2025 FCS football championship: Bracket, schedule, scores

The 2025-26 FCS playoffs consist of a 24-team bracket with play starting on Saturday, Nov. 29 and concluding on Monday, Jan. 5. The top 16 teams seeded and the top eight seeds receive automatic byes to the second round, while the rest of the 24-team field (the remaining 16 teams) play in the first round.

Here's everything you need to know for the Division I Football Championship postseason.

FCS selections

The bracket selections for the 2025-26 FCS Championship was on Sunday, Nov. 23, 2025. The bracket was be revealed via a selection show on ESPNU at 12 p.m. ET and a selections release. 

Eleven conferences (or conference partnerships/alliances) earn automatic bids to the playoffs. The FCS Championship Committee selects the remaining 13 at-large bids.

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

FCS championship bracket

Click or tap here to view the bracket.

FCS championship schedule

All times Eastern

Second Round

• Saturday, December 6
  • 12 p.m. | No. 12 Villanova at No. 5 Lehigh | ESPN+
  • 12 p.m. | No. 11 South Dakota at No. 6 Mercer | ESPN+
  • 1 p.m. |No. 10 Abilene Christian at No. 7 Stephen F. Austin | ESPN+
  • 1 p.m. | North Dakota at No. 4 Tarleton State | ESPN+
  • 1 p.m. | Illinois State at No. 1 North Dakota State | ESPN+
  • 2 p.m. | Yale at No. 2 Montana State | ESPN+
  • 2 p.m. | No. 14 South Dakota State at No. 3 Montana | ESPN+
  • 10 p.m. | No. 9 Rhode Island at No. 8 UC Davis | ESPN2

Quarterfinals

• Friday, December 12
  • 9 p.m. ET | ESPN
• Saturday, December 13
  • 12 p.m. ET | ESPN
  • 3:30 p.m. ET | ABC
  • TBD time | ESPN+

Semifinals

• Saturday, December 20
  • Semifinal 1 | 4 p.m. ET | ABC
  • Semifinal 2 | 7:30 p.m. ET | ESPN2

National Championship 

• Monday, January 5 
  • Played at FirstBank Stadium in Nashville, TN | 7:30 p.m. ET | ESPN

FCS championship rounds, dates

• Selection show: 12 p.m. ET Sunday, Nov. 23 on ESPNU
• First round: Saturday, Nov. 29
  • No. 9 Rhode Island 27, Central Connecticut State 19
  • No. 12 Villanova 52, Harvard 7
  • Yale 43, No. 15 Youngstown St. 42
  • No. 10 Abilene Christian 38, Lamar 20
  • No. 11 South Dakota 38, Drake 17
  • North Dakota 31, No. 13 Tennessee Tech 6
  • No. 14 South Dakota State 41, New Hampshire 3
  • Illinois State 21, No. 16 Southeastern Louisiana 3
• Second round: Saturday, Dec. 6
• Quarterfinals: Friday, Dec. 12 through Saturday, Dec. 13
• Semifinals: Saturday, Dec. 20 
• National championship: Monday, Jan. 5 on ESPN at 7:30 p.m. ET

FCS championship history 

North Dakota Dakota State is the reigning national champion, winning its 10 title in 2024 with a 35-32 win over Montana State. Here's every FCS champion and runner-up from the past decade:

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