Full history
The Full History (FCS)
Every reign since Villanova beat Hampton on August 28, 2003 — 60 of them, computed from 271 belt games across 36 programs. Type a team name to filter; tap a team to jump to the game that won it. Only games between two FCS-conference members count, judged by the conference each side was in that season. Division I-AA dates from 1978, but the data source has almost no I-AA results before 2003, so that is where this belt begins.
Next FCS-only gameWeber State vs. Idaho State · October 17, 2026 · ESPN+ — Idaho State takes it with a win.
60Reigns
271Belt Games
36Programs
Longest Reign
North Dakota State — 3 yrs, 304 days
January 6, 2018 – November 6, 2021
Most Defenses, One Reign
North Dakota State — 40
starting January 6, 2018
Most Reigns, All-Time
North Dakota State — 5 separate reigns
won the belt back 4 times after losing it
| # | Team | Reign | Length | Def. | Won it | Lost it |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Villanova | August 28, 2003 – October 25, 2003 | 58 days | 4 | Established the belt | to Massachusetts |
| 2 | Massachusetts | October 25, 2003 – November 15, 2003 | 21 days | 2 | def. Villanova 19–14 | to Delaware |
| 3 | Delaware | November 15, 2003 – September 2, 2004 | 292 days | 1 | def. Massachusetts 51–45 | to New Hampshire |
| 4 | New Hampshire | September 2, 2004 – September 18, 2004 | 16 days | 0 | def. Delaware 24–21 | to William & Mary |
| 5 | William & Mary | September 18, 2004 – October 23, 2004 | 35 days | 4 | def. New Hampshire 9–7 | to Delaware |
| 6 | Delaware | October 23, 2004 – November 6, 2004 | 14 days | 0 | def. William & Mary 31–28 | to James Madison |
| 7 | James Madison | November 6, 2004 – November 13, 2004 | 7 days | 0 | def. Delaware 20–13 | to William & Mary |
| 8 | William & Mary | November 13, 2004 – September 17, 2005 | 308 days | 3 | def. James Madison 27–24 | to Rhode Island |
| 9 | Rhode Island | September 17, 2005 – October 1, 2005 | 14 days | 0 | def. William & Mary 48–29 | to Brown |
| 10 | Brown | October 1, 2005 – September 23, 2006 | 357 days | 8 | def. Rhode Island 45–35 | to Harvard |
| 11 | Harvard | September 23, 2006 – November 11, 2006 | 49 days | 5 | def. Brown 38–21 | to Pennsylvania |
| 12 | Pennsylvania | November 11, 2006 – November 18, 2006 | 7 days | 0 | def. Harvard 22–13 | to Cornell |
| 13 | Cornell | November 18, 2006 – September 22, 2007 | 308 days | 1 | def. Pennsylvania 28–27 | to Yale |
| 14 | Yale | September 22, 2007 – November 17, 2007 | 56 days | 7 | def. Cornell 51–12 | to Harvard |
| 15 | Harvard | November 17, 2007 – September 27, 2008 | 315 days | 1 | def. Yale 37–6 | to Brown |
| 16 | Brown | September 27, 2008 – October 4, 2008 | 7 days | 0 | def. Harvard 24–22 | to Rhode Island |
| 17 | Rhode Island | October 4, 2008 – October 11, 2008 | 7 days | 0 | def. Brown 37–13 | to Towson |
| 18 | Towson | October 11, 2008 – October 25, 2008 | 14 days | 0 | def. Rhode Island 37–32 | to New Hampshire |
| 19 | New Hampshire | October 25, 2008 – November 8, 2008 | 14 days | 1 | def. Towson 42–14 | to Villanova |
| 20 | Villanova | November 8, 2008 – October 10, 2009 | 336 days | 7 | def. New Hampshire 24–13 | to New Hampshire |
| 21 | New Hampshire | October 10, 2009 – October 17, 2009 | 7 days | 0 | def. Villanova 28–24 | to Massachusetts |
| 22 | Massachusetts | October 17, 2009 – October 24, 2009 | 7 days | 0 | def. New Hampshire 23–17 | to Richmond |
| 23 | Richmond | October 24, 2009 – November 7, 2009 | 14 days | 1 | def. Massachusetts 34–12 | to Villanova |
| 24 | Villanova | November 7, 2009 – October 2, 2010 | 329 days | 6 | def. Richmond 21–20 | to William & Mary |
| 25 | William & Mary | October 2, 2010 – November 13, 2010 | 42 days | 2 | def. Villanova 31–24 | to James Madison |
| 26 | James Madison | November 13, 2010 – October 8, 2011 | 329 days | 5 | def. William & Mary 30–24 | to Maine |
| 27 | Maine | October 8, 2011 – November 5, 2011 | 28 days | 3 | def. James Madison 25–24 | to Towson |
| 28 | Towson | November 5, 2011 – December 3, 2011 | 28 days | 2 | def. Maine 40–30 | to Lehigh |
