The following rule changes were recommended by the NCAA Football Rules Committee for the 2022 season:[2]
When players are disqualified for a targeting call in the second half or in overtime (which requires a carryover penalty of sitting out the first half of the next scheduled game), an appeals process will be available to allow the National Coordinator of Officials (currently Steve Shaw) to review tapes of the targeting penalty for consideration of not requiring the player to sit out the first half of the following game.
Injury timeouts awarded due to "deceptive actions" during a game will also be able to reviewed by the National Coordinator of Officials to determine what sanctions, if any, against teams who use this tactic, enforced at the conference or school level.
Blocking below the waist will only be permitted inside the tackle box by linemen and stationary backs. Blocks below the waist outside of the tackle box are not allowed.
Defensive holding will remain a 10-yard penalty but will always carry an automatic first down.
Codifying the rule change made shortly after the 2021 ACC Championship Game, ball carriers who simulate a feet-first slide will be declared down at that spot.
Uniform rules would require the sock/leg covering to go from the shoe to the bottom of the pants, similar to the NFL rule.
Notable headlines
May 18 – The ASUN Conference and Western Athletic Conference renewed their football alliance for the 2022 season, as each suffered key losses of members starting FBS transitions, rendering them ineligible for a playoff automatic qualifier (AQ) as separate leagues. Eight alliance members (three WAC, five ASUN) competed for a single AQ in the FCS playoffs.[3]
August 31 – The Division I Board of Directors adopted a series of changes to transfer rules.[4]
Transfer windows were adopted for all Division I sports. Student-athletes who wish to be immediately eligible at their next school must enter the NCAA transfer portal within the designated period(s) for their sport. For FCS football, two windows were established: a 45-day window starting the day after postseason selections are made, and a spring window from May 1–15. Accommodations will be made for participants in the FCS championship game.
Student-athletes who experience head coaching changes, or those whose athletic aid is reduced, canceled, or not renewed, may transfer outside designated windows without penalty.
Transferring student-athletes will be guaranteed their financial aid at their next school through graduation.
September 21 – Houston Baptist University announced a name change to Houston Christian University, effective immediately.[5]
December 9 – In the highest-scoring game in FCS playoff history, Incarnate Word defeated previously unbeaten Sacramento State 66–63. UIW quarterback Lindsey Scott Jr. threw four touchdown passes to bring his season total to 59, surpassing the previous FCS record of 57 held by Jeremiah Briscoe of Sam Houston in 2016.[6] Scott ended the season with 60, having thrown one TD pass in UIW's 35–32 semifinal loss to North Dakota State.[7]
In November 2021, Incarnate Word announced a move to the Western Athletic Conference for the 2022 season.[8] Days before officially joining, on June 24, the school backed out of that plan, recommitting to the Southland Conference.[9]
* Note: Sam Houston ineligible for WAC championship and FCS postseason play due to start of transition to FBS; Tarleton and Utah Tech ineligible for FCS postseason play due to transition from NCAA Division II.
The FCS again featured a 24-team postseason bracket: 11 teams decided via automatic bids issued to conference champions, and 13 at-large bids; the top eight teams were seeded.[10]
This is restricted to coaching changes that took place on or after May 1, 2022, and will include any changes announced after a team's last regularly scheduled games but before its playoff games. For coaching changes that occurred earlier in 2022, see 2021 NCAA Division I FCS end-of-season coaching changes.
^"FCS Championship: Future dates and sites". www.ncaa.com. Retrieved January 12, 2023.
^"Appeals Process Proposed for Football Players called for targeting" (Press release). NCAA. March 4, 2022. Retrieved March 4, 2022.
^"ASUN and WAC Renew Football Alliance" (Press release). ASUN Conference. May 18, 2022. Retrieved May 19, 2022.
^"Division I Board adopts changes to transfer rules" (Press release). NCAA. August 31, 2022. Retrieved September 5, 2022.
^Ketterer, Samantha; Ferguson, John Wayne (September 21, 2022). "Houston Baptist University changes name to Houston Christian University". Houston Chronicle. Retrieved September 21, 2022.
^"Incarnate Word tops Sacramento St. in highest-scoring FCS playoff game". ESPN.com. December 9, 2022. Retrieved December 10, 2022.
^"North Dakota St. holds off Incarnate Word, 35-32 in semi win". Associated Press. December 16, 2022. Retrieved December 17, 2022.
^Ortiz, Edmond (November 12, 2022). "University of the Incarnate Word to join Western Athletic Conference". Community Impact. Retrieved June 24, 2022.
^Gazzolo, Jim (June 24, 2022). "... Incarnate Word will stay in Southland Conference". American Press. Retrieved June 24, 2022.
