2025 FCS football championship: Selection info, bracket, schedule

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

First Round

• Saturday, November 29 on ESPN+
  • 12 p.m. | No. 9 Rhode Island vs. Central Conn. St.
  • 12 p.m. | No. 12 Villanova vs. Harvard
  • 12 p.m. | No. 15 Youngstown St. vs. Yale
  • 1 p.m. | No. 10 Abilene Christian vs. Lamar
  • 1 p.m. | No. 11 South Dakota vs. Drake
  • 1 p.m. | No. 13 Tennessee Tech vs. North Dakota
  • 1 p.m. | No. 14 South Dakota St. vs. New Hampshire
  • 1 p.m. | No. 16 Southeastern La. vs. Illinois St.

Second Round

• Saturday, December 6 on ESPN+
  • 12 p.m. | Winner of Harvard/No. 12 Villanova at No. 5 Lehigh
  • 12 p.m. | Winner of Drake/No. 11 South Dakota at No. 6 Mercer
  • 1 p.m. | Winner of Lamar/No. 10 Abilene Christian at No. 7 Stephen F. Austin
  • 1 p.m. | Winner of North Dakota/No. 13 Tennessee Tech at No. 4 Tarleton State
  • 1 p.m. | Winner of Illinois State/No. 16 Southeastern Louisiana at No. 1 North Dakota State
  • 2 p.m. | Winner of Yale/No. 15 Youngstown State at No. 2 Montana State
  • 2 p.m. | Winner of New Hampshire/No. 14 South Dakota State at No. 3 Montana
  • 3 p.m. | Winner of Central Connecticut State/No. 9 Rhode Island at No. 8 UC Davis

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
• 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.