FCS Playoffs 2025 bracket: Full schedule, scores, TV channels, dates, game times, how to watch live streaming, results

The regular-season is complete, and now it’s time for the 2025 FCS Playoffs! The bracket, 10 automatic qualifiers, full 24 team field, and FCS Playoff Schedule were announced today by the NCAA.

The NCAA on Sunday released the complete bracket for the Football Championship Series playoffs, which begin Nov. 29.

North Dakota State earned the No. 1 seed, followed by Montana State, Montana and Tarleton State. Also earning byes were Lehigh, Mercer, Stephen F. Austin and UC Davis.

Here is a complete bracket and schedule for the 2025 playoffs for the NCAA Division-I Football Championship Series.

Who is playing in the 2025 FCS Playoffs: Bracket, Full 24-Teams Field

Eleven teams that won their respective conference championships move on to the 2025 FCS Playoffs as automatic qualifiers. Those teams are listed below:

Big Sky: Montana State

CAA: Rhode Island

Ivy League: Yale

MVFC: North Dakota State

NEC: Central Connecticut

OVC-Big South: Tennessee Tech

Patriot: Lehigh

Pioneer: Drake

SoCon: Mercer

Southland: Stephen F. Austin

UAC: Abilene Christian

Below are the top eight seeds for the 2025 FCS Playoffs. The top eight teams receive a first-round bye and will host a second-round matchup on Saturday, Dec. 6:

1. North Dakota State

2. Montana State

3. Montana

4. Tarleton State

5. Lehigh

6. Mercer

7. Stephen F. Austin

8. UC Davis

The remaining 16 qualifiers (13 at-large) open the FCS Playoffs with a First-Round matchup on Saturday, Nov. 29. Below is the schedule for the first two rounds of the 2025 FCS Playoffs:

2025 FCS Playoff Bracket: first round schedule, Scores, dats, times, tv info, matchup results

*All games ET and streaming via ESPN+.

2025 FCS playoffs first round matchups will be played on Saturday, Nov. 29.

1 — Illinois State (9-4) 21, Southeastern Louisiana 3

2 —Rhode Island (11-2) 27, Central Connecticut State 19

3 —Villanova (10-2) 52, Harvard 7

4 —North Dakota (8-5) 31, Tennessee Tech 6

5 —Yale (9-2) 43, Youngstown State 42

6 —Abilene Christian (9-4) 38, Lamar 20

7 —South Dakota (9-4) 38, Drake 17

8 —South Dakota State (9-4) 41, New Hampshire 3

2025 FCS Playoff Bracket: Second-round schedule, Scores, date, times, tv info, matchup results

*All games ET and streaming via ESPN+.

2025 FCS playoffs second round matches will be played on Saturday, Dec. 6

9 —(11) South Dakota (10-4) 47, (6) Mercer 0

10 —(12) Villanova (11-2) 14, (5) Lehigh 7

11 —Illinois State (10-4) 29, (1) North Dakota State 28

12 —North Dakota (9-5) 13, (4) Tarleton State 31

13 —(10) Abilene Christian (10-4) 34, (7) Stephen F. Austin 41

14 —(14) South Dakota State (10-4) 29, (3) Montana 50

15 —Yale (10-2) 13, (2) Montana State 21

16 —(9) Rhode Island (12-2) 26, (8) UC Davis 47

2025 FCS Playoff Bracket: Quarterfinals Schedule, Scores, date, times, tv info, matchup results

Eight teams grasped their spot for the 2025 quarterfinals beginning Friday, Dec. 12 and Saturday, Dec. 13. See the complete game schedule below.

2025 FCS playoffs quarterfinals, Friday, Dec. 12 and Saturday, Dec. 13

GAME DATE TIME (ET) WATCH LOCATION

Friday, Dec. 12

17 — (2) Montana State 44 - 28 (7) Stephen F. Austin

Saturday, Dec. 13

18 — No. 12 Villanova 26, No. 4 Tarleton State 21

19 — No. 3 Montana 52, No. 11 South Dakota 22

20 — Illinois State 42, No. 8 UC Davis 31

Winners of the quarterfinal matchups will move on to the semifinals; inching teams closer to national championship play on Sunday, Jan. 7 at Toyota Stadium in Frisco, Texas.

2025 FCS Playoff Semifinals Schedule, Scores, matchup results

2025 FCS playoffs semifinals, Saturday, Dec. 20

21 — 4 p.m. ET | No. 2 Montana State vs. No. 3 Montana | ABC

22 — 7:30 p.m.ET | Illinois State vs. No. 12 Villanova|ESPN2

Montana State clinched the first title game berth with a 48-23 win over Montana in the semifinal round.

Illinois State clinched the second title game berth with a 30-14 win over Villanova in the semifinal round.

When is the FCS Championship Game 2025.?

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.

Montana State will play against the Illinois State in the 48th edition of FCS National Championship game.

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