FCS Nation

Stone was joined this week by Montana State wide receiver Taco Dowler , who proudly represents Montana State in the nationwide fight to raise money and awareness for children and families battling cancer on behalf of Northwestern Mutual and Alex’s Lemonade Stand Foundation , along with Devin Coyle , District Director for Northwestern Mutual in Bozeman, Montana , for a special Honorary Captain of t...

The FCS National Championship has finally arrived, and FCS Nation Radio is on the ground in Nashville to preview the biggest night of the season. Stone and Kevin take a deep dive into how Illinois State and Montana State navigated one of the most unpredictable playoff paths in recent memory, starting with a breakdown of the semifinal matchups and the defining moments that punched each team’s ticke...

This week’s Honorary Captain of the Week is Jamal Mull , offensive lineman for Central Arkansas and one of the most impressive voices we’ve had on the show, on and off the field. An NFL-caliber talent , Jamal is preparing to move to Dallas ahead of the NFL Draft , but before taking that next step, he’s using his platform to fight for something bigger than football. In this episode, Jamal joins us...

This week, FCS Nation welcomes Julian Fox, linebacker for the Mercer Bears , as our Honorary Captain of the Week! Julian joins John David Miller, financial advisor at Northwestern Mutual’s Macon (Goodwin-Wright Network Office), to discuss the impact of the Northwestern Mutual x Alex’s Lemonade Stand Foundation Challenge , an initiative raising awareness and funds for children battling cancer. From...

This week’s episode is all about championship momentum and semifinal stakes in the FCS. We open with a full playoff replay , breaking down a dominant weekend across the bracket. Montana State powered past Stephen F. Austin behind a physical, fast-paced attack, while Montana overwhelmed South Dakota to set up a long-awaited rivalry clash with everything on the line. Villanova continued its postseas...

Illinois State quarterback Tommy Rittenhouse joins the podcast fresh off one of the most shocking wins in FCS playoff history, a 29–28 road upset of No. 1 North Dakota State in the Fargodome. Despite throwing five interceptions , Rittenhouse delivered when it mattered most, leading two late touchdown drives and completing the bold game-winning two-point conversion to silence one of the toughest en...

The bracket is shrinking, the drama is rising, and the road to the national championship just got a whole lot wilder. This week, we rewind an unforgettable Second Round! Upsets, blowouts, thrillers, and statement wins across the board. Illinois State stunned the nation with a one-point takedown of top-seeded North Dakota State. Montana State held off Yale to keep their title hopes alive. Montana p...

Segment 1 – First Round Recap Recap of the key FCS first-round matchups and standout performances. Segment 2 – Ivy League Spotlight Tom Barton joins to break down Yale’s thrilling 43-42 win over Youngstown State and the implications for the playoffs. Segment 3 – FCS Second Round Preview Illinois State @ #1 North Dakota State Yale @ #2 Montana State #14 South Dakota State @ #3 Montana UND @ #4 Tarl...

Stone Labanowitz sits down with South Dakota State Jackrabbits quarterback Chase Mason and Jess Jasso, Chief Development Officer at Northwestern Mutual in Sioux Falls , for an inside look at this year’s Alex’s Lemonade Stand Foundation x Northwestern Mutual x FCS Nation Radio Challenge . In this episode, they discuss Chase’s journey back from injury, last week’s dominant win over New Hampshire, an...

In this episode, we break down the newly released FCS playoff bracket from top to bottom, starting with the full reveal of seeds 1 through 16. We react to the committee’s seeding decisions, highlight a few surprises, and dive into every first-round matchup, including: Illinois State at #16 Southeastern Louisiana (winner to #1 NDSU) Yale at #15 Youngstown State (winner to #2 Montana State) New Hamp...

This week on FCS Nation Radio, we break down another wild weekend across the subdivision as the playoff picture sharpens. We open with a full recap of the biggest results: #1 North Dakota State stays unbeaten after rolling UNI, Montana and Montana State dominate to set up another massive Brawl of the Wild , Kentucky State shocks #4 Tennessee Tech, Lehigh moves to 11–0, Harvard survives Penn, and c...

This week on FCS Nation Radio , we break down a wild slate across the subdivision as rivalry energy, playoff stakes, and conference titles collide. We kick things off with a full recap of the weekend’s biggest results: North Dakota State’s gritty win over UND to claim the Valley crown, Montana surviving a late push from Eastern Washington, Montana State hanging 66 on Weber State, Tennessee Tech st...

This week on FCS Nation Radio, we’re headed to Fargo, home of champions, as North Dakota State linebacker Donovan Woolen joins Stone Labanowitz as our Honorary Captain of the Week in the Northwestern Mutual x FCS Nation x Alex’s Lemonade Stand Foundation Challenge. Alongside Donovan is Noah Sanders , Financial Advisor and College Unit Director in the Fargo office of Northwestern Mutual. They both...

