\n
![\"Facebook\"](\"https:\/\/www.ncaa.com\/modules\/custom\/casablanca_social\/modules\/casablanca_social_hanger\/img\/social-facebook.svg\")
\n <\/a><\/p>\n
Montana State edged Illinois State 35-34 in an overtime thriller to clinch the 2025 FCS championship. The Bobcats earned their second-ever national title and the program’s first since 1984 with the win in Nashville, Tenn.\u00a0<\/p>\n The 2025-26 FCS playoffs consisted 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 received automatic byes to the second round, while the rest of the 24-team field (the remaining 16 teams) played in the first round.<\/p>\n Here’s everything you need to know from the Division I Football Championship postseason.<\/p>\n FCS championship bracket<\/p>\n Click or tap here to view the bracket<\/a><\/p>\n FCS championship schedule<\/p>\n All times Eastern<\/p>\n FCS championship rounds, dates<\/p>\n \tSelection show:\u00a012 p.m. ET Sunday, Nov. 23 on ESPNU \tSecond round:\u00a0Saturday, Dec. 6<\/p>\n \tQuarterfinals:\u00a0Friday,\u00a0Dec. 12 through\u00a0Saturday, Dec. 13<\/p>\n \t\tFriday, December 12<\/p>\n \t\tSaturday, December 13<\/p>\n \tSemifinals: Saturday, Dec. 20<\/p>\n \tNational Championship: Monday, Jan. 5<\/p>\n FCS selections<\/p>\n 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<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n Eleven conferences (or conference partnerships\/alliances) earn automatic bids to the playoffs. The FCS Championship Committee selects the remaining 13 at-large bids.<\/p>\n AUTOMATIC BIDS: Click or tap here to see all 11 of the clinched auto-bids<\/a><\/p>\n FCS championship history\u00a0<\/p>\n 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:<\/p>\n \t\t\tYear \t\t\t2025 \t\t\t2024 \t\t\t2023 \t\t\t2022 \t\t\t2021 \t\t\t2020 \t\t\t2019 \t\t\t2018 \t\t\t2017 \t\t\t2016 \t\t\t2015 Click here for a full list of every champion since 1978.\u00a0<\/a>\u00a0<\/a><\/p>\n 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<\/a>.<\/p>\n The views on this page do not necessarily reflect the views of the NCAA or its member institutions.<\/p>\n The importance of a top seed in the FCS playoffs, explained<\/p>\n While getting a seed is an advantage by itself, recent FCS history shows the value of a top seed is even more important than it might appear at first glance.<\/p>\n READ MORE<\/a><\/p>\n 2025-26 FCS National Championship Game: Date, time, TV channel, history<\/p>\n Here’s everything you need to know about the 2025-26 FCS Championship Game.<\/p>\n
\n ![\"X\"](\"https:\/\/www.ncaa.com\/modules\/custom\/casablanca_social\/modules\/casablanca_social_hanger\/img\/social-twitter.svg\")
\n <\/a><\/p>\n<\/p>\n
\n\tFirst\u00a0round:\u00a0Saturday, Nov. 29<\/p>\n
\n\t\t\tChampion
\n\t\t\tCoach
\n\t\t\tScore
\n\t\t\tRunner-Up
\n\t\t\tSite<\/p>\n
\n\t\t\tMontana State<\/a>
\n\t\t\tBrent Vigen
\n\t\t\t35-34
\n\t\t\tIllinois State
\n\t\t\tNashville, Tenn.<\/p>\n
\n\t\t\tNorth Dakota State<\/a>
\n\t\t\tTim Polasek
\n\t\t\t35-32
\n\t\t\tMontana State
\n\t\t\tFrisco, Texas<\/p>\n
\n\t\t\tSouth Dakota State<\/a>
\n\t\t\tJimmy Rogers
\n\t\t\t23-3
\n\t\t\tMontana\u00a0
\n\t\t\tFrisco, Texas<\/p>\n
\n\t\t\tSouth Dakota State<\/a>
\n\t\t\tJohn Stiegelmeier
\n\t\t\t45-21
\n\t\t\tNorth Dakota State
\n\t\t\tFrisco, Texas<\/p>\n
\n\t\t\tNorth Dakota State<\/a>
\n\t\t\tMatt Entz
\n\t\t\t38-10
\n\t\t\tMontana State
\n\t\t\tFrisco, Texas<\/p>\n
\n\t\t\tSam Houston<\/a>
\n\t\t\tK.C. Keeler
\n\t\t\t23-21
\n\t\t\tSouth Dakota State
\n\t\t\tFrisco, Texas<\/p>\n
\n\t\t\tNorth Dakota State<\/a>
\n\t\t\tMatt Entz
\n\t\t\t28-20
\n\t\t\tJames Madison
\n\t\t\tFrisco, Texas<\/p>\n
\n\t\t\tNorth Dakota State<\/a>
\n\t\t\tChris Klieman
\n\t\t\t38-24
\n\t\t\tEastern Washington
\n\t\t\tFrisco, Texas<\/p>\n
\n\t\t\tNorth Dakota State<\/a>
\n\t\t\tChris Klieman
\n\t\t\t17-13
\n\t\t\tJames Madison
\n\t\t\tFrisco, Texas<\/p>\n
\n\t\t\tJames Madison<\/a>
\n\t\t\tMike Houston
\n\t\t\t28-14
\n\t\t\tYoungstown State
\n\t\t\tFrisco, Texas<\/p>\n
\n\t\t\tNorth Dakota State<\/a>
\n\t\t\tChris Klieman
\n\t\t\t37-10
\n\t\t\tJacksonville State
\n\t\t\tFrisco, Texas<\/p>\n![\"\"\/](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/North-Dakota-State-Football.jpg\")
<\/p>\n![\"\"\/](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/FCS-Football-Trophy_0.jpg\")
<\/p>\n
![\"\"\/](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/2025-NCAA-DIII-football-championship-info.jpeg\")
<\/p>\n