Demographics
US domestic Florida Haitian Junior in high school Female/Black/ Haitian Immigrant Parents: *URM, Mom has associates but not 4 year, dad does
Intended Major(s) Sociology?
GPA, Rank, and Test Scores Unweighted HS GPA: 3.8 Weighted HS GPA (incl. weighting system): 4.198/4.0 Class Rank: 16/380 ACT/SAT Scores: N/A
Coursework 3 APS - Environmental (2) Seminar (…2 because of a lack of a teacher) Art History (Online, test too costly) Currently enrolled in Research, APUSH, Macroecon and Gov. Had a B in Research last semester, the rest A’s 9 Honors Classes - Alegbra 1 and 2, Biology, Pre Calc, Chemistry, English 1 and 2, World History, and Geometry. A’s except Pre-Calc (B-), Chemistry (B+), English 2 (B), and Geometry (B+). Biology - Had in 8th grade (Corona) and got a D, retook 11th and got an A, D still on transcript. Dual Enrollment - ENC 1101, Intro to Psychology, College Success, Career Planning, A’s except career planning, got a B
Awards Kelley Women’s Leadership Institute (International, 60 girls chosen) Yale Women In Economics Semi-Finalist (National, approximately 50% of over 1000 applicants) Scholastic Art and Writing Silver Key (Regional, top 7% of 300,000 submissions) Princeton Journalism Summer Program Semi-Finalist (National) Alexander Hamilton Scholars Program Finalist - 50 out of over 600 chosen nationally for a 5-year mentorship program
–Awards Included In Letters– AFJROTC Marine Leadership Award (1 out of 400+ cadets to get it, just joined 5 months prior, school) Pioneer Prep Scholar (National, Fly-in at University of Denver, 30 out of over 300 applicants, 12 of 30 out of state)
Extracurriculars Youtube - Creator (9-11) Uploaded Nickelodeon lost media to Youtube, under the name “(redacted)” Gained over 65,000+ views over 2 years. Collaborated with others around the United States and found news reports, radio interviews, and advertisements. Interviewed animation industry professionals and Emmy winning songwriters. Bypassed old game systems. Had legal permission.
Freelance Writer - Independent (9-11) Wrote multiple expository articles and creative writing for literary magazines and organizations surrounding social justice, civics, and the black community. Published online globally for
DemocraShe Scholar (11) - One of 50 chosen nationally to receive a $500 stipend engaging in civics and government, met with LA congresswomen to learn more on the electoral process and change in community.
Intern at FirstGen Support (10) - Marketed a virtual college prep series and successfully brought in 900+ first-generation student attendees, had them engage with speakers from Harvard, Yale, Berkeley, etc.
Class Council President (10-11) Held position as class president for grades 10th, and currently 11th. Coordinated multiple fundraisers and had over 15+ students assisted raising funds.
JROTC (10-11) - Logistic Officer Superintendent, Second Lieutenant (2Lt, 11th). Volunteered to run canned food drives and coordinate cadet hangouts for over 400 cadets.
Success Team - Member (9-11) Received a $500 scholarship for a trip to Atlanta, Georgia. Visited colleges such as Emory, Georgia Tech, Alabama State, and Clark Atlanta (10th). Recruited over 15+ to join over 2 years, received multiple college opportunities.
Drama Club (10-11) - Performed in front of over 600+ in two years, assisted in props and rehearsal while dancing and acting.
Debate (11) - Finalist for the Incubate Debate regional competition, placed in the top 25% of debaters from central Florida. Future Business Leaders of America (FBLA) (11)- Placed 2nd in the region for advertising and qualified to make states, competed out of 10+ students from surrounding counties.
Essays/LORs/Other So far, my options for rec letters are my Chief (JROTC, Military vet, in AF for 20 years and has the rarest rank) and my college English professor (ENC 1101) and counselor (we are locked in!) Essays, I hope they’re good!
Summer Programs
10th grade UDenver Pioneer Prep - (Mentioned above) Kelley Program - (forgot the name as I type this, mentioned above)
11th grade Kenyon Young Writers (Residential) -Accepted, full ride Denison Young Writers (Residential) - Accepted, full ride Princeton Journalism (Residential) Semi-Finalist Interviewing as an intern for a US Congress internship:D
Schools:
UGA, USF (florida), Yale, umich, northeastern, vanderbilt, boston university, duke, princeton, rice, georgetown, stanford, washu, harvard, brown, columbia, pomona

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Dark Age of Camelot
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Heli Heroes
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America's Army
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Live for Speed
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Medieval: Total War
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Paradise Cracked
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Konami Collector's Series: Castlevania & Contra
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Crimsonland
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One Must Fall: Battlegrounds
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Premier Manager 2002/2003 Season
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Line of Sight: Vietnam
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MapleStory
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Enter the Matrix
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Pure Pinball
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Colin McRae Rally 3
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MotoGP 2
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Midnight Club II
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Microsoft Flight Simulator 2004: A Century of Flight
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Republic: The Revolution
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AquaNox 2: Revelation
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Kreed
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No Man's Land
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Homeworld 2
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Conflict: Desert Storm II
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Gun Metal
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Halo: Combat Evolved
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Max Payne 2: The Fall of Max Payne
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MTV Celebrity Deathmatch
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Bionicle: The Game
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Battle Engine Aquila
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Dead to Rights
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Need for Speed: Underground
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Gladiator: Sword of Vengeance
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Hot Wheels World Race
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Premier Manager 2003-04
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Armed and Dangerous
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Beyond Good & Evil
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Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time
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Legacy of Kain: Defiance
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Airborne Troops: Countdown to D-Day
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Crazy Taxi 3: High Roller
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Kill Switch
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Bad Boys: Miami Takedown
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Battlefield Vietnam
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Breed
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Colin McRae Rally 04
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Painkiller
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Crusader Kings
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I-Ninja
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CSI: Miami
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Beyond Divinity
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Perimeter
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Pac-Man World 2
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Alias
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Psi-Ops: The Mindgate Conspiracy
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Joint Operations: Typhoon Rising
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Codename: Panzers - Phase One
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Asterix & Obelix XXL
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Ground Control II: Operation Exodus
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Mabinogi
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Kreed: Battle for Savitar
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Puyo Puyo Fever
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Chaos League
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Mashed
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John Deere: American Farmer
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Army Men: Sarge's War
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Catwoman
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Chessmaster 10th Edition
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Medieval Lords: Build, Defend, Expand
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18 Wheels of Steel: Pedal to the Metal
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Conflict: Vietnam
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Chris Sawyer's Locomotion
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Full Spectrum Warrior
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Kohan II: Kings of War
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Colin McRae Rally 2005
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Evil Genius
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Myst IV: Revelation
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Aladdin Chess Adventures
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Leisure Suit Larry: Magna Cum Laude
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Counter-Strike: Source
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Club Football 2005
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LMA Professional Manager 2005
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Ford Racing 3
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Men of Valor
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Axis & Allies (2004)
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Medal of Honor: Pacific Assault
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FlatOut
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Nexus: The Jupiter Incident
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Children of the Nile
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Need for Speed: Underground 2
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Project Freedom
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Pool Shark 2
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Hot Wheels: Stunt Track Challenge
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MTX: Mototrax
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Half-Life 2
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Half-Life: Source
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Fire Department 2
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Jets'n'Guns
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PC Fútbol 2005
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Armies of Exigo
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JBMod
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Prince of Persia: Warrior Within
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Bad Mojo Redux
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Forgotten Realms: Demon Stone
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Battlestrike: The Road to Berlin
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Garry's Mod
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Gurumin: A Monstrous Adventure
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Bratz: Rock Angelz
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Garfield's It's All About Thinking Skills
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John Deere: North American Farmer
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Living World Racing
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Playboy: The Mansion
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Country Justice: Revenge of the Rednecks
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Constantine
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Project Snowblind
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MVP Baseball 2005
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Darwinia
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GTR - FIA GT Racing Game
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Act of War: Direct Action
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Brothers in Arms: Road to Hill 30
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Driv3r
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Freedom Force vs. The 3rd Reich
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Close Quarters Conflict
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CT Special Forces: Fire for Effect
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Elite Warriors: Vietnam
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Hellforces
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Cold Fear
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Dynasty Warriors 4: Hyper
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Lego Star Wars: The Video Game
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Psychonauts
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Guild Wars
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Dungeon Lords
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Maniac Mansion Mania
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7 Sins
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Daemonica
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Imperial Glory
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Delta Force: Xtreme
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Boiling Point: Road to Hell
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Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas
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Cross Racing Championship 2005
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Earth 2160
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Area 51 (2005)
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Pathologic
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Juiced
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Battlefield 2
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Lula 3D
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Fantastic 4
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Midnight Outlaw: 6 Hours to SunUp
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Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (2005)
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Brian Lara International Cricket 2005
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Codename: Panzers - Phase Two
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Narcissu
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Battle of Europe
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Dead to Rights II
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Dungeon Siege II
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Night Watch
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Neuro Hunter
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JetFighter 2015
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Conflict: Global Terror
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Evil Dead: Regeneration
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Fahrenheit
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Fable: The Lost Chapters
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Myst V: End of Ages
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Dungeons & Dragons: Dragonshard
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Bet on Soldier: Blood Sport
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Day of Defeat: Source
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Asterix & Obelix XXL 2
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Ed, Edd n Eddy: The Mis-Edventures
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Garfield: Saving Arlene
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Blitzkrieg 2
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Brothers in Arms: Earned in Blood
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Battlestrike: The Siege
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Black & White 2
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Rag Doll Kung Fu
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GT Legends
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Age of Empires III
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F.E.A.R.
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Adrenalin: Extreme Show
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Call of Duty 2
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Namco Museum 50th
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Chaos League: Sudden Death
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Ankh
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Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire
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Gun
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Law & Order: Criminal Intent
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Need for Speed: Most Wanted
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Peter Jackson's King Kong
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Peter Jackson's King Kong Gamer's Edition
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Operation: Matriarchy
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Combat Wings
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Knights of the Temple II
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Gene Troopers
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Prince of Persia: The Two Thrones
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Hard Truck Apocalypse
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Onimusha 3
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Pac-Man World 3
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Hammer & Sickle
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Liquidator 2: Welcome to Hell
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Catz
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DMZ: North Korea
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Dogz
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John Deere: American Builder Deluxe
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John Deere: American Farmer Deluxe
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Kabus 22
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Rat Hunter
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MX vs. ATV Unleashed
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25 to Life
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Curious George
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L.A. Rush
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Bode Miller Alpine Skiing
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Classic British Motor Racing
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Jacked
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Midway Arcade Treasures Deluxe Edition
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Galactic Civilizations II: Dread Lords
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Crashday
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Dungeons & Dragons Online
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PSI: Syberian Conflict
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Empires
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Ice Age 2: The Meltdown
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Red Orchestra: Ostfront 41-45
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Commandos: Strike Force
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Act of War: High Treason
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Call of Cthulhu: Dark Corners of the Earth
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Blazing Angels
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Fire Department 3
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Condemned: Criminal Origins
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Dreamfall
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Desperados 2
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Over the Hedge
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Evolution GT
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Heroes of Might and Magic V
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Darkstar One
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Hitman: Blood Money
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Half-Life 2: Episode One
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Cars
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NFL Head Coach
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Micro Machines V4
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OutRun 2006
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Devil May Cry 3
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FlatOut 2
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Outlaw Chopper
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CivCity: Rome
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Pac-Man World Rally
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GTI Racing
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Reservoir Dogs
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Call of Juarez
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Faces of War
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Cabela's Big Game Hunter: Alaskan Adventure
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Caesar IV
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Age of Pirates: Caribbean Tales
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Company of Heroes
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Broken Sword 4: The Angel of Death
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Neon Genesis Evangelion: Girlfriend of Steel Special Edition
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ParaWorld
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Combat Wings: Battle of Britain
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Ford Street Racing
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Jaws Unleashed
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LMA Manager 2007
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El Matador
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Mage Knight: Apocalypse
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GTR 2 - FIA GT Racing Game
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Barrow Hill: Curse of the Ancient Circle
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Heroes of Annihilated Empires
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Death to Spies
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Battlefield 2142
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Garfield: A Tail of Two Kitties
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Microsoft Flight Simulator X
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Dark Messiah of Might and Magic
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Marvel: Ultimate Alliance
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Ankh: Heart of Osiris
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Anno 1701
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Neverwinter Nights 2
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Dynasty Warriors Online Z
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Paris Chase
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Alarm for Cobra 11
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Planet Alcatraz
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Deal or No Deal
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Made Man
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Left Behind: Eternal Forces
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D.I.R.T.: Origin of the Species
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Arma: Armed Assault
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Medieval II: Total War
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Bionicle Heroes
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Eragon
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Happy Feet
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Bass Pro Shops: Trophy Hunter
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RACE - The WTCC Game
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Harley-Davidson: Race to the Rally
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L.A. Street Racing
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Rayman Raving Rabbids
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Alpha Prime
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3D Instructor
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Cinema Empire
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Limbo of the Lost
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Petz Horsez 2
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Mr. Robot
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Arthur and the Invisibles
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Europa Universalis III
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Ascension to the Throne
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Battlestations: Midway
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Chess Titans
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Purble Place
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Little Britain: The Video Game
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Maelstrom: The Battle for Earth Begins
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Redneck Kentucky and the Next Generation Chickens
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Myst Online: Uru Live
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Marine Sharpshooter 3
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Infernal
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Jade Empire: Special Edition
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Resident Evil 4
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Geometry Wars: Retro Evolved
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Bus Driver
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Brian Lara International Cricket 2007
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Left Behind: Tribulation Forces
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Alvin and the Chipmunks
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Ancient Wars: Sparta
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Cellfactor: Revolution
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Day Watch
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Halo 2
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Adrenalin 2: Rush Hour
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Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End
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Helldorado
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Bet on Soldier: Black-out Saigon
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Hospital Tycoon
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Colin McRae: DiRT
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Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix
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Driver: Parallel Lines
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Lost Planet: Extreme Condition
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Overlord
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Ratatouille
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Dead Reefs
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Nitro Stunt Racing
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A Tale of Two Kingdoms
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Mountain of Faith
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Need for Speed: Carbon
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BioShock
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7.62 High Calibre
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Exodus from the Earth
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Knytt Stories
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Fantasy Wars
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Blackwell Unbound
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Medal of Honor: Airborne
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ObsCure II
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BMW M3 Challenge
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Fortress Forever
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Osu!
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Ducati World Championship
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Everlight: Of Magic & Power
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Diabolik: The Original Sin
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Portal
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Half-Life 2: Episode Two
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RACE 07 - Official WTCC Game
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Rail Simulator
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Hard to Be a God
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Chessmaster: Grandmaster Edition
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Hired Guns: The Jagged Edge
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Bee Movie Game
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Clive Barker's Jericho
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Nostradamus: The Last Prophecy
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Escape from Paradise City
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Cars Mater-National Championship
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Avencast
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Painkiller (all)
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Hellgate: London
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Empire Earth III
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F.E.A.R. Perseus Mandate
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Gears of War
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Dusk 12
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BlackSite: Area 51
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Beowulf
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Crysis 1, 2, 3
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Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock
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Kane & Lynch: Dead Men
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Need for Speed: ProStreet
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Petz Catz 2
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A Farewell to Dragons
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Hot Wheels: Beat That!
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Juiced 2: Hot Import Nights
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Ankh: Battle of the Gods
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Deal or No Deal: Secret Vault Games
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Flying Red Barrel: The Diary of a Little Aviator
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Černaja Metka
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Oval Office: Commander in Chief
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FSR: French Street Racing
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Conflict: Denied Ops
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Kiss Before Midnight
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John Deere: Drive Green
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Audiosurf
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Hour of Victory
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Harvest: Massive Encounter
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Operation Thunderstorm
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Ninja Reflex
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Lexus ISF Track Time
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Dracula 3: The Path of the Dragon
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Assassin's Creed
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Facewound
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Europa Universalis: Rome
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Citroën C4 Robot
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Dream Pinball 3D
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King's Bounty: The Legend
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Project Torque
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Elements of Destruction
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Iron Man
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Dracula: Origin
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Ascension to the Throne: Valkyrie
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Lost Planet: Extreme Condition Colonies Edition
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Mass Effect
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Outcry
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Nikita: The Mystery of the Hidden Treasure
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Race Driver: Grid
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Kung Fu Panda
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Lego Indiana Jones: The Original Adventures
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Rayman Raving Rabbids 2
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Edna & Harvey: The Breakout
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Insecticide
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Petz Horsez 2 (2008)
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Alone in the Dark (2008)
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Happy Tree Friends: False Alarm
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Nancy Drew: The Phantom of Venice
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Beijing 2008
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Devil May Cry 4
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Dynasty Warriors 6
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Marine Sharpshooter 4: Locked and Loaded
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American McGee's Grimm
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Drakensang: The Dark Eye
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FlatOut: Ultimate Carnage
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Euro Truck Simulator
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Bionic Commando Rearmed
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Premier Manager 09
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Code of Honor 2: Conspiracy Island
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Enemy Engaged 2: Desert Operations
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Mercenaries 2: World in Flames
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Nikopol: Secrets of the Immortals
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Mount & Blade
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Crysis Warhead
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Ford Racing: Off Road
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Lego Batman: The Videogame
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Collapse
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Brothers in Arms: Hell's Highway
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Guitar Hero: Aerosmith
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Dead Space
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Bully: Scholarship Edition
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NHL 09
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MorphX
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Fallout 3
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MySims
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Petz Horse Club
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007: Quantum of Solace
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High School Musical 3: Senior Year Dance
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Madagascar
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Petz Sports
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Call of Duty: World at War
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Evil Resistance
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Left 4 Dead
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Bolt
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Legendary
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Need for Speed: Undercover
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Neopets: Puzzle Adventure
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Chronicles of Mystery: The Scorpio Ritual
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Crash Time 2
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A Vampyre Story
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Grand Ages: Rome
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Grand Theft Auto 4 & 5
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Prince of Persia
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DYSNOMIA
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Bundeskanzler
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Cooking Academy 2: World Cuisine
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Mirror's Edge
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District Wars
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Burnout Paradise
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F.E.A.R. 2: Project Origin
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Art of Murder - Hunt for the Puppeteer
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Art of Murder - Cards of Destiny
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Puzzle Quest: Galactrix
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Armed Forces Corp.
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Ceville
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Cryostasis
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NecroVisioN
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Empire: Total War
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Codename: Panzers - Cold War
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Men of War
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Command & Conquer (all)
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Hidden Target
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Faerie Solitaire
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Dark Sector
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Monsters vs. Aliens
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Ferrari Virtual Race
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Elven Legacy
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Hannah Montana: The Movie
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Braid
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King's Bounty: Armored Princess
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Cogs
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Demigod
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Close Combat: The Longest Day
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Mozart: The Conspirators of Prague
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Death Track: Resurrection
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Age of Pirates 2
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Battlestations: Pacific
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Killing Floor 1 & 2
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Damnation
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Restaurant Empire II
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AI War: Fleet Command
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Clutch
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Delta Force: Xtreme 2
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Light of Altair
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Prototype
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Ghostbusters: The Video Game
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America's Army 3
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Arma 2
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Anno 1404
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Overlord II
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Battlefield Heroes
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Droplitz
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Call of Juarez: Bound in Blood
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Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince
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Kodu Game Lab
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Fuel
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Battlestrike: Shadow of Stalingrad
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G-Force
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Divinity II: Developer's Cut
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Guitar Hero: World Tour
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Bionic Commando (2009)
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East India Company
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Ashes Cricket 2009
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Death to Spies: Moment of Truth
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Hearts of Iron III
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100% Orange Juice!
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Darkness Within: In Pursuit of Loath Nolder
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Code of Honor 3: Desperate Measures
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Nation Red
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Champions Online: Free For All
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AaaaaAAaaaAAAaaAAAAaAAAAA!!! - A Reckless Disregard for Gravity
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Drawn: The Painted Tower
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Dawn of Magic 2
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Pirate Hunter
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Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs
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Batman: Arkham Asylum
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Mini Ninjas
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Need for Speed: Shift
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Red Faction: Guerrilla
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Madballs in Babo: Invasion
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Majesty 2: The Fantasy Kingdom Sim
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Resident Evil 5
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Kitty Play
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18 Wheels of Steel: Extreme Trucker
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Black Mirror 2
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Premier Manager 10
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Pat & Mat
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Lucidity
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NBA 2K10
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Lego Star Wars: The Complete Saga
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Machinarium
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CSI: Deadly Intent
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Borderlands
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Barbie and the Three Musketeers
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League of Legends
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Painkiller: Resurrection
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Ninja Blade
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Men of War: Red Tide
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Manhunt 2
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Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 1 & 2
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GM Rally
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Dark Fall 3: Lost Souls
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Lego Indiana Jones 2: The Adventure Continues
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Gyromancer
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Left 4 Dead 2
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King Arthur: The Role-Playing Wargame
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Crash Time 3
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Metal Slug Collection PC
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Musou Orochi Z
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James Cameron's Avatar: The Game
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Colin McRae: DiRT 2
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Mount & Blade: With Fire & Sword
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Chronicles of Mystery - The Tree of Life
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Greed: Black Border
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Disciples III: Renaissance
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Armored Hunter Gunhound
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MechWarrior: Living Legends
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Lethal Crisis
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Combat Zone: Special Forces
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Phase Shift
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Pixeline: Jungleskatten
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German Truck Simulator
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Dark Void
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Bob Came in Pieces
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Mass Effect 2
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Cursed Mountain
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BioShock 2
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Aliens vs. Predator (2010)
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NecroVisioN: Lost Company
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Arsenal of Democracy: A Hearts of Iron Game
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Napoleon: Total War
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City Car Driving
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Disco Tycoon
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Disney Fairies: Tinker Bell's Adventure
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Alice in Wonderland
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Battlefield: Bad Company 2
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Assassin's Creed II
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Double Spoiler
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Metro 2033
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Mount & Blade: Warband
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Lead and Gold: Gangs of the Wild West
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Dark Void Zero
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Fortix
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Grand Theft Auto: Episodes from Liberty City
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Beat Hazard
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Pac-Man Pizza Parlor
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Eschalon: Book II
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Collapse: The Rage
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Blur
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Alpha Protocol
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Darkness Within 2: The Dark Lineage
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Puzzler World
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Altered Beast (Genesis)
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Ecco the Dolphin (2010)
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Hotel Collectors Edition
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Alien Breed: Impact
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Jolly Rover
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Nehrim: At Fate's Edge
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Prince of Persia: The Forgotten Sands
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Puzzle Dimension
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Lego Harry Potter: Years 1-4
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APB Reloaded
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Nelson Tethers: Puzzle Agent
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Moonbase Alpha
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Monkey Island 2 Special Edition: LeChuck's Revenge
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Mytheon
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Blacklight: Tango Down
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Alien Swarm
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Need for Speed: World
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Rabbids Go Home
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RefRain - Prism Memories
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Croixleur
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Fairy Wars
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Kane & Lynch 2: Dog Days
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BlazBlue: Calamity Trigger
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Black Sails - The Ghost Ship
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Mafia II
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Chime
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Ferrari Virtual Academy
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King's Bounty: Crossworlds
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Patrician IV: Conquest by Trade
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Alien Breed 2: Assault
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Darksiders
​
Arthur and the Revenge of Maltazard
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Lost Horizon
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Dead Rising 2
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Lara Croft and the Guardian of Light
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Final Fantasy XIV Online (2010)
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Axel & Pixel
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Front Mission Evolved
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Agricultural Simulator 2011
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Arcania: Gothic 4
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Lost Planet 2
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Medal of Honor (2010)
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Fallout: New Vegas
​
DeathSpank
​
Lego Universe
​
Octodad
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Bit.Trip Beat
​
James Bond 007: Blood Stone
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Emergency 2012
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Gray Matter
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Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1
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Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit
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Alien Breed 3: Descent
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Poker Night at the Inventory
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Perpetuum
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MX vs. ATV Reflex
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DeathSpank: Thongs of Virtue
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Nail'd
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Disciples III: Resurrection
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Bejeweled 3
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IREM Arcade Hits
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Greed Corp
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Back to the Future: The Game
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Clickr
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Crash Time 4: The Syndicate
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Pet Hotel Tycoon
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18 Wheels of Steel: Extreme Trucker 2
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Crimzon Clover
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Kaptain Brawe: A Brawe New World
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Monday Night Combat
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Dead Space 2
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Luxor 5th Passage
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Magicka
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Duty Calls: The Calm Before the Storm
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Bird Assassin
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Bulletstorm
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Gemini Rue
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Men of War: Assault Squad
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Painkiller: Redemption
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Bit.Trip Runner
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Crazy Taxi (2011)
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Dragon Age 1 & 2
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Battle: Los Angeles
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Cloning Clyde
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Homefront
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Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood
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Infinity Danger
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Lego Star Wars III: The Clone Wars
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MIA (Mission in Asia)
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Planet Stronghold
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Darkest Hour: A Hearts of Iron Game
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Dino D-Day
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Anomaly Warzone Earth
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Black Mirror 3
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Portal 2
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Cargo! The Quest for Gravity
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Operation Flashpoint: Red River
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Hector: Badge of Carnage!
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Capsized
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Fortix 2
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Faery: Legends of Avalon
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Hydrophobia: Prophecy
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Battle vs. Chess
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Fable III
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DiRT 3
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Hunted: The Demon's Forge
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Red Faction: Armageddon
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Dracula: Love Kills
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Duke Nukem Forever
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Alice: Madness Returns
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Dungeon Siege III
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F.E.A.R. 3
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Fruit Ninja
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Puzzle Agent 2
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Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2
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Breath of Death VII: The Beginning
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Cthulhu Saves the World
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IL-2 Sturmovik: Cliffs of Dover
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Game Stock Car
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E.Y.E: Divine Cybermancy
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Limbo
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Pirates of Black Cove
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Drakensang Online
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Edge
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Acceleration of SUGURI 2
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Ether Vapor Remaster
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Age of Empires Online
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Bastion
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From Dust
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El Rock de tu Vida
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Deus Ex: Human Revolution
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Galaxy on Fire 2 Full HD
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Edna & Harvey: Harvey's New Eyes
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Enigmatis: The Ghosts of Maple Creek
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Driver: San Francisco
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Dead Island
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Call of Juarez: The Cartel
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Men of War: Vietnam
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Hard Reset
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Red Orchestra 2: Heroes of Stalingrad
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Might & Magic: Clash of Heroes
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Nuclear Dawn
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Go! Go! Nippon! ~My First Trip to Japan~
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Fotonica
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Blackwell Deception
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MDK 2 HD
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Orcs Must Die!
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Costume Quest
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Dungeon Defenders
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Payday: The Heist
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Airline Tycoon 2
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Arcania: Fall of Setarrif
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Disney Universe
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No More Room in Hell
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NCIS
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L.A. Noire
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CastleMiner Z
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Lego Harry Potter: Years 5-7
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Nitronic Rush
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Jurassic Park: The Game
Anno 2070
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Moto Racer 15th Anniversary
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Batman: Arkham City
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AaaaaAAaaaAAAaaAAAAaAAAAA!!! for the Awesome
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Postal III
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Afterfall: InSanity
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Agricultural Simulator 2012
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English Country Tune
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Autobahn
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Fractal: Make Blooms Not War
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Assassin's Creed: Revelations
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City Racing
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FlatOut 3: Chaos & Destruction
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Earth Defense Force: Insect Armageddon
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Final Combat
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7554: Glorious Memories Revived
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Q.U.B.E.
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Lethal Crisis ProtoSphere
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Melty Blood Actress Again Current Code
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Doom & Destiny
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Haunted Memories
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Bridge Constructor
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Metal Dead
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Insane 2
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Oil Rush
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Deponia
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King Arthur II: The Role-Playing Wargame
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Law & Order: Legacies
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Analogue: A Hate Story
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Gotham City Impostors
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Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning
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Jagged Alliance: Back in Action
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Crusader Kings II
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Dear Esther
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Alan Wake
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Auditorium
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Painkiller: Recurring Evil
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Mass Effect 3
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Mutant Storm: Reloaded
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Lone Survivor
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3SwitcheD
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Rayman Origins
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Captain Morgane and the Golden Turtle
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Blacklight: Retribution
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Legend of Grimrock
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Men of War: Condemned Heroes
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Insanely Twisted Shadow Planet
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Disciples III: Reincarnation
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Nightmares from the Deep: The Cursed Heart
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Blades of Time
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A Valley Without Wind
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Binary Domain
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Nexuiz (2012)
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Gas Guzzlers: Combat Carnage
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Port Royale 3: Pirates & Merchants
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Odysseus: Long Way Home
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Diablo III
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Game of Thrones
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Resident Evil: Operation Raccoon City
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Alan Wake's American Nightmare
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Agricultural Simulator: Historical Farming
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Disney Princess: My Fairytale Adventure
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Mad Riders
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Home (2012)
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Max Payne 3
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AFL Live
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Brave: The Video Game
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Lego Batman 2: DC Super Heroes
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Resonance
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Beware Planet Earth
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Ice Age: Continental Drift - Arctic Games
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Blade & Soul
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Endless Space
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1953 - KGB Unleashed
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La-Mulana
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Howlville: The Dark Past
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Anna - Extended Edition
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Prototype 2
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Cut the Rope
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Orcs Must Die! 2
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A Virus Named TOM
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Awesomenauts
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BANZAI PECAN: The Last Hope for the Young Century
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Darksiders II
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Final Fantasy VII (2012)
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Counter-Strike: Global Offensive
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Dark Souls: Prepare to Die Edition
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Jagged Alliance: Crossfire
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I Am Alive
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Intrusion 2
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Borderlands 2
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F1 2012
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Jet Set Radio
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Dogfight 1942
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Castle Crashers
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Half-Minute Hero: Super Mega Neo Climax Ultimate Boy
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Little Racers Street
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Hell Yeah! Wrath of the Dead Rabbit
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Cook, Serve, Delicious!
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Dishonored
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Retro City Rampage
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Blood Bowl: Chaos Edition
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Of Orcs and Men
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R.A.W. Realms of Ancient War
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Hello CFB! Welcome football fans to the 2023 Big XII Uniform Tracker! Let’s all get together and celebrate this wild and bittersweet season. In this extra special edition, we’ll take part in one of my favorite segments: the Uniform Awards! I'll go over the suits, helmets, and teams that really stood out from the 2023 season in the Big 12, and maybe throw in some awards for our newcomers joining next year. If you want to see my broad thoughts on each Big 12 team’s seasons and uniforms, my 2023 Season Review post is linked below!
2023 Season-in-Review Post
Grab a cocktail, light up your celebratory cigar, and settle into your most regal chair. It’s time to celebrate a season well done! A round of applause, please, for our season winners!
I’m u/matte_purple, and let's 3, 2, 1 go!
On the Up and Up - Most Improved Uniforms: Baylor Bears

