Recruiting means everything in college football. Whether it’s scouting high school prospects or eying transfers that could fit within a system, recruiting is what shapes a team's rosters, culture and season.

When it comes to Division II football, the outlook isn’t any different. However, the format is slightly different than other sports.

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D2 football has its unique calendar, set with different dates for when coaches can and can’t contact recruits, host visits, or make evaluations.

Here is all the information you need to know on the Division 2 football recruiting calendar ahead of the 2026-2027 college football season.

D2 College Football Recruiting Calendar Dates

These are the important dates to know for the D2 Football season.

• November 30 (7 a.m. ET) - December 2 (7 a.m. ET): Signing Date Dead Period
• December 22 - January 1: Dead Period
• February 1 (7 a.m. ET) - February 3 (7 a.m. ET): Signing Date Dead Period
• February 15-17: Dead Period
• May 29-31: Dead Period

All other dates from August 2026 - July 2027: Contact Period.

What Do The Various Contact Periods Mean?

• Signing Date Dead Period: It is now permissible to make in-person recruiting contact or evaluations on or off the member institution. Also no official or unofficial visits to institutions by student athletes during this period.
• Dead Period:It is now permissible to make in-person recruiting contact or evaluations on or off the member institution. Also no official or unofficial visits to institutions by student athletes during this period.Not relative to signing day.
• Contact Period: It is permissible for authorized athletic departments to make in-person and off campus recruiting contacts and evaluations.

Who Won The Each College Football National Championship For The 2025-2026 Season?

• Division I FBS – Indiana def. Miami, 27-21
• Division I FCS – Montana State def. Illinois State 35-34 (OT)
• Division II – Ferris State def. Harding, 42-21
• Division III – University of Wisconsin-River Falls def. North Central (Ill.), 24-14

When Do The 2026 NCAA Division I FCS Playoffs Start?

The first round of the 2026 NCAA FCS Playoffs will be Nov. 28.

The format includes 24 teams and five rounds of play – first round, second round, quarterfinals, semifinals and the championship game. Everything through the semifinals will be played at the site of the participating schools.

Round 2 is set for Dec. 5, the quarterfinals will be held Dec. 11 (one game) and Dec. 12 (three games) and the semifinals will take place Dec. 19.

The 2026 FCS national championship will be determined Jan. 11, 2027, at FirstBank Stadium in Nashville, Tennessee. Music City first hosted the title tilt in 2025 after 15 consecutive visits to Frisco, Texas.

Every game will be broadcast live on the ESPN family of networks. 

How Do The FCS Playoffs Work?

The 24 FCS teams that advance to the playoffs are situated into a single-elimination bracket.

The top 16 teams are seeded, with the first eight earning byes into the second round. Seeds 9-16 must play in the opening round of action, but they get to play host, as do the higher seeds in each game through the semifinals.

The two semifinal winners then make the trip to Nashville to play for the national championship.

In 2025, Montana State defeated Illinois State 35-34 in overtime to claim the trophy. 

Since 2011, North Dakota State had been dominating the FCS landscape, winning 10 national titles, but the Bison have now moved to a bigger pasture – the FBS level as part of the Mountain West Conference.

Throwback - Tap The Rock: University Of New Hampshire Football

Even though he may forget what it says sometimes, we promise Dylan Laube doesn’t forget what to do on game day. 

FloFootball caught up with the University of New Hampshire in 2023 to hear more about one of their coveted team traditions.

Archived Footage On FloCollege

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Watch The 2026 College Football Season On FloCollege

FloCollege is the home of the best FCS, Division II and Division III football action all season long. 

Don’t miss the latest college football action by bookmarking the FloCollege schedule page for the latest games. 

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