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 bracket

Click or tap here to view the bracket.

FCS championship schedule

Semifinals

• Saturday, Dec. 21
  • No. 2 North Dakota State 28, No. 3 South Dakota State 21 — WATCH highlights
    • Click or tap here for a game recap
  • No. 1 Montana State 31, No. 4 South Dakota 17 — WATCH highlights
    • Click or tap here for a game recap

National Championship 

Click or tap any of the games for live stats.

• Monday, January 6, 2025
  • 7 p.m. ET | No. 1 Montana State vs. No. 2 North Dakota State | ESPN

First Round

• No. 12 Illinois State 35, Southeast Missouri State 27
• No. 10 Rhode Island 21, Central Connecticut State 17
• UT Martin 41, No. 16 New Hampshire 10 
• Lehigh 20, No. 9 Richmond 6 — WATCH highlights
• No. 11 Villanova 22, Eastern Kentucky 17  
• No. 15 Abilene Christian 24, Northern Arizona 0
• No. 13 Tarleton State 43, Drake 29
• No. 14 Montana 41, Tennessee State 27

Second Round

• No. 6 UIW 13, No. 11 Villanova 6
• No. 7 Mercer 17, No. 10 Rhode Island 10
• No. 3 South Dakota State 35, No. 14 Montana 18 — WATCH highlights
• No. 4 South Dakota 42, No. 13 Tarleton State 31
• No. 1 Montana State 49, UT Martin 17 — WATCH highlights
• No. 2 North Dakota State 51, No. 15 Abilene Christian 31 — WATCH highlights
• No. 5 UC Davis 42, No. 12 Illinois State 10 — WATCH highlights
• No. 8 Idaho 34, Lehigh 13

Quarterfinals

• No. 1 Montana State 52, No. 8 Idaho 19 — WATCH highlights
• No. 3 South Dakota State 55, No. 6 UIW 14 — WATCH highlights
• No. 4 South Dakota 35, No. 5 UC Davis 21 — WATCH highlights
• No. 2 North Dakota State 31, No. 7 Mercer 7 — WATCH highlights

FCS championship rounds, dates

• 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

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.