{"id":267685,"date":"2025-11-02T22:31:06","date_gmt":"2025-11-02T22:31:06","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/267685\/"},"modified":"2025-11-02T22:31:06","modified_gmt":"2025-11-02T22:31:06","slug":"fcs-playoff-bracket-predictions-three-weeks-out-from-selection-sunday-2025","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/267685\/","title":{"rendered":"FCS Playoff Bracket Predictions: Three Weeks Out From Selection Sunday 2025"},"content":{"rendered":"

There\u2019s no doubt
\n
\ndefending FCS champion North Dakota State<\/a> will be there, but
\nwho else? With many candidates to pick from, here\u2019s a 2025 FCS
\nplayoff bracket projection.<\/p>\n

The NCAA\u2019s FCS playoff selection committee will have its second
\npublic reveal of a Top 10 ranking on Wednesday.<\/p>\n

There\u2019s no need to wait until then, here\u2019s how the committee
\nshould be viewing the 24-team pairings three weeks out
\nfrom Selection Sunday, Nov. 23. If the Top 10 looks different on
\nWednesday, well, the committee has the right to get it wrong.<\/p>\n

How does our FCS playoff bracket look following Week 10
\nchaos within the FCS Top 25<\/a>? Here\u2019s a projection for the Road
\nto Nashville:<\/p>\n

FCS Playoffs: Projected Bids
\nby Conference<\/p>\n

*-Automatic qualifier (11 overall); other teams
\nprojected as at-large selections (13 overall)<\/p>\n

Big Sky (3): *Montana (9-0), Montana State
\n(7-2), UC Davis (6-2)<\/p>\n

CAA Football (3): *Monmouth (8-1), Rhode Island
\n(7-2), Villanova (6-2)<\/p>\n

Ivy League (1): *Harvard (7-0)<\/p>\n

Missouri Valley (6): *North Dakota State (9-0),
\nIllinois State (6-3), North Dakota (6-3), South Dakota (6-4), South
\nDakota State (7-2), Southern Illinois (6-3)<\/p>\n

NEC Football (1): *Central Connecticut State
\n(6-3)<\/p>\n

OVC-Big South (1): *Tennessee Tech (9-0)<\/p>\n

Patriot League (1): *Lehigh (9-0)<\/p>\n

Pioneer League (1): *Drake (6-2)<\/p>\n

Southern (2): *Mercer (7-1), Western Carolina
\n(6-3)<\/p>\n

Southland (3): *Stephen F. Austin (7-2), Lamar
\n(7-2), Southeastern Louisiana (7-2)<\/p>\n

United Athletic (2): *Abilene Christian (5-4),
\nTarleton State (9-1)<\/p>\n

First Teams Outside the Bracket: Presbyterian
\n(8-1), Austin Peay (5-4), Youngstown State (5-4), Northern Arizona
\n(5-4)<\/p>\n

Projected
\nPairings<\/p>\n

Southeastern Louisiana at No. 16 seed Stephen F. Austin, winner
\nat No. 1 seed North Dakota State<\/p>\n

Central Connecticut State at No. 9 seed Harvard, winner at No. 8
\nseed Tennessee Tech<\/p>\n

South Dakota at No. 12 seed UC Davis, winner at No. 5 seed
\nLehigh<\/p>\n

Western Carolina at No. 13 seed Villanova, winner at No. 4 seed
\nTarleton State<\/p>\n

Southern Illinois at No. 14 seed Rhode Island, winner at No. 3
\nseed Montana State<\/p>\n

Illinois State at No. 11 seed North Dakota, winner at No. 6 seed
\nSouth Dakota State<\/p>\n

Drake at No. 10 seed Mercer, winner at No. 7 seed Monmouth<\/p>\n

Lamar at No. 15 seed Abilene Christian, winner at No. 2 seed
\nMontana<\/p>\n

FCS Playoff Bracket: 2025 Key
\nDates to Know<\/p>\n

Selection Committee Top 10 (second reveal):
\nNov. 5 (2 p.m. ET, ESPN2)<\/p>\n

Playoff Selection Show: Nov. 23 (noon ET,
\nESPNU)<\/p>\n

First Round: Nov. 29 (ESPN Networks)<\/p>\n

Second Round: Dec. 6 (ESPN Networks)<\/p>\n

Quarterfinals: Dec. 12-13 (ESPN Networks)<\/p>\n

Semifinals: Dec. 20 (ESPN Networks)<\/p>\n

Championship Game: Jan. 5 at FirstBank Stadium
\nin Nashville, Tennessee (7:30 p.m. ET, ESPN)<\/p>\n

For more FCS coverage,
\nfollow on social media at\u00a0X,<\/a> Facebook<\/a>, Instagra<\/a>m<\/a>
\nand Bluesky<\/a>.<\/p>\n