FCS Football Talk

FCS Football Talk

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.

Episodes

August 6, 2025 60 mins
On this episode, Sam and Zach discuss their Top 25 ballots for the Stats Perform FCS Preseason Media Poll.
Sam’s ballot can be found here. Zach’s can be found here.
They discuss:
-Why did they rank some teams where they are
-Top teams with new starting quarterbacks
-Teams returning strong experience
-Teams that didn’t make the 2024 playoffs that will in 2025
-And more
The podcast is presented by HERO Sports and BetMGM. Visit HERO Sports fo...
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On this episode, Sam is joined by Sac State football play-by-play broadcaster Jason Ross
They discuss:
-Sac State’s FBS push and where things stand right now
-2026 plans and schedule
-Fan thoughts on FBS push
-2025 squad and competing for an FCS title
-Recruiting
-New stadium
-NIL pledges
-And more
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July 21, 2025 148 mins
HERO Sports was on site for MVFC Media Day on July 21 in Sioux Falls, SD. Here is some audio from head coach and player interviews with the media. Stay tuned for more stories and coverage on herosports.com
0:00:00 -- SDSU HC Dan Jackson, DT Kobe Clayborne
0:18:01 -- YSU HC Doug Phillips, DB DJ Harris
0:28:21 -- NDSU HC Tim Polasek, LB Logan Kopp
0:44:10 -- SIU HC Nick Hill, QB DJ Williams
1:00:48 -- Murray State HC Jody Wright, RB Jawau...
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On this episode, Sam is joined by North Dakota head coach Eric Schmidt.
They discuss:
-Being a first-time head coach in the new era of college football
-UND's facilities and growth
-Early recruiting success
-Opting in and revenue-sharing
-The Dakotas' strength in the FCS and aiming for that standard
-Alerus Center
-2025 squad
-And more
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On this episode, Sam is joined by Zach McKinnell of FCS Football Central and The Bluebloods.
They discuss:
-Transfer portal
-UIW additions
-USD and SDSU outlooks
-Sac State’s FBS push
-W&M joining the Patriot League
-Early preseason Top 5
-And more
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On this episode, Sam is joined by Harvard head coach Andrew Aurich. 
They discuss:
-Leading the Harvard football program
-The Ivy League now sending its champ to the FCS playoffs
-Recruiting to the Ivy League
-Being protected from the transfer portal
-The Game
-Harvard's one captain tradition
-2025 outlook
-And more
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On this episode, Sam is joined by UIW head coach Clint Killough. They discuss:
-Offseason excitement
-Retaining top talent
-Making splash additions via the transfer portal
-Chasing an FCS championship
-QB competition
-UIW football's growth
-Being a young head coach
-Non-conference scheduling
-And more
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On this episode, Sam is joined by UTRGV head coach Travis Bush. They discuss:
-Helping build UTRGV football from scratch
-Assembling his staff
-Recruiting high schoolers and the transfer portal
-Benefits to UTRGV's location
-Community excitement and selling out season tickets
-Practicing last fall
-And more
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On this episode, Sam is joined by Montana State Director of Athletics Leon Costello. They discuss:
-Reflecting on the 2024 football season
-National title chase
-Opting in to the House settlement
-Scholarship caps
-Brent Vigen
-Sac State's FBS move
-Realignment in the West
-College football landscape
-12-game FCS season
-And more
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On this episode, Sam is joined by SoCon Commissioner Michael Cross. They discuss:
-The SoCon’s approach to the House settlement
-The vote to keep scholarship limits the same
-How many FCS schools could afford to go above 63 scholarships
-How many SoCon schools will opt in
-The SoCon keeping its in-conference transfer rule
-Governance changes in Division I
-And more
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March 26, 2025 32 mins
On this episode, Sam is joined by ETSU head coach Will Healy.
They discuss:
-Healy's FCS roots, from being a QB on Richmond's 2008 national championship team to an assistant coach at Chattanooga to being the HC at Austin Peay and now ETSU
-The differences and similarities between the G5 and FCS
-What attracted him to ETSU
-What he's learned as a younger head coach
-Positives and negatives he's learned from recruiting the transfer portal
-...
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On this episode, Sam is joined by Idaho head coach Thomas Ford Jr.
They discuss:
-Taking over as Idaho’s head coach
-Ford’s rise in the coaching profession
-Navigating the transfer portal
-Idaho fans’ thirst for more success
-A look at the 2025 squad
-And more
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March 13, 2025 35 mins
On this episode, Sam chats 1-on-1 with North Dakota State head coach Tim Polasek.
They discuss:
-NDSU’s championship run
-Not losing any players to the transfer portal after the title game
-Former Bison players on the coaching staff
-FCS changes while he was in the FBS from 2017-2023
-Ever-changing CFB landscape
-2025 QB competition
-And more
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FCS committee chair Matt Larsen (NDSU AD), vice chair Mark Wharton (Chattanooga AD), and NCAA Director of Championships Ty Halpin addressed the media in Frisco two days before the FCS national championship game.
They discussed the new bracket format, the future site of the FCS championship game, Nashville, TV windows, the Ivy League joining the FCS playoffs, and more.
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North Dakota State head coach Tim Polasek addressed the media in Frisco two days before the FCS national championship game.
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Montana State head coach Brent Vigen addresses the media in Frisco two days before the FCS national championship game.
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On this episode, Colter Nuanez of Skyline Sports and ESPN Montana discusses Montana State's run to the national championship game.
Discussion points include:
-What’s the vibe right now in Montana?
-This MSU squad's business-like attitude 
-Brent Vigen staying
-Tommy Mellott’s play
-Defensive improvements
-Senior class of Montana natives
-Biggest cause for confidence and biggest cause for concern for MSU going up against NDSU
The podcast is ...
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On this episode, The Forum of Fargo-Moorhead's Mike McFeely joins to discuss NDSU's return to the national championship game.
Discussion points include:
-Level of excitement after a 1-year Frisco hiatus
-Tim Polasek and the energy he’s brought
-Cam Miller’s play
-Brent Vigen's time at NDSU
-Will the game be back in Frisco
-Plus an unscripted segment about NDSU and the FBS
The podcast is presented by HERO Sports and BetMGM. Visit https://he...
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December 30, 2024 51 mins
On this episode, Sam Herder and Zach McKinnell preview the FCS championship game, discussing the key storylines and matchups between No. 1 Montana State and No. 2 NDSU.
The podcast is presented by HERO Sports and BetMGM. Visit https://herosports.com/ for FCS coverage and https://sports.betmgm.com/en/sports for online betting odds.
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December 18, 2024 75 mins
On this episode, Sam Herder and Zach McKinnell discuss:
-The Ivy League in the playoffs
-Jason Eck leaving Idaho for New Mexico
-Gevani McCoy potentially transferring to UIW
-Semifinal matchups
The podcast is presented by HERO Sports and BetMGM. Visit https://herosports.com/ for FCS coverage and https://sports.betmgm.com/en/sports for online betting odds.
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