| 2010 NCAA Division I FCS season | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Regular season | |
| Number of teams | 124 |
| Duration | September – November |
| Payton Award | Jeremy Moses, Stephen F. Austin |
| Buchanan Award | J. C. Sherritt, Eastern Washington |
| Playoff | |
| Duration | November 27 – December 18 |
| Championship date | January 7, 2011 |
| Championship site | Pizza Hut Park, Frisco, Texas |
| Champion | Eastern Washington |
| NCAA Division I FCS football seasons | |
«2009 2011» | |
The 2010 NCAA Division I FCS football season, the 2010 season of college football for teams in the Football Championship Subdivision (FCS), began in September 2010 and concluded with the 2011 NCAA Division I Football Championship Game on January 7, 2011. In the title game, Eastern Washington defeated Delaware, 20–19, to claim their first Division I national title in any team sport.
For the first time since 1997, the final game was played at a new location—Pizza Hut Park in the Dallas suburb of Frisco, Texas.[1] Every title game since 1997 had been held at Finley Stadium in Chattanooga, Tennessee, but the NCAA opened the hosting rights for the 2010–2012 championship games for bids during the 2009 season, as the hosting contract between the NCAA and the Chattanooga organizers was set to expire. In addition to Frisco and Chattanooga, three other cities submitted bids:[2]
- Little Rock, Arkansas — War Memorial Stadium
- Missoula, Montana — Washington–Grizzly Stadium
- Spokane, Washington — Joe Albi Stadium
The field of bidders was eventually cut to Chattanooga and Frisco, with Frisco being announced as the winner on February 26, 2010.[1]
The January finish to the season was the result of an expanded playoff schedule. The championship tournament expanded from 16 teams to 20, with the Big South and Northeast Conference earning automatic bids for the first time. Eight teams played first-round games, with the remaining participants receiving byes into the second round. The playoffs began at their normal time on Thanksgiving weekend, specifically on November 27. According to early reports, the championship game would be played sometime between December 29 and January 7,[3] with the latter date ultimately chosen.
- ^ a b Caplan, Jeff (February 26, 2010). "20 teams to compete for FCS crown". ESPN. Archived from the original on February 28, 2010. Retrieved February 26, 2010.
- ^ Coulson, David (October 19, 2009). "Around FCS: Serious competition for FCS title game". The Sports Network. Archived from the original on May 30, 2011. Retrieved December 18, 2009.
- ^ "Frisco, Texas Submits Bid To Host NCAA Division I Football Championship Game" (Press release). Southland Conference. October 14, 2009. Retrieved December 18, 2009.