College football season is right around the corner, and with so many teams, it's interesting to look at the CFB landscape from a conference view. Warren Nolan has, for over 20 years, offered rankings and insights into college teams and their respective rankings.

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These conference rankings are based on the ELO ranking system, which was originally developed for chess. 

It differs from other polls and computer rankings because it's based on a teams' performance against other opponents through a weighted point system. The results offer strength of schedule but also insight into where FCS conferences are ranked against eachother. 

So, what are the best FCS conferences in college football? Here's the full list. 

FCS College Football Conference Rankings 2024

1. Missouri Valley - 1400
2. Big Sky - 1384
3. CAA - 1377
4. Southern - 1366
5. United Athletic - 1358
6. Ivy League - 1356
7. Patriot League - 1352
8. Big South-OVC - 1344
9. SWAC - 1332
10. Southland - 1331
11. MEAC - 1324
12. Pioneer League - 1321
13. Northeast - 1308
14. Independent FCS - 1299

FCS Conference Leaders

• 1. North Dakota State - MVC
• 3. Montana - Big Sky
• 6. Villanova - CAA
• 11. Chattanooga - Southern
• 10. Central Arkansas - United Athletics
• 32. Yale - Ivy League
• 17. Lafayette - Patriot League
• 24. Eastern Illinois - Big South OVC
• 27. Florida A&M - SWAC
• 13. Incarnate Word - Southland
• 34. North Carolina Central - MEAC
• 39. Saint Thomas - Pioneer League
• 60. Duquesne - Northeast
• 81. Merrimack - Independent FCS

How To Watch CAA Football 2024 Games

CAA conference games will stream live on FloFootball and the FloSports app.

Game replays, highlights and breaking news will be on both platforms. 

FCS Preseason Rankings 2024 - Stats Perform Top 25 Poll

1. South Dakota State (52) - 1396
2. North Dakota State (3) - 1327
3. Montana - 1285
4. Montana State (1) - 1199
5. South Dakota - 1155
6. Villanova - 1151
7. Idaho - 1021
8. Sacramento State - 874
9. Chattanooga - 868
10. Southern Illinois - 832
11. Central Arkansas - 724
12. Furman - 678
13. Richmond - 625
14. UIW - 605
15. William & Mary - 546
16. Albany - 527
17. Lafayette - 359
18. UC Davis - 351
19. Illinois State - 350
20. Western Carolina - 318
21. Tarleton State - 302
22. Weber State - 268
23. Nicholls - 201
24. North Dakota - 197
25. Youngstown State - 177

Others Receiving Votes

Elon - 174, UT Martin - 169, Eastern Illinois - 139, Mercer - 98, Florida A&M - 65, North Carolina Central - 52, Austin Peay - 51, Alabama State - 17, Holy Cross - 17, Eastern Washington - 14, Duquesne - 8, Drake - 8, Samford - 6, Harvard - 6, UNI - 4

When Do The 2024 FCS College Football Playoffs Start?

The FCS playoffs begin on November 30, 2024.

The 2024 Division I FCS College Football Championship game will be played on January 6, 2025, at Toyota Stadium in Frisco, Texas.

College Football Rankings 2023 - Final FCS Coaches Poll

• 1. South Dakota State, 15-0
• 2. Montana, 13-2
• 3. North Dakota State, 11-4
• T-4. Idaho, 9-4
• T-4. South Dakota, 10-3
• 6. Furman, 10-3
• 7. UAlbany, 11-4
• 8. Montana State, 8-4
• 9. Villanova, 10-3
• 10. Florida A&M, 12-1
• 11. Delaware, 9-4
• 12. Austin Peay, 9-3
• 13. Southern Illinois, 8-5
• 14. UIW, 9-2
• 15. Sacramento State, 8-5
• 16. North Dakota, 7-5
• 17. Chattanooga, 8-5
• 18. North Carolina Central, 9-3
• 19. Lafayette, 9-3
• 20. Mercer, 9-4
• 21. Youngstown State, 8-5
• 22. Richmond, 9-4
• 23. UT Martin, 8-3
• 24. Eastern Illinois, 8-3
• 25. Holy Cross, 7-4

2024 CAA Football Coaches Poll

1. Villanova: 217 points (9 first-place votes)
2. Richmond: 189 points (1 first-place vote)
3. UAlbany: 179 points (3 first-place votes)
4. William & Mary: 175 points
5. Delaware: 163 points (3 first-place votes)
6. Elon: 157 points
7. New Hampshire: 150 points
8. Rhode Island: 142 points
9. Towson: 114 points
10. Monmouth: 95 points
11. Campbell: 83 points
12. Hampton: 62 points
13. Maine: 57 points
14. North Carolina A&T: 49 points
15. Bryant: 46 points
16. Stony Brook: 42 points

Archived Footage On FloFootball

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Watch The 2024 College Football Season On FloFootball 

FloFootball is the home of the best FCS, Division II and Division III football action all season long. 

Don't miss the latest college football action by bookmarking the FloFootball schedule page for the lastest games. 

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