When Is the 2025–26 FCS National Championship? Complete Schedule, Updated Bracket and History Guide

Montana State won the first FCS Championship Game to go to overtime, defeating Illinois State 35-34. 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 is scheduled for Monday, January 5, 2026, at 7:30 p.m. ET.

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.

Montana State secured their first title game spot with a 48-23 win over Montana in the semifinals.

Illinois State clinched its second title game appearance with a 30-14 win against Villanova in the semifinals.

When are the 2025-26 FCS Championship selections?

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 program.

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 regionalised, with the No. 9 to No. 16 seeds playing 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 an actual bid, the higher seed will host.

Past FCS champions from 1978 to today

Here are the previous winners of the FCS Championship Game, which started in the 1978 season.

YEAR	CHAMPION	COACH	SCORE	RUNNER-UP	SITE
2024	North Dakota State	Tim Polasek	35-32	Montana State	Frisco, Texas
2023	South Dakota State	Jimmy Rogers	23-3	Montana	Frisco, Texas
2022	South Dakota State	John Stiegelmeier	45-21	North Dakota State	Frisco, Texas
2021	North Dakota State	Matt Entz	38-10	Montana State	Frisco, Texas
2020	Sam Houston	K.C. Keeler	23-21	South Dakota State	Frisco, Texas
2019	North Dakota State	Matt Entz	28-20	James Madison	Frisco, Texas
2018	North Dakota State	Chris Klieman	38-24	Eastern Washington	Frisco, Texas
2017	North Dakota State	Chris Klieman	17-13	James Madison	Frisco, Texas
2016	James Madison	Mike Houston	28-14	Youngstown State	Frisco, Texas
2015	North Dakota State	Chris Klieman	37-10	Jacksonville State	Frisco, Texas
2014	North Dakota State	Chris Klieman	29-27	Illinois State	Frisco, Texas
2013	North Dakota State	Craig Bohl	35-7	Towson	Frisco, Texas
2012	North Dakota State	Craig Bohl	39-13	Sam Houston State	Frisco, Texas
2011	North Dakota State	Craig Bohl	17-6	Sam Houston State	Frisco, Texas
2010	Eastern Washington	Beau Baldwin	20-19	Delaware	Frisco, Texas
2009	Villanova	Andy Talley	23-21	Montana	Chattanooga, Tenn.
2008	Richmond	Mike London	24-7	Montana	Chattanooga, Tenn.
2007	Appalachian State	Jerry Moore	49-21	Delaware	Chattanooga, Tenn.
2006	Appalachian State	Jerry Moore	28-17	Massachusetts	Chattanooga, Tenn.
2005	Appalachian State	Jerry Moore	21-16	UNI	Chattanooga, Tenn.
2004	James Madison	Mickey Matthews	31-21	Montana	Chattanooga, Tenn.
2003	Delaware	K.C. Keeler	40-0	Colgate	Chattanooga, Tenn.
2002	Western Kentucky	Jack Harbaugh	34-14	McNeese State	Chattanooga, Tenn.
2001	Montana	Joe Glenn	13-6	Furman	Chattanooga, Tenn.
2000	Georgia Southern	Paul Johnson	27-25	Montana	Chattanooga, Tenn.
1999	Georgia Southern	Paul Johnson	59-24	Youngstown State	Chattanooga, Tenn.
1998	Massachusetts	Mark Whipple	55-43	Georgia Southern	Chattanooga, Tenn.
1997	Youngstown State	Jim Tressel	10-9	McNeese State	Chattanooga, Tenn.
1996	Marshall	Bob Pruett	49-29	Montana	Huntington, W.Va.
1995	Montana	Don Read	22-20	Marshall	Huntington, W.Va.
1994	Youngstown State	Jim Tressel	28-14	Boise State	Huntington, W.Va.
1993	Youngstown State	Jim Tressel	17-5	Marshall	Huntington, W.Va.
1992	Marshall	Jim Donnan	31-28	Youngstown State	Huntington, W.Va.
1991	Youngstown State	Jim Tressel	25-17	Marshall	Statesboro, Ga.
1990	Georgia Southern	Tim Stowers	36-13	Nevada	Statesboro, Ga.
1989	Georgia Southern	Erk Russell	37-34	Stephen F. Austin *	Statesboro, Ga.
1988	Furman	Jimmy Satterfield	17-12	Georgia Southern	Pocatello, Idaho
1987	Louisiana-Monroe	Pat Collins	43-42	Marshall	Pocatello, Idaho
1986	Georgia Southern	Erk Russell	48-21	Arkansas State	Tacoma, Wash.
1985	Georgia Southern	Erk Russell	44-42	Furman	Tacoma, Wash.
1984	Montana State	Dave Arnold	19-6	Louisiana Tech	Charleston, S.C.
1983	Southern Illinois	Rey Dempsey	43-7	Western Carolina	Charleston, S.C.
1982	Eastern Kentucky	Roy Kidd	17-14	Delaware	Wichita Falls, Texas
1981	Idaho State	Dave Kragthorpe	34-23	Eastern Kentucky	Wichita Falls, Texas
1980	Boise State	Jim Criner	31-29	Eastern Kentucky	Sacramento, Calif.
1979	Eastern Kentucky	Roy Kidd	30-7	Lehigh	Orlando, Fla.
1978	Florida A&M	Rudy Hubbard	35-28	Massachusetts	Wichita Falls, Texas