• 2nd Place: Kansas Jayhawks
• 3rd Place: Oklahoma State Cowboys
• Honorable Mention: Cincinnati Bearcats

Baylor is the clear number one pick here. Last year, the fanbase was apathetic towards the team and their uniform combos because they were so boring. The all green was worn 5 times last year, and a yellow piece was worn in one game during the 2022 season. While the team may have been a little disappointing this year, their uniforms were fun and took advantage of the 2019 update’s intended purpose: interchangeability. They added 3 new combos this year (including a fantastic Yellow/Yellow/Green combo, which was worn twice), added in a nice military appreciation helmet (we’ll see that later) and their annual Sailor Bear helmet looked great. I have no problem with the template itself, I’m just very glad we got to see more out of Baylor this year!
The Jayhawks refreshed their uniforms this summer to much fanfare and applause. KU was on this list last year, in first place actually, for finally beginning the process of getting rid of the KU wordmark in Trajan font - which was introduced way back in 2007. They also removed gray articles from their wardrobe, and replaced the silvery numbers of old with white or blue. But this year saw a much more substantial change. They replaced their uniforms entirely! Most notably, they added block KANSAS to the chest and redid the 2007 numbers for something timeless in the big block font. It’s reminiscent of the Gale Sayers era of Jayhawk Football, and when paired with those no-nonsense (albeit pretty standard) shoulder stripes we get a great new image for the new and improved KU. And that's just the standard suits. They introduced a new blackout alternate - aptly named “the Blackhawk” - which looked great and gave the fans some intrigue versus Illinois and Kansas State at home. Kansas only had two suits that were meh, and that's largely because they utilized the old red uniforms which will no doubt be redone this offseason.
What an update for the Cowboys from Stillwater. OK-State revamped their incredible uniforms from last year, which were last updated in 2016. The replaced the Nike Mach Speed look for the new Vapor Fusion/FUSE template, removed the slightly dated paisley design and carried over the best details. They kept the typeface developed in-house from 2019 ( it’s called “Cimarron” and looks wonderfully Western), while pairing it with the block numbers and striping from the 1980’s giving us that “Barry Sanders” feel. The 3 stripe-less pants, 4 separate jersey colors, and interchangeable logos on the helmet gives us a modern touch to a classic look while maximizing versatility. These are top notch. The only reason they weren’t higher is because some other teams went from decent to great, not excellent to fantastic. Add on a special edition homecoming suit, and the Pokes have some serious firepower.
Cincinnati was the last of the three new uniform updates in 2023. While it’s certainly an improvement, it just doesn't have that flash or pizzazz that some of the other new updates do. The big news, of course, being the transition from Under Armour “ArmourGrid” template to Nike’s The look is utilitarian in the best of ways. The removed the red and white “zipper” stripes across the upper chest of the jersey in lieu of a collar and shoulder trim, and added their famous C-Paw logo on the middle C in “Cincinnati,” on the center collar, on the pauldrons, the helmet (of course) and the side of the plain pants. I think it's a tasteful touch (even though there's a ton of them) that cuts through the cleanness and adds some identity. The red collar and shoulder trim pops well against their normal home blacks, and overall it's a much needed improvement from Under Armour. Not the best of the Big 12, but still good!
Renovation - Best Throwback: Texas Tech's 1960s Throwback

• 2nd Place: Jack Trice Legacy Uniform
• 3rd Place: Utah All-White Throwbacks
• Honorable Mention: OK-State Homecoming Uniform

Texas Tech RB legend Donny Anderson (aka the "Golden Palomino" ) was the inspiration for this throwback set. Donny received All-American honors twice (1964 and 1965) and was a three-time all-Southwest Conference halfback (1963–65). Anderson finished fourth in the 1965 Heisman race, is in both the Texas Tech AND College Football Hall of Fame, and had big plays in both Super Bowl I AND II for the Packers. The all-around legend wore something similar to this throwback in his Texas Technological College days (and it stretched on until the late 70s). Despite it being a tri-tone that I don’t normally like, I think these are so cool. They utilize the un-beveled Double T logo, incorporate the old school gray facemask, and have those plain white shoulder stripes that look sleek when they’re modernized. My favorite touches are the subtle grayed-out Double T patterns within the number and the vintage Masked Rider logo with the cursive “Texas Tech” script embroidered on the back collar. This was the only throwback worn by the Red Raiders this year, and if they can work the design into next year’s new uniform refresh, we’ll have a big winner on our hands. I was bearish on these at first, but the more I look at them, the more I like them. Great work!
Iowa State has a rich history. Either the first or second land grant university ever - depending on who you ask (and some semantics) - there are a ton of storylines in the big book that is the Iowa Agricultural College’s history. One of the most moving is the legend of Jack Trice. The grandson of slaves, Trice was a sophomore studying animal husbandry, who wanted to get an education to assist black farmers in the South after graduation. Jack joined the football team at 19 years old, and was the first Black player to take the field at Iowa State. In only his second collegiate showing against Minnesota - October 6,1923 - Trice got to stay at the same Minneapolis hotel as his teammates, but he could not eat with them in the dining room. That night, Trice wrote a moving letter:
“My thoughts just before the first real college game of my life. The honor of my race, family, and self are at stake. Everyone is expecting me to do big things. I will! My whole body and soul are to be thrown recklessly about on the field tomorrow. Every time the ball is snapped I will be trying to do more than my part.”
During the game, Trice sustained fatal injuries after he was trampled by three Minnesota players. Though he claimed he was fine, Trice was rushed to a hospital where he died from hemorrhaged lungs two days later. These uniforms were a part of the university and athletics department’s week-long celebration honoring the 100 year anniversary of Jack Trice’s death. Outside of the stadium, university officials gave Trice a posthumous degree in animal husbandry and unveiled another sculpture in his honor, adding to his name on the stadium, a foundation awarding scholarships in his honor, and other statues on campus. The football team honored Jack by wearing throwback uniforms featuring the five chevron bars that Trice and his teammates wore in 1923. The uniforms and “AMES” helmets (harkening back to the early 1900s when ISU teams were commonly referred to as "Ames") also featured “I will” in Trice’s handwriting from the letter he wrote the night before his last game. Sure, these may not be the sleekest or iciest alternate uniform out there. But the legacy and meaning more than make up for any perceived lack of style. After all, this throwback to the burgeoning days of college football looks pretty good. If they added a white pants alt, I could see these getting even more longevity. I’m sure the helmet will make an appearance again, as it’s the best helmet they’ve worn since 2007.
Utah’s throwbacks may not have a single inspirational story behind them like these other looks, but they definitely deserve a spot on the podium for style alone. They offer plenty of details from a multitude of uniforms including: The interlocking UU logo on the helmet and pauldrons from the 1960s; Stripes on the legs and shoulders dating back to the 1970s; and my favorite touch, font brought back from the 1980s and 90s. The font is such a far cry from the normal “it’s a throwback so we’ll put block numbers” call. The red on all-white makes the details pop, and man I guess Under Armour can pull off a throwback. It’s an excellent showcase for many of the “good” uniform aspects Utah has worn in the past. I’ll admit, I wasn’t privy to a lot of Utah FB history at the start of the season, but these uniforms have made me want to learn, like all good throwbacks should.
Oklahoma State always has great uniforms, but what I love most is their ability to bring the past to life in unique ways. Why isn't this look ranked higher? Well, it's only a semi throwback. The uniforms are new, but draw from classic designs, and don’t feel vintage so much as classic. The helmets are the same story. They have older elements, most notably the logo, but it just isn’t a throwback as much as an homage. But, there was also a notorious lack of real throwbacks this year, so I felt they deserved a spot. I’ll give a brief rundown of the history, but if you want more, go to2023’s Big 12 Week 9 Unitracker Post, linked here or on my profile. Frank B. Eaton was an average Kansas kid who saw his father gunned down by a Confederate gang in 1867, when he was 7 years old. After being trained to shoot by his uncle, Moses, and learning the art of the quick draw in Ft. Gibson, Oklahoma, he became “Pistol Pete,” one of the fastest pistoleers in the West. After tracking down and killing the 5 men who were involved in his dad’s death, Frank “Pistol Pete” Eaton worked with famous lawmen like Isaac “the Hanging Judge” Parker and Sheriff Pat Garret (who killed Billy the Kid), met other famous outlaws like Bell Starr, put 11 notches on his gun, and eventually settled down in Perkins, OK. In 1923, Eaton led an Armistice Day parade in Stillwater while student committees looked to change mascots away from the Tigers. The students spoke with Eaton, and “Pistol Pete” agreed to be the living mascot for Oklahoma A&M. The rest is Oklahoma State history! These uniforms celebrate “The Year of the Cowboy,” or the 100th anniversary since Frank B. Eaton took the role of mascot at OSU. The ‘Wooly Chaps Pete” on the helm is one of the logos OK-State put out in 1984, and his signature graces the back bumper. It’s a touching tribute to a very well loved and respected man. I would have liked black pants with this look instead of a tri-color, but I still love it!
Changing up the Wardrobe - Best Alternate: Houston's Oiler Homage

• 2nd Place: Space U in Canaveral Blue
• 3rd Place: KU's "BlackHawk" Uniform
• Honorable Mention: WVU's "Country Roads" Part Two

It’s historical. It looks incredible. The striping and coloration? PERFECT. The Houston Cougars released a heater on Week 1 of the regular football season, and it was a stunner. These Houston Oilers inspired uniforms are a tribute to the rich history of a football-mad city, not a reminder of a franchise leaving a fan base behind. It's a shame the No Fun League issued a cease and desist to Houston for the color scheme (even though Rice also has an Oilers “throwback” that didn’t get in trouble). I really hope these come back. The fan and player reaction alike was phenomenal, they were a far cry from anything Houston normally wears, and - of course - they looked good as gold.
UCF has brought us a very close second. The University of Central Florida has become well known for their moniker of “Space U.” And the stats behind the nickname are quite impressive. I won’t give an exhaustive list (because it really is quite long), but here’s some tidbits: UCF was founded in 1963 as Florida Technological University with the goal of educating eventual personnel for the U.S. space program at Kennedy Space Center and Cape Canaveral Air Force Station. UCF is still the top supplier of graduates to the aerospace and defense industry. There are 181 students and researchers who graduated from UCF currently working on 695 separate NASA projects, as of last November. These include microgravity, searching for exoplanets, extraterrestrial habitation, finding water on other celestial bodies, improved rocket systems, and countless other practical and theoretical applications. Most importantly, UCF alumni are involved in revitalizing the Artemis program, which should send astronauts to the moon once again. This year's Mission VII (their seventh continuous year with a space game) theme was “New Horizons.” Honoring not just an expanding frontier in NASA and the Artemis program, but also UCF’s own growing horizon in Big 12 competition, these suits have detail and style a plenty. First, the notable canvas of Canaveral Blue was much lauded by viewers. Add on custom touches of the “Space U” wordmark above the curved numbers, which mimics the trajectory of rocket launches as seen from campus, a reflective gray outline that represents the “night glow” in the upper atmosphere, and a smattering of stars in the Pegasus wing pattern on the shoulders, on the leg stripe, and in the outlined UCF on the helmet. Those stars and the clever use of a rocket launching into space on the pant legs - which doubles as a Knight’s sword - are my absolute favorite touches. It feels like these are the fantastical, sleek version of UCF’s normal hyper futuristic, realism-oriented space outfits. These are definitely in the top 3 of UCF’s 7 Space U alternates. The color has shock value, every choice has an explanation, and it honors men and women in science. What more can you ask for?
I tell you what, a blackout uniform was not on my bingo card for KU in 2023. I was completely surprised when these showed up in Week 2 against Illinois. I was even more surprised when I realized I like them. Blackout uniforms are a real head scratcher for most teams. One, most teams that release them don’t use black as an official color, making for an odd scenario. Two, the popular 2008-2012 fad of “black for black’s sake” put a negative spin on every team’s alternate (and believe me, it felt like every school had one). Three, much like all-white uniforms, blackouts tend to be devoid of identity. KU has worn black in the past, in a November 2012 showing with white helmets, but these seem to be the exception and an improvement on those. The liberal use of red and blue, the circus font wordmarks, that eye-catching blue facemask, and the small identity details like the KU Battle Flag on the back collar and 1941 “Warhawk” logo on the shoulders and helmet set this apart nicely. I especially like the circus font and striping, but I wish it was the full Warhawk logo, not just the head.
The Mountaineers brought back this icon from its release last year, with a few major tweaks. What was originally just a one-time look has grown into a fan favorite with multiple options. While the same premise from last year remains (the “Cue Country Roads” sublimated roadmap, WVU state outline incorporation, and bolder striping), they instead changed the colors from primarily white and blue to a home variant with gold and blue. It’s definitely a good change! It became my favorite WVU uniform this season, but it’s not quite a “new alternate,” more of a switch up of an already existing alt, hence its honorable mention status. There's a great balance of gold and blue here. It's modern without looking corporate, and feels very genuine and true to the state of West Virginia. Great look!
Shiny Buckets – Best New Helmet: 2023 Space U Lid

• 2nd Place: AMES Jack Trice Helmet
• 3rd Place: WVU State-Outline Helmet
• Honorable Mention: TCU’s Horned Frog Standalone

We’ve already heaped praise on the Space U uniforms from this year, so I’ll keep my comments brief about my 1st Place pick. UCF looked magical in their Canaveral Blue suits, but a helmet of the same shade would have felt like too much. So instead, they topped off their suit with a crisp white helmet adorned with a star-speckled “UCF” outlined in black and a back helmet stripe mimicking the same “Rocket-Sword” design found on the uniform’s pant stripe and collar logo. The chrome facemask really sells me on it, too. It's outstanding that the entire uniform was distilled into a helmet that can stand on its own, look wise. A very impressive showing for UCF!
Similar to UCF, we’ve admired the alternates brought to us by Iowa State enough, so I’ll stick to the basics. These revamped “AMES” helmets bring viewers back to the early 1900s when ISU teams were commonly referred to as "Ames.” The all-white helmets feature an “I will” in red in Trice’s handwriting on the back bumper, and the gray facemask not only complements the gray chevrons on the jersey, but stands nicely on its own and adds a touch of vintage to an already great lid. I love it.
WVU had two new helmets this year. One was obviously the blue state outline logo helmet that accompanied the “Cue Country Roads” home alternate, and the other was the white-shelled state outline lid worn twice this year. I picked the white version because it feels more versatile than the former helmet. Don’t get me wrong, the “Country Roads” helm with the sublimated road map, on-point striping, and sweet logo is incredible. But there’s something about the crispness of the white shell sporting the blue West Virginia state outline and the bright yellow Flying WV logo; they just pop so perfectly! The no-stripe complements the all-white and White on Blue away combos both AND added a rarely seen blue facemask (usually WVU goes for a black or white facemask). These just feel like solid workhorse helmets that have a good ratio of WVU’s colors. No frills, but super classy. Like a crisp navy business suit with no tie.
TCU had several new helmets this year; they had this one, the first new one of the year (plus two other shell colors) and the annual Bloody threads helmet. Why does this one stand out? One, I love the white shell. It’s so professional, clean, and makes the purple in this particular uniform combo pop. The helmet itself pops against the black jersey. Two, I LOVE that they removed the TCU letters from the logo on this one. Similar to Arkansas or KU, the Horned Frog is an incredibly unique college mascot. The logo itself does not need the additional identifier of “TCU”. It’s the same reason I liked last year’s “Sooner Slayer” helmet (which you can find in the 2022 Awards post pinned to my profile). Lastly, that tiny pop of red on the eyes is the perfect cherry on top. Why didn’t I put the bloody threads helmet up here? Because it’s entirely reliant on the rest of the uniform AND they added those weird “frogskin” lines sublimated on the shell. I love the old school logo on top, but it just felt like a weaker version of a normally strong Blood Threads alternate. A great honorable mention for TCU.
Gridiron Runway - Best Conference Matchup: BYU vs Texas

• 2nd Place: OSU vs OU (Bedlam)
• 3rd Place: WVU at Oklahoma, Week 11
• Honorable Mention: Farmageddon - K-State vs ISU

Well hot damn! This Week 9 contest was to die for. While the game itself was a little lopsided, the uniforms looked just right. Each of the team's three pieces had a direct contrast, producing complementary colors. The burnt orange against the deep navy, all tied together by crisp white, made both relatively muted colors jump out at you. BYU obviously loves their royal blue standard, but sometimes it’s nice to see variety! The navy is a wonderful departure from the regular, feels more vintage than it really is, and was paired perfectly against the Longhorn’s slimmed down suits that were altered slightly in 2022. It's a matchup of elegant simplicity. Neither team changed logos or striping to break the mold, and yet it turned out beautifully. Easily my favorite matchup from this season.
They were in here last season, and they placed again: Bedlam continues to be a fiery one. Last year, we saw OK-State rock their Orange/White/Orange Cursive Cowboy suits against OU’s standard home threads, which placed 2nd in this same category (see my other pinned post in my profile for those awards). This year, they swapped, with OSU donning a foreboding Black/Black/Orange combo - also with the Cursive Cowboys logo - against the Sooner’s mostly white road suits, which haven’t changed much since the 1930s. It's a classic case of traditional vs novel modernism. The Cowboy’s new 2023 uniforms made things a little less busy past templates AND added a little retro flair, but the rivals are still pretty dichotomic when it comes to the uniforms. The symmetry of B/B/O and Red/W/W is an added bonus. This just feels right. I really hope we see Bedlam in the future, despite the conference shake-up.
The Mountaineers continue to make rounds. This Week 11 matchup hit hard because of the monochromatic, almost black and white feel. But this time, it had a twist. WVU perfectly paired their whiteouts against OU’s anthracite “Unity” alternates for a refreshingly novel matchup. WVU relaunched their new cleaned up state outline helmet to great effect, and the small detailing of blue vs crimson feels right. Also, if you look closely, you’ll see that OU has a similar state outline of Oklahoma on their pauldron. This is a rare occurrence of OU’s alternates being used to scratch an itch that the standard uniforms just wouldn’t have got to. Both of these uniforms are fine when apart, but putting them better easily slots them in at 3rd place.
This may seem like a bit of KSU favoritism for the honorable mention, but I only need to say two words to get everyone on my side: SNOW GAME. Who doesn’t love a snow game? Seeing that purple and silver gleam in the wintery weather should make any Big 12 game happy. Plus, Iowa State’s kinda-camo away uniforms also did a good job. The red accents really jump out at you when the field is all white. (It’s worth mentioning, as I type this, Abu Sama III just ran for another 70+ yd TD). What a way to end the regular season. Although, I do wish the Cyclones would have worn their new “AMES” helmets, just to go full on polar bear. Regardless, this was a gorgeous, frozen game to behold.
Friends from Out West - Best Newcomer Uniform Team: Arizona State Sun Devils

• 2nd Place: Utah Utes
• 3rd Place: Colorado Buffaloes
• Honorable Mention: Arizona Wildcats

Arizona State was a part of Nike’s flagship uniform crew that included Oklahoma State, Wazzu, Kentucky, TCU and Wyoming in 2011. That really gave the Sun Devils a jump start on the modern trend of using lots of alternates, switchups, and logos. They refreshed their uniforms this past summer, but kept the same versatility mantra in mind during the season. They wore their older suits twice early on in the season, but moved on to what most have said is a sleek and tasteful use of some pretty intense colors. Add on new white helmet shells that haven’t been worn regularly since 2019 (and one worn in 2020), and you’ve got a recipe for a badass uniform rotation. Sparky is iconic, the color scheme just radiates “Southwest,” the trident is decent, and a couple neat alternates (like the glow-in-the-dark “Ghost Story” alts from Week 9) make this team fun to track. They are easily my favorite uniform team of the newcomers. Who knows, though? Definitely subject to change.
The Utes from SLC, Utah have some of the better Under Armour templates I’ve seen. Contrast these to teams like, say, Texas Tech. The coloration is clean. The stripes aren’t wild or adventurous while still feeling different. There’s a subtle use of gray as an accent. The classic and recognizable logo (akin to a certain Double T) is kept simple and uncomplicated. And that’s just their regular uniforms. Utah wore alternates 4 (5 if you want to count the painted helmet) times this year, including their “Ute Proud” suits, and two throwbacks (2 away showings, one home). While I’m honestly not a huge fan of Utah’s hand-painted helmets trend, these ones were received well. The talking point that gets me most excited for Utah’s uniforms are, of course, the throwbacks. I’m very interested to see if anything is different coming into their inaugural Big 12 2024 season.
Colorado had a decent showing, and we all know Coach Prime values style, but most of these uniforms felt like they were hodge-podged together from different templates and sets from days past. It doesn’t help that they still wear Nike’s “Flywire” fabric (check the center collar for proof). There were definitely some bright spots, though! Their 2023 opener versus TCU found a little later is a testament to that. Mostly, I’m more excited for what they bring to the table uniform wise next year. Deion Sanders has already confirmed new uniforms are coming to the Buffs before the 2024 season, and boy am I excited for them. With their history, tradition, and a bonafide debonair dresser as coach, you know CU has an opportunity to impress. Watch out!
Arizona slid in at the honorable mention spot not because they have bad suits; on the contrary, their uniforms are very stylish. I just feel like Arizona is a team that tried the uniform experiment and decided to go the traditional route. Their “Desert Swarm” revamps from the Dick Tomey era are still going strong, but apart from those and the variance that comes with them, they just don’t really do alternates. Their lone exception was a military tribute that I thought was touching. Stylish and consistent, but nothing extraordinary. Same as how I feel about OU, Arkansas, or BYU. We’ll see if they do anything wild in 2024. I do like the mismatched striping, though. That is a touch that should remain the “Arizona thing.”
Yikes! - Worst Conference Matchups: The Revivalry - Baylor at TCU

• 2nd Place: WVU vs TTU Week 4
• 3rd Place:Texas Tech at Kansas
• Honorable Mention: BYU Blackout vs ISU