Another wild week in the FCS delivered shakeups, upsets, and statement wins, and we’re breaking it all down. In Segment 1 , we recap the biggest results from Week 10, including NDSU’s 38-30 win over Youngstown State, Montana’s continued dominance, Mercer’s statement win against Furman, and Indiana State’s stunning upset of South Dakota State. Segment 2 spotlights this week’s Players of the Week an...

🍋 HONORARY CAPTAIN OF THE WEEK: Bradlee Jones, Defensive Back, THE Citadel Bulldogs 🍋 On this episode of FCS Nation , Kevin Marshall sits down with Bradlee Jones, standout defensive back for THE Citadel Bulldogs and this week’s Honorary Captain of the 2025 Northwestern Mutual x FCS Nation x Alex’s Lemonade Stand Foundation Challenge. Joined by Richard Worrell, Managing Partner at Northwestern Mu...

This week on FCS Nation Radio, we’re joined by Furman Tight End and Alex’s Lemonade Stand Honorary Captain of the Week, Jackson Pryor, who’s playing this season with purpose. Jackson sits down with us to talk all things Paladins football, from Furman’s playoff push to life on and off the field and shares the powerful story behind dedicating his 2025 season to raising awareness for childhood cancer...

This week’s episode kicks off with a look back at an action-packed weekend in FCS football, highlighted by North Dakota State’s dominant win over South Dakota State, Montana’s high-powered victory over Sacramento State, and statement performances from UND, Montana State, and Tarleton State. We recognize our Players of the Week and break down the latest Top 25 shakeups before turning our attention...

It’s rivalry week and there’s no bigger stage than the Dakota Marker. This week on FCS Nation Radio , we break down everything from a wild Week 8 to the biggest matchups ahead in Week 9. In Segment 1, we recap the top headlines across the country: #1 North Dakota State’s dominant second half over Indiana State #2 South Dakota State pulls away from Murray State on the road #3 Montana keeps rolling...

This week on the FCS Nation x Northwestern Mutual x Alex’s Lemonade Stand Foundation Challenge , we’re spotlighting one of the top defensive forces, and culture-setters in the country: Kaden Vig, edge rusher for the No. 4 North Dakota Fighting Hawks. Fresh off a dominant win over Stone’s alma mater, Southern Illinois, Kaden joins us to talk about what’s driving UND’s rise, how the team’s identity...

This week on FCS Nation Radio , we spotlight a leader on and off the field, Villanova running back David Avit, joined by Grant Price, Managing Director at Northwestern Mutual’s Radnor Network Office, as part of our Honorary Captain of the Week series presented by Northwestern Mutual x Alex’s Lemonade Stand Foundation. https://villanova.com/sports/football/roster/david-avit/15238 Together, we dive...

Week 8 brought fireworks across the FCS, and the top teams made big statements. North Dakota State forced turnovers early and often in a 45–17 rout of Southern Illinois, while South Dakota State’s defense put on a Hobo Day masterclass, holding UNI to just a field goal. Montana’s second-half surge kept the Griz rolling past Cal Poly, and Tarleton State’s James Paige went off in a 41–23 win over Uta...

The best stay the best, and you know who they are. This week on FCS Nation Radio , we’re diving headfirst into another stacked weekend of FCS football. From the Dakota Dome to the desert, it’s all gas, no brakes. SEG 1 – Recap: We break down another wild weekend where the rich got richer. North Dakota State took care of business on the road, South Dakota State showed championship grit, and Montana...

This week’s Honorary Captain of the Week is Illinois State wide receiver Eddie Kasper (#8), a bright spot on a top 10 Redbirds team and now, a powerful voice in the fight against childhood cancer. 🍋 Through the Northwestern Mutual x FCS Nation x Alex’s Lemonade Stand Foundation Challenge, Eddie is dedicating his season to kids across the country battling cancer, raising funds and awareness throug...

This one is special. The Great Dane Cam Stodghill not only causes problems for opposing offenses, but he does for the other 28 athletes competing for the Lemon Trophy. This initiative hits a little closer to home for him, and it does for his running mate Alessandro Tronco, Managing Partner in the Tronco Network Office up there in Albany New York! Both of these two take the stage to highlight what...

Conference play is here and the stakes just got real. From North Dakota State rolling into Illinois State to South Dakota State’s trip to Youngstown, Montana heading to Idaho State, and a massive showdown between Yale and Lehigh, conference games galore are on deck. This week, Kevin and Stone recap a wild Week 5, break down the Players of the Week, and dive deep into the biggest previews across th...