THE WORD

Southland Conference play heats up in Week 5 as No. 8 Stephen F. Austin hosts UIW in a key early conference matchup, while Lamar looks to build on its statement road win and McNeese heads to LSU.

No. 4 South Dakota visits No. 12 Youngstown State in a matchup with early playoff résumé implications, while No. 7 North Dakota looks to bounce back at Indiana State, No. 3 Illinois State takes its unbeaten record to Northern Iowa and No. 2 South Dakota State turns to its quarterback depth against Eastern Illinois.

Week 4 brings one of the Patriot League’s deepest slates yet, with No. 25 Colgate visiting Villanova, unbeaten No. 9 Lehigh heading to Penn and several teams facing pivotal early-season tests. Add potentially rough weather across the Northeast, and Saturday could get interesting quickly.

Patriot League Week 1 was a tale of two afternoons. Early blowouts gave way to a dramatic evening slate as Lehigh and Colgate took control atop the standings, William & Mary and Richmond improved to 2-0 and Villanova survived Bucknell.

Week 1 brought FBS upsets, statement wins and two new teams into the rankings. Montana State remains No. 1 in the FCS Nation Week 2 Top 25, while Idaho State makes a major jump and West Florida and Campbell crash the poll.

Western Carolina and Campbell bring two red-hot quarterbacks into a fascinating matchup. Furman walks into Neyland Stadium. Chattanooga gets a major test against Tennessee Tech. Mercer gets another shot at Presbyterian. And that’s only part of a loaded SoCon Saturday.

The MEAC went 5-1 in Week 0. Now the schedule fights back. Morgan State heads to Arizona State. Norfolk State gets ODU. Howard welcomes Richmond. And SC State gets another shot at a FAMU team it hasn't beaten in its last four meetings.

Early NEC football Week 1 power rankings feature LIU, Robert Morris, New Haven, CCSU, Duquesne, Wagner, Mercyhurst, Stonehill and Chicago State.

Betting the Big Sky in Week 1: Get picks, spreads, power rankings and predictions for Montana State, Montana, UC Davis, Idaho State and the full slate.

Northwestern Mutual x FCS Nation Radio x Alex’s Lemonade Stand Foundation Challenge raises over $100K for children battling cancer. Learn how FCS athletes are making an impact on and off the field.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Aug. 11, 2025 This year’s list is loaded with contenders from across the country, featuring: 6 teams from the Big...