Holy acid trip, Batman! Whatever the expression is for the opposite of “feast for the eyes,” that's what this was. Both of these uniform combos were highly anticipated by both fanbases, and hell, I was excited for them, too! But they chose the absolute worst game to put them together. Anthracite, purple, red, green, yellow, and white sounds like the colors you see in an oil slick. Man, I had such high hopes for these uniforms individually. Especially the cool TCU horned Frog logo. Let's move on, it’s too painful.
The Mountaineers wore all-yellow against a white-and-red team. This just kind of felt like a Heinz commercial to me, with lots of mustard and a little bit of ketchup. There were times when it worked on the field and times where it definitely didn't, so I was left going back and forth. Plus, TTU just cannot rock a red helmet while the Bevel T stays red. A weird game, to be sure.
Kansas fumbled this one HARD. After upsetting the Sooners in their brand-spanking new uniforms and wearing a solid updated suit in their win against the Cyclones in Ames, they decided to bring back their out-dated red uniforms against Texas Tech. In doing so, they reminded fans of the old Big 12 basement-dweller out there, not the Jayhawk squad that had just been tearing up the conference. Plus, the Blue/Red/Blue combo felt especially weird - almost like 3D glasses. This game could have looked spectacular with a mostly blue suit versus Tech’s all white. This was a weird move backwards for KU, but was quickly remedied. Hopefully we’ll see a red update this summer.
Not as bad as the others, but isn’t it ironic that the team normally known for wearing controversial blackout uniforms played against a team that wore an inexplicable blackout uniform? BYU already has such a recognizable color that using it on a blackout look feels almost wasteful somehow. At least last year’s version had a gradient (which I still didn’t like). Black just doesn’t suit the Cougars.
​
Far from Regular – Best Non-Con Uniform Matchup: Baylor vs Texas State

• 2nd Place: TCU vs Colorado
• 3rd Place: Arizona State vs Washington
• Honorable Mention: WVU vs UNC (Mayo Bowl)

As we are nearing the end, I thought it would be fun to look at some of the matchups against non-Big 12 opponents we saw in the conference, and wow, we had some great ones.
Baylor vs Texas State in Week 1 was a hell of a game. The same matchup last year resulted in a hard loss for the Bobcats, and they clearly used that blowout as a motivator, starting the 2023 season by punching the Bears in the mouth. The 2022 matchup -which slotted in at #2 last year - also started my pet project for Texas State. I’ve become a huge fan of their EQ team and uniforms (especially their use of gold and black as accents to that beautiful maroon and white). This particular game saw both teams’ best uniforms. Baylor wore a brand new combo that looked gorgeous, and contrasted the yellow nicely, while the green pants paired with TXST’s maroon bottoms. The use of gold, again, really does the trick. It’s not meant to be flashy or in your face, but adds that extra pizzazz to an already stellar look.
Speaking of gold, Colorado wore one of my favorite “icy-white” combos of the season, incorporating a healthy amount of gold leaf to their logo and jersey numbers. TCU challenged the look with some classy use of silver on the Horned Frog logo and collar accents, and of course rocking that deep purple that I love so much. If Colorado can replicate something like this in their new 2024 suits, they will have struck gold (ha! Get it?)
While not an out-of-conference game for the Big 12 per se, this uniform clash definitely felt good enough to medal at the podium. I mean come on! In the first year after a hiatus from white helmets, the Sun Devils drop this heater of a helmet against Washington's purple chrome alternates? I’m in love. The gold used by the Huskies would have fought hard with any yellow worn by ASU, so they kept it simple and complemented a dark heavy UW look with a crisp and clean white look. There are enough splashes of maroon to keep the Sun Devils from looking generic, and the filled in trident does wonders for coloring the helmet. Speaking of the trident, the normally hated “leg trident” on ASU’s pants actually helps the Sun Devils maintain an identity in all-white scenarios like this. Curse you, ASU for proving me wrong! Damn, this was gorgeous. Also, Washington definitely should have worn this alternate again in an encore at some point. What a beautiful matchup.
Obviously, WVU has impressed me this season, and I’m sure you’re tired of hearing about them, so I’ll instead talk about those dashing argyle designs worn by UNC! I loved the interposing of sleek argyle geometric Carolina blue against the swirling, curved, almost chaotic yellow and dark blue of WVU’s sublimated road design. The lightness of the blue and white makes this combo feel almost airy, and the black outline of the black numbers adds just a touch of edge. Both are perfectly emblematic of each school and complemented each other in the best of ways. The perfect way to round out our categorical awards.
​
Drumroll please... The moment you’ve all been waiting for!
Best of the Best - Big XII 2023 Uniform Team of the Year: Oklahoma State Cowboys

• 2nd Place: WVU Mountaineers
• 3rd Place: Baylor Bears
• Honorable Mention: Kansas Jayhawks

Kansas! I have a love-hate relationship with these uniforms, because a K-Stater like me can’t stand the idea of admiring anything KU. But here we are. The Jayhawks refreshed their suits to better declare “We are in a new era,” and not just of KU Football, but Big 12 ball as a whole. They kept it simple, had fun with some alternates, ditched the KU “trajan” font and embraced the fan’s opinions and ideas. KU Football EQ Manager Darren Hain should be proud. These uniforms look great, but there were just a few too many odd moments to put them in the top 3 for me. Still a fantastic season for the Jayhawks! I bet we’ll see a refreshed red jersey in the future.
In 2019, Baylor introduced a uniform refresh that - while a little pedestrian - promised versatility and interchangeability in their suits. That hasn’t really been experimented with until this year. After hearing Baylor fans complain about how “We only ever wear all-green!” game after game in 2022, 3 new color combos (including my favorite Yellow/Yellow/Green), 2 fun alternate helmets, and a spaced-out usage of their all-green workhorse look felt like cool water on a hot Texas day. The simplified design lends itself so well to unique options, and they had a great balance of variety and tradition. I’ll be honest, watching the Bears was rough at times, but these uniforms made it all worth it! A much-improved year for Baylor, at least threads-wise. Here’s to some hopeful alternates in 2024! Great work!
WVU may not have been as flashy with their new releases as some other teams, but their two new helmets, one new uniform, handsome use of gray, wide variety of combos, and overall insight into contrasting colors during matchups made for one hell of a fashionable season. It seemed like the Mountaineers felt their swagger on the field, and played like it, too. Dan Nehlen and Kyle Keesler of the WVU Football EQ team should be very proud of their efforts off the field. If WVU continues their magnificent attention to detail and style, we may see them take down the top spot soon.
Ok, here it is. I know the Pokes won first place last year, but there’s honestly no way I can put someone else up there. OK-State took their already award-winning fan favorite uniforms and updated them further. They removed everything that appeared dated, added some traditional elements while keeping an edge, and maintained a beautiful color consistency. Uniform variety is fun, but so is tradition and brand recognition. Oklahoma State always does an incredible job of honoring the brand while also fostering an engaging variety. Recruits want combos and recognition, fans want to feel involved and listened to, and it seems like both recruiting and fan engagement goes up when uniforms are involved. Plus, the adage remains true: “look good, play good.” No one should be afraid of looking their best or being proud that their favorite team looks their best, or just talking about how their favorite team looks, and OK-State gets it right 99% of the time. I have two gripes with the uniforms, and it’s that the template puts the chest wordmark slightly too low, and the cinched sleeves keep slipping off the pads. That's it! OK-State continues to bring it every week, especially with these brand-new uniforms. Congrats to the Cowboys for another fantastic and fashionable season and enjoy the prestige of being the 2023 Big XII Uniform Team of the Year!
And just like that, I’m all finished up! 2023 in uniforms is officially over, and the 2024 offseason is upon us. Thank you for indulging my hobby with the Big XII’s uniforms, regardless of if you’re a casual lurker or a hardcore uniform enthusiast. Your comments are appreciated, and I love the feedback I've received over the past few months. I hope I could brighten your day, or at the very least pique your interest. Enjoy yourselves, stay warm out there, and keep an eye out for individual team uniform rankings in the coming months! See you soon, in America’s best dressed football conference!

Demographics

• US domestic
• Florida
• Junior in high school
• 100k
• Female/Black/ Immigrant Parents

*URM, Mom has associates but not 4 year, dad does
Intended Major(s)
Unsure! Maybe Sociology.
GPA, Rank, and Test Scores
Unweighted: 3.8
Weighted: 4.198/4.0
Class Rank: 16/380
ACT/SAT Scores: N/A (Took SAT sophomore year with no prep and got a 640R and 480M💀)
Coursework
3 APS - Eviornmental (2) Seminar (…2 because of a lack of a teacher) Art History (Online, test too costly) Currently enrolled in Research, APUSH, Macroecon and Gov. Had a B in Research last semester, the rest A’s
9 Honors Classes - Alegbra 1 and 2, Biology, Pre Calc, Chemistry, English 1 and 2, World History, and Geometry. A’s except Pre-Calc (B-), Chemistry (B+), English 2 (B), and Geometry (B+). Biology - Had in 8th grade (Corona) and got a D, retook 11th and got an A, D still on transcript.
Dual Enrollment - ENC 1101, Intro to Psychology, College Success, Career Planning, A’s except career planning, got a B
Awards
Kelley Women's Leadership Institute (International, 60 girls chosen)
Yale Women In Economics Semi-Finalist (National, Like 50% of 1000+ apps)
Pioneer Prep Scholar (National, Fly-in at University of Denver, 30 out of 300+ apps, 12 of 30 out of state)
Scholastic Art and Writing Silver Key (Regional, top 7% of 260,000 submissions)
AFJROTC Marine Leadership Award (1 out of 400+ cadets to get it, just joined 5 months prior, school)
Girls Who Code Scholar (Unaware of the stats for this one, National)
DemocroShe Scholar ($500 stipend to learn about civics and government, just got this one but it should be a 2-3 month commitment, National)
Extracurriculars
Youtube - Creator (9-11)
Uploaded Nickelodeon lost media to Youtube, under the name “(redacted)” Gained over 65,000+ views over 2 years. Collaborated with others around the United States and found news reports, radio interviews, and advertisements. Interviewed animation industry professionals and Emmy winning songwriters. Bypassed old game systems. Had legal permission.
Freelance Writer - Independent (10-11)
Wrote multiple expository articles for literary magazines and organizations surrounding social justice, civics, and the black community. Published online globally for readers.
Success Team - Member (9-11)
Received a $500 scholarship for a trip to Atlanta, Georgia. Visited colleges such as Emory, Georgia Tech, Alabama State, and Clark Atlanta (10th). Recruited over 15+ to join over 2 years, received multiple college opportunities.
Class Government - President (10-11)
Held position as class president for grades 10th, and currently 11th. Coordinated multiple fundraisers and had over 15+ students assisted raising funds.
Debate (11) -
Finalist for the Incubate Debate regional competition, placed in the top 25% of debaters from central Florida.
Future Business Leaders of America (FBLA) (11)-
Placed 2nd in the district for advertising and qualified to make states, competed out of 10+ students from surrounding counties.
JROTC (10-11) -
Logistic Officer Superintendent, Second Lieutenant (2Lt, 11th). Volunteered to run canned food drives and coordinate cadet hangouts for over 100 cadets.
Drama Club (10-11) -
Performed in front of over 600+ in two years, assisted in props and rehearsal while dancing and acting.
Intern at non profit (10) -
Marketed a college prep a thon and successfully brought in 300+ attendees, with speakers from Harvard, Yale, Berkeley, etc.
Essays/LORs/Other
So far, my options for rec letters are my Chief (JROTC, Military vet, in AF for 20 years and has the rarest rank) and my college English professor (ENC 1101) and counselor (we are locked in!) Essays, I hope they’re good!
List:

• Vanderbilt
• Berkeley
• Boston university
• Amherst
• Northwestern
• Duke
• University of South Florida
• Boston College
• Northeastern
• UMich
• Swarthmore
• Princeton
• Yale
• Rice
• Dartmouth
• UPenn
• Stanford
• WashU
• Georgetown

An account of the First 48 Hours
1/1/1900
Wireless telegraphs across the world start receiving a signal
Age of Deafness ends
Age of Blindness begins
The Signal is instantly recognized as morse code and is copied to paper in 5 countries
Message Reads
.-- . / -.-. --- -- . / .-- .. - .... / .--. . .- -.-. . / - .-. .- -.. .
We come with peace trade
.-- . / -.-. .- -. / - . .- -.-. .... / .. ..-. / -.-- --- ..- / .... . .-.. .--.
we can teach if you help
The message repeats continuously
Wireless telegraphers unable to receive any other signal
Pittsburgh loses the use of its wireless telegraph, Reginald Fessenden is unaware of the situation
Wireless telegraphers stationed at Royal Navy Dockyard in Portsmith ask for the location and nationality of the ship transmitting
Paola Borboni is born in Parma, Italy
Tesla awakened by assistants at Tesla Experimental Station in Colorado Springs
Admiral of the Fleet Sir Frederick William Richards is informed of the situation
Wireless telegraphers stationed at Naval Station Pearl Harbor are unable to reach the nearby USS Nero
South Foreland lighthouse at Dover and the East Goodwin lightship lose communication with each other
SS Saint Paul loses the use of her wireless telegraph
SS Mont-Blanc Collided with SS Imo off the coast of Dover, 150 dead including Count Bezzi Scali and Countess Anna Scali
Prime Minister Robert Gascoyne-Cecil is informed of the situation
Andrew Carnegie and JP Morgan make substantial investments in Wireless telegraph and astronomical research
Guglielmo Giovanni Maria Marconi mistakes the situation, he attributes it to a hardware problem and begins to dismantle his equipment.
3 boys taken into custody on suspicion they were throwing copper coins at the antenna in Portsmith
W. F. Nisbet, The steamer was sunk by ice near Wellsburg, Kentucky.
Chiune Sugihara is born in Mino, Gifu prefecture
President William McKinley is informed of the situation
NYSE Market closes S&P 500 down 9 points
George Dewey, John Davis Long, and the president have a secret meeting at a house belonging to Long's cousin.
1/2/1900
The first reference to the Message in print appears in the Daily Mail. A small blurb on how a couple of kids fooled the royal navy by throwing cooper coins in the pattern of a morse code message.
McKinley calls a meeting with all members of his Cabinet.
Ships with wireless telegraph at dock begin to reach out to the installers requesting repairs
Tesla begins to move wireless telegraph and tries to measure the strength of the signal at different altitudes
Prime minister Cecil and his Cabinet come to the conclusion that the Message is coming from another country in an attempt to fry communications
The "autostage", the first electric bus, became operational, running on Fifth Avenue in New York City. Eight people could sit inside, and four outside, the fare was one nickel.
Admiral of the Fleet Sir Frederick William is assigned to head the investigation, initial suspects include Germany and France.
Following the cabinet meeting, United States Secretary of State John Hay announced the success of negotiations with other nations to begin the Open Door Policy to promote trade with China. The Message is not mentioned.
Guglielmo Giovanni Maria Marconi accuses his assistants of sabotage and dismisses them all, no compensation is given.
NYSE stock market closes S&P up 2 points
The Most Serene Prince of Hohenlohe-Schillingsfürst Chancellor of the German Empire is informed of the situation
Gustave Charpentiers opera "Louise" premieres in Paris.
Admiral of the Fleet Sir Frederick William orders to begin transmitting false information on ship movement through wireless, keeping real communication only on wired channels
Wilhelm von Siemens and Arnold von Siemens are summoned to Berlin
President of France Émile François Loubet is informed of the situation
E Verlinger begins manufacturing 7" single-sided records in Montreal
Andrew Carnegie and other industrialists hold a meeting at Carnegie's estate
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THE AMERICAN SCRAMBLE FOR AFRICA
Governor and Company of Industrialists of America Developing West Africa.
Inspired by India company/ VOC, based on the original charter of the East India Company "Governor and Company of Merchants of London trading into the East Indies".The crest is actually Andrew Carnegie's crest, he hired an artist to do it for him. This timeline's colonizers are stronger than in ours and they are more desperate than in ours. This time around the U.S can't afford not to scramble for a piece of Africa.
The Motto is in reference to the country/company itself, which is just one giant STANDARD STEEL TRUST
The first and most successful of its type in America it quickly encouraged other Barrons such as Rockefeller’s Southeast Asia Company in the Philippines. These "Companies" unlike their European predecessors did not take the home countries' name, like the Dutch East India Company or Swedish East India Company, as it would not blend with the anti-imperialism dogma they have adopted. So instead they are called and advertised as private entities that were created on the whims of the ultra-rich. The robber barons are only in charge in the sense that as long as they meet the quotas for raw materials, they will be left alone. If the Barrons act out of line uncle sam is very swift to remind them who is really in charge.
Carnegie advertises Liberia to African Americans as some sort of racial utopia, offering contracts of employment ranging from 5 to 50 years of service, contact your local Carnegie office to get yourself your own home! No Taxation! Only 5 years of work for a home? Incredible offer. Only when they get there do they realize that this was no racial utopia but things were somewhat better depending on where you came from. Only when they step ashore do they realize their home is a single-family apartment unit in large corporate cities, and that it would take 50 years for most people to buy their home with the salaries offered by the company, and if you break your contract you forfeit all your assets in both Liberia and any you may have had in America
" My Greed will represent the public's greed"- Andrew Carnegie 1903
"right to employment" is a Right you trade to the corporation for all the Rights they guarantee in exchange. Under the contract, the company has your right to employment and it can only be bought back if all debts are paid, and obligations fulfilled. While the debts of deceased generations are usually not required to be paid unless there are extra ordinate circumstances, or if there is a justified suspicion of collusion to create debt. Most of the working population has Generational debt, for it is almost impossible for an average family to live a healthy life without accumulating some debt, and interest rates on generational l debt are not generous making even small amounts of debt a family may pass down means a life sentence for all descendants. Generational accumulated debt is required to be paid in order for an employee to receive his right to employment back, without this right the employee is at the whims of the company, they send you to work on a dam you go there, and if they determine that your skills are better used in waste management, thats what your life focus will be now. They say you need to provide security, well you're a soldier, congrats! This leverage by the corporation combined with a large immigration rate makes Liberia akin to a trap that is enticing to enter, the cheese looks so good, if you find yourself not liking it then you are screwed, might as well sit back and enjoy that cheese. Statistically speaking there is no emigration out of Liberia. This is all part of Ceo Carnagies's plan for his Corporate nation, new workers to build mega-company cities for even more workers to create goods that even more workers will purchase, don't forget to show your tag for your employee discount!
Infinite growth, all the time, at any cost: this is the mandatory oath taken by a CEO on their Inauguration Day. Any backpedal on growth is an immediate crisis, and the CEO with the authority of the shareholders is directed to end it by any means possible, usually, this means union-busting, or authority to make large sweeping changes to the direction the nation was headed, however when an economic crisis influences Liberia that originates beyond its borders it may be used as a casus belli
Contract of employment is a standard contract in this timeline used by pseudo corporate states as a bill of rights between the state and the employee, these rights include
Right to Affordable Speech. sometimes when the people think they know better than the corporation they must express themselves, and they are free to do so as long as the space has been paid for and for our HR department to make sure there are enough fire exits and that the content of the speech doesn't cause a riot or promote attitudes overtly negative of the state.
This "overtly" clause has imbued this new culture with the skills of understatement, sarcasm, and dry wit. A speaker might say they found the food at the cafeteria in his hometown lacking in flavor and requests that Food be diverted there to increase diversity in the diet of the employees. What he really is saying is that his town has been mass food poisoned and he has paid for this speech to address the people in the public square for any assistance, there is usually no food diversity most of the populace is sustained on corn and corn derivatives, American corn and American corn derivatives. Due to the large amount of corn produced in the united states and its desire to unload corn and all the things they can make from it, corn is the cheapest and most efficient food so it is the most of the employee's diet, they can look forward to their weekly lemon, though! It stops scurvy! Having no agricultural industry after its destruction at the hands of Carnegie and the American Board for the Promotion of Commercial and Government uses of Corn (ABPCGC) Liberia imports all its food, most coming from America consisting of Corn shipments as Agreed on in the Carnegie Corn Accords.
THE RIGHT TO CORN
The most obvious and jarring case of Constitutional Endorsements. In an exchange for large investments and the use of their powerful lobbies in D.C, Carnegie signed an exclusive deal that all needs that can be met by corn at a reasonable cost will be provided by the ABPCGC. Afraid of being ditched when a more easy supply is found or even developed by Liberia the Board decided to have the deal in the binding employee contract itself. It would make sure they upheld their commitments. Only during times of great crisis does the country switch from corn, usually to whatever they can get their hands on. ABPCGC is contracted to provide the caloric needs of Liberia and they control all the gears of food distribution other than the few domestic franchisees. if corn can no longer be profitably sold to Liberia, they won't just face a constitutional crisis but starvation as well. However as always, the rich are the exception, they run some of the few private companies called Domestic Franchisees residing in the company state, importing and selling luxury goods and foods. As defined in the franchise agreement luxury food is any non-corn-based food or lemons. These Franchisees are not allowed to deal with or affect the flow of essential goods, everything else is fair game though, as long as it has been approved by the company, mostly Luxury Goods have been shortened to just a list of frivolities and toys, nothing that could feed an insurgency or develop a domestic food source. The market of these goods and luxury foods is the rich and upper-middle-class themselves, usually, these franchise owners are disgruntled employee shareholders finding advancement too difficult through the available channels, attracted by the lessened oversight and dreams of the Carnegie Dream.
The freedom from taxation since the state is the corporation and a very wealthy one at that it has more than enough avenues to generate income rather than taxing their own employees. This is a double-edged sword, in times of plenty it provides an attraction from immigrants and foreign expatriates, however, economic crises work different in Liberia, they are not only economic but are also constitutional in nature, any attempt at taxation, examination of assets without undue suspicion and legal warrants would be met with mass uprisings.
There are no citizens in these states, there are employees the vast number of people residing in these states, shareholders which are a class of people who not only have shares but enough shares to live off annual dividends these are the ruling class holding around 41% of the current shares and thus 41% percent of the voting power, and the middle-class employee shareholder, having accumulated and stashed every share in a family and passing them down creates this hybrid middle class, their voting power rests at 4% only a symbolic amount but it used as a gauge into the publics feelings on matters. Many families in this economic class only have one or two full-shares so they not only vote for themselves but their whole families.
—————————————————————————------------------------------------------------
1960s America in this timeline is way more imperialistic than OTL but they like to dress it up as charter companies and with some sort of share-voting (counting votes per share). Instead of a king they have a Pioneer Director and Chief Shareholder, Charter CEO, Premier Capitalist Director, or even a Mammonian Profit Primogenitor. But however you disguise it they control 70-85 percent of the vote, not even the kings of Europe have this sort of power in the 60s. These “Companies” spawn the globe, including but not limited too, Carnegie’s in West Africa, Rockefeller in the Philippines , JP Morgan in Cuba, and Ford in Ceylon (Sri Lanka).
While most Americans have a distaste for these colonies, The Contact had given the most technologically advanced nations giant leaps of technological knowledge, sparking The First Space Race of 1910, the radio only having been invested 3 years prior to Contact, only a few nations even had them at that point, and mostly for ship to ship communication. But once we understood we could communicate with Them, Radio became a science of its own, with millons worldwide of the next couple of years becoming Radioscribe Technologists (Radio researchers) and Radiant Mentors ( Teachers of the Radio Sciences ). But the advances the Americans enjoyed were fueled by emense profits and enormous amounts of raw materials funneled out of native populations.
There was always opposition to these colonies but they were seen as necessities for this strange new century. By the 60s resistance from the natives in the colonies had begun to affect profits, with large worker strikes and demands for a company union scaring the ruling shareholders most of which were sons and daughters of their Robber Barron founders. They responded just as their forefathers would have. Strict curfews, Public gatherings were banned, Company Police breaking up any meeting with brutal beatings that were aimed to cripple, and death sentences given to people who were found to be spreading “Communistic Union Propaganda” Union Busters and these colonies have a long history with them as all of the colonies had brought Union busting corporations with them to “settle” the land enticing them with high amounts of shares some individuals got as high as 7% worth of the vote, making them the “knights and lords of the company” a term they call themselves.
With the background set, let me introduce you to Ursula K. Le Guin. A California native who grew up in the intellectual hotbed of Berkley and the diverse population that came from all over America and her Companies, a large Sri Lankan population had fled their homeland, due to the 1909-11 Rice Famine, caused by Colonial Land-use, and the Rice Blight resulting in a crop failure of 75%. There were exiled west africans who were a little too socialist for their companies liking. Many Philippinos attended Berkley University with her, due to Rockefellers Child Labour Scholarships, at the age of 5 all healthy children are offered an employment contract, 40 hours a week for 3 Meals and a nickel a day if they keep their job for the next 13 years without missing more than 10 days of work at 18 they would be offered a scholarship into an American university, only the brightest manage to end up in universities in the top 20, most end up spread to random state colleges, however the liberal Berkley was one of the first schools to institute Restitutional Action giving preference to people who have suffered under American colonialism over applicants who had better test scores. Then there is also a small cuban population most were JP Morgan employees in Cuba who were deemed to be experienced and knowledgeable in factory management to be a shift supervisor at Morgan factories, using cheap Mexican labor these factories operated smoother under cuban managers who were able to speak directly to the workers rather than using a translator like their American counterparts, these cubans also had a ton of experience in managing factories back home, and they were accused of racism at a much lower rate than their white American supervisors. But most importantly to the company was they were much cheaper.
Coming up in this environment Le Guin was exposed to the spectrum of leftist ideas and theory. She was outraged and outspoken about The Great American Hypocrisy where we had Democracy at home and imperialism over seas. Where we preach freedom but deny those freedoms and rights to those we conquer, we do not grant colonial subjects residing the same rights, they are not allowed to vote, and they and their children where denied Jus Soil, they were denied American birthright. They were granted a second class citizenship known as Company Denizens, this would be given out by the companies that colonized them often used as a reward for many years of service, meaning most Company Denizens were highly skilled in their fields, some would go back home but most stayed even as they faced systematic discrimination, even if they were second class citizens it was a better life than slaving away back home for peanuts. In 1960 there only had been 2 Company Denizens granted citizenship, one was granted it for kicking away an explosive device that was aimed at members of the Carnegie dynasty, in doing so he saved 4 lives and lost both his feet. The other was given citizenship posthumously for his service in the first space race, his American born son was granted citizenship and was able to vote for his first time despite being born and raised in America for 30 years
She hated it, and she wasn’t alone, at the age of 20, she took a job at Morgan Consortium of Cuban Development Company, and at the age of 22 she had was wanted for spreading propaganda and preaching for collective bargaining.
The company’s have extraordinary powers on their own soils but Americans were usually deported if they broke laws, most of the times those were cases of rape and violence, once deported though they usually are home free as justice is an expensive thing to get and unless substantial property damage is done by a wealthy American where the damages can be sued for in court, litigation for a rape is never worth it for the company, as the workers rarely can afford a lawyer themselves. It is easier and cheaper to tell the natives the guilty party is being sent off to jail.
It was rare for political agitators to visit the colonies, they usually come from the native population, even screening every book going in and out of the colony, they could not stop socialist, syndicalist, and communist thought from taking root. At 22 wanted for her crimes and facing deportation back to America she had felt she had not done what she came to cuba to do. Hiding out in a dimly lit sparsely occupied shanty bar, she found herself aproached by a hooded group who introduced themselves as Independientes Entre Los Trabajadores ( Independents Amongst the Labor )
Over the next couple of days she would hear their ideas and become fascinated. They explained it all to her emphatically.
A Syndicalist based resistance, who aimed to nationalize the Morgan Consortium of Cuban Development Company, in other words nationalize the whole island, confiscate ownership of the company, and unionize it, distributing profits back to the worker, based on the amount they contributed with their labor. Take the medium sized Morgan Nickel Mining Subsidiary , were I work, 120 workers not counting the union buster patrol, we mined and exported 45 metrics tons of nickel last year, thats 90,000 dollars! In America a Coal miner makes 900 a year, we make 200 dollars, in America their profit margins are much lower but they still manage a 50% so say it costs the company 25% to recoup thats 18,000. 90,000-18,000 is 882000 lets not forget about taxes so make it 78,2000 divide that by the amount of workers to see what the average yearly salary is. 78,200/150= 5213$ fuck it lets say its a bad year or profits are not as much as last year, halve that number again thats 2600 a year! 16 times more than we make now and even more than double the Americans would make at the same job in America, so pay would range from 2100-2800 depending on position.
No more share-voting, the Cuban Peoples Company would be a Unionized Representative Democracy, what ever job you do you and your fellow workers elect your direct boss, a supervisor, manager, etc, your boss then with a group of others of the same job or equivalent who also were elected by their own fellow workers, repeat until, you reach the second highest rank, where you have 5 Chief Officers, the CFO, COO, CTO, CMO, and CHRO who each nominate a candidate based on their skills, experience, educated, their job is to find the 5 most qualified candidates which would be then voted on by all members of the union, each an equal vote, all working peoples have a vote.
She would join Independents Amongst Labor in their underground resistance. At first they stuck to non violent resistance trying to organize strikes, gather workers to talk theory, and boycotting but after a year it was evident that these had little effect in the face of the militarized company police and union busters who would jump at the chance to beat a disability into anyone who even thought about taking any of those actions, most of the time these meetings would end with them running into the wilderness if they were lucky. After a session talking Syndicalist theory with a group of workers, Le Guin and the group were ambushed by Company Police and Union busters, outnumbering them 3 to 1, and equipped With steel batons they descended on them with glee. The cheif company police officer took his steel baton and swung at full force which went an inch into her eye socket, she would lose that eye, and from then on she wore her iconic eyepatch.
This had been the last straw, the resistance had entered their violent period. The chief Company police officer was a violent drunken southerner in his 40s, as mothers walked with their children, they would hide their daughters above the age of 12 from him, for he was known when drunk to snatch them from their screaming families on the street, he told them he was taking her to America. They would never see their child again. He was also the owner of shares worth 1% of the vote. One of them tried to speak out against his assassination but he stoped halfway through as he himself was not convinced
Over the course of 17 years she would become a high level resistance member. They had focused on targets that owned shares, 2 descendants of Jp Morgan meet their end, as they’re car exploded on them, the deaths of the two sex workers that accompanied the Morgans weighed heavily on thier minds and they had made it a point to use more precise instruments in the future.
The company’s retribution was not aimed at the resistance, but at the general populace, doubling the price of food for 4 months, causing the deaths of 4,000 from starvation.
And so it went on, assassination and raids was her life. Over the 17 years they would nab 24 high ranking shareholders. During this time she also wrote some of her best works. The gentle compassion of socialism and the mad violence she lived day to day made quite a mix, one wonders if she was spared the violence her books would feel rather comfy. after returning home at 37 she would get the books she wrote during her time in Cuba, published. And she immediately wins the Hugo Awards for best work of science fiction. She would never return to her resistance days, she spent the rest of her life writing and becoming one of the great American authors.
Since she was banned from the company she would not return to Cuba until their independence in 2017, where she was seen as a hero. She died a year later Jan 22nd 2019 and as of this date is the only non Cuban on their currency.
ME REVIEWING LE GUINS WORK IN THIS ALTERNATE TIMELINE
this is my original review in OTL: https://www.reddit.com/printSF/comments/v3ra9n/rereading_my_holy_trinity_the_left_hand_of/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=ios_app&utm_name=iossmf
The following is written by alt hist me in the AOA TL, circa 2020s
Been going through some shit recently and haven't read any new books like I usually do, just have been rereading Le Guin. She is the author of these 3 books. Truly the chicken soup for my soul. Been bouncing from Lathe of Hell, Right Hand, and Dispossesser and then back again.
The Right Hand of Light
My go-to reread and my most read book is RHOL If you haven't read any Leguin START HERE. True story, I went on a date recentish and we come to the topic of books, and I talk about RHOL, she recognizes it and says her high school teacher made her read it and she hated it. There was no second date.
It's an "easier" read than Dispossesser and a more violent read than Lathe of Hell. I have reread this so many times that there is no tension in it for me. Thats a good thing cause it makes a violent book into a cozily violent book. It is about many things if you make it so, duality is the most obvious, and most prevalent, the title itself is in reference to duality. It could also just be a hero's journey if you need it to be.
"There was hatred. I and certain others, a young man and one with a slight cough, were recognized as being most resistant to the propaganda, and each night we were at the center of the group, the entity of twenty-five, where we had all their attention. We did not struggle for the spotlight, we simply were in it each night. It is a wonderful thing, this hatred that human beings do not lose. Wonderful, because when we are finally naked in the dark and cold, it is all we have. We who are so rich, so full of strength, we end up with that small change. We have nothing else to give."- RHOL LeGuin 1969
LeGuin is a master of contrast, mostly used as a tool to demonstrate duality. Characters, culture, and countries are all written with a partner, in words they dance, and even though she doesn't outright tell you what's going on, the dance tells you all you need to know. RHOL does it masterfully and she perfects the art 5 years later with The Dispossesser. There are many, many, many similarities between the two but they are worlds apart.
"Darkness is the right hand of light
and light the left hand of darkness.
Two are one, life and death, lying
together like lovers in kemmer,
like hands joined together,
like the end and the way" -RHOD LeGuin 1969
The Lathe of Hell
It has such a strong premise that is so unique and creative that no one has even come close to portraying anything like it in any medium. the relationship between George and his therapist is so great in EVERY iteration and seeing it change from one reality to the next is so good one has to think how is this book not more well known. She builds multiple world histories here and an overarching world to encapsulate it all, the way the story is formated its more like reading a classic of literature and realizing you lived in the age where books like these are written, maybe some of the first viewers of classic greek plays felt the same way
"The whole world as it now is should be against me; because I dreamed a lot of it up, too. Well, after all, it is against me. That is, I take a part of it. And am separate from it. I walk on the ground and the ground's is lessened by me, I breathe the air and take it, I am pillaging the world." - LOH LeGuin 1971
And the best is saved for last!
I admit that even though Dispossesser is my all-time favorite book it is the one I have reread the least, in part because it's longer than the other two, but mostly it's the content. It is not a "comfy" book, it will not hold your hand, I've read this at least 10 times and I still sometimes get lost in terms of past and present. Unlike RHOL it does not read itself. It is the "tusndre" of the three. Doesn't care if you are lost and confused, constantly trying to buck you off the saddle, daring you to read it, if you take it up on the dare you might soon find yourself falling in love. It is a book that is utterly relatable on a personal level despite it taking place in the most bizarre and imagined society.
"He broke. He began to scream, not trying to hide his rage, for he could not find the decency to turn over. One of the old men, the sick old men, came and sat on the side of the cot and patted his shoulder. "It's all right, brother. It'll be all right, little brother," he muttered. Shevek heard him and felt his touch, but took no comfort in it. Even from the brother there is no comfort in the bad hour, in the dark at the foot of the wall" - TD LeGuin 1974

