (I-A) Schools (Since 1978)

As Div II Member	W	L	T	W Pct	Last Win vs. FBS (I-A)	Score
Akron	2	4		0.333	1979: E Michigan	24-12
Alabama A&M	0	1		0.000
Alabama St	0	1		0.000
Angelo St	2	0		1.000	1987: New Mexico St	21-17
Augustana SD	0	1		0.000
Cal Poly	3	10		0.231	1979: Fresno St	26-0
Cal Poly-Pomona	0	3		0.000
Central Arkansas	0	2		0.000
Central Florida	0	2		0.000
Central St	0	3		0.000
Delaware	5	3		0.625	1979: Colgate	24-16
Delta St	0	2		0.000
Eastern Illinois	4	2		0.667	1980: Illinois St	31-14
Eastern Washington	1	0		1.000	1983: Long Beach St	20-17
Grand Valley St	0	2		0.000
Jacksonville St	0	3		0.000
Kentucky St	0	2		0.000
Liberty	0	1		0.000
Mankato St	0	1		0.000
Mississippi College	1	1		0.500	1978: E Tennessee St	17-3
Missouri-Rolla	0	1		0.000
Morgan St	0	2		0.000
Nebraska-Omaha	0	2		0.000
New Mexico Highlands	0	1		0.000
Nicholls St	1	2		0.333	1979: LA-Monroe	23-16
North Alabama	1	1		0.500	1997: LA-Lafayette	48-42
North Carolina Central	0	1		0.000
North Dakota	1	0		1.000	1979: Illinois St	20-0
Northern Colorado	0	4		0.000
Northern Michigan	3	4		0.429	1981: Wichita St	32-30
Northridge St	0	7		0.000
Portland St	0	5		0.000
Prairie View A&M	0	1		0.000
Sacramento St	3	4		0.429	1992: Fullerton St	29-3
Sam Houston St	0	1		0.000
San Francisco St	0	1		0.000
Santa Clara	0	7		0.000
Sonoma St	0	1		0.000
South Dakota	0	6		0.000
South Dakota St	0	2		0.000
Southeastern Louisiana	2	3		0.400	1979: LA-Monroe	13-0
Stephen F. Austin	1	0		1.000	1981: Lamar	13-10
Tennessee-Martin	0	1		0.000
Texas A&M-Kingsville	1	1		0.500	1981: UTEP	37-15
Texas St	1	1		0.500	1981: Lamar	24-7
Truman St	0	1		0.000
UC Davis	3	2		0.600	1986: Pacific	45-41
Valdosta St	0	1		0.000
Western Illinois	2	5		0.286	1980: Illinois St	27-0
Western New Mexico	0	1		0.000
Wofford	0	1		0.000
Youngstown St	2	1		0.667	1979: Villanova	27-22
As Div III Member	W	L	T	W Pct
Dayton	0	0	1	0.500
James Madison	0	4		0.000
As NAIA Member	W	L	T	W Pct	Last Win vs. FBS (I-A)	Score
Abilene Christian	0	1		0.000
Cameron	0	1		0.000
Carson-Newman	0	1		0.000
Edward Waters	0	1		0.000
Elon	0	2		0.000
Fort Hays St	0	1		0.000
Lenoir-Rhyne	0	4		0.000
Missouri Southern St	0	1		0.000
Newberry	0	2		0.000
Presbyterian	2	4		0.333	1979: Furman	17-10
Stephen F. Austin	0	2		0.000
Texas A&M-Commerce	0	1		0.000
West Virginia Tech	0	1		0.000
Wofford	2	10	1	0.192	1980: E Tennessee St	16-9

As a Div II school Delaware collected five wins against FBS (I-A) opponents from 1978 to 1979.  The most ever by a lower level school against FBS (I-A) opponents.

Delaware also had the greatest margin of victory by a lower level school over a FBS (I-A) opponent, when they defeated William & Mary 40-0 in 1979.

Listed below are all instances in which a lower level (Div II/III & NAIA) school defeated or tied a FBS (I-A) opponent.

Lower Level Schools Defeating FBS (I-A) Opponents (Since 1978)

Year	FBS (I-A)		Division II	PF	PA
1978	Colgate	at	Delaware	29	38
1979	Colgate	vs	Delaware	16	24
1979	Drake	vs	Northern Michigan	26	30
1978	East Tennessee St	vs	Mississippi College	3	17
1978	Eastern Michigan	at	Northern Michigan	3	30
1979	Eastern Michigan	vs	Akron	12	24
1978	Fresno St	vs	Cal Poly	12	24
1979	Fresno St	at	Cal Poly	0	26
1978	Fullerton St	at	Cal Poly	27	41
1992	Fullerton St	vs	Sacramento St	3	29
1978	Illinois St	at	Eastern Illinois	7	42
1978	Illinois St	at	Western Illinois	20	26
1979	Illinois St	vs	Eastern Illinois	0	24
1979	Illinois St	at	North Dakota	0	20
1979	Illinois St	at	Youngstown St	27	33
1980	Illinois St	at	Eastern Illinois	14	31
1980	Illinois St	at	Western Illinois	0	27
1979	Kent St	at	Akron	13	15
1981	Lamar	vs	Stephen F. Austin	10	13
1981	Lamar	vs	Texas St	7	24
Year	FBS (I-A)		Division II	PF	PA
1983	Long Beach St	n	Eastern Washington	17	20
1997	Louisiana-Lafayette	vs	North Alabama	42	48
1978	Louisiana-Monroe	vs	Southeastern Louisiana	21	25
1979	Louisiana-Monroe	at	Nicholls St	16	23
1979	Louisiana-Monroe	at	Southeastern Louisiana	0	13
1986	New Mexico St	vs	Angelo St	14	20
1987	New Mexico St	vs	Angelo St	17	21
1978	Pacific	vs	UC Davis	14	31
1982	Pacific	vs	UC Davis	22	23
1986	Pacific	vs	UC Davis	41	45
1988	Pacific	vs	Sacramento St	21	30
1991	Pacific	vs	Sacramento St	40	43
1979	Southern Illinois	vs	Eastern Illinois	14	22
1981	UTEP	vs	Texas A&M-Kingsville	15	37
1978	Villanova	at	Delaware	22	23
1979	Villanova	vs	Delaware	20	21
1979	Villanova	vs	Youngstown St	22	27
1981	Wichita St	vs	Northern Michigan	30	32
1979	William & Mary	at	Delaware	0	40
Year	FBS (I-A)		Division III	PF	PA
1978	Miami OH	vs	Dayton	10	10
Year	FBS (I-A)		NAIA	PF	PA
1979	Citadel	vs	Presbyterian	13	21
1979	Furman	vs	Presbyterian	10	17
1980	East Tennessee St	vs	Wofford	9	16
1979	Furman	at	Wofford	17	27
1980	Furman	vs	Wofford	14	14

References: James Howell’s Division I-A Historical Scores, College Football Data Warehouse

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