Anticipation for the 2023 college football season is soaring, and there are many key dates to know long before the first kickoff.
The Division I FCS will have 128 teams, including defending national champion South Dakota State, and 13 conferences this year.
Here are many key dates to know before, during and after the 2023 FCS season (subject to change):
FCS Conference Media Days
July 14 – United Athletic Conference (formerly ASUN-WAC)
July 19 – Northeast Conference
July 21 – Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference
July 24 – Big Sky Conference
July 24 – Southland Conference
July 25 – CAA Football
July 25 – Big South-OVC Football Association
July 25 – Patriot League
July 25 – Southwestern Athletic Conference
July 27 – Southern Conference
Aug. 1 – Missouri Valley Football Conference
Aug. 1-2 – Pioneer Football League (preseason poll on Aug. 1 and team on Aug. 2)
Aug. 14 – Ivy League (preseason poll on Aug. 7)
Stats Perform Preseason Honors
Aug. 1 – FCS Preseason All-America Team
Aug. 2 – Walter Payton Award Watch List
Aug. 3 – Buck Buchanan Award Watch List
Aug. 7 – FCS Preseason Top 25 rankings
The Analyst FCS Conference Previews
Aug. 9 – Big Sky
Aug. 10 – Southland
Aug. 11 – SWAC
Aug. 14 – Big South-OVC
Aug. 15 – Southern
Aug. 16 – Missouri Valley
Aug. 17 – UAC
Aug. 18 – MEAC
Aug. 21 – NEC
Aug. 22 – Patriot
Aug. 23 – CAA
Aug. 24 – Pioneer
Aug. 25 – Ivy
In-Season Dates
Aug. 26 – Week 0 games kick off 2023 season
Aug. 31 – Traditional opening night of college football
Oct. 18 – Jerry Rice Award Watch List announced
Nov. 19 – 24-team FCS playoff field announced
Nov. 20 – Jerry Rice Award and Eddie Robinson Award finalists announced
Nov. 21 – Walter Payton Award and Buck Buchanan Award finalists announced
Nov. 22 – FedEx Ground Doris Robinson Scholar-Athlete Award finalists announced
Nov. 25 – FCS playoffs begin
Dec. 4 – Top 3 voter-getters invited to announcement of Walter Payton Award
Dec. 5 – Top 3 voter-getters invited to announcement of Buck Buchanan Award
Dec. 6 – Jerry Rice Award recipient announced
Dec. 7 – Eddie Robinson Award recipient announced
Dec. 12 – FedEx Ground Doris Robinson Scholar-Athlete Award recipient announced
Dec. 16 – Celebration Bowl in Atlanta
Dec. 19 – Stats Perform FCS All-America Team announced
Jan. 6 – Stats Perform FCS Awards Banquet – Walter Payton Award and Buck Buchanan Award recipients announced
Jan. 7 – FCS Championship Game in Frisco, Texas
Jan. 8 – Final Stats Perform FCS Top 25 rankings