An account of the First 48 Hours
1/1/1900
Wireless telegraphs across the world start receiving a signal
Age of Deafness ends
Age of Blindness begins
The Signal is instantly recognized as morse code and is copied to paper in 5 countries
Message Reads
.-- . / -.-. --- -- . / .-- .. - .... / .--. . .- -.-. . / - .-. .- -.. .
We come with peace trade
.-- . / -.-. .- -. / - . .- -.-. .... / .. ..-. / -.-- --- ..- / .... . .-.. .--.
we can teach if you help
The message repeats continuously
Wireless telegraphers unable to receive any other signal
Pittsburgh loses the use of its wireless telegraph, Reginald Fessenden is unaware of the situation
Wireless telegraphers stationed at Royal Navy Dockyard in Portsmith ask for the location and nationality of the ship transmitting
Paola Borboni is born in Parma, Italy
Tesla awakened by assistants at Tesla Experimental Station in Colorado Springs
Admiral of the Fleet Sir Frederick William Richards is informed of the situation
Wireless telegraphers stationed at Naval Station Pearl Harbor are unable to reach the nearby USS Nero
South Foreland lighthouse at Dover and the East Goodwin lightship lose communication with each other
SS Saint Paul loses the use of her wireless telegraph
SS Mont-Blanc Collided with SS Imo off the coast of Dover, 150 dead including Count Bezzi Scali and Countess Anna Scali
Prime Minister Robert Gascoyne-Cecil is informed of the situation
Andrew Carnegie and JP Morgan make substantial investments in Wireless telegraph and astronomical research
Guglielmo Giovanni Maria Marconi mistakes the situation, he attributes it to a hardware problem and begins to dismantle his equipment.
3 boys taken into custody on suspicion they were throwing copper coins at the antenna in Portsmith
W. F. Nisbet, The steamer was sunk by ice near Wellsburg, Kentucky.
Chiune Sugihara is born in Mino, Gifu prefecture
President William McKinley is informed of the situation
NYSE Market closes S&P 500 down 9 points
George Dewey, John Davis Long, and the president have a secret meeting at a house belonging to Long's cousin.
1/2/1900
The first reference to the Message in print appears in the Daily Mail. A small blurb on how a couple of kids fooled the royal navy by throwing cooper coins in the pattern of a morse code message.
McKinley calls a meeting with all members of his Cabinet.
Ships with wireless telegraph at dock begin to reach out to the installers requesting repairs
Tesla begins to move wireless telegraph and tries to measure the strength of the signal at different altitudes
Prime minister Cecil and his Cabinet come to the conclusion that the Message is coming from another country in an attempt to fry communications
The "autostage", the first electric bus, became operational, running on Fifth Avenue in New York City. Eight people could sit inside, and four outside, the fare was one nickel.
Admiral of the Fleet Sir Frederick William is assigned to head the investigation, initial suspects include Germany and France.
Following the cabinet meeting, United States Secretary of State John Hay announced the success of negotiations with other nations to begin the Open Door Policy to promote trade with China. The Message is not mentioned.
Guglielmo Giovanni Maria Marconi accuses his assistants of sabotage and dismisses them all, no compensation is given.
NYSE stock market closes S&P up 2 points
The Most Serene Prince of Hohenlohe-Schillingsfürst Chancellor of the German Empire is informed of the situation
Gustave Charpentiers opera "Louise" premieres in Paris.
Admiral of the Fleet Sir Frederick William orders to begin transmitting false information on ship movement through wireless, keeping real communication only on wired channels
Wilhelm von Siemens and Arnold von Siemens are summoned to Berlin
President of France Émile François Loubet is informed of the situation
E Verlinger begins manufacturing 7" single-sided records in Montreal
Andrew Carnegie and other industrialists hold a meeting at Carnegie's estate
——————————————————————————
THE AMERICAN SCRAMBLE FOR AFRICA
Governor and Company of Industrialists of America Developing West Africa.
Inspired by India company/ VOC, based on the original charter of the East India Company "Governor and Company of Merchants of London trading into the East Indies".The crest is actually Andrew Carnegie's crest, he hired an artist to do it for him. This timeline's colonizers are stronger than in ours and they are more desperate than in ours. This time around the U.S can't afford not to scramble for a piece of Africa.
The Motto is in reference to the country/company itself, which is just one giant STANDARD STEEL TRUST
The first and most successful of its type in America it quickly encouraged other Barrons such as Rockefeller’s Southeast Asia Company in the Philippines. These "Companies" unlike their European predecessors did not take the home countries' name, like the Dutch East India Company or Swedish East India Company, as it would not blend with the anti-imperialism dogma they have adopted. So instead they are called and advertised as private entities that were created on the whims of the ultra-rich. The robber barons are only in charge in the sense that as long as they meet the quotas for raw materials, they will be left alone. If the Barrons act out of line uncle sam is very swift to remind them who is really in charge.
Carnegie advertises Liberia to African Americans as some sort of racial utopia, offering contracts of employment ranging from 5 to 50 years of service, contact your local Carnegie office to get yourself your own home! No Taxation! Only 5 years of work for a home? Incredible offer. Only when they get there do they realize that this was no racial utopia but things were somewhat better depending on where you came from. Only when they step ashore do they realize their home is a single-family apartment unit in large corporate cities, and that it would take 50 years for most people to buy their home with the salaries offered by the company, and if you break your contract you forfeit all your assets in both Liberia and any you may have had in America
" My Greed will represent the public's greed"- Andrew Carnegie 1903
"right to employment" is a Right you trade to the corporation for all the Rights they guarantee in exchange. Under the contract, the company has your right to employment and it can only be bought back if all debts are paid, and obligations fulfilled. While the debts of deceased generations are usually not required to be paid unless there are extra ordinate circumstances, or if there is a justified suspicion of collusion to create debt. Most of the working population has Generational debt, for it is almost impossible for an average family to live a healthy life without accumulating some debt, and interest rates on generational l debt are not generous making even small amounts of debt a family may pass down means a life sentence for all descendants. Generational accumulated debt is required to be paid in order for an employee to receive his right to employment back, without this right the employee is at the whims of the company, they send you to work on a dam you go there, and if they determine that your skills are better used in waste management, thats what your life focus will be now. They say you need to provide security, well you're a soldier, congrats! This leverage by the corporation combined with a large immigration rate makes Liberia akin to a trap that is enticing to enter, the cheese looks so good, if you find yourself not liking it then you are screwed, might as well sit back and enjoy that cheese. Statistically speaking there is no emigration out of Liberia. This is all part of Ceo Carnagies's plan for his Corporate nation, new workers to build mega-company cities for even more workers to create goods that even more workers will purchase, don't forget to show your tag for your employee discount!
Infinite growth, all the time, at any cost: this is the mandatory oath taken by a CEO on their Inauguration Day. Any backpedal on growth is an immediate crisis, and the CEO with the authority of the shareholders is directed to end it by any means possible, usually, this means union-busting, or authority to make large sweeping changes to the direction the nation was headed, however when an economic crisis influences Liberia that originates beyond its borders it may be used as a casus belli
Contract of employment is a standard contract in this timeline used by pseudo corporate states as a bill of rights between the state and the employee, these rights include
Right to Affordable Speech. sometimes when the people think they know better than the corporation they must express themselves, and they are free to do so as long as the space has been paid for and for our HR department to make sure there are enough fire exits and that the content of the speech doesn't cause a riot or promote attitudes overtly negative of the state.
This "overtly" clause has imbued this new culture with the skills of understatement, sarcasm, and dry wit. A speaker might say they found the food at the cafeteria in his hometown lacking in flavor and requests that Food be diverted there to increase diversity in the diet of the employees. What he really is saying is that his town has been mass food poisoned and he has paid for this speech to address the people in the public square for any assistance, there is usually no food diversity most of the populace is sustained on corn and corn derivatives, American corn and American corn derivatives. Due to the large amount of corn produced in the united states and its desire to unload corn and all the things they can make from it, corn is the cheapest and most efficient food so it is the most of the employee's diet, they can look forward to their weekly lemon, though! It stops scurvy! Having no agricultural industry after its destruction at the hands of Carnegie and the American Board for the Promotion of Commercial and Government uses of Corn (ABPCGC) Liberia imports all its food, most coming from America consisting of Corn shipments as Agreed on in the Carnegie Corn Accords.
THE RIGHT TO CORN
The most obvious and jarring case of Constitutional Endorsements. In an exchange for large investments and the use of their powerful lobbies in D.C, Carnegie signed an exclusive deal that all needs that can be met by corn at a reasonable cost will be provided by the ABPCGC. Afraid of being ditched when a more easy supply is found or even developed by Liberia the Board decided to have the deal in the binding employee contract itself. It would make sure they upheld their commitments. Only during times of great crisis does the country switch from corn, usually to whatever they can get their hands on. ABPCGC is contracted to provide the caloric needs of Liberia and they control all the gears of food distribution other than the few domestic franchisees. if corn can no longer be profitably sold to Liberia, they won't just face a constitutional crisis but starvation as well. However as always, the rich are the exception, they run some of the few private companies called Domestic Franchisees residing in the company state, importing and selling luxury goods and foods. As defined in the franchise agreement luxury food is any non-corn-based food or lemons. These Franchisees are not allowed to deal with or affect the flow of essential goods, everything else is fair game though, as long as it has been approved by the company, mostly Luxury Goods have been shortened to just a list of frivolities and toys, nothing that could feed an insurgency or develop a domestic food source. The market of these goods and luxury foods is the rich and upper-middle-class themselves, usually, these franchise owners are disgruntled employee shareholders finding advancement too difficult through the available channels, attracted by the lessened oversight and dreams of the Carnegie Dream.
The freedom from taxation since the state is the corporation and a very wealthy one at that it has more than enough avenues to generate income rather than taxing their own employees. This is a double-edged sword, in times of plenty it provides an attraction from immigrants and foreign expatriates, however, economic crises work different in Liberia, they are not only economic but are also constitutional in nature, any attempt at taxation, examination of assets without undue suspicion and legal warrants would be met with mass uprisings.
There are no citizens in these states, there are employees the vast number of people residing in these states, shareholders which are a class of people who not only have shares but enough shares to live off annual dividends these are the ruling class holding around 41% of the current shares and thus 41% percent of the voting power, and the middle-class employee shareholder, having accumulated and stashed every share in a family and passing them down creates this hybrid middle class, their voting power rests at 4% only a symbolic amount but it used as a gauge into the publics feelings on matters. Many families in this economic class only have one or two full-shares so they not only vote for themselves but their whole families.
—————————————————————————------------------------------------------------
1960s America in this timeline is way more imperialistic than OTL but they like to dress it up as charter companies and with some sort of share-voting (counting votes per share). Instead of a king they have a Pioneer Director and Chief Shareholder, Charter CEO, Premier Capitalist Director, or even a Mammonian Profit Primogenitor. But however you disguise it they control 70-85 percent of the vote, not even the kings of Europe have this sort of power in the 60s. These “Companies” spawn the globe, including but not limited too, Carnegie’s in West Africa, Rockefeller in the Philippines , JP Morgan in Cuba, and Ford in Ceylon (Sri Lanka).
While most Americans have a distaste for these colonies, The Contact had given the most technologically advanced nations giant leaps of technological knowledge, sparking The First Space Race of 1910, the radio only having been invested 3 years prior to Contact, only a few nations even had them at that point, and mostly for ship to ship communication. But once we understood we could communicate with Them, Radio became a science of its own, with millons worldwide of the next couple of years becoming Radioscribe Technologists (Radio researchers) and Radiant Mentors ( Teachers of the Radio Sciences ). But the advances the Americans enjoyed were fueled by emense profits and enormous amounts of raw materials funneled out of native populations.
There was always opposition to these colonies but they were seen as necessities for this strange new century. By the 60s resistance from the natives in the colonies had begun to affect profits, with large worker strikes and demands for a company union scaring the ruling shareholders most of which were sons and daughters of their Robber Barron founders. They responded just as their forefathers would have. Strict curfews, Public gatherings were banned, Company Police breaking up any meeting with brutal beatings that were aimed to cripple, and death sentences given to people who were found to be spreading “Communistic Union Propaganda” Union Busters and these colonies have a long history with them as all of the colonies had brought Union busting corporations with them to “settle” the land enticing them with high amounts of shares some individuals got as high as 7% worth of the vote, making them the “knights and lords of the company” a term they call themselves.
With the background set, let me introduce you to Ursula K. Le Guin. A California native who grew up in the intellectual hotbed of Berkley and the diverse population that came from all over America and her Companies, a large Sri Lankan population had fled their homeland, due to the 1909-11 Rice Famine, caused by Colonial Land-use, and the Rice Blight resulting in a crop failure of 75%. There were exiled west africans who were a little too socialist for their companies liking. Many Philippinos attended Berkley University with her, due to Rockefellers Child Labour Scholarships, at the age of 5 all healthy children are offered an employment contract, 40 hours a week for 3 Meals and a nickel a day if they keep their job for the next 13 years without missing more than 10 days of work at 18 they would be offered a scholarship into an American university, only the brightest manage to end up in universities in the top 20, most end up spread to random state colleges, however the liberal Berkley was one of the first schools to institute Restitutional Action giving preference to people who have suffered under American colonialism over applicants who had better test scores. Then there is also a small cuban population most were JP Morgan employees in Cuba who were deemed to be experienced and knowledgeable in factory management to be a shift supervisor at Morgan factories, using cheap Mexican labor these factories operated smoother under cuban managers who were able to speak directly to the workers rather than using a translator like their American counterparts, these cubans also had a ton of experience in managing factories back home, and they were accused of racism at a much lower rate than their white American supervisors. But most importantly to the company was they were much cheaper.
Coming up in this environment Le Guin was exposed to the spectrum of leftist ideas and theory. She was outraged and outspoken about The Great American Hypocrisy where we had Democracy at home and imperialism over seas. Where we preach freedom but deny those freedoms and rights to those we conquer, we do not grant colonial subjects residing the same rights, they are not allowed to vote, and they and their children where denied Jus Soil, they were denied American birthright. They were granted a second class citizenship known as Company Denizens, this would be given out by the companies that colonized them often used as a reward for many years of service, meaning most Company Denizens were highly skilled in their fields, some would go back home but most stayed even as they faced systematic discrimination, even if they were second class citizens it was a better life than slaving away back home for peanuts. In 1960 there only had been 2 Company Denizens granted citizenship, one was granted it for kicking away an explosive device that was aimed at members of the Carnegie dynasty, in doing so he saved 4 lives and lost both his feet. The other was given citizenship posthumously for his service in the first space race, his American born son was granted citizenship and was able to vote for his first time despite being born and raised in America for 30 years
She hated it, and she wasn’t alone, at the age of 20, she took a job at Morgan Consortium of Cuban Development Company, and at the age of 22 she had was wanted for spreading propaganda and preaching for collective bargaining.
The company’s have extraordinary powers on their own soils but Americans were usually deported if they broke laws, most of the times those were cases of rape and violence, once deported though they usually are home free as justice is an expensive thing to get and unless substantial property damage is done by a wealthy American where the damages can be sued for in court, litigation for a rape is never worth it for the company, as the workers rarely can afford a lawyer themselves. It is easier and cheaper to tell the natives the guilty party is being sent off to jail.
It was rare for political agitators to visit the colonies, they usually come from the native population, even screening every book going in and out of the colony, they could not stop socialist, syndicalist, and communist thought from taking root. At 22 wanted for her crimes and facing deportation back to America she had felt she had not done what she came to cuba to do. Hiding out in a dimly lit sparsely occupied shanty bar, she found herself aproached by a hooded group who introduced themselves as Independientes Entre Los Trabajadores ( Independents Amongst the Labor )
Over the next couple of days she would hear their ideas and become fascinated. They explained it all to her emphatically.
A Syndicalist based resistance, who aimed to nationalize the Morgan Consortium of Cuban Development Company, in other words nationalize the whole island, confiscate ownership of the company, and unionize it, distributing profits back to the worker, based on the amount they contributed with their labor. Take the medium sized Morgan Nickel Mining Subsidiary , were I work, 120 workers not counting the union buster patrol, we mined and exported 45 metrics tons of nickel last year, thats 90,000 dollars! In America a Coal miner makes 900 a year, we make 200 dollars, in America their profit margins are much lower but they still manage a 50% so say it costs the company 25% to recoup thats 18,000. 90,000-18,000 is 882000 lets not forget about taxes so make it 78,2000 divide that by the amount of workers to see what the average yearly salary is. 78,200/150= 5213$ fuck it lets say its a bad year or profits are not as much as last year, halve that number again thats 2600 a year! 16 times more than we make now and even more than double the Americans would make at the same job in America, so pay would range from 2100-2800 depending on position.
No more share-voting, the Cuban Peoples Company would be a Unionized Representative Democracy, what ever job you do you and your fellow workers elect your direct boss, a supervisor, manager, etc, your boss then with a group of others of the same job or equivalent who also were elected by their own fellow workers, repeat until, you reach the second highest rank, where you have 5 Chief Officers, the CFO, COO, CTO, CMO, and CHRO who each nominate a candidate based on their skills, experience, educated, their job is to find the 5 most qualified candidates which would be then voted on by all members of the union, each an equal vote, all working peoples have a vote.
She would join Independents Amongst Labor in their underground resistance. At first they stuck to non violent resistance trying to organize strikes, gather workers to talk theory, and boycotting but after a year it was evident that these had little effect in the face of the militarized company police and union busters who would jump at the chance to beat a disability into anyone who even thought about taking any of those actions, most of the time these meetings would end with them running into the wilderness if they were lucky. After a session talking Syndicalist theory with a group of workers, Le Guin and the group were ambushed by Company Police and Union busters, outnumbering them 3 to 1, and equipped With steel batons they descended on them with glee. The cheif company police officer took his steel baton and swung at full force which went an inch into her eye socket, she would lose that eye, and from then on she wore her iconic eyepatch.
This had been the last straw, the resistance had entered their violent period. The chief Company police officer was a violent drunken southerner in his 40s, as mothers walked with their children, they would hide their daughters above the age of 12 from him, for he was known when drunk to snatch them from their screaming families on the street, he told them he was taking her to America. They would never see their child again. He was also the owner of shares worth 1% of the vote. One of them tried to speak out against his assassination but he stoped halfway through as he himself was not convinced
Over the course of 17 years she would become a high level resistance member. They had focused on targets that owned shares, 2 descendants of Jp Morgan meet their end, as they’re car exploded on them, the deaths of the two sex workers that accompanied the Morgans weighed heavily on thier minds and they had made it a point to use more precise instruments in the future.
The company’s retribution was not aimed at the resistance, but at the general populace, doubling the price of food for 4 months, causing the deaths of 4,000 from starvation.
And so it went on, assassination and raids was her life. Over the 17 years they would nab 24 high ranking shareholders. During this time she also wrote some of her best works. The gentle compassion of socialism and the mad violence she lived day to day made quite a mix, one wonders if she was spared the violence her books would feel rather comfy. after returning home at 37 she would get the books she wrote during her time in Cuba, published. And she immediately wins the Hugo Awards for best work of science fiction. She would never return to her resistance days, she spent the rest of her life writing and becoming one of the great American authors.
Since she was banned from the company she would not return to Cuba until their independence in 2017, where she was seen as a hero. She died a year later Jan 22nd 2019 and as of this date is the only non Cuban on their currency.
ME REVIEWING LE GUINS WORK IN THIS ALTERNATE TIMELINE
this is my original review in OTL: https://www.reddit.com/printSF/comments/v3ra9n/rereading_my_holy_trinity_the_left_hand_of/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=ios_app&utm_name=iossmf
The following is written by alt hist me in the AOA TL, circa 2020s
Been going through some shit recently and haven't read any new books like I usually do, just have been rereading Le Guin. She is the author of these 3 books. Truly the chicken soup for my soul. Been bouncing from Lathe of Hell, Right Hand, and Dispossesser and then back again.
The Right Hand of Light
My go-to reread and my most read book is RHOL If you haven't read any Leguin START HERE. True story, I went on a date recentish and we come to the topic of books, and I talk about RHOL, she recognizes it and says her high school teacher made her read it and she hated it. There was no second date.
It's an "easier" read than Dispossesser and a more violent read than Lathe of Hell. I have reread this so many times that there is no tension in it for me. Thats a good thing cause it makes a violent book into a cozily violent book. It is about many things if you make it so, duality is the most obvious, and most prevalent, the title itself is in reference to duality. It could also just be a hero's journey if you need it to be.
"There was hatred. I and certain others, a young man and one with a slight cough, were recognized as being most resistant to the propaganda, and each night we were at the center of the group, the entity of twenty-five, where we had all their attention. We did not struggle for the spotlight, we simply were in it each night. It is a wonderful thing, this hatred that human beings do not lose. Wonderful, because when we are finally naked in the dark and cold, it is all we have. We who are so rich, so full of strength, we end up with that small change. We have nothing else to give."- RHOL LeGuin 1969
LeGuin is a master of contrast, mostly used as a tool to demonstrate duality. Characters, culture, and countries are all written with a partner, in words they dance, and even though she doesn't outright tell you what's going on, the dance tells you all you need to know. RHOL does it masterfully and she perfects the art 5 years later with The Dispossesser. There are many, many, many similarities between the two but they are worlds apart.
"Darkness is the right hand of light
and light the left hand of darkness.
Two are one, life and death, lying
together like lovers in kemmer,
like hands joined together,
like the end and the way" -RHOD LeGuin 1969
The Lathe of Hell
It has such a strong premise that is so unique and creative that no one has even come close to portraying anything like it in any medium. the relationship between George and his therapist is so great in EVERY iteration and seeing it change from one reality to the next is so good one has to think how is this book not more well known. She builds multiple world histories here and an overarching world to encapsulate it all, the way the story is formated its more like reading a classic of literature and realizing you lived in the age where books like these are written, maybe some of the first viewers of classic greek plays felt the same way
"The whole world as it now is should be against me; because I dreamed a lot of it up, too. Well, after all, it is against me. That is, I take a part of it. And am separate from it. I walk on the ground and the ground's is lessened by me, I breathe the air and take it, I am pillaging the world." - LOH LeGuin 1971
And the best is saved for last!
I admit that even though Dispossesser is my all-time favorite book it is the one I have reread the least, in part because it's longer than the other two, but mostly it's the content. It is not a "comfy" book, it will not hold your hand, I've read this at least 10 times and I still sometimes get lost in terms of past and present. Unlike RHOL it does not read itself. It is the "tusndre" of the three. Doesn't care if you are lost and confused, constantly trying to buck you off the saddle, daring you to read it, if you take it up on the dare you might soon find yourself falling in love. It is a book that is utterly relatable on a personal level despite it taking place in the most bizarre and imagined society.
"He broke. He began to scream, not trying to hide his rage, for he could not find the decency to turn over. One of the old men, the sick old men, came and sat on the side of the cot and patted his shoulder. "It's all right, brother. It'll be all right, little brother," he muttered. Shevek heard him and felt his touch, but took no comfort in it. Even from the brother there is no comfort in the bad hour, in the dark at the foot of the wall" - TD LeGuin 1974