| 29 | Lehigh | December 3, 2011 – November 10, 2012 | 343 days | 9 | def. Towson 40–38 | to Colgate |
| 30 | Colgate | November 10, 2012 – November 24, 2012 | 14 days | 1 | def. Lehigh 35–24 | to Wagner |
| 31 | Wagner | November 24, 2012 – December 1, 2012 | 7 days | 0 | def. Colgate 31–20 | to Eastern Washington |
| 32 | Eastern Washington | December 1, 2012 – September 28, 2013 | 301 days | 0 | def. Wagner 29–19 | to Sam Houston |
| 33 | Sam Houston | September 28, 2013 – October 19, 2013 | 21 days | 1 | def. Eastern Washington 49–34 | to McNeese |
| 34 | McNeese | October 19, 2013 – November 2, 2013 | 14 days | 1 | def. Sam Houston 31–23 | to SE Louisiana |
| 35 | SE Louisiana | November 2, 2013 – September 20, 2014 | 322 days | 5 | def. McNeese 41–7 | to Southeast Missouri State |
| 36 | Southeast Missouri State | September 20, 2014 – October 11, 2014 | 21 days | 2 | def. SE Louisiana 24–23 | to Murray State |
| 37 | Murray State | October 11, 2014 – October 18, 2014 | 7 days | 0 | def. Southeast Missouri State 44–41 | to Austin Peay |
| 38 | Austin Peay | October 18, 2014 – October 25, 2014 | 7 days | 0 | def. Murray State 20–13 | to UT Martin |
| 39 | UT Martin | October 25, 2014 – September 26, 2015 | 336 days | 2 | def. Austin Peay 37–7 | to Jacksonville State |
| 40 | Jacksonville State | September 26, 2015 – January 9, 2016 | 105 days | 10 | def. UT Martin 48–41 | to North Dakota State |
| 41 | North Dakota State | January 9, 2016 – October 15, 2016 | 280 days | 4 | def. Jacksonville State 37–10 | to South Dakota State |
| 42 | South Dakota State | October 15, 2016 – October 29, 2016 | 14 days | 1 | def. North Dakota State 19–17 | to Illinois State |
| 43 | Illinois State | October 29, 2016 – November 26, 2016 | 28 days | 2 | def. South Dakota State 38–21 | to Central Arkansas |
| 44 | Central Arkansas | November 26, 2016 – December 3, 2016 | 7 days | 0 | def. Illinois State 31–24 | to Eastern Washington |
| 45 | Eastern Washington | December 3, 2016 – December 17, 2016 | 14 days | 1 | def. Central Arkansas 31–14 | to Youngstown State |
| 46 | Youngstown State | December 17, 2016 – January 7, 2017 | 21 days | 0 | def. Eastern Washington 40–38 | to James Madison |
| 47 | James Madison | January 7, 2017 – January 6, 2018 | 364 days | 13 | def. Youngstown State 28–14 | to North Dakota State |
| 48 | North Dakota State | January 6, 2018 – November 6, 2021 | 3 yrs, 304 days | 40 | def. James Madison 17–13 | to South Dakota State |
| 49 | South Dakota State | November 6, 2021 – November 13, 2021 | 7 days | 0 | def. North Dakota State 27–19 | to South Dakota |
| 50 | South Dakota | November 13, 2021 – November 20, 2021 | 7 days | 0 | def. South Dakota State 23–20 | to North Dakota State |
| 51 | North Dakota State | November 20, 2021 – October 15, 2022 | 329 days | 9 | def. South Dakota 52–24 | to South Dakota State |
| 52 | South Dakota State | October 15, 2022 – October 19, 2024 | 2 yrs, 4 days | 26 | def. North Dakota State 23–21 | to North Dakota State |
| 53 | North Dakota State | October 19, 2024 – November 23, 2024 | 35 days | 3 | def. South Dakota State 13–9 | to South Dakota |
| 54 | South Dakota | November 23, 2024 – December 21, 2024 | 28 days | 2 | def. North Dakota State 29–28 | to Montana State |
| 55 | Montana State | December 21, 2024 – January 6, 2025 | 16 days | 0 | def. South Dakota 31–17 | to North Dakota State |
| 56 | North Dakota State | January 6, 2025 – December 6, 2025 | 334 days | 10 | def. Montana State 35–32 | to Illinois State |
| 57 | Illinois State | December 6, 2025 – January 5, 2026 | 30 days | 2 | def. North Dakota State 29–28 | to Montana State |
| 58 | Montana State | January 5, 2026 – October 2, 2026 | 270 days | 4 | def. Illinois State 35–34 | to Idaho |
| 59 | Idaho | October 2, 2026 – October 10, 2026 | 8 days | 0 | def. Montana State 35–34 | to Weber State |
| 60 | Weber State | October 10, 2026 – Present | 1 day | 0 | def. Idaho 38–27 | — present — |
No reigns match “.”
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