The Furman Paladins football team competes in the NCAA Division I Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) as members of the Southern Conference (SoCon). The Paladins have won 15 conference titles, all in the Southern Conference, with seven shared and eight outright. The Paladins have appeared in the NCAA Division I Football Championship playoffs 20 times. They were national champions in 1988 and runner-up in 1985 and 2001 and a semifinalist in 1983, 1989 and 2005. Furman also ranks 5th in NCAA Division I FCS playoff appearances with 18 appearances. Over the past few years, Furman’s football team has been consistently ranked in the top three spots in the NCAA I-AA polls, and has climbed to no. 1 in the nation in the Sports Network polls. The Paladins have also claimed 15 Southern Conference football titles, more than any school in league history. Furman has only won one national championship in football.