2024-25 FCS football championship: Bracket, schedule, scores

The 2024-25 FCS Championship is on Monday, January 6, 2025 at Toyota Stadium in Frisco, Texas. The 2024-25 FCS playoffs will have a 24-team bracket that will have the top 16 teams seeded and the top eight seeds receiving automatic byes to the second round. The rest of the 24-team field (the remaining 16 teams) will play in the first round.

The bracket selections were announced on Sunday, Nov. 24.

FCS championship schedule

• Selection show: 12:30 p.m. ET Sunday, Nov. 24 on ESPNU and
• First round: Saturday, Nov. 30
• Second round: Saturday, Dec. 7
• Quarterfinals: Friday, Dec. 13 through Saturday, Dec. 14
• Semifinals: Saturday, Dec. 21 
• National championship: Monday, Jan. 6 on at 7 p.m. ET

First Round

All games on ESPN+ unless listed. All times Eastern. Click or tap any of the games for live stats.

• 12 p.m. | No. 12 Illinois State at Southeast Missouri State
• 12 p.m. | Central Connecticut State at No. 10 Rhode Island
• 1 p.m. | UT Martin at No. 16 New Hampshire 
• 2 p.m. | Lehigh at No. 9 Richmond
• 2 p.m. | Eastern Kentucky at No. 11 Villanova 
• 3 p.m. | Northern Arizona at No. 15 Abilene Christian
• 3 p.m. | Drake at No. 13 Tarleton State
• 10:15 p.m. | Tennessee State at No. 14 Montana | ESPN2

Second Round

All games on ESPN+ unless listed. All times Eastern. Click or tap any of the games for live stats.

• 2 p.m. | Winner of Eastern Kentucky/No. 11 Villanova at No. 6 UIW
• 2 p.m. | Winner of Central Connecticut State/No. 10 Rhode Island at No. 7 Mercer
• 2 p.m. | Winner of Tennessee State/No. 14 Montana at No. 3 South Dakota State
• 3 p.m. | Winner of UT Martin/No. 16 New Hampshire at No. 1 Montana State
• 3 p.m. |Winner of Northern Arizona/No. 15 Abilene Christian at No. 2  North Dakota State
• 3 p.m. | Winner of Drake/No. 13 Tarleton State at No. 4 South Dakota
• 4 p.m. | Winner of No. 12 Illinois State/Southeast Missouri State at No. 5 UC Davis
• 9 p.m. | Winner of Lehigh/No. 9 Richmond at No. 8 Idaho

FCS championship bracket

FCS championship history 

South Dakota State is the reigning national champion, winning its second-straight title in 2023 with a 23-3 win over Montana. Here's every FCS champion and runner-up from the past decade:

Click here for a full list of every champion since 1978.