FCS Nation

FCS Nation’s Kevin Marshall sits down with Furman head football coach Clay Hendrix following the Paladins’ road win over Mercer.Hendrix breaks down Furman’s early-season progress, a defense that continues to set the tone and the development of quarterback Jake Garcia as the Paladins work toward becoming a more versatile offense. He also looks ahead to Furman’s matchup with South Carolina State and explains why getting regional FCS programs back on each other’s schedules just makes sense.The conversation also dives into the changing landscape of the Southern Conference, including the addition of Tennessee Tech, before Hendrix talks about Furman’s Caleb Ellison, the Paladins’ representative in FCS Nation’s partnership with Northwestern Mutual and Alex’s Lemonade Stand Foundation in the fight against childhood cancer.From the state of the SoCon to the identity of this Furman team and the young players helping shape its future, Coach Hendrix takes us inside the Paladins program.

Week 3 of FCS Nation Radio is loadeddddddd.We start by recapping another big weekend for the subdivision, including two more FBS scalps as No. 1 Montana State takes down Nevada and No. 8 Illinois State knocks off Northern Illinois. We also hit South Dakota State’s dominant win, Montana handling Utah Tech, Tarleton State surviving McNeese, Lehigh making a statement against William & Mary and Stephen F. Austin shutting down Abilene Christian.Then it’s on to the latest FCS Nation Top 25 and our Players of the Week before looking ahead to a stacked Week 3 slate.We preview:• Central Connecticut State at No. 1 Montana State • No. 8 Youngstown State at No. 2 South Dakota State • No. 3 Montana at Oregon State • Merrimack at No. 4 Tarleton State • Eastern Illinois at No. 5 Illinois State • No. 6 North Dakota at Nebraska • Stetson at No. 7 UC Davis • Dartmouth at No. 9 Lehigh • No. 10 Rhode Island at Stony Brook • No. 12 South Dakota at Boise State • No. 14 Austin Peay at No. 20 West Florida • No. 15 Stephen F. Austin at Prairie View A&M • No. 16 Yale at Holy Cross • No. 17 South Carolina State at No. 25 Furman • No. 23 Wofford at ChattanoogaFurman head football coach Clay Hendrix joins the show to talk Paladins football and the season ahead.And stick around until the end for the picks. We make our calls on the biggest games of Week 3, including Youngstown State-South Dakota State, Montana-Oregon State, Eastern Illinois-Illinois State, North Dakota-Nebraska, South Dakota-Boise State, Austin Peay-West Florida and South Carolina State-Furman, with Kevin bringing a few upset specials to the table.

The FCS came for the FBS in a big way. Kevin Marshall and Stone Labanowitz break down three statement wins as Idaho State stunned Utah State, Tarleton State took down Bowling Green for its second straight FBS victory, and The Citadel survived Charlotte in a triple-overtime thriller.The guys also react to South Dakota State’s loss at Northwestern, unveil the latest FCS Nation Top 25 and Players of the Week, and look ahead to a loaded Week 2 slate. No. 1 Montana State heads to Nevada as a road favorite, No. 8 Illinois State gets its own shot at an FBS win against Northern Illinois, Tarleton looks to avoid a letdown at McNeese, and No. 20 William & Mary visits No. 9 Lehigh in a massive early Patriot League matchup.Plus, Kevin and Stone run through the biggest games across the subdivision, debate which contenders are for real and close it out with their Week 2 picks.Are FCS teams still trying to shock the FBS, or have we reached the point where some of them should be expected to win? -- let us know at @FCSNationRadio1

What started as an idea four years ago has grown into a nationwide movement across FCS football, raising hundreds of thousands of dollars in the fight against childhood cancer and proving just how powerful these communities can be when competition meets a cause.Chris Schenkel, Managing Partner of Northwestern Mutual’s Schenkel Network Office in Sioux Falls, joins FCS Nation Radio to tell the story behind the challenge and how an idea rooted in FCS football grew into something much bigger.Chris takes us back to the beginning, explains why the FCS was the perfect home for the campaign and shares what he’s learned from the athletes, programs and fan bases that have rallied behind it.We look back at a remarkable 2025 campaign that raised more than $135,000, including Aidan Bouman’s $41,000+ effort, and discuss how competition between FCS communities has helped fuel the challenge’s growth.Chris also takes us inside Season 4, what’s changing, what they look for in an Honorary Captain and just how big this initiative could ultimately become.Plus, with every FCS fan base listening, we put Chris on the spot: What’s the number to beat in Season 4? 👀👀👀 This one is about football, community and what can happen when an entire subdivision decides to play for something bigger.Alex's Lemonade Stand Foundation for Childhood Cancer

Week 0 gave us blowouts, upsets, instant stars and one of the wildest finishes you’ll see all season, and now the FCS turns its attention to a loaded Week 1 slate.On this episode of FCS Nation Radio, we break down everything we learned from opening weekend, including West Florida’s statement win over ranked Southern Illinois in its FCS debut, Montana State’s three-phase domination, South Dakota State’s offensive explosion and William & Mary’s unbelievable comeback against Villanova.We also dive into the latest FCS Nation Top 25, debate the biggest movers and introduce the national Players of the Week after some ridiculous individual performances across the subdivision.Then it’s all about Week 1.We preview the biggest games on the board, including South Dakota State at Northwestern, Tarleton State at Bowling Green, Youngstown State at Kentucky, Rhode Island at Temple, Austin Peay at Vanderbilt and Idaho State at Utah State. Which FCS teams have the best chance to take down an FBS opponent?Plus, we make our picks for the biggest games across the Top 25 and discuss which contenders have the most to prove this weekend.Week 1 is here. Let’s get into it.