This is your weekly events post, comments, additions, or suggestions welcome! Remarkably, I'm on time this week.

On Stage

MU Choral Union and University Philharmonic Chamber Orchestra: Considering Matthew Shepard - November 16, 7:00 p.m. - Jesse Hall Auditorium
This three-part fusion oratorio speaks with a fresh and bold voice, incorporating a variety of musical styles seamlessly woven into a unified whole. Johnson sets a wide range of poetic and soulful texts. Passages from Matt’s personal journal, interviews and writings from his parents, Judy and Dennis Shepard, newspaper reports, and additional texts by Johnson and Browne are poignantly appointed throughout the work.
SLOTHRUST W/ SPECIAL GUEST PRONOUN - November 16, 8:00 p.m. - Rose Music Hall
Songs We Like To Sing - November 17, 7:00 p.m. - Boone County History and Culture Center
Join Broadways actors Jennifer Hemphill, John Hemphill, and Lisa Brescia as they sing some of their favorite songs from Broadway to Pop with special guest vocalist Nollie Moore and Jamey Grisham. The incredible Travis McFarlane will accompany the concert on the History & Culture Center's one-of-a-kind Blind Boone Piano. Tickets are limited so reserve yours today at https://boonehistory.org/events/
THE JANUARY LANTERNS W/ SPECIAL GUESTS BRIAN BULGER AND RIVER & RAIL - November 17, 7:00 p.m. - Rose Music Hall
CHRIS KNIGHT W/ SPECIAL GUEST JOE STAMM BAND - November 17 8:00 p.m. - The Blue Note
Melanie Maclaren w/ Liv Burney – November 17 7:00 p.m. - Compass Inc.
An intimate evening of music with modern singer songwriters, Melanie MacLaren and Liv Burney in the Listening Room at the Compass Music Center. Doors 6:30pm, Show 7:00pm. Parking is available in the Hillel parking lot, street parking and parking garage located next to the Compass Music Center. Light refreshments will be provided. $15 Adv $20 Dos
Melanie MacLaren’s natural aptitude for nuanced delivery, wistful guitar playing, and her ability to write about life as if life were simply writing itself is everything you could want from a modern folk musician. Melanie’s lyrics have been described as “haunting yet humorous” and possessing a “sentimental cynicism” that “oozes with Gen-Z relatability.” This duality shines through in all aspects of her music— classic finger-style guitar rests on beds of ethereal, ambient synthesizers, while distorted trad instruments like banjo, bouzouki and fiddle punctuate the compositions, demonstrating a keen artistic ability to combine a unique tongue-in-cheek sensibility with timeless folk style. More Info: https://melaniemaclaren.com/
Having spent the last half decade performing with her acclaimed family band, Liv Burney has stepped out as a singular, confident voice in our local music pool. Deftly flipping between gentle melodies and impassioned deliveries, Burney’s hybrid approach to indie rock, folk and country harkens to classic sounds beyond her years.
Open Mic Night - November 17, 7:00 p.m. - Love Coffee
Doors open at 6 Mic opens at 7. Come early to enjoy some food and drink before performing. Donations are encouraged for the Love Coffee organization, as well as the U. C. Music Scholarship Fund.
Annie Jr. by TRYPS Children’s Theater - November 18, 2:00 p.m. 7:00 p.m. November 19 2:00 p.m. - Launer Auditorium (Columbia College)
With equal measures of pluck and positivity, little orphan Annie charms everyone’s hearts despite a next-to-nothing start in 1930s New York City. Annie is determined to find the parents who abandoned her years ago on the doorstep of an orphanage run by the cruel Miss Hannigan. Annie eventually foils Miss Hannigan’s evil machinations, finding a new home and family in billionaire Oliver Warbucks, his personal secretary, Grace Farrell, and a lovable mutt named Sandy. Based on the popular comic strip and adapted from the Tony Award-winning Best Musical, with a beloved book and score by Tony Award winners, Thomas Meehan, Charles Strouse and Martin Charnin, Annie JR. features everyone’s favorite little redhead in her very first adventure.
BLACK STONE CHERRY + GIOVANNIE & THE HIRED GUNS W/ SPECIAL GUEST JIGSAW YOUTH - November 18, 8:00 p.m. - The Blue Note
Out of Pocket" is the band's first new song since the release of their 2020 album The Human Condition and is another trademark rocker from their locker. Emotionally rousing with a roof-raising battle cry chorus, it shows the band at their anthemic best. The lifelong friends Chris Robertson, vocals/guitar; Ben Wells, guitavocals; and John Fred Young, drums, welcome their new bass player Steve Jewell on his first studio recordings, having slayed the stages with them over the past two years. Talking about the song Chris Robertson says, "’Out of Pocket’ is a song born out of that exact feeling. The song was what I personally, and I think a lot of us, felt over these very trying last couple of years. Facing your demons, knowing that you have to come out the other side stronger than before." Over the past two decades, the Kentucky Southern rockers have shaken stages from arenas to festivals across Europe, bringing the good times every time. In 2021 they fulfilled a lifetime ambition of playing London's iconicRoyal Albert Hall, bringing an incredibly emotional and powerful performance. Now it's time to blow the roof off those arenas once again. Black Stone Cherry have 2023 firmly in their sights and are taking it, lock, stock and barrel.
One of the most crowd-thrilling bands to burst onto the national scene in recent years, Giovannie and The Hired Guns have pushed the boundaries of rock-and-roll and country to forge an irresistibly gritty sound all their own. After building a massive grassroots following on the strength of their explosive live show, the Stephenville, Texas-based five-piece ascended to new heights with their smash hit “Ramon Ayala”—a 2021 release that climbed to #1 on the Active Rock Radio Chart and the Alternative Radio Chart, marking the first time in over 15 years that an artist’s first career-charting radio single reached the top spot on both tallies. Fueled by the enormous success they’ve achieved as an entirely independent act, Giovannie and The Hired Guns have now signed to Warner Music Nashville just in time for the release of their third full-length, Tejano Punk Boyz: an immediately vital body of work cementing their status as an essential new force in redefining the possibilities of Texas music.
CHAT PILE W/ SPECIAL GUESTS LITTERED WITH ARROWS & BAD INVESTMENTS - November 18, 8:00 p.m. - Rose Music Hall
Nclusion Plus: Drag2Nite - November 18, 7:30 p.m. - Serendipity Salon and Gallery
Come out with your dollar bills and support these drag entertainers as they grace the Serendipity Stage in an all live vocals event. This is an 18+ Event.
Community Showcase Mondays' - November 20, 7:00 p.m. - Cafe Berlin
Join us Monday nights for our Community Showcase “Open Mic” Sign up to play: https://www.signupgenius.com/…/10c084ea5a82fa7fcc25… We’re featuring several local favorites and fresh faces. Get here early for Happy Hour 5-7 and find a good seat. This is part of an ongoing series – if you miss a Monday, we’d love to see you at the next! Email booking@cafeberlincomo.com with any questions!
WILD TURKEY WEDNESDAY FT. JACOB GAPSCH - November 22, 8:00 p.m. - Rose Music Hall

On Screen

La Llorona - November 16 - Ragtag Cinema
The past haunts the present in Guatemalan auteur Jayro Bustamante's chilling fusion of folk horror and political thriller, inspired by the real-life indictment of Guatemalan dictator Efraín Ríos Montt for crimes against humanity. In La Llorona, Enrique Monteverde (Julio Díaz), an infamous, aging military dictator, stands trial for atrocities committed against Guatemala's Maya communities. Amidst his legal troubles and the public's cry for justice, Enrique and his family become trapped in their palatial mansion. The arrival of an enigmatic Kaqchikel housekeeper Alma (María Mercedes Coroy) triggers a series of disturbing supernatural occurrences that forces Enrique to wonder if he will face extrajudicial punishment.
This screening will be followed by a community conversation led by the Cambio Center, exploring topics such as Indigenous identity, political movements, and folklore in Latin America. Please note that FREE tickets for the public will be available online and at the Ragtag Box Office starting Thursday, November 16 at 12PM.
The Persian Version - November - Ragtag Cinema
Winner of the Audience Award at the 2023 Sundance Film Festival, The Persian Version is a joyous and heartfelt portrait of a queer, Iranian-American daughter and her Iranian mother confronting the secrets they have kept from one another. Leila (Layla Mohammadi) has spent her life navigating the opposite expectations of American and Iranian culture while boldly embracing her dual identity. When her family reunites in New York City for her father's heart transplant, Leila is forced to spend time with her mother Shireen (Niousha Noor), and abruptly reveals that she's pregnant. Leila's pregnancy forces her and her mother to notice the parallels between their lives and for Shireen to share what she has long kept hidden from her only daughter. Filled with bright colors, quick wit, and unexpected dance numbers, The Persian Version delivers a relatable story of family, belonging, and staying true to oneself.
Killers of the Flower Moon - November - Ragtag Cinema
American auteur Martin Scorsese returns to cinemas with a riveting adaptation of David Grann's bestselling, nonfiction novel Killers of the Flower Moon: The Osage Murders and the Birth of the FBI. In the midst of the Roaring 1920s, unexpected fortune comes to the members of the Osage Nation in Oklahoma after oil is discovered under their land. This overnight wealth disturbs the racial hierarchy established by white settlers. Soon after, members of the Osage Nation are mysteriously murdered one after another forcing the nascent FBI to investigate. Told through the surprising romance of Ernest Burkhart (Leonardo DiCaprio) and Mollie Kyle (Lily Gladstone), Killers of the Flower Moon is an epic American western crime saga that crosses real love with unspeakable betrayal.
Priscilla - November - Ragtag Cinema
Before she became Priscilla Presley, she was teenager Priscilla Beaulieu living with her family on a German army base listening to Bobby Darin, Fabian, and... Elvis Presley. After locking eyes at a party on the base, Priscilla discovers the man Elvis, separated from his star image: a best friend, a first love, a lonely person. Directed by Sofia Coppola, Priscilla tells the unseen side of the great American myth of Priscilla Presley (Cailee Spaeny) and Elvis Presley (Jacob Elordi), from their relationship's origin to its tumultuous end. Priscilla is an intimate and ravishingly detailed portrait of a young woman's life irrevocably changed by love, fame, and fantasy.
The Holdovers - November - Ragtag Cinema
Paul Hunham (Paul Giamatti) is a curmudgeonly academic at a prestigious New England boarding school who is loathed by students and ignored by his colleagues. Every year Barton Academy closes for winter vacation, and this year Mr. Hunham is forced to supervise the holdovers — the students who cannot go home during winter vacation. Instead of a group of Barton students, the holdovers are Mr. Hunham, troubled student Angus Tully (Dominic Sessa), and grieving school chef Mary Lamb (Da'Vine Joy Randolph). This unlikely trio spends the winter vacation learning about one another and confronting what's missing in their lives respectively. The Holdovers is a dramatic comedy about the unexpected connections anyone can make in a familiar space.
The Saltburn - November - Ragtag Cinema
Director Emerald Fennell (Promising Young Woman) delivers a sumptuous tale of privilege and desire in Saltburn. Oliver Quick (Barry Keoghan), a working-class student, struggles to fit in with his wealthier classmates at Oxford University. It is only after Oliver befriends Felix Catton (Jacob Elordi), an alluring aristocratic, that his world starts to expand. When summer break arrives and Oliver does not wish to return home, Felix invites him to his massive family estate, Saltburn. Oliver accepts the invitation blind to the fact that Saltburn is an ominous place where outsiders rarely leave after entering its confines.

Talks and Lectures

**none I could find this week :(**

Bars and Nightlife

Live Music – November 17 - Dive Bar
Live Music – November 18 - Dive Bar
Karaoke Night - November 18 - Arch n' Column Pub
Sunny Sunday's - November 19 - Cafe Berlin
Berlin Nights presents SUNNY SUNDAYS: Vinyl on the stage (bring your own if ya please!), happy hour, board games! Pregame your evening plans (lookin’ at you, Summerfesters!) and join us for some good ole patio chillin’! FREE + HAPPY HOUR 5-7! RAIN OR SHINE!
We love our local breweries! Start the work week off right with a $4 local pint.
Geeks Who Drink - November 22 - Cafe Berlin
Geeks Who Drink live hosted bar trivia is coming to Cafe Berlin starting on September 20! Join us for 2 hours of entertaining trivia, that is free to play and PRIZES awarded. Geeks Who Drink rules limit the total number of players on your team to 6, so gather your smartest friends and come down.Questions? Email us [booking@cafeberlincomo.com](mailto:booking@cafeberlincomo.com)Drink specials, happy hour 5-7!Galleries and Exhibits

Galleries and Exhibits

Stephen Bybee, Kevin Dingman & Notley Hawkins Photography - Nov. 6 - Dec. 16 - Sidney Larson Gallery @ Columbia College
The Great Flood of 1993 - Ongoing - Boone County History and Culture Center
A retrospective on the 30th anniversary of the Great Flood of 1993 exploring its impact on Boone County and Columbia. Includes artifacts, boats, a wall mural timeline, newspaper articles, Missouri River Mud, and photo displays. Closes in February
A Star Is Born – Ongoing - Costume Museum Exhibition Stephens College Costume Museum and Research GalleryThis new fashion Gallery exhibit features the clothing of films from the 1930s through 2021. It celebrates women in screenwriting, fashion, and the arts, showcasing ways these industries influenced women worldwide to follow the “Hollywood” style. Some of the chosen films represent women connected to Stephens College, to Columbia, and to Missouri. The Gallery is open to the public on the dates and times below. visit site
Boone County Art Show - Ongoing - Columbia Art League
https://columbiaartleague.org/current-exhibitions-1
2023 NOVEMBER EXHIBIT Stephen Gammell Zoe Hawk - November 3 to18 - Sager Reeves Gallery
This month's featured sponsors: Holly Roberson & John Goldstein, Julia Ames
SMALL TOWNS, BIG STORIES Sep 26, 2023 to Feb 10, 2024 - State Historical Society of Missouri Art Gallery
Since 1949, professional photographers from around the country, including Missouri, have captured images of life in rural Missouri towns as part of the Missouri Photo Workshop, established at the Missouri School of Journalism. SHSMO is hosting an exhibition marking the 75th anniversary of the workshops. Visitors can study more than 100 images taken in 51 towns across the state over the past 75 years.
Please join us for a public reception on Saturday, Nov. 4, 1:30-3 p.m. The curators of the exhibit will be available to answer questions ad provide further insight into the lives of the photographers and subjects featured in the exhibit.
Each year, a town in Missouri is chosen as the host community. Workshop participants document a story with their cameras under the guidance of faculty who are some of the industry’s most prominent photographers and editors. The body of work then becomes part of an extensive archive of life in small-town Missouri. The exhibit is being supported by the Missouri School of Journalism, Miller’s Professional Imaging, and the Missouri Humanities Trust Fund.

Sports

Mizzou Football vs. Florida - November 18 - Faurot Field
Mizzou Men’s Basketball vs. Jackson State - November 19 - Mizzou Arena
Mizzou Women’s Basketball vs. Southern Indiana - November 20 - Mizzou Arena
Columbia College Men's Basketball vs. Evangel University - November 21 - Southwell Complex
Mizzou Men’s Basketball vs. South Carolina State - November 22 - Mizzou Arena

Other

11th Annual Fall Color Show – November 16 - Betz Jewlers
Join us for our 11th annual Colored Stone Showcase! Pop a balloon for your chance to win your entire purchase free up to $5,000 or a 20-40% OFF prize. We’ll have special colored stone lines, gorgeous museum-quality pieces in the cases and of course a few drinks and snacks. Stop by and say hi! We’re looking forward to it.
Make a Lavender Holiday Wreath – November 18 and 19 - Battlefield Lavender in Centralia
In the gift shop at Battlefield Lavender.
Sushi Party-Cooking Class - November 18 - Back 2 Basics Cooking on the Business Loop
During this fun class, we will go over how to make your own sticky rice, which is essential for proper sushi rolling. Then we will prepare a cucumber roll, chicken teriyaki roll, then finally a California roll, tasting each of our creations along the way. By the end of this class, you will have the skills to roll your own sushi at home! This class is intended for adults; however, children are welcome as long as they can work on their own and have an adult attending with them. Everyone attending will need their own ticket. Read more here: Seating is first come, first serve! Book here:
Holiday ’23 Market: Curated. Crafted. Created. - November 19 - Columbia Mall

After having read lots of science fiction as a child, I haven't read any in decades. In fact, hardly any fiction reading at all. But, recently, I was impressed with Octavia Butler's stuff. So, I wanted a list of good/decent and/or historically-important science fiction in order to see where to explore more.
There are different lists of award winners and lists based on folks' personal favorites. I just made the union of a few resulting in this big list. In case anyone else is looking for something, here you go.
Some of the awards include both science fiction and fantasy genres (such as the Hugo award), so some fantasy is included. Just ignore them if you think they don't belong. These are mostly novels.

