FCS National Championship 2025-26: How to Watch, Key Matchup Info & Legacy

Here’s everything you need to know about the 48th FCS Championship Game, taking place in 2025-26.

When is the 2025-26 FCS National Championship game?

The 2025-26 FCS Championship begins on Monday, January 5, 2026.

Where is the 2025-26 FCS Championship?

The championship game will take place at the FirstBank Stadium on Vanderbilt University’s campus in Nashville, Tennessee. The FCS title Game will be contested for the first time in Nashville, as the title returns to Tennessee for the 14th time – the first since 2009.

How to watch the 2025–26 FCS Championship

The title game will be broadcast on the ESPN family of networks.

Who is competing in the 2025-26 FCS National Championship Game?

The 2025-26 FCS final Game players will be determined as the final bracket develops. The two semifinal winners will compete for the title.

When will the FCS Championship teams for 2025-26 be announced?

The bracket selections for the 2025-26 FCS Championship will take place on Sunday, November 23, 2025. The bracket will be unveiled during a selection show.

How are FCS Championship teams selected?

Twenty-four teams will compete for the 2025-26 FCS Championship. At the end of the regular season, 11 conferences (or conference partnerships/alliances) will be automatically qualified for the playoffs. The FCS Championship Committee will pick the final 13 at-large bids. The committee will also seed the top 16 teams, with the top eight getting a first-round bye.

How does the 2025-26 FCS bracket look like?

The 2025-26 FCS playoffs will feature a 24-team bracket with the top 16 teams ranked and the top eight seeds receiving automatic byes into the second round. The remaining 16 teams (out of 24) will compete in the first round.

The first round games are regionalized, with the No. 9 to No. 16 seeds facing unseeded teams to ensure that teams travel as little as possible. Similarly, the first round will strive to prevent any games between conference clubs that have already played each other.

When it comes to hosting games, minimum bids will still apply. In the first round, if the seeded team submits a legitimate bid, the higher seed will host.

What are the current FCS football standings?

1	North Dakota State (24)	12-0	623	1
2	Montana State (1)	10-2	597	3
3	Lehigh	12-0	557	4
4	Montana	11-1	554	2
5	Tarleton State	11-1	534	5
6	Villanova	9-2	470	7
7	Tennessee Tech	11-1	455	8
8	Mercer	9-2	444	6
9	Rhode Island	10-2	430	9
10	Stephen F. Austin	10-2	392	13
11	UC Davis	8-3	348	14
12	Jackson State	9-2	309	15
13	Youngstown State	8-4	294	17
14	Abilene Christian	8-4	265	18
15	Southeastern Louisiana	9-3	247	20
16	Monmouth	9-3	208	T-11
17	Illinois State	8-4	199	T-11
18	South Dakota State	8-4	182	22
19	Harvard	9-1	175	10
20	South Dakota	8-4	173	21
21	Yale	8-2	136	25
22	West Georgia	8-3	108	23
23	North Dakota	7-5	96	16
24	Lamar	8-4	61	19
25	Southern Illinois	7-5	58	NR