Share
The 2025 FCS playoffs are approaching, with 11 automatic bids up for grabs.
Eleven teams automatically qualify for this year’s playoffs via conference affiliation. An additional 13 teams earn at-large bids selected by the FCS Playoff Committee. The complete 24-team bracket will be announced on Sunday, Nov. 23. The FCS playoffs conclude with the national championship in Nashville, Tennessee, on Monday, Jan. 5, 2025.
🏈 MORE FCS FOOTBALL 🏈
We will fill in the winner of each conference’s automatic bid below as they are decided:
CONFERENCE
Auto-Bid TEAM
ASUN-WAC (UAC)
Abilene Christian
Big Sky
Montana State
CAA
Rhode Island
Ivy
Yale
MVFC
North Dakota State
NEC
Central Connecticut State
OVC-Big South
Tennessee Tech
Patriot
Lehigh
Pioneer
Drake
SoCon
Mercer
Southland
Stephen F. Austin
STANDINGS: See the latest FCS standings from every conference
Conference winners who abstain from the FCS playoffs are as follows:
MEAC
Champion: South Carolina State
SWAC
SWAC East: Jackson State
SWAC West: Prairie View A&M
How every team clinched an automatic bid
Stay tuned as we’ll recap how every automatic bid was clinched as they happen.
ASUN-WAC (UAC)
Abilene Christian clinched the ASUN-WAC auto-bid in Week 13 with a win over Central Arkansas.
Big Sky
Montana State clinched the Big Sky auto bid in Week 13 by defeating Montana, 31-28.
CAA
Rhode Island clinched the CAA auto bid in Week 13 by defeating Hampton, 38-10.
Ivy League
Yale beat rival and previously undefeated Harvard, 45-28, in Week 13 to secure the bid.
Missouri Valley Football Conference
North Dakota State clinched the MVFC auto bid in Week 11 by beating North Dakota, 15-10.
NEC
Central Connecticut State clinched the automatic bid by beating Mercyhurst 35-28 in Week 13.
OVC-Big South
Tennessee Tech became the OVC-Big South champion by beating UT Martin 20-17 in Week 13.
Patriot
In Week 13, Lehigh beat rival Lafayette 42-32 to earn the Patriot League’s AQ spot.
Pioneer
Drake clinched the automatic bid by topping Morehead State 17-10 in Week 13.
SoCon
Mercer clinched the SoCon auto bid in Week 11 by beating Western Carolina, 49-47
Southland
Stephen F. Austin clinched the Southland auto bid in Week 12 with a win over Lamar. The win clinched them a share of the conference title, and since Lamar is a common opponent between the Lumberjacks and Southeastern Louisiana, SFA gets the automatic qualifying bid.
SWAC East
Jackson State won the SWAC East with a Week 13 win over Alcorn State.
SWAC West
Prairie View A&M clinched the SWAC West title in Week 12 with a win over Arkansas-Pine Bluff.
Stan Becton joined NCAA.com in 2021 and has since served as a college football, FCS football, track and field, cross country and HBCU beat reporter. He has covered numerous NCAA championship events, including the FCS Championship, DI Track & Field Championships and Men’s Frozen Four. Additionally, he has covered the College Football Playoff and HBCU sporting events like the Celebration Bowl, MEAC/SWAC Challenge and Legacy Classic. Stan graduated from Carnegie Mellon University, earning a degree in Professional Writing and playing football as a five-year letterman. You can follow him on Twitter @stan_becton.
The views on this page do not necessarily reflect the views of the NCAA or its member institutions.
Predicting every at-large team to the 2025 FCS playoffs
We’re hours away from the 2025 FCS football playoff selection show. 13 at-large spots remain. Here’s who Stan Becton thinks will make the field.
2025 FCS football championship: Selection info, bracket, schedule
Everything to know about the 2025 FCS football postseason from selections to the national championship game.
2025 HBCU football: Schedule, scores, rankings and updates
Everything you need to know about the 2025 HBCU football season at the FCS level, including schedule, scores, rankings and updates.