The FCS Playoffs 2025 continue this weekend with eight second-round games on the schedule. The top eight seeds each host the winners from the eight first-round matchups.
Seven second-round games of the FCS Playoffs will be available to stream via ESPN+, while one contest will air via ESPN2. The ESPN+ service is available on a per-month subscription basis and through The Disney Bundle, which also includes Hulu and Disney+.
Second-round action begins on Saturday, Dec. 6 at noon ET with a pair of games. The 6th-seed Mercer Bears host the 11th-seed South Dakota Coyotes, while the 5th-seed Lehigh Mountain Hawks host the 12th-seed Villanova Wildcats.
One hour later at 1:00pm ET, two more games kickoff — the Illinois State Redbirds at the top-seed North Dakota State Bison and the North Dakota Fighting Hawks at the 4th-seed Tarleton State Texans.
The action on Saturday continues at 2:00pm ET with a trio of games, which include the 10th-seed Abilene Christian Wildcats visiting the 7th-seed Stephen F. Austin Lumberjacks, 14th-seed South Dakota State Jackrabbits visiting the 3rd-seed Montana Grizzlies, and Yale Bulldogs visiting the 2nd-seed Montana State Bobcats.
Second-round FCS Playoff action wraps up late Saturday evening with one contest. The 9th-seed Rhode Island Rams travel to face the 8th-seed UC Davis Aggies and the game will be televised by ESPN2 at 10:00pm ET.
Winners will move on to the quarterfinals and will play on Friday, Dec. 12 (one game) or Saturday, Dec. 13 (three games). The FCS Semifinals will be played the following weekend, with both games on Saturday, Dec. 20.
SECOND-ROUND GAMES (DEC. 6)
*All games Eastern time.
(11) South Dakota at (6) Mercer – 12pm, ESPN+
(12) Villanova at (5) Lehigh – 12pm, ESPN+
Illinois State at (1) N Dakota St – 1pm, ESPN+
North Dakota at (4) Tarleton St – 1pm, ESPN+
(10) ACU at (7) Stephen F. Austin – 2pm, ESPN+
(14) S Dakota St at (3) Montana – 2pm, ESPN+
Yale at (2) Montana State – 2pm, ESPN+
(9) Rhode Island at (8) UC Davis – 10pm, ESPN2
QUARTERFINAL-ROUND GAMES (DEC. 12-13)
Friday, Dec. 12
TBA
Saturday, Dec. 13
TBA
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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)
2025 FCS Playoffs Bracket heading into the second-round pic.twitter.com/QWQyMiBcPU
— FBSchedules.com (@FBSchedules) December 5, 2025
