Predicting every at-large team to the 2025 FCS playoffs

We're hours away from the 2025 FCS football playoff selection show. Eleven automatic qualifying bids have been clinched, but 13 at-large spots remain. Here's who I think will make the field.

Keep in mind, this is my opinion on the teams that will make it into the bracket, not the FCS football championship committee's, and I have not yet seen the bracket.

That said, let's get into the at-large picks.

Locks

Harvard

Harvard lost its lone game of the year in the season finale to Yale. While the Crimson were down by as many as 25 points, a blowout loss won’t be enough to keep Harvard — a team that ranked No. 9 in the last committee rankings — out of the playoffs. Harvard still has nine wins.

AUTOMATIC BIDS: Click or tap here to see all 11 of the clinched auto-bids

Monmouth

Monmouth lost two of its final three playoff games and backed into the playoffs. The Hawks are hoping they can get former Walter Payton Award candidate Derek Robertson back healthy for the playoffs. In the meantime, Monmouth has a solid playoff resume with nine wins, including a quality win over a playoff-bound Villanova team. While the end of the season hasn’t been great, the Hawks did enough to earn a spot.

Montana

Losing the Brawl of the Wild in a top-three-ranked matchup won’t knock a team out of the playoffs.

New Hampshire

New Hampshire closed the season on a five-game win streak that included a win over a ranked Monmouth team and late-season playoff contenders William & Mary and Maine. The Wildcats will have a resume with eight FCS wins and three FCS losses, with a loss to Dartmouth as the only loss to a non-playoff team. Eight wins seem to be the magic number this year, and New Hampshire did just enough to earn its spot.

South Dakota

South Dakota had a bye, giving the committee plenty of time to evaluate the Coyotes. This is a team that finished 8-4 overall with just three FCS losses. With wins over North Dakota, South Dakota State and Southern Illinois on the resume, South Dakota gets in the playoffs.

South Dakota State

South Dakota State faced a win-or-go-home situation in the season’s final week, and it needed overtime for an answer. Nonetheless, the Jackrabbits defeated North Dakota for a ranked road win to end a four-game losing streak. The win over North Dakota joins wins over Youngstown State, Drake, Montana State and Sacramento State on South Dakota State’s resume. At 8-4 and with those wins, South Dakota State gets in, despite a 1-4 record down the stretch.

FCS SELECTION SUNDAY: Everything to know for FCS playoff selections

Tarleton State

Tarleton State finished 11-1, but missed out on the ASUN-WAC auto-bid because of a head-to-head loss. An 11-win team isn’t missing the playoffs.

UC Davis

UC Davis has eight FCS wins and two FCS losses. The Aggies are the clear third-best team in the Big Sky and were ranked No. 10 in the FCS committee rankings, even with a loss to Idaho State. With UC Davis’ other FCS loss coming to the Big Sky champion Montana State Bobcats, the Aggies should have no doubt about getting into the playoffs.

Villanova

Villanova finished the season 9-2 and on an eight-game win streak. The Wildcats don’t have to worry about making the playoffs.

Last four in

Illinois State

I don’t think anyone expected Illinois State to lose how they did in a 30-point rout to Southern Illinois. That’s a bad loss when all eyes from the FCS playoff committee might be on your game. It’s the third FCS loss of the season for the Redbirds, but I think they’ll still grab one of the last spots for sure.

Illinois State has quality wins over South Dakota and South Dakota State, which I think separates the Redbirds on the bubble and gets them into the playoffs.

Lamar

Lamar seemed like it was doing everything it could to miss the playoffs with a 1-3 stretch across the final month of the season that included a pair of losses to 5-7 teams. However, even after losing to McNeese to close the season, wins over South Dakota — a common opponent with MVFC bubble teams — and Southeastern Louisiana will be enough to get the 8-4 Cardinals into the postseason tournament.

Southeastern Louisiana

Southeastern Louisiana is 9-3 with just one FCS loss. However, the Lions are still on the bubble because of their strength of schedule. When looking at FCS opponents —  not counting the two FBS games — it’s horrid. 

Southeastern Louisiana has only beaten one team with a winning record. The Lions are also behind Lamar in the bubble’s pecking order after losing head-to-head. That said, Southeastern Louisiana still has nine wins, which will be hard for the committee to ignore.

Youngstown State

Youngstown State is 8-4 with three FCS losses to North Dakota State, North Dakota and South Dakota State. However, the Penguins beat Illinois State and Southern Illinois, plus have a top-20 strength of schedule in the country. Quality wins and a strong strength of schedule get Youngstown State into the postseason field.

FCS TITLE GAME INFO: Date, time, TV channel, history for the 2025-26 FCS National Championship

First four teams out

Lafayette

Lafayette finished 8-2 against the FCS, with losses to Princeton and Lehigh. The Leopards hit the coveted eight-win mark this year, but only two of the wins were over teams above .500. Meanwhile, the loss to a 3-7 Princeton team is not a good one. In a year with a small bubble, Lafayette’s strength of schedule will keep it out.

North Dakota

North Dakota will be one of the first teams out after losing an overtime heartbreaker to South Dakota State. The Fighting Hawks finished the season 7-5 after the loss, losing three of their last four games. Three of North Dakota’s four FCS losses came to playoff teams: Montana, South Dakota and South Dakota. While UND does have a win over a bubble team, Youngstown State, having one less DI win keeps the Fighting Hawks out.

Northern Arizona

Northern Arizona has seven FCS wins, but only a season-ending 20-point loss to Weber State will keep the Lumberjacks on the outside looking in. NAU also lost to Montana State and UC Davis by an average of more than three touchdowns. The Lumberjacks had a chance to prove themselves against the nation’s top competition, and didn’t live up to the hype.

Sacred Heart

Sacred Heart hit the eight-win mark, but only seven of the wins were against DI opponents. That drops the Pioneers into the seven-win pool of teams. Then one can see that Sacred Heart lost to Lehigh, Montana, Central Connecticut and Villanova. A team can’t lose to its four best opponents, have a strength of schedule outside of the top 100 and still expect to make the playoffs.

Other 7-win teams of note

This group of bubble teams will miss out on the playoffs because they don't have a quality win.

Sacramento State

Sacramento State finished 7-5, but lost to every good FCS team it faced. A team whose best win is Mercyhurst would face an uphill battle in most years to make the playoffs. It doesn’t help that the Hornets also lost to Cal Poly.

William & Mary

William & Mary lost to rival Richmond to close the season and eliminate hope of a postseason berth. The Tribe finished 7-5, with their best win coming over Maine. That ultimately means William & Mary has not defeated any team with a record above .500. The strength of schedule keeps William & Mary on the outside looking in.

Southern Illinois

Southern Illinois only has six DI wins. Even with a statement win over Illinois State to close the season, it won’t be enough to overcome that win total.