FCS depth before the headlines catch up.
FCS Football Talk is a sharp, year-round guide to the Football Championship Subdivision. It follows coaching moves, playoff criteria, conference shifts, recruiting mechanics, NIL pressure, and the schools trying to climb or survive in a changing Division I landscape.
PRESS PLAY
FCS Football Talk covers the Football Championship Subdivision as its own serious ecosystem. The show is fast, informed, and comfortable speaking to people who already care about seed lines, conference movement, and the difference between a quality loss and a missed opportunity. It does not treat the offseason as filler. Recent episodes have followed West Florida's move into Division I, NDSU's FBS news, Bobby Hauck retiring and unretiring, Travis Johansen departing USD, Sacramento State's ambitions, and the ripple effects of NCAA policy changes. The format shifts without losing its center. Some episodes are solo news runs through playoff criteria, championship dates, targeting rules, executive orders, and possible subdivision changes. Others are conversations with guests who can explain how decisions look from inside a program, a broadcast booth, or the wider college athletics business. Sam Herter often begins with a broad question, then presses toward the practical stakes. That might mean whether a team needs to beat one of its tougher road opponents, how a top-eight playoff seed changes the bracket, or what facility upgrades signal during a move from Division II to FCS. The show likes details. It notices athletic training partnerships, strength and conditioning staff pipelines, portal communication, official visits, NIL agents, and the unglamorous administrative work behind roster construction. That operational focus gives the football talk more weight. When Justin McMullen explains the Tennessee Tech general manager role, the conversation becomes a window into how recruiting has changed. When Will Kennedy talks about West Florida, the topic becomes more than a new logo on an FCS schedule. It becomes a question of infrastructure, momentum, geography, and whether the program's bones are ready for the next level. The same pattern holds with championship-site talk. Nashville is not just a destination; it is part of a larger bid process, fan-base question, and postseason identity issue. The show also tracks the northern power belt closely, with Montana, Montana State, SDSU, USD, UND, and NDSU regularly surfacing in expectation-setting and playoff discussions. Its rhythm is conversational but rarely loose. Casual jokes appear, then the analysis returns to schedule strength, coaching transitions, roster churn, or committee logic. The best fit is a listener who wants FCS news before it gets flattened into a generic college football headline.
Made for: Built for college football fans who follow the Football Championship Subdivision beyond scores and rankings. It suits listeners who want playoff stakes, realignment context, roster mechanics, and program-level detail without a long beginner's guide.
What sets it apart: The show combines beat-level recall with practical program context, moving from committee policy to recruiting operations to facility realities in the same lane of conversation. It treats FCS football as the main event rather than a sidebar.
FCS Football Talk is a weekly FCS podcast, presented by HERO Sports and BetMGM. Senior FCS Analyst Sam Herder hosts the show throughout the year. During the season, FCS Football Central Senior Editor Zach McKinnell joins as a co-host. In the offseason, Sam brings on guests from all around the FCS for in-depth conversations.
Based on 5 episodes we listened to · September 2026
FCS Football Talk makes playoff resumes, seeding pressure and matchup details legible without losing sight of the division-wide consequences.
FCS Football Talk turns scores and standings into a working map of the playoff race. Sam Herder and Zach McKinnell move cleanly between weekend reaction and the next slate, testing contenders through resumes, quarterback uncertainty, conference strength and the value of hosting.
Playoff math gets argued matchup by matchup, so your bracket panic can at least sound informed.
Press play if you want
Short reviews from the PlayNext desk, based on the episodes we processed.
West Florida's Division I jump lands clearly because the practical details carry the story.
West Florida's move to Division I sits at the center of the story, and the framing is practical rather than ceremonial. Will Kennedy presents a successful D-II program that is moving quickly into FCS life, with UAC football and ASUN alignment for the other sports setting the…
A clear look at playoff seeding, road wins, and success standards for the Dakotas and Montana teams.
The episode settles into a solid discussion of playoff seeding and what a successful year should look like for the Dakotas and Montana teams. The clearest stretch comes when the hosts move past broad bracket talk and get specific about football: avoid the bad loss, find a…
A brisk FCS playoff discussion that turns South Dakota-Mercer and NDSU's line play into clear quarterfinal questions.
FCS Football Talk frames the second round as a quarterfinal preview by centering South Dakota's win over Mercer, Mercer's shaky execution, and the flag on NDSU's offensive line.
A brisk FCS playoff checkpoint with real football detail and tight matchups.
Playoff talk stays grounded here, with Sam Herter and Zach McKinnell moving from game balls and round-one takeaways into a second round shaped by tight matchups.