Title	Author	Date
Frankenstein	Mary Shelley	1818
Journey to the Center of the Earth	Jules Verne	1864–1867
From the Earth to the Moon	Jules Verne	1865
Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Seas	Jules Verne	1869–1870
Flatland	Edwin Abbott Abbott	1884
The Time Machine	HG Wells	1895
The Island of Doctor Moreau	HG Wells	1896
The Invisible Man	HG Wells	1897
The War of the Worlds	HG Wells	1897
The First Men in the Moon	HG Wells	1900–1901
The Food of the Gods and How It Came to Earth	HG Wells	1904
The Lost World	Arthur Conan Doyle	1912
Stories of Mars (A Princess of Mars, The Gods of Mars, The Warlord of Mars)	Edgar Rice Burroughs	1912–1913
R.U.R.	Karel Čapek	1920
We	Yevgeny Zamyatin	1924
The Rediscovery of Man	Cordwainer Smith	1928–1993
Last and First Men	Olaf Stapledon	1930
Brave New World	Aldous Huxley	1932
The Shape of Things to Come	HG Wells	1933
Jirel of Joiry	CL Moore	1934–1939
Northwest of Earth	CL Moore	1934–1939
Sidewise in Time	Murray Leinster	1934–1950?
Land Under England	Joseph O'Neill	1935
Odd John	Olaf Stapledon	1935
War with the Newts	Karel Čapek	1936
Swastika Night	Murray Constantine	1937
Doomsday Morning	EE Smith	1937
Star Maker	Olaf Stapledon	1937
Out of the Silent Planet	CS Lewis	1938
Anthem	Ayn Rand	1938
The Sword in the Stone	TH White	1938
Grey Lensman	EE Smith	1939
Slan	AE van Vogt	1940
I, Robot	Isaac Asimov	1940–1950
Second Stage Lensmen	EE Smith	1941
Beyond This Horizon	Robert A Heinlein	1942
Foundation	Isaac Asimov	1942–1951
Conjure Wife	Fritz Leiber	1943
Perelandra	CS Lewis	1943
Judgment Night	CL Moore	1943–1950
Shadow Over Mars	Leigh Brackett	1944
Sirius	Olaf Stapledon	1944
City	Clifford D Simak	1944–1973
The Martian Chronicles	Ray Bradbury	1946–1951
Fury	Henry Kuttner	1947
Children of the Lens	EE Smith	1947
Against the Fall of Night	Arthur C Clarke	1948
Nineteen Eighty-Four	George Orwell	1949
Earth Abides	George R Stewart	1949
The Illustrated Man	Ray Bradbury	1949–1950?
Pebble in the Sky	Isaac Asimov	1950
Farmer in the Sky	Robert A Heinlein	1950
The Man Who Sold the Moon	Robert A Heinlein	1950
Cities in Flight	James Blish	1950–1970
The Stars, Like Dust	Isaac Asimov	1951
The Sands of Mars	Arthur C Clarke	1951
The Puppet Masters	Robert A Heinlein	1951
Dark Benediction	Walter M Miller Jr	1951
The Day of the Triffids	John Wyndham	1951
Foundation and Empire (The General, The Mule)	Isaac Asimov	1952
The Space Merchants	Frederik Pohl & Cyril M Kornbluth	1952
The Long Loud Silence	Wilson Tucker	1952
Player Piano	Kurt Vonnegut	1952
Limbo	Bernard Wolfe	1952
The Demolished Man	Alfred Bester	1952–1953
The Caves of Steel	Isaac Asimov	1953
Second Foundation	Isaac Asimov	1953
Fahrenheit 451	Ray Bradbury	1953
Childhood's End	Arthur C Clarke	1953
Mission of Gravity	Hal Clement	1953
More Than Human	Theodore Sturgeon	1953
Bring the Jubilee	Ward Moore	1953
They'd Rather Be Right	Mark Clifton & Frank Riley	1954
The Body Snatchers	Jack Finney	1954
I Am Legend	Richard Matheson	1954
A Mirror for Observers	Edgar Pangborn	1954
The End of Eternity	Isaac Asimov	1955
The Long Tomorrow	Leigh Brackett	1955
Earthlight	Arthur C Clarke	1955
The Chrysalids	John Wyndham	1955
The Naked Sun	Isaac Asimov	1956
The Stars My Destination	Alfred Bester	1956
The City and the Stars	Arthur C Clarke	1956
The Door Into Summer	Robert A Heinlein	1956
Double Star	Robert A Heinlein	1956
The Shrinking Man	Richard Matheson	1956
Citizen of the Galaxy	Robert A Heinlein	1957
Doomsday Morning	CL Moore	1957
Wasp	Eric Frank Russell	1957
On the Beach	Nevil Shute	1957
The Midwich Cuckoos	John Wyndham	1957
The Stainless Steel Rat	Harry Harrison	1957–1961
Non-Stop	Brian Aldiss	1958
A Case of Conscience	James Blish	1958
Have Space Suit—Will Travel	Robert A Heinlein	1958
The Big Time	Fritz Leiber	1958
Time Out of Joint	Philip K Dick	1959
Starship Troopers	Robert A Heinlein	1959
Alas, Babylon	Pat Frank	1959
A Canticle for Leibowitz	Walter M Miller Jr	1959
The Sirens of Titan	Kurt Vonnegut	1959
The Outward Urge	John Wyndham	1959–1961
Flowers for Algernon	Daniel Keyes	1959–1966
Rogue Moon	Algis Budrys	1960
Deathworld	Harry Harrison	1960–1973
A Fall of Moondust	Arthur C Clarke	1961
Stranger in a Strange Land	Robert A Heinlein	1961
Solaris	Stanisław Lem	1961
The Ship Who Sang	Anne McCaffrey	1961–1969
The Drowned World	JG Ballard	1962
A Clockwork Orange	Anthony Burgess	1962
The Man in the High Castle	Philip K Dick	1962
Little Fuzzy	H Beam Piper	1962
The Andromeda Anthology	Fred Hoyle & John Elliot	1962–1964
The Best of RA Lafferty	RA Lafferty	1962–1982
Planet of the Apes	Pierre Boulle	1963
Way Station	Clifford D Simak	1963
The Man Who Fell to Earth	Walter Tevis	1963
Cat's Cradle	Kurt Vonnegut	1963
Greybeard	Brian Aldiss	1964
Martian Time-Slip	Philip K Dick	1964
The Penultimate Truth	Philip K Dick	1964
The Simulacra	Philip K Dick	1964
The Three Stigmata of Palmer Eldritch	Philip K Dick	1964
The Wanderer	Fritz Leiber	1964
Hard to Be a God	Arkady & Boris Strugatsky	1964
Dr Bloodmoney	Philip K Dick	1965
Dune	Frank Herbert	1965
The Cyberiad	Stanisław Lem	1965
Monday Begins on Saturday	Arkady & Boris Strugatsky	1965
This Immortal	Roger Zelazny	1965
The Caltraps of Time	David I Masson	1965–1968
Snail on the Slope	Arkady & Boris Strugatsky	1965–1968
The Moment of Eclipse	Brian Aldiss	1965–1970
Babel-17	Samuel R Delany	1966
Now Wait for Last Year	Philip K Dick	1966
The Moon Is a Harsh Mistress	Robert A Heinlein	1966
Needle in a Timestack	Robert Silverberg	1966
Worlds of Exile and Illusion (Planet of Exile, Rocannon's World, City of Illusions)	Ursula K Le Guin	1966–1967
An Age	Brian Aldiss	1967
The White Mountains	John Christopher	1967
The Einstein Intersection	Samuel R Delany	1967
Dangerous Visions	Harlan Ellison	1967
Logan's Run	William F Nolan & George Clayton Johnson	1967
Lord of Light	Roger Zelazny	1967
Tau Zero	Poul Anderson	1967–1970
Stand on Zanzibar	John Brunner	1968
2001: A Space Odyssey	Arthur C Clarke	1968
Nova	Samuel R Delany	1968
Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?	Philip K Dick	1968
Camp Concentration	Thomas M Disch	1968
Rite of Passage	Alexei Panshin	1968
Pavane	Keith Roberts	1968
Of Men and Monsters	William Tenn	1968
The Jagged Orbit	John Brunner	1969
The Andromeda Strain	Michael Crichton	1969
Ubik	Philip K Dick	1969
Dune Messiah	Frank Herbert	1969
The Left Hand of Darkness	Ursula K Le Guin	1969
Behold the Man	Michael Moorcock	1969
The Inhabited Island (Prisoners of Power)	Arkady & Boris Strugatsky	1969
Emphyrio	Jack Vance	1969
Slaughterhouse-Five	Kurt Vonnegut	1969
A Maze of Death	Philip K Dick	1970
Ringworld	Larry Niven	1970
Downward to the Earth	Robert Silverberg	1970
The Chronicles of Amber	Roger Zelazny	1970–1978
Half Past Human	TJ Bass	1971
To Your Scattered Bodies Go	Philip José Farmer	1971
The Lathe of Heaven	Ursula K Le Guin	1971
The Futurological Congress	Stanisław Lem	1971
A Time of Changes	Robert Silverberg	1971
The Gods Themselves	Isaac Asimov	1972
The Sheep Look Up	John Brunner	1972
334	Thomas M Disch	1972
The Word for World Is Forest	Ursula K Le Guin	1972
Beyond Apollo	Barry N Malzberg	1972
Malevil	Robert Merle	1972
The Book of Skulls	Robert Silverberg	1972
Dying Inside	Robert Silverberg	1972
The Iron Dream	Norman Spinrad	1972
The Doomed City	Arkady & Boris Strugatsky	1972
Roadside Picnic	Arkady & Boris Strugatsky	1972
The Fifth Head of Cerberus	Gene Wolfe	1972
The Dancers at the End of Time	Michael Moorcock	1972–1981
Rendezvous with Rama	Arthur C Clarke	1973
Time Enough for Love	Robert A Heinlein	1973
Hellstrom's Hive	Frank Herbert	1973
The Embedding	Ian Watson	1973
The Godwhale	TJ Bass	1974
The Unsleeping Eye	David G Compton	1974
Flow My Tears, the Policeman Said	Philip K Dick	1974
The Forever War	Joe Haldeman	1974
The Centauri Device	M John Harrison	1974
The Dispossessed	Ursula K Le Guin	1974
The Mote in God's Eye	Larry Niven & Jerry Pournelle	1974
Inverted World	Christopher Priest	1974
Orbitsville	Bob Shaw	1974
The Compass Rose	Ursula K Le Guin	1974–1982
The Shockwave Rider	John Brunner	1975
Imperial Earth	Arthur C Clarke	1975
The Deep	John Crowley	1975
Dhalgren	Samuel R Delany	1975
The Wind's Twelve Quarters	Ursula K Le Guin	1975
The Female Man	Joanna Russ	1975
Norstrilia	Cordwainer Smith	1975
The Jonah Kit	Ian Watson	1975
The Alteration	Kingsley Amis	1976
Brontomek!	Michael G Coney	1976
Arslan	MJ Engh	1976
Children of Dune	Frank Herbert	1976
Floating Worlds	Cecelia Holland	1976
Woman on the Edge of Time	Marge Piercy	1976
Man Plus	Frederik Pohl	1976
Where Late the Sweet Birds Sang	Kate Wilhelm	1976
Burning Chrome	William Gibson	1976–1986
A Scanner Darkly	Philip K Dick	1977
Dying of the Light	George RR Martin	1977
Lucifer's Hammer	Larry Niven & Jerry Pournelle	1977
Gateway	Frederik Pohl	1977
Dreamsnake	Vonda N McIntyre	1978
Gloriana	Michael Moorcock	1978
The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy	Douglas Adams	1979
The Unlimited Dream Company	JG Ballard	1979
Transfigurations	Michael Bishop	1979
Kindred	Octavia E Butler	1979
The Fountains of Paradise	Arthur C Clarke	1979
Engine Summer	John Crowley	1979
On Wings of Song	Thomas M Disch	1979
Jem	Frederik Pohl	1979
Titan	John Varley	1979
Roadmarks	Roger Zelazny	1979
The Restaurant at the End of the Universe	Douglas Adams	1980
Timescape	Gregory Benford	1980
Sundiver	David Brin	1980
Dragon's Egg	Robert L Forward	1980
Riddley Walker	Russell Hoban	1980
Lord Valentine's Castle	Robert Silverberg	1980
Mockingbird	Walter Tevis	1980
The Snow Queen	Joan D Vinge	1980
The Shadow of the Torturer	Gene Wolfe	1980
The Complete Roderick	John Sladek	1980–1983
Downbelow Station	CJ Cherryh	1981
VALIS	Philip K Dick	1981
The Many-Colored Land	Julian May	1981
The Affirmation	Christopher Priest	1981
The Claw of the Conciliator	Gene Wolfe	1981
Life, the Universe and Everything	Douglas Adams	1982
Helliconia Spring	Brian Aldiss	1982
Foundation's Edge	Isaac Asimov	1982
No Enemy But Time	Michael Bishop	1982
2010: Odyssey Two	Arthur C Clarke	1982
Friday	Robert A Heinlein	1982
Battlefield Earth	L Ron Hubbard	1982
The Sword of the Lictor	Gene Wolfe	1982
The Postman	David Brin	1982–1984
Helliconia	Brian Aldiss	1982–1985
The Robots of Dawn	Isaac Asimov	1983
Startide Rising	David Brin	1983
The Integral Trees	Larry Niven	1983
Tik-Tok	John Sladek	1983
The Citadel of the Autarch	Gene Wolfe	1983
Blood Music	Greg Bear	1983–1985
Native Tongue	Suzette Haden Elgin	1984
Neuromancer	William Gibson	1984
Mythago Wood	Robert Holdstock	1984
The Years of the City	Frederik Pohl	1984
Armor	John Steakley	1984
Helliconia Winter	Brian Aldiss	1985
The Handmaid's Tale	Margaret Atwood	1985
Eon	Greg Bear	1985
Ender's Game	Orson Scott Card	1985
Always Coming Home	Ursula K Le Guin	1985
Contact	Carl Sagan	1985
Galápagos	Kurt Vonnegut	1985
The Second Chronicles of Amber	Roger Zelazny	1985–1991
Shards of Honor	Lois McMaster Bujold	1986
The Warrior's Apprentice	Lois McMaster Bujold	1986
Speaker for the Dead	Orson Scott Card	1986
The Songs of Distant Earth	Arthur C Clarke	1986
This Is the Way the World Ends	James K Morrow	1986
The Falling Woman	Pat Murphy	1986
The Ragged Astronauts	Bob Shaw	1986
A Door into Ocean	Joan Slonczewski	1986
Consider Phlebas	Iain Banks	1987
The Forge of God	Greg Bear	1987
The Uplift War	David Brin	1987
Dawn	Octavia E Butler	1987
Sphere	Michael Crichton	1987
Gráinne	Keith Roberts	1987
Life During Wartime	Lucius Shepard	1987
The Sea and Summer	George Turner	1987
Lincoln's Dreams	Connie Willis	1987
Falling Free	Lois McMaster Bujold	1987–1988
The Player of Games	Iain Banks	1988
Cyteen	CJ Cherryh	1988
Lavondyss	Robert Holdstock	1988
Kairos	Gwyneth Jones	1988
Desolation Road	Ian McDonald	1988
Unquenchable Fire	Rachel Pollack	1988
The Healer's War	Elizabeth Ann Scarborough	1988
Islands in the Net	Bruce Sterling	1988
The Gate to Women's Country	Sheri S Tepper	1988
Pyramids	Terry Pratchett	1989
The Child Garden	Geoff Ryman	1989
Hyperion	Dan Simmons	1989
Grass	Sheri S Tepper	1989
Nightfall	Isaac Asimov & Robert Silverberg	1990
Use of Weapons	Iain Banks	1990
Earth	David Brin	1990
The Vor Game	Lois McMaster Bujold	1990
Jurassic Park	Michael Crichton	1990
The Difference Engine	William Gibson & Bruce Sterling	1990
Take Back Plenty	Colin Greenland	1990
Tehanu	Ursula K Le Guin	1990
The Rowan	Anne McCaffrey	1990
Eric	Terry Pratchett	1990
Pacific Edge	Kim Stanley Robinson	1990
The Fall of Hyperion	Dan Simmons	1990
Raising the Stones	Sheri S Tepper	1990
Her Smoke Rose Up Forever	James Tiptree Jr	1990
Stations of the Tide	Michael Swanwick	1990–1991
Stories of Your Life and Others	Ted Chiang	1990–2002
The Best of Greg Egan	Greg Egan	1990–2019
Raft	Stephen Baxter	1991
Barrayar	Lois McMaster Bujold	1991
Synners	Pat Cadigan	1991
Xenocide	Orson Scott Card	1991
Buddy Holly Is Alive and Well on Ganymede	Bradley Denton	1991
The Real Story	Stephen R Donaldson	1991
Sarah Canary	Karen Joy Fowler	1991
White Queen	Gwyneth Jones	1991
He, She and It	Marge Piercy	1991
Fools	Pat Cadigan	1992
Ammonite	Nicola Griffith	1992
The Children of Men	PD James	1992
China Mountain Zhang	Maureen F McHugh	1992
Red Mars	Kim Stanley Robinson	1992
Brother to Dragons	Charles Sheffield	1992
Snow Crash	Neal Stephenson	1992
A Fire Upon the Deep	Vernor Vinge	1992
Doomsday Book	Connie Willis	1992
Moving Mars	Greg Bear	1993
Parable of the Sower	Octavia E Butler	1993
The Hammer of God	Arthur C Clarke	1993
Aztec Century	Christopher Evans	1993
Growing Up Weightless	John M Ford	1993
Virtual Light	William Gibson	1993
Beggars in Spain	Nancy Kress	1993
Vurt	Jeff Noon	1993
Green Mars	Kim Stanley Robinson	1993
On Basilisk Station	David Weber	1993
Random Acts of Senseless Violence	Jack Womack	1993
Feersum Endjinn	Iain Banks	1994
Mirror Dance	Lois McMaster Bujold	1994
Foreigner	CJ Cherryh	1994
Permutation City	Greg Egan	1994
The Engines of God	Jack McDevitt	1994
The Calcutta Chromosome	Amitav Ghosh	1995
Slow River	Nicola Griffith	1995
Fairyland	Paul J McAuley	1995
The Prestige	Christopher Priest	1995
The Terminal Experiment	Robert J Sawyer	1995
The Diamond Age	Neal Stephenson	1995
Excession	Iain Banks	1996
The Time Ships	Stephen Baxter	1996
Memory	Lois McMaster Bujold	1996
The Reality Dysfunction	Peter F Hamilton	1996
Blue Mars	Kim Stanley Robinson	1996
The Sparrow	Mary Doria Russell	1996
Night Lamp	Jack Vance	1996
In the Garden of Iden	Kage Baker	1997
Diaspora	Greg Egan	1997
Forever Peace	Joe Haldeman	1997
The Moon and the Sun	Vonda N McIntyre	1997
The Rise of Endymion	Dan Simmons	1997
To Say Nothing of the Dog	Connie Willis	1997
Parable of the Talents	Octavia E Butler	1998
The Extremes	Christopher Priest	1998
Distraction	Bruce Sterling	1998
Dreaming in Smoke	Tricia Sullivan	1998
Brute Orbits	George Zebrowski	1998
Darwin's Radio	Greg Bear	1999
The Quantum Rose	Catherine Asaro	1999
Ender's Shadow	Orson Scott Card	1999
Timeline	Michael Crichton	1999
The Sky Road	Ken MacLeod	1999
Flashforward	Robert J Sawyer	1999
Cryptonomicon	Neal Stephenson	1999
A Deepness in the Sky	Vernor Vinge	1999
Starfish	Peter Watts	1999
Genesis	Poul Anderson	2000
Ash: A Secret History	Mary Gentle	2000
The Telling	Ursula K Le Guin	2000
Perdido Street Station	China Miéville	2000
Revelation Space	Alastair Reynolds	2000
Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire	JK Rowling	2000
Titan	Ben Bova	2001
American Gods	Neil Gaiman	2001
Bold as Love	Gwyneth Jones	2001
Probability Sun	Nancy Kress	2001
The Secret of Life	Paul J McAuley	2001
Chasm City	Alastair Reynolds	2001
Terraforming Earth	Jack Williamson	2001
Passage	Connie Willis	2001
The Chronoliths	Robert Charles Wilson	2001
The Atrocity Archives	Charles Stross	2001–2004?
Prey	Michael Crichton	2002
Metro 2033	Dmitry Glukhovsky	2002
Light	M John Harrison	2002
Dune: The Butlerian Jihad	Brian Herbert & Kevin J Anderson	2002
Castles Made of Sand	Gwyneth Jones	2002
Speed of Dark	Elizabeth Moon	2002
Altered Carbon	Richard K Morgan	2002
The Separation	Christopher Priest	2002
The Years of Rice and Salt	Kim Stanley Robinson	2002
Hominids	Robert J Sawyer	2002
Oryx and Crake	Margaret Atwood	2003
Paladin of Souls	Lois McMaster Bujold	2003
Pattern Recognition	William Gibson	2003
Felaheen	Jon Courtenay Grimwood	2003
Omega	Jack McDevitt	2003
Trading in Danger	Elizabeth Moon	2003
Ilium	Dan Simmons	2003
The Baroque Cycle (Quicksilver, The Confusion, The System of the World)	Neal Stephenson	2003–2004
The Algebraist	Iain Banks	2004
Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell	Susanna Clarke	2004
Camouflage	Joe Haldeman	2004
Pandora's Star	Peter F Hamilton	2004
Life	Gwyneth Jones	2004
River of Gods	Ian McDonald	2004
Iron Council	China Miéville	2004
Market Forces	Richard K Morgan	2004
Seeker	Jack McDevitt	2005
Pushing Ice	Alastair Reynolds	2005
Air	Geoff Ryman	2005
Mindscan	Robert J Sawyer	2005
Old Man's War	John Scalzi	2005
Accelerando	Charles Stross	2005
Spin	Robert Charles Wilson	2005
The Three-Body Problem	Liu Cixin	2006
End of the World Blues	Jon Courtenay Grimwood	2006
Nova Swing	M John Harrison	2006
The Lost Fleet: Dauntless	John G Hemry	2006
The Lies of Locke Lamora	Scott Lynch	2006
The Android's Dream	John Scalzi	2006
Daemon	Daniel Suarez	2006
Rainbows End	Vernor Vinge	2006
Blindsight	Peter Watts	2006
The Yiddish Policemen's Union	Michael Chabon	2007
In War Times	Kathleen Ann Goonan	2007
The Dreaming Void	Peter F Hamilton	2007
Powers	Ursula K Le Guin	2007
Brasyl	Ian McDonald	2007
Black Man	Richard K Morgan	2007
The Prefect	Alastair Reynolds	2007
The Name of the Wind	Patrick Rothfuss	2007
Grimspace	Ann Aguirre	2008
Little Brother	Cory Doctorow	2008
The Graveyard Book	Neil Gaiman	2008
Song of Time	Ian R MacLeod	2008
The Night Sessions	Ken MacLeod	2008
The Host	Stephenie Meyer	2008
House of Suns	Alastair Reynolds	2008
Anathem	Neal Stephenson	2008
The Windup Girl	Paolo Bacigalupi	2009
The City & the City	China Miéville	2009
Boneshaker	Cherie Priest	2009
Zoo City	Lauren Beukes	2010
Death's End	Liu Cixin	2010
The Dervish House	Ian McDonald	2010
Blackout/All Clear	Connie Willis	2010
Embassytown	China Miéville	2011
The Islanders	Christopher Priest	2011
The Testament of Jessie Lamb	Jane Rogers	2011
The Highest Frontier	Joan Slonczewski	2011
Among Others	Jo Walton	2011
Dark Eden	Chris Beckett	2012
Jack Glass	Adam Roberts	2012
2312	Kim Stanley Robinson	2012
Ack-Ack Macaque	Gareth L Powell	2012
Redshirts	John Scalzi	2012
Abaddon's Gate	James SA Corey	2013
Ancillary Justice	Ann Leckie	2013
Strange Bodies	Marcel Theroux	2013
Time is the Fire: The Best of Connie Willis	Connie Willis	2013
Ancillary Sword	Ann Leckie	2014
Station Eleven	Emily St John Mandel	2014
The First Fifteen Lives of Harry August	Claire North	2014
Annihilation	Jeff VanderMeer	2014
The House of Shattered Wings	Aliette de Bodard	2015
The Fifth Season	NK Jemisin	2015
Ancillary Mercy	Ann Leckie	2015
Radiomen	Eleanor Lerman	2015
Uprooted	Naomi Novik	2015
Children of Time	Adrian Tchaikovsky	2015
All the Birds in the Sky	Charlie Jane Anders	2016
Europe in Winter	Dave Hutchinson	2016
The Obelisk Gate	NK Jemisin	2016
Rosewater	Tade Thompson	2016
Central Station	Lavie Tidhar	2016
The Underground Railroad	Colson Whitehead	2016
The Rift	Nina Allan	2017
Dreams Before the Start of Time	Anne Charnock	2017
The Stone Sky	NK Jemisin	2017
The Collapsing Empire	John Scalzi	2017
The Genius Plague	David Walton	2017
The Calculating Stars	Mary Robinette Kowal	2018
Blackfish City	Sam J Miller	2018
Embers of War	Gareth L Powell	2018
The City in the Middle of the Night	Charlie Jane Anders	2019
A Memory Called Empire	Arkady Martine	2019
A Song for a New Day	Sarah Pinsker	2019
The Old Drift	Namwali Serpell	2019
Children of Ruin	Adrian Tchaikovsky	2019
The City We Became	NK Jemisin	2020
The Animals in That Country	Laura Jean McKay	2020
Network Effect	Martha Wells	2020
A Master of Djinn	P Djèlí Clark	2021
Deep Wheel Orcadia	Harry Josephine Giles	2021
A Desolation Called Peace	Arkady Martine	2021
Shards of Earth	Adrian Tchaikovsky	2021
Babel, or the Necessity of Violence	RF Kuang	2022
The Kaiju Preservation Society	John Scalzi	2022
City of Last Chances	Adrian Tchaikovsky	2022

Greetings From /FCS!

With all of the realignment and interest in finding Division I football that harks back to a simpler pre-Fox/ESPN super division era, we’ve noticed an uptick in interest in what the FCS has to offer. But most of us who follow college football, even many fans of FCS teams, likely don’t know that much about the lower subdivision. And that’s a problem we want to help fix!
This offseason we’ve been running a series detailing each FCS conference and their members heading into the 2023 season. This is the last posting in that series, a conversation about the subdivision as a whole.
Following this intro will be a bit of information about the FCS and how it got to its current state. There will also be tables listing the current and former conferences, and in those tables are links to each conferences’ “Get to Know the FCS” posting. In those posts you will find a history and breakdown of each conference, as well as some basic information about each team (including their head coaches, records, playoff history, rivals, etc).
Please feel free to visit each and learn a bit about a great part of Division I football. Until the threads ultimately get time-locked, you're encouraged to comment with any information you may think is relevant to a conference or team, ask questions, highlight traditions, etc.
Thanks, and enjoy the coming FCS season!

Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) Background

The Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) is a subdivision of Division I football created by the NCAA in 1978, under the original “I-AA” (as compared to I-A for what is now the FBS). Although people still use it informally, the I-AA naming convention was officially dropped by the NCAA in 2006 in favor of the current FCS designation.
While there are many similarities between the FBS and FCS, given they’re both part of the same division, there are also two major differences.
The first is regarding scholarships; FCS teams are limited to the equivalent of 63 full scholarships, spread across a maximum of 85 players. Despite being able to offer up to 63 scholarships, not every FCS conference offers to that level. Both the Ivy League and Pioneer Football League prohibit members from offering scholarship to football players, while the Northeast Conference (NEC) limits their members to 45 athletic scholarships (although, other equivalent aid can be provide up the FCS limit). The only other conference to limit scholarship is the Patriot League, which originally prevented members from offering scholarship, but now allows the equivalent of a total of 60 scholarship equivalents. The Patriot League also prohibits the ability for athletes to red-shirt. Georgetown is the lone member of the Patriot League to still not offer any scholarships.
The second difference is in the nature of the season and determination of a national champion. FCS teams usually play an 11 game regular season schedule which ends the week before Thanksgiving. The exceptions to this are the Ivy League, who plays a ten game schedule, and the SWAC which holds a 12th conference championship game in December. But heading into Thanksgiving, instead of a bowl system and paltry 4-team playoff, the FCS holds an NCAA sanctioned 24-team playoff to determine its national champion. As such, a team can play as many as 16 games in a season.
History
Upon inception in 1978, the I-AA playoff was a familiar-to-FBS-fans 4 teams large for the first two seasons, expanding to 8 in 1981.
In 1982 the subdivision saw its first major growth after the NCAA—in a move not explicitly but clearly aimed at the Ivy League—set new regulations for I-A membership that forced the reclassification of multiple programs. Under the rules, any team that failed to meet specified criteria for Division l-A membership was required to reclassify to the I-AA subdivision. The criteria were:

• Must sponsor at least eight varsity sports, including football
  
• Must play at least 60 percent of their games against Division I-A members
  
• Must average more than 17,000 paid attendance at home games for the past four years, or play in a stadium that contains at least 30,000 seats and have averaged 17,000 paid home attendance for at least one of the past four years
  

The move was forced by the College Football Association, a special-interest group of 61 of the country's most powerful teams, that was seeking a greater hand in shaping policy on network television contracts. Prior to the NCAA’s vote, the CFA schools had threatened to break from the traditional arrangement, going so far as to have began negotiating a contract of their own independent of the NCAA.
These were rules that half the Ivy League could not meet, and the conference chose as a group to all move down to I-AA. Overall, the rule relegated a total of 36 teams from I-A down to I-AA in the 1982 season, growing the subdivision to 86 teams. The rule would continue to contribute to shift in a number of programs over the next few years.
With this increase in member teams came a growth in the playoff bracket size, seeing a move to 16 teams from 1986-2009.
The other major sea change in the subdivision would come after a 1991 rule adopted by the NCAA requiring athletic programs to maintain all of their sports at the same division level by the 1993 season. As such, many Division I programs with football teams at the Division II and Division III levels were forced to upgrade their programs to the Division I-AA level. This would lead to a number of teams coming up as independents to later join various conferences, as well as contributed to the formation of a number of new conferences, including the American West Conference, MAAC Football League, the Pioneer Football League, and later the Northeast Conference.
For more subdivision information, another great set of resources (updated through 2020) are this database from FearTheFCS of every FCS team since the subdivision was created in 1978 and this list of every game between and FCS and FBS. These may seem simple enough things to assemble, but there is no single other place to find this in one place. The NCAA doesn't even have records that maintain consistency to the same degree.
We already noted that in 2006 the NCAA formerly dropped the I-AA designation in favor of Football Championship Subdivision. But despite this, it wouldn’t be until 2013 and an expansion to a 24 team bracket that every conference in the subdivision who wished to send their champion would actually be provided with an autobid. Until that point (including after the expansion from 16 teams to 20 teams in 2010), the Pioneer League had never been given a bid despite having multiple teams end the season ranked in the Top 25.
The FCS playoffs as we know them today are a 24 team bracket which culminates in a championship game in Frisco, Texas. In this bracket, the top 8 teams are seeded and given first round byes (although in coming years it’s expected that the NCAA will be expanding the seeding to the top 16 teams). These teams are not necessarily the winners of their conferences, as seeds are open to anyone independent of autobid status.
For all intents, the highest seeded team is guaranteed home field through the playoffs until Frisco. The first two rounds of the tournament are regional in nature, emphasizing location over competitiveness. So two non-seeded teams located close to one and other will be matched up in the first round (with an intent on avoiding rematches), with that bracket then also aligned to regionally matchup the winner (no matter which team) as best as possible with a given seeded team for round 2. Then by the quarterfinals the tournament evolves, by nature of the seeds, into a more standard seeded tournament approach.
Current Conferences
For the upcoming 2023 season there will be 128(ish) teams competing in the FCS. I say “ish” because one team, Kennesaw State, is in their first year of FBS transition and is arguably neither FCS nor truly FBS right now.
The other 127 of these teams will be playing in one of 13 “conferences”, with the word being used loosely because of a pair of partnerships (the Big South-OVC and the UAC) that are actually two conferences each competing under one banner, although unofficially as far as the NCAA recognizes.

