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Here’s everything you need to know about the 2025-26 FCS Championship Game, the 48th championship game.
🏆: CLICK OR TAP HERE FOR COMPLETE COVERAGE OF THE 2025 FCS PLAYOFFS
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.
Stan Becton joined NCAA.com in 2021 and has since served as a college football, FCS football, track and field, cross country and HBCU beat reporter. He has covered numerous NCAA championship events, including the FCS Championship, DI Track & Field Championships and Men’s Frozen Four. Additionally, he has covered the College Football Playoff and HBCU sporting events like the Celebration Bowl, MEAC/SWAC Challenge and Legacy Classic. Stan graduated from Carnegie Mellon University, earning a degree in Professional Writing and playing football as a five-year letterman. You can follow him on Twitter @stan_becton.
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