Here’s everything you need to know about the 2025-26 FCS Championship Game, the 48th championship game.
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When is the 2025-26 FCS National Championship Game?
The 2025-26 FCS Championship is on Monday, Jan. 5, 2026.
Where is the 2025-26 FCS Championship?
The championship game will be played at theFirstBank Stadium on the campus of Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tennessee. It will be the first time the FCS Championship Game will be played in Nashville as the championship returns to the state of Tennessee for the 14th time — first since 2009.
How to watch the 2025-26 FCS Championship
The title game will air on the ESPN family of networks. You can stream the game by clicking or tapping here.
Who’s playing in the 2025-26 FCS National Championship Game?
The 2025-26 FCS Championship Game participants will be decided as the championship bracket progresses. The two semifinal winners will meet for the title.
When are the 2025-26 FCS Championship selections?
The bracket selections for the 2025-26 FCS Championship will be on Sunday, Nov. 23, 2025. The bracket will be revealed via a selection show.
How are FCS Championship teams selected?
Twenty-four teams will play for the 2025-26 FCS Championship. At the conclusion of the regular season, 11 conferences (or conference partnerships/alliances) will receive automatic bids to the playoffs. The FCS Championship Committee will select the remaining 13 at-large bids. The committee will also seed the top 16 teams, with the top eight seeds receiving a first-round bye.
What does the 2025-26 FCS bracket look like?
The 2025-26 FCS playoffs have a 24-team bracket that have the top 16 teams seeded and the top eight seeds receiving automatic byes to the second round. The rest of the 24-team field (the remaining 16 teams) will play in the first round.
First round matchups are regionalized with the No. 9 to No. 16 seeds playing unseeded teams to ensure the least travel for teams as possible. Likewise, the first round will try to avoid any matchups featuring conference teams that have played each other.
When it comes to hosting games, there will still be minimum bids required. In the first round, if the seeded team puts in a viable bid, the higher seed will get the opportunity to host.
Click or tap here for an interactive bracket.
What are the current FCS football standings?
Click or tap here to view the latest FCS football standings, which will be updated throughout the season.
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 |
* — Stephen F. Austin’s participation in 1989 championship vacated.
