The FCS Playoffs 2025 is set following the completion of the regular-season. The complete bracket, 11 automatic qualifiers, full 24-team field, and FCS Playoff Schedule were revealed Sunday by the NCAA.
Eleven teams that won their respective conference championships move on to the 2025 FCS Playoffs as automatic qualifiers. Those teams are listed below:
Big Sky: Montana State
CAA: Rhode Island
Ivy League: Yale
MVFC: North Dakota State
NEC: Central Connecticut
OVC-Big South: Tennessee Tech
Patriot: Lehigh
Pioneer: Drake
SoCon: Mercer
Southland: Stephen F. Austin
UAC: Abilene Christian
Below are the top eight seeds for the 2025 FCS Playoffs. The top eight teams receive a first-round bye and will host a second-round matchup on Saturday, Dec. 6:
1. North Dakota State
2. Montana State
3. Montana
4. Tarleton State
5. Lehigh
6. Mercer
7. Stephen F. Austin
8. UC Davis
The remaining 16 qualifiers (13 at-large) open the FCS Playoffs with a First-Round matchup on Saturday, Nov. 29. Below is the schedule for the first two rounds of the 2025 FCS Playoffs:
FIRST-ROUND GAMES (NOV. 29)
*All games ET and streaming via ESPN+.
CCSU at (9) Rhode Island
Harvard 7, (12) Villanova 52
Yale 43, (15) Youngstown State 42
Drake 17, (11) South Dakota 38
Illinois State 21, (16) SLU 3
Lamar 20, (10) ACU 38
New Hampshire 3, (14) S Dakota St 41
North Dakota 31, (13) Tennessee Tech 6
SECOND-ROUND GAMES (DEC. 6)
*All games ET and streaming via ESPN+, except where noted.
(11) South Dakota at (6) Mercer – 12pm
(12) Villanova at (5) Lehigh – 12pm
Illinois State at (1) N Dakota St – 1pm
North Dakota at (4) Tarleton St – 1pm
(10) ACU at (7) Stephen F. Austin – 2pm
(14) S Dakota St at (3) Montana – 2pm
Yale at (2) Montana State – 2pm
(9) Rhode Island at (8) UC Davis – 10pm, ESPN2
The FCS Championship Game for the 2025 season is scheduled for Monday, Jan. 5, 2026 at FirstBank Stadium in Nashville, Tenn. The game will be nationally televised by ESPN at 7:30pm ET.
FCS Playoff Bracket (PDF)
Quick work, Kevin!
Not even posted yet on ESPN.com schedule.
I’m looking forward to seeing how the Ivy boys measure up against non-traditional competition.
Right now this looks to be the last season for the Big Sky with an even number of teams, but if they add CSU Pueblo they can simplify things.
I can certainly tell you it is a better idea than the NBA play-in games which cost my Cavs dearly in 2022.
When you become Big Sky Commissioner you can try to convince the Presidents and ADs that that is a good idea.
Z-Man You need to get over your Cavs 2022 play-in fiasco.
Stay positive buddy!
The Big Sky is not going to add that or any other D-II school straight into the conference. It’s never happened and it never will. Not with Nevada-Reno, not with Eastern Washington, not ever, nor will they ever.
Tenn Tech got robbed. Only loss was to SEC Kentucky. Rated 6th 7th or 8th and they get 13th seed .
Robbed based on what?
They did not play one ranked team all year and their season opening win was against an NAIA team. They didn’t even play a game against a team that had any real consideration to make the field, and they will lose to North Dakota.
Yep, last at large bid into the field dusts off TTU without breaking a sweat, but they were incorrectly seeded.
Ha Ha Ha! TTU would lose to 3/4 of the teams in the MVFC.
What’s with all start times being 12 PM local? I would have liked to see some variety.
Is there a reason that all of these games are scheduled to kickoff at 12 noon local time?
I have zero issues with Noon kickoff of any kind with CFB look Michigan-Ohio State will be Big Ten Saturday standalone game at Noon time slot while you will get choices at 3:30PM & 7:30PM & hope you do not mind me crediting Big Ten & Big Ten did a fantastic job scheduling for Thanksgiving weekend 2025.