As the FCS regular season winds down, the excitement is just getting started.

Come January, twenty-four teams will compete for the 2025 FCS Football Championship in Nashville. 

Find out which teams advance on the FCS playoff selection show on Sunday, Nov. 23 at 12 p.m. ET , streaming on ESPNU.

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The field will include 11 automatic conference qualifiers and 12 at-large selections.

Once the bracket is set, the top 16 teams will be seeded. The top eight earn a second-round bye, while seeds 9-16 will host first-round matchups. All unseeded teams will go on the road for their opening game.

The national championship is scheduled for Jan. 5, 2026, in Nashville. Kickoff is set for 7:30 p.m. ET at FirstBank Stadium.

Last season, North Dakota State edged Montana State 35–32 in Frisco, Texas. The Bison currently lead the FCS rankings after games played through Nov. 15, with No. 2 Montana and No. 3 Montana State close behind.

When Is the 2025 FCS Playoff Selection Show?

The 2025 FCS selection show is Nov. 23 at 12 p.m. ET, streaming on ESPNU.

How Is the FCS National Championship Bracket Determined?

• 24 teams selected
  • 11 automatic-bids: conference champions or alliances thereof
  • 13 at-large bids: filled by the selection committee. 
• Committee seeds the top 16 of those teams to determine bracket 
  • Seeds 1-8 get a first-round bye. 
  • Seeds 9-16 host  in the first round. 
  • Remaining 8 teams ( unseeded) play away (or at neutral) in the first round

2025 FCS Championship Schedule

• Selection show: 12 p.m. ET Sunday, Nov. 23 on ESPNU
• First round: Saturday, Nov. 29
• Second round: Saturday, Dec. 6
• Quarterfinals: Friday, Dec. 12 through Saturday, Dec. 13
• Semifinals: Saturday, Dec. 20 
• National championship: Monday, Jan. 5 on ESPN at 7:30 p.m. ET

Latest Division I FCS Rankings

AFCA FCS Coaches Poll — Through Games Nov. 15, 2025

• 1. North Dakota State (23), Prev: 1 — 11-0
• 2. Montana (1), Prev: 2 — 11-0
• 3. Montana State, Prev: 3 — 9-2
• 4. Lehigh, Prev: 4 — 11-0
• 5. Tarleton State, Prev: 5 — 10-1
• 6. Mercer, Prev: 8 — 9-1
• 7. Villanova, Prev: 7 — 8-2
• 8. Tennessee Tech, Prev: 6 — 10-1
• 9.Rhode Island, Prev: 9 — 9-2
• 10. Harvard, Prev: 11 — 9-0
• T11. Illinois State, Prev: 13 — 8-3
• T11. Monmouth (N.J.), Prev: 12 — 9-2
• 13. Stephen F. Austin, Prev: 17 — 9-2
• 14. UC Davis, Prev: 10 — 7-3
• 15. Jackson State, Prev: 16 — 8-2
• 16. North Dakota, Prev: 18 — 7-4
• 17. Youngstown State, Prev: 19 — 7-4
• 18. Abilene Christian (ACU), Prev: 20 — 7-4
• 19. Lamar, Prev: 14 — 8-3
• 20. Southeastern Louisiana, Prev: 21 — 8-3
• 21. South Dakota, Prev: 22 — 8-4
• 22. South Dakota State, Prev: 15 — 7-4
• 23. West Georgia, Prev: 24 — 8-3
• 24. Lafayette, Prev: 25 — 8-3
• 25. Yale, Prev: NR — 7-2

Dropped Out: Southern Illinois (23)

Others Receiving Votes: Southern Illinois, 28; Alabama St., 27; Dartmouth, 22; UT Rio Grande Valley, 15; Gardner-Webb, 13; Sacramento St., 12; Austin Peay, 8; New Hampshire, 7; South Carolina St., 4; Presbyterian, 3; East Tennessee St., 2; Southern Utah, 2; William & Mary, 2; Elon, 1; Northern Arizona, 1; Prairie View A&M, 1.

FCS Watch Schedule On FloCollege

Saturday, Nov. 22

• 11:00 a.m. ET – UAlbany vs Monmouth
• 11:00 a.m. ET – Bryant vs Stony Brook
• 12:00 p.m. ET – Sacred Heart vs Villanova
• 12:00 p.m. ET – Richmond vs William & Mary
• 12:00 p.m. ET – Maine vs UNH
• 12:00 p.m. ET – Campbell vs Towson
• 12:00 p.m. ET – Hampton vs Rhode Island
• 1:00 p.m. ET – NC A&T vs Elon

When Do The 2025 FCS College Football Playoffs Start?

The FCS Playoffs begin Saturday, Nov. 29, 2025, featuring 24 teams. 

The 2025 Division I FCS College Football Championship game will be played on Jan. 5, 2026, at FirstBank Stadium in Nashville, Tennessee.

Archived Footage On FloCollege

Video footage from all games will be archived and stored in a video library for FloCollege subscribers to watch for the duration of their subscriptions.

Watch The 2025 College Football Season On FloCollege

FloCollege is the home of the best FCS, Division II and Division III football action all season long. 

Don't miss the latest college football action by bookmarking the FloCollege schedule page for the latest games. 

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