The NAIA football playoffs are set to begin this weekend and will do so with a trio of Frontier Conference teams fighting for a national championship. Montana Tech, Carroll College and the College of Idaho are all included in this year’s 20-team postseason field.
Montana Tech (11-0) has earned the No. 3 overall seed for the playoffs after a tremendous undefeated regular season in which the Orediggers’ closest contest of the campaign was a 27-24 win over fellow playoff team College of Idaho back on September 27. Montana’s No. 3 seed for the playoffs marks the program’s highest-ever playoff seeding. Due to their seed, Montana Tech is one of 12 teams that will receive a first round bye. The Orediggers’ first postseason game of 2025 will be hosted at Bob Green field in Butte on Saturday, November 29 against an opponent to-be-determined. This year marks Tech’s third straight postseason berth and the 12th appearance in program history. The Orediggers’ best playoff run in team history was their runner-up finish in 1996.
The only other Montana team to make this year’s NAIA playoff field is Carroll College, who was awarded the 14-seed and will host a first round playoff game on Saturday, November 22 against the No. 17-seed St. Thomas (FL). For the Fighting Saints (8-2, 5-1), this is their first trip to the postseason since 2022, their first home playoff game since 2014 and their 25th all-time postseason appearance. Carroll has an overall playoff record of 42-18 in their storied history with six national championships.
College of Idaho, the Frontier West Division champion, was announced as the NAIA FCS No. 8 seed Sunday after earning an automatic berth. The Yotes earn a first-round bye and are guaranteed a home game in the Round of 16.