A brisk FCS reset that ties weekend results to playoff seeds.
FCS Football Talk opens with a broad look at a busy FCS weekend, from the Dakota Marker and a string of upsets to game balls, a flag, Tarleton State at Abilene Christian, and the playoff-seed debate.
Daily 49ers draft-room talk.
Daily Jets roster logic, pick by pick.
Will Kennedy, the voice of the West Florida Argos, joins FCS Football Talk to discuss UWF's move from Division II to Division I, becoming the newest member of the FCS and the ASUN Conference for non-football sports.
Hosts Sam Herter and Brad Jones preview the biggest offseason questions for five Mondack-region FCS programs — Montana, Montana State, SDSU, USD, and UND — in a sample episode of Herter's new Mondack Football Show.
This episode discusses recent NCAA news affecting FCS football, including playoff selection criteria changes, potential impacts on the Army-Navy game, and a possible new Division I subdivision.
This episode features an interview with college athletics consultant KC Smurthwaite, discussing his background in Division One athletics, transition to consulting, and work on revenue generation and feasibility studies for schools.
This episode features an interview with Timothy Rosario discussing surprising off-season headlines and big-picture questions ahead of the 2026 FCS football season.
Host Sam Herter interviews Craig Haley, FCS Senior Editor for Stats Perform, discussing big-picture offseason storylines including Nashville's first year hosting the FCS championship and the future bid process.
This episode features an interview with Tennessee Tech football general manager Justin McMullen, who explains his role in player evaluation, recruiting, and managing NIL and transfer portal dynamics.
Sam Herder and Zach McKinnon discuss major FCS offseason news including NDSU, FBS moves, coaching changes, and Sacramento State's ambitions.
Interview with Big Sky Commissioner Tom Wistersill discussing Montana head coach Bobby Hauck's retirement and its impact on FCS football.
Sam Herder interviews Stone Labanowicz about top FCS quarterbacks returning in 2026.
The episode begins with a paid advertisement for a personal injury law firm, then transitions into the host introducing the off-season series of the FCS Football Talk podcast.
Sam and Zach recap the FCS National Championship game and discuss their experience in Nashville hosting the event.
Hosts Sam Herder and Zach McKinnell preview the FCS National Championship game between Montana State and Illinois State, discussing the new location in Nashville and their excitement for the event.
Sam Herder and Zach McKinnell recap the FCS quarterfinal round with game balls and a flag, then preview the semifinal matchups.
The Jacks held up.
Round one is done.
Big weekend, messier playoff questions.
Sam Herder and Zach McKinnell recap the weekend's FCS football action and project the upcoming playoff committee top-10 rankings.
Sam Herder and Zach McKinnell recap the latest FCS football weekend, discussing near upsets and standout performances.
Sam Herder and Zach McKinnell discuss recent FCS football games, including Montana's win over Idaho, and preview upcoming ranked matchups.
A weekly podcast discussing FCS football, hosted by Sam Herder and Zach McKinnell, featuring analysis and interviews.
Sam Herder and Zach McKinnell recap week three of FCS football, discussing close games and what they learned about top teams.
Hosts Sam Herder and Zach McKinnell discuss Week 2 FCS football results, highlighting South Dakota State's overtime win over Montana State.
Sam Herder and Zach McKinnell recap Week 1 FCS football games, highlighting upsets and awarding game balls.
This episode features an interview with Southland Conference Commissioner Chris Grant discussing the start of the FCS football season, including early games, team performances, and the conference's showcase on ESPN.
Hosts Sam Herder and Zach McKinnell preview and review FCS football games, discussing storylines and top matchups.
A preseason press conference for FCS football featuring committee members and officials discussing the upcoming season and tournament selection process.
This episode previews the week zero FCS football matchups, including ranked teams, TV schedules, and key games.
A weekly podcast analyzing FCS college football, hosted by Sam Herder with co-host Zach McKinnell during the season.
A weekly FCS football podcast hosted by Sam Herder, featuring analysis and interviews.
Interview with Sacramento State football play-by-play broadcaster Jason Ross about the upcoming season and the program's recent attention.
UND head football coach Eric Schmidt discusses his transition back to the university, emphasizing relationship-building with players and staff during his first months on the job.
This episode features a discussion with Zach McKinnell about FCS football offseason storylines, including the transfer portal, NFL draft, and previews for the upcoming season.
This episode features an interview with Harvard head football coach Andrew Aurich discussing his return to the Ivy League, his coaching journey, and his experiences with spring practice and student athletes.
Host Sam Herder interviews UIW head football coach Clint Killo about spring practice and offseason developments.