FCS Playoffs Bracket 2025: Semifinals Schedule, Scores, Date, Start-Time, Channels, How to Watch, Streaming.

The "Brawl of the Wild" is the showcase game of the FCS semifinals.

Montana State won the regular-season meeting with Montana by three points on November 22. The Bobcats have won seven of the last nine games in the rivalry.

The Bobcats are trying to get back to the FCS National Championship Game after they fell to the North Dakota State Bison last season.

The 2026 champion, which will be determined on January 5, will be the first team not from North or South Dakota to win the FCS title since 2021.

James Madison in 2016 and Sam Houston in 2021 are the only non-Dakota FCS champions dating back to 2011.

Montana was in the FCS title game in 2023, but it also fell short to a Dakota team in South Dakota State.

The in-state rivals from Montana reside on the side of the FCS playoff bracket with far less chaos.

The top half features a semifinal between No. 12 seed Villanova and unseeded Illinois State.

Illinois State knocked off top-seeded North Dakota State in the second round and followed that up with a win over No. 8 seed UC Davis in the quarterfinals.

Villanova also went on the road to win two straight games. The Wildcats knocked off No. 5 seed Lehigh and No. 4 seed Tarleton State in consecutive weeks.

Villanova will be the home team in the semifinal round, but that might not mean much with the way Illinois State is playing on the road.

The Villanova-Illinois State winner is expected to be a significant underdog against either Montana team. The Montana-Montana State winner will be the clear national championship favorite in Nashville on January 5.

Here Sportshistori.com has a complete rundown of everything you need to know about the 2025 FCS playoffs, including TV and live stream information for every game.

FCS Playoffs Semifinal TV Schedule, Kick-off times, Channels

Saturday, Dec. 20

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.

How to watch FCS playoffs: TV channels, live streams for Semifinals

TV channel: ESPN | ABC
Live stream: Fubo

The FCS semifinals will air live on ABC, with the championship game set for ESPN.

All three of those games can be streamed live with Fubo, which offers a free trial, so you can try before you buy.

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