Power 5 | Group of 5 | FCS | Motion

Opinion from our panel of nine judges was combined with more than 2,000 votes from our online poll to recognize the Top 25 FCS teams leading the nation in #smsports visual communication. We’ll share five each day. Teams are listed in no particular order.

Monday, June 12
Abilene Christian
Richmond
Kennesaw State
North Dakota State
UC Davis

Tuesday, June 13
Holy Cross
Charleston Southern
Florida A&M
Valparaiso
Drake

Wednesday, June 14
Villanova
Norfolk State
North Carolina A&T
Mercer
Central Arkansas

Thursday, June 15
James Madison
Coastal Carolina
Bethune-Cookman
Samford
Stephen F. Austin

Friday, June 16
George Washington
William & Mary
Liberty
Lamar
Cal Poly

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First, it’s important to acknowledge design is highly subjective. We recognize every team has unique digital strategies, priorities and resources. Teams are correctly focused on designing for their stakeholders. We cannot know the internal influences of every department. We can only see the external product — just as fans and recruits do.

We encourage more athletics department administrators to recognize that creativity on demand requires special talent and dedication. The “team behind the team” is vitally important in connecting programs to fans and recruits in the digital age.

For the FCS Visual Top 25, our assembled panel of judges and online voters recognized visual design based on this criteria:

  • Static visuals only (no motion content, that’s another Top 25)
  • Strength of designs for all sports (not just football or basketball)
  • Branding consistency
  • Communication of unique DNA of program
  • How well designs compete with other content in social feed
  • How designs maximize impact on specific social platforms

In an effort to recognize more great work across all levels of college sports, this is the third of four Top 25 lists we’ll run for 2017. Watch for voting and results for all four categories:

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Thanks to the athletics staff working hard behind the scenes to connect fans with the teams they love.

Jason R. Matheson