^Haley, Craig (January 9, 2023). "Jackrabbits Leave No Doubt: Unanimous No. 1 in the Final Stats Perform FCS Top 25". theanalyst.com. The Analyst. Retrieved January 20, 2023.
^Albuquerque, Sam (October 6, 2022). "Wofford football coach Josh Conklin resigns after 15-game losing streak". The Greenville News. Retrieved October 7, 2022.
^"UAPB fires Doc Gamble in mid-season". HBCU Gameday. October 20, 2022. Retrieved October 22, 2022.
^"Lions part ways with Chris Willis, name Ryan Held interim head coach". WAAY-TV. October 30, 2022. Retrieved October 30, 2022.
^Brice, John (November 14, 2022). "Sources: Charleston Southern, former Notre Dame great Autry Denson parting ways". footballscoop.com. Football Scoop. Retrieved November 14, 2022.
^O'Connor, John (November 20, 2022). "Scott Wachenheim steps down as VMI football coach". Richmond Times-Dispatch. Retrieved November 20, 2022.
^"McCaffrey Will Not Return As Northern Colorado Head Football Coach" (Press release). Northern Colorado Bears. November 21, 2022. Retrieved November 22, 2022.
^"Vic Shealy Resigns as HCU Head Coach" (Press release). Houston Christian Huskies. November 21, 2022. Retrieved November 22, 2022.
^"LU Parts Ways with Blane Morgan" (Press release). Lamar Cardinals. November 21, 2022. Retrieved November 22, 2022.
^Barnett, Zach (November 21, 2022). "Rob Ambrose will not return at Towson". footballscoop.com. Retrieved November 23, 2022.
^Miller, Andrew (November 21, 2022). "Citadel's Brent Thompson out as football coach; former Bulldogs star interested". Post and Courier. Retrieved November 23, 2022.
^"Lehigh Athletics Announces Football Head Coaching Transition" (Press release). Lehigh Mountain Hawks. November 21, 2022. Retrieved November 23, 2022.
^Bailiff, David (November 28, 2022). "Texas A&M-Commerce announces national search for head football coach". lionathletics.com. Texas A&M-Commerce Athletics. Retrieved November 28, 2022.
^Woods, Greg (November 28, 2022). "ISU football coach Charlie Ragle resigns after one season". Idaho State Journal. Retrieved November 29, 2022.
^King, Brandon (November 28, 2022). "Delaware State fires head coach Rod Milstead". hbcusports.com. Retrieved November 29, 2022.
^Jablonski, David (November 29, 2022). "Dayton football coach Chamberlin retires after 48 years with program". Dayton Daily News. Retrieved November 29, 2022.
^Sims, Terry (November 29, 2022). "Bethune-Cookman Football Parts Ways with Head Football Coach Terry Sims" (Press release). Bethune-Cookman Wildcats. Retrieved November 29, 2022.
^"CCSU Football Coaching Announcement" (Press release). Central Connecticut Blue Devils. November 30, 2022. Retrieved December 1, 2022.
^"UIW Statement Regarding Head Football Coach GJ Kinne" (Press release). UIW Cardinals. December 2, 2022. Retrieved December 3, 2022.
^"Kinne Named New Head Coach of Texas State Football" (Press release). Texas State Bobcats. December 2, 2022. Retrieved December 3, 2022.
^"Cal Poly Announces Resignation of Head Coach Beau Baldwin" (Press release). Cal Poly Athletics. December 2, 2022. Retrieved December 3, 2022.
^Gardner, Michelle (December 2, 2022). "Cal Poly SLO head coach Beau Baldwin reportedly set to join ASU staff as offensive coordinator". The Arizona Republic. Retrieved December 3, 2022.
^Davidson, Joe (December 10, 2022). "Hired: Sac State's Troy Taylor leaving Hornets to become Stanford Cardinal football coach". The Sacramento Bee. Retrieved December 10, 2022.
^Lehman, Gabe (December 10, 2022). "Stanford names Troy Taylor as football head coach, ending Jason Garrett chatter". SFGATE. Retrieved December 10, 2022.
^"A&T Makes Football Coaching Change" (Press release). North Carolina A&T Aggies. December 15, 2022. Retrieved December 18, 2022.
^"Alonzo Hampton Named UAPB's Head Football Coach" (Press release). Arkansas–Pine Bluff Golden Lions. December 22, 2022. Retrieved January 13, 2023.
^Koons, Zach (January 20, 2023). "South Dakota State's John Stiegelmeier Announces Retirement". Fox2Now. Retrieved January 20, 2023.
^McCleary, Michael (January 20, 2023). "Jimmy Rogers introduced as South Dakota State's new head football coach". Argus Leader. Retrieved January 20, 2023.
^"Dale Lindsey, Winningest Coach in Program History, to Retire from USD" (Press release). San Diego Toreros. March 21, 2023. Retrieved March 22, 2023.