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The FCS postseason arrives in late November, promising playoff intensity before major bowl and NFL action. The 24-team field opens with eight first-round games on Saturday, Nov. 29, and eight more in the second weekend as the bracket begins to take shape. Top-eight seeds earned byes, while the remaining teams battle immediately for a spot in December’s matchups.
2025 FCS playoffs: top seed and teams to watch
North Dakota State returns as the clear favorite after securing the No. 1 seed. The bracket features 24 qualifiers, with the top eight seeded teams getting first-round byes. That leaves 16 teams to play opening-round games and try to reach the second weekend.
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- Top seed: North Dakota State
- Bye seeds (Top 8): North Dakota State, Montana State, Montana, Tarleton State, Lehigh, Mercer, Stephen F. Austin, UC Davis
- Opening-round contenders: 16 teams scheduled for Nov. 29 action
Opening weekend matchups: first-round pairings (Nov. 29)
The first round offers regional rivalries and potential upsets. All eight games stream on ESPN+ unless otherwise noted.
- Illinois State vs. No. 16 Southeastern Louisiana
- Yale vs. No. 15 Youngstown State
- New Hampshire vs. No. 14 South Dakota State
- North Dakota vs. No. 13 Tennessee Tech
- Harvard vs. No. 12 Villanova
- Drake vs. No. 11 South Dakota
- Lamar University vs. No. 10 Abilene Christian
- Central Connecticut State vs. No. 9 Rhode Island
Second round and path through the bracket
Winners from Nov. 29 meet the top-eight seeds the following weekend. The second-round schedule sets up matchups that could reshape title expectations.
- Illinois State / SE Louisiana winner vs. No. 1 North Dakota State
- Yale / Youngstown State winner vs. No. 2 Montana State
- New Hampshire / SDSU winner vs. No. 3 Montana
- North Dakota / Tenn. Tech winner vs. No. 4 Tarleton State
- Harvard / Villanova winner vs. No. 5 Lehigh
- Drake / South Dakota winner vs. No. 6 Mercer
- Lamar / Abilene Christian winner vs. No. 7 Stephen F. Austin
- Central Connecticut State / Rhode Island winner vs. No. 8 UC Davis
Broadcast and streaming: how to watch every game
FCS playoff coverage is spread across the ESPN family of networks. Fans can catch nearly every matchup live via cable or streaming services.
- Primary TV outlets: ABC, ESPN, ESPN2
- Streaming options: ESPN app (Unlimited plan), ESPN+, Fubo
- First two rounds: Mostly on ESPN+; select games may appear on linear ESPN channels
- Quarterfinals: ABC, ESPN and ESPN+ share coverage
- Semifinals: ABC and ESPN2 carry the games
- National title: Scheduled to air on ESPN
Subscribers to the ESPN app with the Unlimited tier can stream all ESPN and ABC sports broadcasts included in the package. Fubo also carries ABC, ESPN and ESPN2 feeds and offers a free trial for new users.
Full schedule by date and where to tune in
First round — Saturday, Nov. 29 (All times ET)
- No. 15 Youngstown State vs. Yale — 12:00 p.m. — ESPN+
- No. 9 Rhode Island vs. Central Connecticut State — 12:00 p.m. — ESPN+
- No. 12 Villanova vs. Harvard — 12:00 p.m. — ESPN+
- No. 16 Southeastern Louisiana vs. Illinois State — 1:00 p.m. — ESPN+
- No. 10 Abilene Christian vs. Lamar — 1:00 p.m. — ESPN+
- No. 13 Tennessee Tech vs. North Dakota — 1:00 p.m. — ESPN+
- No. 11 South Dakota vs. Drake — 1:00 p.m. — ESPN+
- No. 14 South Dakota State vs. New Hampshire — 1:00 p.m. — ESPN+
Second round — Saturday, Dec. 6 (All times ET)
- No. 6 Mercer vs. No. 11 South Dakota/Drake — 12:00 p.m. — ESPN+
- No. 5 Lehigh vs. No. 12 Villanova/Harvard — 12:00 p.m. — ESPN+
- No. 1 North Dakota State vs. No. 16 SE Louisiana/Illinois State — 1:00 p.m. — ESPN+
- No. 7 Stephen F. Austin vs. No. 10 Abilene Christian/Lamar — 1:00 p.m. — ESPN+
- No. 4 Tarleton State vs. No. 13 Tennessee Tech/North Dakota — 1:00 p.m. — ESPN+
- No. 2 Montana State vs. No. 15 Youngstown State/Yale — 2:00 p.m. — ESPN+
- No. 3 Montana vs. No. 14 South Dakota State/New Hampshire — 2:00 p.m. — ESPN+
- No. 8 UC Davis vs. No. 9 Rhode Island/Central Conn. State — 3:00 p.m. — ESPN+
Quarterfinals — Dec. 12–13
- Friday, Dec. 12 — Night game at 9:00 p.m. ET — ESPN, ESPN app, Fubo
- Saturday, Dec. 13 — Afternoon windows: 12:00 p.m. and 3:30 p.m. — ESPN/ABC, ESPN app, Fubo
- Additional quarterfinal content may stream on ESPN+
Semifinals — Saturday, Dec. 20
- 4:00 p.m. ET — ABC, ESPN app, Fubo
- 7:30 p.m. ET — ESPN2, ESPN app, Fubo
National championship — Monday, Jan. 5
- Semifinal winners — 7:30 p.m. ET — ESPN, ESPN app, Fubo
Useful links and quick resources for FCS fans
- Latest college football news and analysis
- Full college football schedules and live scores
- Weekly Top 25 rankings and updates
- Guides on betting and odds for college football