Conference	First Year of Football	2023 Membership Count	I-AA/FCS Championships	Conference Write-Up
Big Sky	1963	12	6	Get to Know the Big Sky
Big South-OVC	2023	10	2 (ish)*	Get to Know the Big South-OVC
CAA	2007	15 (16 in 2024)	3	Get to Know the CAA
FCS Independents	1978	1(ish) (0 in 2024)	7	Get to Know the FCS Independents
Ivy League	1954	8	0	Get to Know the Ivy League
MEAC	1970	6	0	Get to Know the MEAC
MVFC	1985	12	12	Get to Know the MVFC
NEC	1996	8	0	Get to Know the NEC
Patriot League	1986	7	0	Get to Know the Patriot League
Pioneer Football League	1993	11	0	Get to Know the Pioneer Football League
SoCon	1921	9	8	Get to Know the SoCon
Southland	1963	8	2	Get to Know the Southland
SWAC	1921	12	0	Get to Know the SWAC
UAC	2023	9 (10 in 2025)	0	Get to Know the UAC

* The Big South-OVC as a new entity obviously doesn’t have any national championships. However, former OVC member EKU won two while a member of the OVC, and since we’re not yet classifying the OVC as a “former” conference, this is where we’ve chosen to assign those titles for the time being.
Former Conferences
Since the formation of the I-AA in 1978, there have also been seven conferences to sponsor football in the subdivision before ultimately dropping support. In some instances, these conferences were short lived entities created to allow the transition of group of schools from DII or DIII football up to DI. In other instances, these were conferences with rich histories that found themselves in a position unable to justify continuing sponsoring football as the landscape changed. (Note, these conference write ups were done before the 2019 season, and as such some information regarding current member conferences, as well as some flair, are now incorrect).

Conference	Year as Football Conference	Total Membership Count	I-AA/FCS Championships	Conference Write-Up
American West	1993-1996	5 (4 in the FCS/I-AA subdivision)	0	Get to Know the (former) American West
Mid-Continent Conference	1978-1984	7 (4 in the FCS/I-AA subdivision)	0	Get to Know the (former) Mid-Continent Conference
Atlantic 10 / Yankee Conference	1947-2006	16 (14 in the FCS/I-AA subdivision)	3	Get to Know the (former) Atlantic 10 / Yankee Conference
Great West	2004-2011	8	0	Get to Know the (former) Great West
Gulf Star	1984-1986	6	0	Get to Know the (former) Gulf Star
MAAC	1993-2007	10	0	Get to Know the (former) MAAC
Missouri Valley Conference	1907-1985	29 (5 in the FCS/I-AA subdivision)	1	Get to Know the (former) Missouri Valley Conference

Additionally, in the subdivision's inaugural 1978 season, Florida A&M was the lone I-AA member of the otherwise Division II Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SIAC). The Rattlers would go on to earn an at-large bid for the fourth spot in the playoffs, and would subsequently end up winning the 1978 National Championship. So despite never truly being a I-AA/FCS conference, the SIAC does hold claim to the first I-AA championship, and is why the championships don’t actually add up.

Playoffs and Championships

The FCS determines its national champion through an NCAA-sanctioned single-elimination bracket tournament. Since the 2013 season, the tournament has started with 24 teams; 11 conference champions that received automatic bids, and 13 teams selected at-large by an NCAA sanctioned selection committee. The top 8 teams, as determined by the committee, are seeded and receive byes past the first round.
You may have noted that I said 10 conference champions despite there being 13 conferences in total. This is because three of the conference, the Ivy League, the MEAC, and the SWAC abstain from sending their champion to the tournament. Despite qualifying for an autobid, the Ivy League has not played any post-season games since becoming a conference in 1956, citing academic concerns.
As for the two HBCU conferences, they send their champions to play against each other in mid-December in the Celebration Bowl, a de facto Black College Football National Championship. Furthermore, the SWAC has its own championship game in mid-December prior to the Celebration bowl, and three of its member schools traditionally do not finish their regular seasons until Thanksgiving weekend: Grambling State and Southern play each other in the Bayou Classic, and Alabama State plays Tuskegee (of Division II) in the Turkey Day Classic. Both MEAC and SWAC teams are eligible to accept at-large bids if their schedule is not in conflict.
The tournament traditionally begins on Thanksgiving weekend in late November. Every game except for the title game is played at the higher ranking team’s stadium, providing a strong incentive in the regular season to play for home field advantage. The championship game is then played at a pre-determined site, which since 2010 has been (what is now) Toyota Stadium in Frisco, Texas.
Prior to Frisco, the game has been played in a total of 9 other locations. From 1997-2009 the championship game had been held at Finley Stadium (home of the Chattanooga Mocs) in Chattanooga, Tennessee. This was preceded by five seasons in Marshall’s stadium in Huntington, West Virginia, from 1992 to 1996. For 1989 through 1991 it was held on Georgia Southern’s campus in Statesboro, Georgia, and the 1987 and 1988 games were played in Idaho State’s stadium in Pocatello, Idaho. In 1985 and 1986, Tacoma, Washington, hosted the game, which the NCAA branded as the Diamond Bowl. Prior to that, the game was played in Charleston, South Carolina for the 1983 and 1984 seasons. The 1981-1982 games were played in Wichita Falls and known as the Pioneer Bowl. Wichita Falls was also the host of the inaugural 1978 championship game, and the only city to host multiple times in non-consecutive years. Finally, the 1980 game was held in Sacramento, California and known as the Camellia Bowl, and the 1979 games was hosted in Orlando, Florida at the then D-III UCF Knight’s stadium.
When the I-AA subdivison was formed in 1978, the playoffs included just four teams for its first three seasons. This was double to eight teams for the 1981 season, and raised again to 12 teams from 1982 to 1985. Further expansion to 16 teams lasted from 1986 through 2009, and then in 2010 was grown again to 20 teams. This jump to 20 teams shifted the championship game from December to early January of the following year. The latest expansion, to 24 teams, occurred in 2013.
Over the last 45 seasons, 23 different teams have won the National Championship. The reigning champions from the 2022 season are the South Dakota State Jackrabbits, who won their first FCS National Championship on January 7th, 2023.
I-AA/FCS Champions

Team	National Championships	Season of National Championship(s)	Additional Championship Game Appearances	Season of Additional Championship Game Appearance(s)
North Dakota State	9	2011*, 2012*, 2013*, 2014*, 2015*, 2017*, 2018*, 2019*, 2021*	1	2022*
Georgia Southern	6	1985, 1986, 1989, 1990, 1999, 2000	2	1988, 1998
Youngstown State	4	1991, 1993, 1994, 1997	3	1992, 1999, 2016*
Appalachian State	3	2005, 2006, 2007	0
Montana	2	1995, 2001	5	1996, 2000, 2004, 2008, 2009
Marshall	2	1992, 1996	4	1987, 1991, 1993, 1995
Eastern Kentucky	2	1979, 1982	2	1980, 1981
James Madison	2	2004, 2016*	1	2017*, 2019*
Boise State	1	1980	1	1994
Delaware	1	2003	3	1982, 2007, 2010*
Furman	1	1988	2	1985, 2001
Eastern Washington	1	2010*	1	2018*
Florida A&M	1	1978	0	N/A
Idaho State	1	1981	0	N/A
Montana State	1	1984	1	2021*
Northeast Louisiana (now Louisiana-Monroe)	1	1987	0	N/A
Richmond	1	2008	0	N/A
Sam Houston	1	2020**	2	2011*, 2012*
South Dakota State	1	2022*	1	2020**
Southern Illinois	1	1983	0	N/A
UMass	1	1998	2	1978, 2006
Villanova	1	2009	0	N/A
WKU	1	2002	0	N/A
McNeese State	0	N/A	2	1997, 2002
Arkansas State	0	N/A	1	1986
Colgate	0	N/A	1	2003
Illinois State	0	N/A	1	2014*
Jacksonville State	0	N/A	1	2015*
Lehigh	0	N/A	1	1979
Louisiana Tech	0	N/A	1	1984
Nevada	0	N/A	1	1990
Northern Iowa	0	N/A	1	2005
Stephen F. Austin	0	N/A	1	1989
Towson	0	N/A	1	2013*
Western Carolina	0	N/A	1	1983

*Championship games played in January of the following calendar year
**2020 Season and Championship game were both played in the Spring of 2021
NCAA Division I FCS Mid Major National Football Champions
The NCAA Division I FCS Mid Major National Football Championship was a label that began in 2001 and ended after the 2007 season, based on the I-AA (and later FCS) Sports Network Mid Major Poll.
The teams that were ranked in the poll came from three conferences, the Pioneer Football League, the Northeast Conference, and the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference. These were three of the six Division I FCS football conferences that did not receive automatic bids to the FCS football tournament at the time, and thus were essentially unable to compete for the FCS championship (The NEC wouldn’t receive an autobid until 2010, the PFL wouldn’t receive one, or any bid at all, until 2013, and the MAAC never get one before ceasing to play in the subdivision.)
The Sports Network Cup was awarded annually to the winner. Like the Stanley Cup, the Sports Network Cup was a traveling trophy, spending the year at the winning school and then passed on to the next winner annually.
Beginning with the 2008 season, corresponding to the MAAC discontinuing sponsorship of football, the Sports Network ceased the mid-major poll and began including the teams previously ranked in the mid-major poll into more serious consideration for the full Division I FCS poll.

Year	Champion	Conference
2001	Sacred Heart	Northeast Conference
2002	Dayton	Pioneer Football League
2003	Duquesne	Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference
2004	Monmouth	Northeast Conference
2005	San Diego	Pioneer Football League
2006	San Diego	Pioneer Football League
2007	Dayton	Pioneer Football League

Black College Football National Champions
Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) have a rather rich history of naming their own national champion. During segregation, predominantly white schools refused to play HBCUs, leaving them with limitations in scheduling. While black colleges began playing football against each other in 1892 (the first game being between Johnson C Smith vs. Livingstone College, which Johnson C Smith won 5-0), it wasn’t until the 1948 Fruit Bowl (between Southern and San Francisco State) that an HBCU played a predominantly white school (in a game that Southern won 30-0).
But because of the long time frame where they were only allowed to play each other, systems quickly (well, relatively quickly) developed to try and name a black college national champion. The first attempt to designate an HBCU national champion team came in 1920, by the Pittsburg Courier, 28 years after the first game had been played between two black colleges.
Over time, the designation by the Pittsburg Courier has evolved into what is now called the Sheridan Poll. The Sheridan Poll awards the Jake Gaither National Championship trophy to this day, and is currently run by the American Urban Radio Networks.
In 1921, another group aligned with many of the HBCU schools emerged, calling itself the Champion Aggregation of All Conferences (CAAC). The CAAC existed from 1921-1949, promoting its own champion in Spalding’s Intercollegiate Football Guide.
Like other college football championship claims, over the years (from 1921 to now) a number of other polls or championship designators have come and gone; it’s hard to get a complete handle, but there are something like 20-25 that have existed at some point.
There have also been a number of attempts to name an HBCU champion through a final championship game. This includes:

• Colored Championship (1920 and 1923) - only included members of the Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association conference
  
• Chocolate Bowl (1935)
  
• Steel (1940) and Vulcan Bowl (1941)
  
• National Bowl (1947)
  
• National Football Classic (1954)
  
• Pelican Bowl (1972, 1974-1975) - only between champions of the MEAC and SWAC
  
• Heritage Bowl (1991-1999) - only between champions (and often not even that) of the MEAC and SWAC
  
• Celebration Bowl (2015-current) - only between champions of the MEAC and SWAC
  

But especially with the later bowls like the Celebration Bowl, since not all HBCUs are eligible to play in the bowl games (such as Tennessee State in the OVC or Hampton and North Carolina A&T in the CAA), they don’t act as an undisputed HBCU championship game, although they tend to serve as such de facto.
Partly because of the lack of full inclusion, even now there are a number of HBCU National Champion designating polls and organizations, at both DI and the below divisions. Beyond the Celebration Bowl and the Sheridan Poll, there are others like the BOXTOROW Coaches and Media polls, Black College Sports Page poll, and Dr. Cavil’s Classic Cuts poll, among others. And with the various designators, there are split championships and unclaimed titles that extend as recently as 2021, when South Carolina State defeated Jackson State in the Celebration Bowl to earn the majority of title claims, although Jackson State also was named the national champion because of their overall stronger season (but they do not officially recognize the claim themselves).
Since the formation of the I-AA/FCS subdivision, 19 different HBCUs have been named a Black College Football National Champion by at least one poll:

School	HBCU National Championships	Seasons
Grambling State	9	1980, 1983, 1992, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2005, 2008, 2016
Hampton	6	1985, 1994, 1997, 2004, 2005, 2006
North Carolina A&T	6	1990, 1999, 2015, 2017, 2018, 2019
South Carolina State	6	1981, 1982, 1994, 2008, 2009, 2021
Tennessee State	6	1979, 1982, 1983, 1984, 2012, 2013
Southern	5	1993, 1995, 1997, 1998, 2003
Bethune–Cookman	4	2002, 2010, 2012, 2013
Florida A&M	4	1978, 1998, 2001, 2019
Howard	3	1987, 1993, 1996
Jackson State	3	1985, 1996, 2021
NCCU	3	2005, 2006, 2022
Alabama State	2	1991, 2011
Alcorn State	2	1984, 2014
Alabama A&M	1	2020
Arkansas–Pine Bluff	1	2012
Delaware State	1	2007
Norfolk State	1	2011
Prairie View A&M	1	2009
Texas Southern	1	2010

Individual Awards

Many of the national collegiate player and coaches awards are open to players of all divisions. This includes the Heisman, which has seen players from I-AA/FCS place third in voting twice (Holy Cross’ Gordie Lockbaum in 1987, and Alcorn State’s Steve McNair in 1994). However, there are also four major awards that are FCS player or coach specific.
Walter Payton Award
The Walter Payton Award (named in honor of the NFL legend Walter Payton, who had played for Jackson State University in the early 70s) is awarded annually to the most outstanding offensive player in the FCS. The award was first given in 1987 to the most outstanding player in the division, much like the Heisman. In 1995, after the inauguration of the Buck Buchanan Award for defensive players, eligibility for the Walter Payton Award was restricted to offensive players only.
The award is chosen by a nationwide panel of media and college sports information directors. In its 26 year history, 24 different schools have had a player win the award. In 2009, Armanti Edwards from Appalachian State became the first player to receive the award twice. This feat was repeated in 2017 when Jeremiah Briscoe from Sam Houston won his second Walter Payton Award.

Year	Winner	School	Position
1987	Kenny Gamble	Colgate	Running back
1988	Dave Meggett	Towson State	Running back
1989	John Friesz	Idaho	Quarterback
1990	Walter Dean	Grambling	Running back
1991	Jamie Martin	Weber State	Quarterback
1992	Michael Payton	Marshall	Quarterback
1993	Doug Nussmeier	Idaho	Quarterback
1994	Steve McNair	Alcorn State	Quarterback
1995	Dave Dickenson	Montana	Quarterback
1996	Archie Amerson	Northern Arizona	Running back
1997	Brian Finneran	Villanova	Wide receiver
1998	Jerry Azumah	New Hampshire	Running back
1999	Adrian Peterson	Georgia Southern	Running back
2000	Louis Ivory	Furman	Running back
2001	Brian Westbrook	Villanova	Running back
2002	Tony Romo	Eastern Illinois	Quarterback
2003	Jamaal Branch	Colgate	Running back
2004	Lang Campbell	William & Mary	Quarterback
2005	Erik Meyer	Eastern Washington	Quarterback
2006	Ricky Santos	New Hampshire	Quarterback
2007	Jayson Foster	Georgia Southern	Quarterback
2008	Armanti Edwards	Appalachian State	Quarterback
2009	Armanti Edwards (2)	Appalachian State	Quarterback
2010	Jeremy Moses	Stephen F. Austin	Quarterback
2011	Bo Levi Mitchell	Eastern Washington	Quarterback
2012	Taylor Heinicke	Old Dominion	Quarterback
2013	Jimmy Garoppolo	Eastern Illinois	Quarterback
2014	John Robertson	Villanova	Quarterback
2015	Cooper Kupp	Eastern Washington	Wide receiver
2016	Jeremiah Briscoe	Sam Houston	Quarterback
2017	Jeremiah Briscoe (2)	Sam Houston	Quarterback
2018	Devlin Hodges	Samford	Quarterback
2019	Trey Lance	North Dakota State	Quarterback
2020	Cole Kelley	Southeastern	Quarterback
2021	Eric Barriere	Eastern Washington	Quarterback
2022	Lindsey Scott Jr.	UIW	Quarterback

Buck Buchanan Award
The Buck Buchanan Award is awarded annually to the most outstanding defensive player in the FCS, and was first given in 1995 after the Walter Payton Award was designated solely for offensive players. It was named in honor of the late NFL legend Junious "Buck" Buchanan, who starred at Grambling State University in the early 60s.
Like the Walter Payton Award, the Buck Buchanan Award is chosen by a nationwide panel of media and college sports information directors. In it’s 28 year history, 20 different schools have had a player win the award. Dexter Coakley of Appalachian State University is the only player to win the award twice.

Year	Winner	School	Position
1995	Dexter Coakley	Appalachian State	Linebacker
1996	Dexter Coakley (2)	Appalachian State	Linebacker
1997	Chris McNeil	North Carolina A&T	Defensive end
1998	James Milton	Western Illinois	Linebacker
1999	Al Lucas	Troy State	Defensive tackle
2000	Edgerton Hartwell	Western Illinois	Linebacker
2001	Derrick Lloyd	James Madison	Linebacker
2002	Rashean Mathis	Bethune-Cookman	Cornerback
2003	Jared Allen	Idaho State	Defensive end
2004	Jordan Beck	Cal Poly	Linebacker
2005	Chris Gocong	Cal Poly	Defensive end
2006	Kyle Shotwell	Cal Poly	Linebacker
2007	Kroy Biermann	Montana	Defensive end
2008	Greg Peach	Eastern Washington	Defensive end
2009	Arthur Moats	James Madison	Defensive end
2010	J. C. Sherritt	Eastern Washington	Linebacker
2011	Matt Evans	New Hampshire	Linebacker
2012	Caleb Schreibeis	Montana State	Defensive end
2013	Brad Daly	Montana State	Defensive end
2014	Kyle Emanuel	North Dakota State	Defensive end
2015	Deon King	Norfolk State	Linebacker
2016	Karter Schult	Northern Iowa	Defensive end
2017	Darius Jackson	Jacksonville State	Defensive end
2018	Zach Hall	Southeast Missouri State	Linebacker
2019	Dante Olson	Montana	Linebacker
2020	Jordan Lewis	Southern	Defensive end
2021	Isaiah Land	Florida A&M	Linebacker
2022	Zeke Vandenburgh	Illinois State	Linebacker

Jerry Rice Award
Since 2011, the Jerry Rice Award has been presented to the most outstanding freshman player in the FCS. In three instances (John Robertson, Cooper Kupp, and Trey Lance) the Jerry Rice Award winner has gone on to win the Walter Payton Award, with Trey Lance being the only of the three to win both in the same season.

Year	Winner	School	Position
2011	Terrance West	Towson	Running back
2012	John Robertson	Villanova	Quarterback
2013	Cooper Kupp	Eastern Washington	Wide receiver
2014	Chase Edmonds	Fordham	Running back
2015	Case Cookus	Northern Arizona	Quarterback
2016	A. J. Hines	Duquesne	Running back
2017	Bryson Armstrong	Kennesaw State	Linebacker
2018	Josh Davis	Weber State	Running back
2019	Trey Lance	North Dakota State	Quarterback
2020	Cameron Ward	UIW	Quarterback
2021	Shedeur Sanders	Jackson State	Quarterback
2022	Gevani McCoy	Idaho	Quarterback

Eddie Robinson Award
The Eddie Robinson Award has been presented annually to top football coach in the I-AA/FCS subdivision since 1987. It is named after College Football Hall of Fame coach Eddie Robinson, who coached at Grambling State for 56 year and was, at the time of his retirement in 1997, the winningest coach in college football (with a record of 408-164-15). As of the end of the 2022 season, the award has been won by a total of 34 coaches representing 32 separate schools.

Year	Winner	School
1987	Mark Duffner	Holy Cross
1988	Bill Russo	Lafayette
1989	Erk Russell	Georgia Southern
1990	Gene McDowell	UCF
1991	Chris Ault	Nevada
1992	Charlie Taaffe	The Citadel
1993	Dan Allen	Boston University
1994	Jim Tressel	Youngstown State
1995	Houston Nutt	Murray State
1996	Darren Barbier	Nicholls
1997	Andy Talley	Villanova
1998	Paul Johnson	Georgia Southern
1999	Mickey Matthews	James Madison
2000	Joe Glenn	Montana
2001	Pete Lembo	Lehigh
2002	Tommy Tate	McNeese
2003	Mike Ayers	Wofford
2004	Jerry Kill	Southern Illinois
2005	Sean McDonnell	New Hampshire
2006	Jerry Moore	Appalachian State
2007	Mark Farley	Northern Iowa
2008	Mickey Matthews (2)	James Madison
2009	Henry Frazier III	Prairie View A&M
2010	Tony Samuel	Southeast Missouri
2011	Rob Ambrose	Towson
2012	Craig Bohl	North Dakota State
2013	Craig Bohl (2)	North Dakota State
2014	Sean McDonnell (2)	New Hampshire
2015	Joe Moglia	Chattanooga
2016	K. C. Keeler	Sam Houston
2017	Will Healy	Austin Peay
2018	Dan Hawkins	UC Davis
2019	Troy Taylor	Sacramento State
2020	Scott Wachenheim	VMI
2021	Deion Sanders	Jackson State
2022	John Stiegelmeier	South Dakota State

Relevant Podcasts
Below are all of the podcasts we’re aware of that are covering the FCS or the HBCU Division 1 scene from a national perspective this season. We also have a more exhaustive list updated for the 2023 season with all of the national HBCU podcasts as well as all FCS team and conference podcasts we're aware of, if you’re interested in more specific team or conference content.

National FCS Podcasts	Hosts
The Bluebloods	Zach McKinnell (thebluebloodsfcs)
The FCS Check Down	Nathan McCreary and Brandon Joseph
FCS Delivered	Craig Haley and Gary Reasons
FCS Fans Nation	Mathew Fraase, Kylor Neale, and Jamie Williams
FCS Football Talk	Sam Herder
FCS Nation Radio	Kevin Marshall and Stone Labanowitz
The FCS Wedge	Lance Berndt and Kris Kallem
Get the Ball Rolling	Tyler Fessler
Hack City	Joe DeLeone (joedeleone41) and Sean Anderson
Walk-On Radio	UIW TE Dalton Meyer and LB Devin Grant

Greetings From /FCS!

With all of the realignment and interest in finding Division I football that harks back to a simpler pre-Fox/ESPN super division era, we’ve noticed an uptick in interest in what the FCS has to offer. But most of us who follow college football, even many fans of FCS teams, likely don’t know that much about the lower subdivision. And that’s a problem we want to help fix!
Last (2023) offseason, we ran a series detailing each FCS conference and their members heading into the 2023 season. This is the last post in that series, a conversation about the subdivision as a whole (this has subsequently been updated for the 2024 season, although the individual conference posts have not.**)
Following this intro will be a bit of information about the FCS and how it got to its current state. There will also be tables listing the current and former conferences, and in those tables are links to each conferences’ “Get to Know the FCS” posting. In those posts you will find a history and breakdown of each conference, as well as some basic information about each team (including their head coaches, records, playoff history, rivals, etc).
Please feel free to visit each and learn a bit about a great part of Division I football. Until the threads ultimately get time-locked, you're encouraged to comment with any information you may think is relevant to a conference or team, ask questions, highlight traditions, etc.
Thanks, and enjoy the coming FCS season!

Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) Background

The Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) is a subdivision of Division I football created by the NCAA in 1978, under the original “I-AA” (as compared to I-A for what is now the FBS). Although people still use it informally, the I-AA naming convention was officially dropped by the NCAA in 2006 in favor of the current FCS designation.
While there are many similarities between the FBS and FCS, given they’re both part of the same division, there are also two major differences.
The first is regarding scholarships; FCS teams are limited to the equivalent of 63 full scholarships, spread across a maximum of 85 players. Despite being able to offer up to 63 scholarships, not every FCS conference offers to that level. Both the Ivy League and Pioneer Football League prohibit members from offering scholarship to football players, while the Northeast Conference (NEC) limits their members to 45 athletic scholarships (although, other equivalent aid can be provide up the FCS limit). The only other conference to limit scholarship is the Patriot League, which originally prevented members from offering scholarship, but now allows the equivalent of a total of 60 scholarship equivalents. The Patriot League also prohibits the ability for athletes to red-shirt. Georgetown is the lone member of the Patriot League to still not offer any scholarships.
The second difference is in the nature of the season and determination of a national champion. FCS teams usually play an 11 game regular season schedule which ends the week before Thanksgiving. The exceptions to this are the Ivy League, who plays a ten game schedule, and the SWAC which holds a 12th conference championship game in December. But heading into Thanksgiving, instead of a bowl system and paltry 4-team playoff, the FCS holds an NCAA sanctioned 24-team playoff to determine its national champion. As such, a team can play as many as 16 games in a season.
History
Upon inception in 1978, the I-AA playoff was a familiar-to-FBS-fans 4 teams large for the first two seasons, expanding to 8 in 1981.
In 1982 the subdivision saw its first major growth after the NCAA—in a move not explicitly but clearly aimed at the Ivy League—set new regulations for I-A membership that forced the reclassification of multiple programs. Under the rules, any team that failed to meet specified criteria for Division l-A membership was required to reclassify to the I-AA subdivision. The criteria were:

• Must sponsor at least eight varsity sports, including football
  
• Must play at least 60 percent of their games against Division I-A members
  
• Must average more than 17,000 paid attendance at home games for the past four years, or play in a stadium that contains at least 30,000 seats and have averaged 17,000 paid home attendance for at least one of the past four years
  

The move was forced by the College Football Association, a special-interest group of 61 of the country's most powerful teams, that was seeking a greater hand in shaping policy on network television contracts. Prior to the NCAA’s vote, the CFA schools had threatened to break from the traditional arrangement, going so far as to have began negotiating a contract of their own independent of the NCAA.
These were rules that half the Ivy League could not meet, and the conference chose as a group to all move down to I-AA. Overall, the rule relegated a total of 36 teams from I-A down to I-AA in the 1982 season, growing the subdivision to 86 teams. The rule would continue to contribute to shift in a number of programs over the next few years.
With this increase in member teams came a growth in the playoff bracket size, seeing a move to 16 teams from 1986-2009.
The other major sea change in the subdivision would come after a 1991 rule adopted by the NCAA requiring athletic programs to maintain all of their sports at the same division level by the 1993 season. As such, many Division I programs with football teams at the Division II and Division III levels were forced to upgrade their programs to the Division I-AA level. This would lead to a number of teams coming up as independents to later join various conferences, as well as contributed to the formation of a number of new conferences, including the American West Conference, MAAC Football League, the Pioneer Football League, and later the Northeast Conference.
For more subdivision information, another great set of resources are this database from FearTheFCS of every FCS team since the subdivision was created in 1978 and this list of every game between and FCS and FBS as well as a searchable database of every FCS vs FBS matchup to have been played/. These may seem simple enough things to assemble, but there is no single other place to find this in one place. The NCAA doesn't even have records that maintain consistency to the same degree.
We already noted that in 2006 the NCAA formerly dropped the I-AA designation in favor of Football Championship Subdivision. But despite this, it wouldn’t be until 2013 and an expansion to a 24 team bracket that every conference in the subdivision who wished to send their champion would actually be provided with an autobid. Until that point (including after the expansion from 16 teams to 20 teams in 2010), the Pioneer League had never been given a bid despite having multiple teams end the season ranked in the Top 25.
The FCS playoffs as we know them today are a 24 team bracket which culminates in a championship game in Frisco, Texas. In this bracket, the top 8 teams are seeded and given first round byes (although in coming years it’s expected that the NCAA will be expanding the seeding to the top 16 teams). These teams are not necessarily the winners of their conferences, as seeds are open to anyone independent of autobid status.
For all intents, the highest seeded team is guaranteed home field through the playoffs until Frisco. The first two rounds of the tournament are regional in nature, emphasizing location over competitiveness. So two non-seeded teams located close to one and other will be matched up in the first round (with an intent on avoiding rematches), with that bracket then also aligned to regionally matchup the winner (no matter which team) as best as possible with a given seeded team for round 2. Then by the quarterfinals the tournament evolves, by nature of the seeds, into a more standard seeded tournament approach.
Current Conferences
For the upcoming 2024 season, there will be 129(ish) teams competing in the FCS. I say "ish because two teams, Delaware and Missouri State, will be in their first year of FBS transition and are arguably neither FCS nor truly FBS right now
The other 127 of these teams will be playing in one of 13 “conferences”, with the word being used loosely because of a pair of partnerships (the Big South-OVC and the UAC) that are actually two conferences each competing under one banner, although unofficially as far as the NCAA recognizes.
Note: the links to these conferences have not been updated since the 2023 season, so bare that in mind if you see inconsistencies in those writeups compared to the state of things in 2024.

Conference	First Year of Football	2024 Membership Count	I-AA/FCS Championships	Conference Write-Up
Big Sky	1963	12	6	Get to Know the Big Sky
Big South-OVC	2023	9	2 (ish)*	Get to Know the Big South-OVC
CAA	2007	16	3	Get to Know the CAA
FCS Independents	1978	2	7	Get to Know the FCS Independents
Ivy League	1954	8	0	Get to Know the Ivy League
MEAC	1970	6	0	Get to Know the MEAC
MVFC	1985	11	13	Get to Know the MVFC
NEC	1996	8	0	Get to Know the NEC
Patriot League	1986	7	0	Get to Know the Patriot League
Pioneer Football League	1993	11	0	Get to Know the Pioneer Football League
SoCon	1921	9	8	Get to Know the SoCon
Southland	1963	8	2	Get to Know the Southland
SWAC	1921	12	0	Get to Know the SWAC
UAC	2023	10	0	Get to Know the UAC

* The Big South-OVC as a new entity obviously doesn’t have any national championships. However, former OVC member EKU won two while a member of the OVC, and since we’re not yet classifying the OVC as a “former” conference, this is where we’ve chosen to assign those titles for the time being.
Former Conferences
Since the formation of the I-AA in 1978, there have also been seven conferences to sponsor football in the subdivision before ultimately dropping support. In some instances, these conferences were short lived entities created to allow the transition of group of schools from DII or DIII football up to DI. In other instances, these were conferences with rich histories that found themselves in a position unable to justify continuing sponsoring football as the landscape changed.

Conference	Year as Football Conference	Total Membership Count	I-AA/FCS Championships	Conference Write-Up
American West	1993-1996	5 (4 in the FCS/I-AA subdivision)	0	Get to Know the (former) American West
Atlantic 10 / Yankee Conference	1947-2006	16 (14 in the FCS/I-AA subdivision)	3	Get to Know the (former) Atlantic 10 / Yankee Conference
Great West	2004-2011	8	0	Get to Know the (former) Great West
Gulf Star	1984-1986	6	0	Get to Know the (former) Gulf Star
MAAC	1993-2007	10	0	Get to Know the (former) MAAC
Mid-Continent Conference	1978-1984	7 (4 in the FCS/I-AA subdivision)	0	Get to Know the (former) Mid-Continent Conference
Missouri Valley Conference	1907-1985	29 (5 in the FCS/I-AA subdivision)	1	Get to Know the (former) Missouri Valley Conference

Additionally, in the subdivision's inaugural 1978 season, Florida A&M was the lone I-AA member of the otherwise Division II Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SIAC). The Rattlers would go on to earn an at-large bid for the fourth spot in the playoffs, and would subsequently end up winning the 1978 National Championship. So despite never truly being a I-AA/FCS conference, the SIAC does hold claim to the first I-AA championship, and is why the championships don’t actually add up.

Playoffs and Championships

The FCS determines its national champion through an NCAA-sanctioned single-elimination bracket tournament. Since the 2013 season, the tournament has started with 24 teams; 11 conference champions that received automatic bids, and 13 teams selected at-large by an NCAA sanctioned selection committee. The top 8 teams, as determined by the committee, are seeded and receive byes past the first round.
You may have noted that I said 10 conference champions despite there being 13 conferences in total. This is because three of the conference, the Ivy League, the MEAC, and the SWAC abstain from sending their champion to the tournament. Despite qualifying for an autobid, the Ivy League has not played any post-season games since becoming a conference in 1956, citing academic concerns.
As for the two HBCU conferences, they send their champions to play against each other in mid-December in the Celebration Bowl, a de facto Black College Football National Championship. Furthermore, the SWAC has its own championship game in mid-December prior to the Celebration bowl, and three of its member schools traditionally do not finish their regular seasons until Thanksgiving weekend: Grambling State and Southern play each other in the Bayou Classic, and Alabama State plays Tuskegee (of Division II) in the Turkey Day Classic. Both MEAC and SWAC teams are eligible to accept at-large bids if their schedule is not in conflict.
The tournament traditionally begins on Thanksgiving weekend in late November. Every game except for the title game is played at the higher ranking team’s stadium, providing a strong incentive in the regular season to play for home field advantage. The championship game is then played at a pre-determined site, which since 2010 has been (what is now) Toyota Stadium in Frisco, Texas.
Prior to Frisco, the game has been played in a total of 9 other locations. From 1997-2009 the championship game had been held at Finley Stadium (home of the Chattanooga Mocs) in Chattanooga, Tennessee. This was preceded by five seasons in Marshall’s stadium in Huntington, West Virginia, from 1992 to 1996. For 1989 through 1991 it was held on Georgia Southern’s campus in Statesboro, Georgia, and the 1987 and 1988 games were played in Idaho State’s stadium in Pocatello, Idaho. In 1985 and 1986, Tacoma, Washington, hosted the game, which the NCAA branded as the Diamond Bowl. Prior to that, the game was played in Charleston, South Carolina for the 1983 and 1984 seasons. The 1981-1982 games were played in Wichita Falls and known as the Pioneer Bowl. Wichita Falls was also the host of the inaugural 1978 championship game, and the only city to host multiple times in non-consecutive years. Finally, the 1980 game was held in Sacramento, California and known as the Camellia Bowl, and the 1979 games was hosted in Orlando, Florida at the then D-III UCF Knight’s stadium.
When the I-AA subdivison was formed in 1978, the playoffs included just four teams for its first three seasons. This was double to eight teams for the 1981 season, and raised again to 12 teams from 1982 to 1985. Further expansion to 16 teams lasted from 1986 through 2009, and then in 2010 was grown again to 20 teams. This jump to 20 teams shifted the championship game from December to early January of the following year. The latest expansion, to 24 teams, occurred in 2013.
Over the last 46 seasons, 23 different teams have won the National Championship. The reigning champions from the 2023 season are the South Dakota State Jackrabbits, who won their second FCS National Championship on January 7th, 2023.
I-AA/FCS Champions

Team	National Championships	Season of National Championship(s)	Additional Championship Game Appearances	Season of Additional Championship Game Appearance(s)
North Dakota State	9	2011*, 2012*, 2013*, 2014*, 2015*, 2017*, 2018*, 2019*, 2021*	1	2022*
Georgia Southern	6	1985, 1986, 1989, 1990, 1999, 2000	2	1988, 1998
Youngstown State	4	1991, 1993, 1994, 1997	3	1992, 1999, 2016*
Appalachian State	3	2005, 2006, 2007	0
Montana	2	1995, 2001	5	1996, 2000, 2004, 2008, 2009
Marshall	2	1992, 1996	4	1987, 1991, 1993, 1995
Eastern Kentucky	2	1979, 1982	2	1980, 1981
James Madison	2	2004, 2016*	1	2017*, 2019*
South Dakota State	2	2023*	1	2020**
Boise State	1	1980	1	1994
Delaware	1	2003	3	1982, 2007, 2010*
Furman	1	1988	2	1985, 2001
Eastern Washington	1	2010*	1	2018*
Florida A&M	1	1978	0	N/A
Idaho State	1	1981	0	N/A
Montana State	1	1984	1	2021*
Northeast Louisiana (now Louisiana-Monroe)	1	1987	0	N/A
Richmond	1	2008	0	N/A
Sam Houston	1	2020**	2	2011*, 2012*
Southern Illinois	1	1983	0	N/A
UMass	1	1998	2	1978, 2006
Villanova	1	2009	0	N/A
WKU	1	2002	0	N/A
McNeese State	0	N/A	2	1997, 2002
Arkansas State	0	N/A	1	1986
Colgate	0	N/A	1	2003
Illinois State	0	N/A	1	2014*
Jacksonville State	0	N/A	1	2015*
Lehigh	0	N/A	1	1979
Louisiana Tech	0	N/A	1	1984
Nevada	0	N/A	1	1990
Northern Iowa	0	N/A	1	2005
Stephen F. Austin	0	N/A	1	1989
Towson	0	N/A	1	2013*
Western Carolina	0	N/A	1	1983

*Championship games played in January of the following calendar year
**2020 Season and Championship game were both played in the Spring of 2021
NCAA Division I FCS Mid Major National Football Champions
The NCAA Division I FCS Mid Major National Football Championship was a label that began in 2001 and ended after the 2007 season, based on the I-AA (and later FCS) Sports Network Mid Major Poll.
The teams that were ranked in the poll came from three conferences, the Pioneer Football League, the Northeast Conference, and the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference. These were three of the six Division I FCS football conferences that did not receive automatic bids to the FCS football tournament at the time, and thus were essentially unable to compete for the FCS championship (The NEC wouldn’t receive an autobid until 2010, the PFL wouldn’t receive one, or any bid at all, until 2013, and the MAAC never get one before ceasing to play in the subdivision.)
The Sports Network Cup was awarded annually to the winner. Like the Stanley Cup, the Sports Network Cup was a traveling trophy, spending the year at the winning school and then passed on to the next winner annually.
Beginning with the 2008 season, corresponding to the MAAC discontinuing sponsorship of football, the Sports Network ceased the mid-major poll and began including the teams previously ranked in the mid-major poll into more serious consideration for the full Division I FCS poll.

Year	Champion	Conference
2001	Sacred Heart	Northeast Conference
2002	Dayton	Pioneer Football League
2003	Duquesne	Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference
2004	Monmouth	Northeast Conference
2005	San Diego	Pioneer Football League
2006	San Diego	Pioneer Football League
2007	Dayton	Pioneer Football League

Black College Football National Champions
Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) have a rather rich history of naming their own national champion. During segregation, predominantly white schools refused to play HBCUs, leaving them with limitations in scheduling. While black colleges began playing football against each other in 1892 (the first game being between Johnson C Smith vs. Livingstone College, which Johnson C Smith won 5-0), it wasn’t until the 1948 Fruit Bowl (between Southern and San Francisco State) that an HBCU played a predominantly white school (in a game that Southern won 30-0).
But because of the long time frame where they were only allowed to play each other, systems quickly (well, relatively quickly) developed to try and name a black college national champion. The first attempt to designate an HBCU national champion team came in 1920, by the Pittsburg Courier, 28 years after the first game had been played between two black colleges.
Over time, the designation by the Pittsburg Courier has evolved into what is now called the Sheridan Poll. The Sheridan Poll awards the Jake Gaither National Championship trophy to this day, and is currently run by the American Urban Radio Networks.
In 1921, another group aligned with many of the HBCU schools emerged, calling itself the Champion Aggregation of All Conferences (CAAC). The CAAC existed from 1921-1949, promoting its own champion in Spalding’s Intercollegiate Football Guide.
Like other college football championship claims, over the years (from 1921 to now) a number of other polls or championship designators have come and gone; it’s hard to get a complete handle, but there are something like 20-25 that have existed at some point.
There have also been a number of attempts to name an HBCU champion through a final championship game. This includes:

• Colored Championship (1920 and 1923) - only included members of the Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association conference
  
• Chocolate Bowl (1935)
  
• Steel (1940) and Vulcan Bowl (1941)
  
• National Bowl (1947)
  
• National Football Classic (1954)
  
• Pelican Bowl (1972, 1974-1975) - only between champions of the MEAC and SWAC
  
• Heritage Bowl (1991-1999) - only between champions (and often not even that) of the MEAC and SWAC
  
• Celebration Bowl (2015-current) - only between champions of the MEAC and SWAC
  

But especially with the later bowls like the Celebration Bowl, since not all HBCUs are eligible to play in the bowl games (such as Tennessee State in the OVC or Hampton and North Carolina A&T in the CAA), they don’t act as an undisputed HBCU championship game, although they tend to serve as such de facto.
Partly because of the lack of full inclusion, even now there are a number of HBCU National Champion designating polls and organizations, at both DI and the below divisions. Beyond the Celebration Bowl and the Sheridan Poll, there are others like the BOXTOROW Coaches and Media polls, Black College Sports Page poll, and Dr. Cavil’s Classic Cuts poll, among others. And with the various designators, there are split championships and unclaimed titles that extend as recently as 2021, when South Carolina State defeated Jackson State in the Celebration Bowl to earn the majority of title claims, although Jackson State also was named the national champion because of their overall stronger season (but they do not officially recognize the claim themselves).
Since the formation of the I-AA/FCS subdivision, 19 different HBCUs have been named a Black College Football National Champion by at least one poll:

School	HBCU National Championships	Seasons
Grambling State	9	1980, 1983, 1992, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2005, 2008, 2016
Hampton	6	1985, 1994, 1997, 2004, 2005, 2006
North Carolina A&T	6	1990, 1999, 2015, 2017, 2018, 2019
South Carolina State	6	1981, 1982, 1994, 2008, 2009, 2021
Tennessee State	6	1979, 1982, 1983, 1984, 2012, 2013
Florida A&M	5	1978, 1998, 2001, 2019, 2023
Southern	5	1993, 1995, 1997, 1998, 2003
Bethune–Cookman	4	2002, 2010, 2012, 2013
Howard	3	1987, 1993, 1996
Jackson State	3	1985, 1996, 2021
NCCU	3	2005, 2006, 2022
Alabama State	2	1991, 2011
Alcorn State	2	1984, 2014
Alabama A&M	1	2020
Arkansas–Pine Bluff	1	2012
Delaware State	1	2007
Norfolk State	1	2011
Prairie View A&M	1	2009
Texas Southern	1	2010

Individual Awards

Many of the national collegiate player and coaches awards are open to players of all divisions. This includes the Heisman, which has seen players from I-AA/FCS place third in voting twice (Holy Cross’ Gordie Lockbaum in 1987, and Alcorn State’s Steve McNair in 1994). However, there are also four major awards that are FCS player or coach specific.
Walter Payton Award
The Walter Payton Award (named in honor of the NFL legend Walter Payton, who had played for Jackson State University in the early 70s) is awarded annually to the most outstanding offensive player in the FCS. The award was first given in 1987 to the most outstanding player in the division, much like the Heisman. In 1995, after the inauguration of the Buck Buchanan Award for defensive players, eligibility for the Walter Payton Award was restricted to offensive players only.
The award is chosen by a nationwide panel of media and college sports information directors. In its 26 year history, 24 different schools have had a player win the award. In 2009, Armanti Edwards from Appalachian State became the first player to receive the award twice. This feat was repeated in 2017 when Jeremiah Briscoe from Sam Houston won his second Walter Payton Award.

Year	Winner	School	Position
1987	Kenny Gamble	Colgate	Running back
1988	Dave Meggett	Towson State	Running back
1989	John Friesz	Idaho	Quarterback
1990	Walter Dean	Grambling	Running back
1991	Jamie Martin	Weber State	Quarterback
1992	Michael Payton	Marshall	Quarterback
1993	Doug Nussmeier	Idaho	Quarterback
1994	Steve McNair	Alcorn State	Quarterback
1995	Dave Dickenson	Montana	Quarterback
1996	Archie Amerson	Northern Arizona	Running back
1997	Brian Finneran	Villanova	Wide receiver
1998	Jerry Azumah	New Hampshire	Running back
1999	Adrian Peterson	Georgia Southern	Running back
2000	Louis Ivory	Furman	Running back
2001	Brian Westbrook	Villanova	Running back
2002	Tony Romo	Eastern Illinois	Quarterback
2003	Jamaal Branch	Colgate	Running back
2004	Lang Campbell	William & Mary	Quarterback
2005	Erik Meyer	Eastern Washington	Quarterback
2006	Ricky Santos	New Hampshire	Quarterback
2007	Jayson Foster	Georgia Southern	Quarterback
2008	Armanti Edwards	Appalachian State	Quarterback
2009	Armanti Edwards (2)	Appalachian State	Quarterback
2010	Jeremy Moses	Stephen F. Austin	Quarterback
2011	Bo Levi Mitchell	Eastern Washington	Quarterback
2012	Taylor Heinicke	Old Dominion	Quarterback
2013	Jimmy Garoppolo	Eastern Illinois	Quarterback
2014	John Robertson	Villanova	Quarterback
2015	Cooper Kupp	Eastern Washington	Wide receiver
2016	Jeremiah Briscoe	Sam Houston	Quarterback
2017	Jeremiah Briscoe (2)	Sam Houston	Quarterback
2018	Devlin Hodges	Samford	Quarterback
2019	Trey Lance	North Dakota State	Quarterback
2020	Cole Kelley	Southeastern	Quarterback
2021	Eric Barriere	Eastern Washington	Quarterback
2022	Lindsey Scott Jr.	UIW	Quarterback
2023	Mark Gronowski	South Sakota State	Quarterback

Buck Buchanan Award
The Buck Buchanan Award is awarded annually to the most outstanding defensive player in the FCS, and was first given in 1995 after the Walter Payton Award was designated solely for offensive players. It was named in honor of the late NFL legend Junious "Buck" Buchanan, who starred at Grambling State University in the early 60s.
Like the Walter Payton Award, the Buck Buchanan Award is chosen by a nationwide panel of media and college sports information directors. In it’s 28 year history, 20 different schools have had a player win the award. Dexter Coakley of Appalachian State University is the only player to win the award twice.

Year	Winner	School	Position
1995	Dexter Coakley	Appalachian State	Linebacker
1996	Dexter Coakley (2)	Appalachian State	Linebacker
1997	Chris McNeil	North Carolina A&T	Defensive end
1998	James Milton	Western Illinois	Linebacker
1999	Al Lucas	Troy State	Defensive tackle
2000	Edgerton Hartwell	Western Illinois	Linebacker
2001	Derrick Lloyd	James Madison	Linebacker
2002	Rashean Mathis	Bethune-Cookman	Cornerback
2003	Jared Allen	Idaho State	Defensive end
2004	Jordan Beck	Cal Poly	Linebacker
2005	Chris Gocong	Cal Poly	Defensive end
2006	Kyle Shotwell	Cal Poly	Linebacker
2007	Kroy Biermann	Montana	Defensive end
2008	Greg Peach	Eastern Washington	Defensive end
2009	Arthur Moats	James Madison	Defensive end
2010	J. C. Sherritt	Eastern Washington	Linebacker
2011	Matt Evans	New Hampshire	Linebacker
2012	Caleb Schreibeis	Montana State	Defensive end
2013	Brad Daly	Montana State	Defensive end
2014	Kyle Emanuel	North Dakota State	Defensive end
2015	Deon King	Norfolk State	Linebacker
2016	Karter Schult	Northern Iowa	Defensive end
2017	Darius Jackson	Jacksonville State	Defensive end
2018	Zach Hall	Southeast Missouri State	Linebacker
2019	Dante Olson	Montana	Linebacker
2020	Jordan Lewis	Southern	Defensive end
2021	Isaiah Land	Florida A&M	Linebacker
2022	Zeke Vandenburgh	Illinois State	Linebacker
2023	Terrell Allen	Tennessee State	Linebacker

Jerry Rice Award
Since 2011, the Jerry Rice Award has been presented to the most outstanding freshman player in the FCS. In three instances (John Robertson, Cooper Kupp, and Trey Lance) the Jerry Rice Award winner has gone on to win the Walter Payton Award, with Trey Lance being the only of the three to win both in the same season.

Year	Winner	School	Position
2011	Terrance West	Towson	Running back
2012	John Robertson	Villanova	Quarterback
2013	Cooper Kupp	Eastern Washington	Wide receiver
2014	Chase Edmonds	Fordham	Running back
2015	Case Cookus	Northern Arizona	Quarterback
2016	A. J. Hines	Duquesne	Running back
2017	Bryson Armstrong	Kennesaw State	Linebacker
2018	Josh Davis	Weber State	Running back
2019	Trey Lance	North Dakota State	Quarterback
2020	Cameron Ward	UIW	Quarterback
2021	Shedeur Sanders	Jackson State	Quarterback
2022	Gevani McCoy	Idaho	Quarterback
2023	Eli Gillman	Montana	Running back

Eddie Robinson Award
The Eddie Robinson Award has been presented annually to top football coach in the I-AA/FCS subdivision since 1987. It is named after College Football Hall of Fame coach Eddie Robinson, who coached at Grambling State for 56 year and was, at the time of his retirement in 1997, the winningest coach in college football (with a record of 408-164-15). As of the end of the 2022 season, the award has been won by a total of 34 coaches representing 32 separate schools.

Year	Winner	School
1987	Mark Duffner	Holy Cross
1988	Bill Russo	Lafayette
1989	Erk Russell	Georgia Southern
1990	Gene McDowell	UCF
1991	Chris Ault	Nevada
1992	Charlie Taaffe	The Citadel
1993	Dan Allen	Boston University
1994	Jim Tressel	Youngstown State
1995	Houston Nutt	Murray State
1996	Darren Barbier	Nicholls
1997	Andy Talley	Villanova
1998	Paul Johnson	Georgia Southern
1999	Mickey Matthews	James Madison
2000	Joe Glenn	Montana
2001	Pete Lembo	Lehigh
2002	Tommy Tate	McNeese
2003	Mike Ayers	Wofford
2004	Jerry Kill	Southern Illinois
2005	Sean McDonnell	New Hampshire
2006	Jerry Moore	Appalachian State
2007	Mark Farley	Northern Iowa
2008	Mickey Matthews (2)	James Madison
2009	Henry Frazier III	Prairie View A&M
2010	Tony Samuel	Southeast Missouri
2011	Rob Ambrose	Towson
2012	Craig Bohl	North Dakota State
2013	Craig Bohl (2)	North Dakota State
2014	Sean McDonnell (2)	New Hampshire
2015	Joe Moglia	Chattanooga
2016	K. C. Keeler	Sam Houston
2017	Will Healy	Austin Peay
2018	Dan Hawkins	UC Davis
2019	Troy Taylor	Sacramento State
2020	Scott Wachenheim	VMI
2021	Deion Sanders	Jackson State
2022	John Stiegelmeier	South Dakota State
2023	Jimmy Rogers	South Dakota State

Relevant Podcasts
Below are all of the podcasts we’re aware of that are covering the FCS or the HBCU Division 1 scene from a national perspective this season. We also have a more exhaustive list updated for the 2023 season with all of the national HBCU podcasts as well as all FCS team and conference podcasts we're aware of, if you’re interested in more specific team or conference content.

National FCS Podcasts	Hosts
The Bluebloods	Zach McKinnell (thebluebloodsfcs)
The FCS Check Down	Nathan McCreary and Brandon Joseph
The FCS College Football Experience	Colby Dant and Mike Rose
FCS Delivered	Craig Haley and Gary Reasons
FCS Fanatics Podcast	Adam Willey and Jeff Wigton
FCS Fans Nation	Mathew Fraase, Kylor Neale, and Jamie Williams
FCS Football Talk	Sam Herder
FCS Nation Radio	Kevin Marshall and Stone Labanowitz
The FCS Wedge	Lance Berndt and Kris Kallem
Get the Ball Rolling	Tyler Fessler
Hack City	Joe DeLeone (joedeleone41) and Sean Anderson