Montana State clinches the 2025 FCS championship in overtime

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. 

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.

Here's everything you need to know from the Division I Football Championship postseason.

FCS championship bracket

Click or tap here to view the bracket

FCS championship schedule

All times Eastern

FCS championship rounds, dates

• Selection show: 12 p.m. ET Sunday, Nov. 23 on ESPNU
• First round: Saturday, Nov. 29
  • No. 9 Rhode Island 27, Central Connecticut State 19
  • No. 12 Villanova 52, Harvard 7
  • No. 10 Abilene Christian 38, Lamar 20
  • No. 11 South Dakota 38, Drake 17
  • North Dakota 31, No. 13 Tennessee Tech 6
  • No. 14 South Dakota State 41, New Hampshire 3
  • Illinois State 21, No. 16 Southeastern Louisiana 3
  • Yale 43, No. 15 Youngstown St. 42
• Second round: Saturday, Dec. 6
  • No. 12 Villanova 14, No. 5 Lehigh 7
  • No. 11 South Dakota 47, No. 6 Mercer 0
  • No. 4 Tarleton State 31, North Dakota 13
  • Illinois State 29, No. 1 North Dakota State 28
  • No. 7 Stephen F. Austin 41, No. 10 Abilene Christian 34
  • No. 2 Montana State 21, Yale 13
  • No. 3 Montana 50, No. 14 South Dakota State 29
  • No. 8 UC Davis 47, No. 9 Rhode Island 26
• Quarterfinals: Friday, Dec. 12 through Saturday, Dec. 13
  • Friday, December 12
    • No. 2 Montana State 44, No. 7 Stephen F. Austin 28
  • Saturday, December 13
    • No. 12 Villanova 26, No. 4 Tarleton State 21 
    • No. 3 Montana 52, No. 11 South Dakota 22
    • Illinois State 42, No. 8 UC Davis 31
• Semifinals: Saturday, Dec. 20
  • No. 2 Montana State 48, No. 3 Montana 23 — Full recap
  • Illinois State 30, No. 12 Villanova 14 — Full recap
• National Championship: Monday, Jan. 5
  • No. 2 Montana State 35, Illinois State 34 — Full recap

FCS selections

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. 

Eleven conferences (or conference partnerships/alliances) earn automatic bids to the playoffs. The FCS Championship Committee selects the remaining 13 at-large bids.

AUTOMATIC BIDS: Click or tap here to see all 11 of the clinched auto-bids

FCS championship history 

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:

Click here for a full list of every champion since 1978.