Montana won its first ever FCS championship with a 35-34 win over Illinois State. Here’s everything you need to know about the 2025-26 FCS Championship Game, the 48th edition.
🏆: CLICK HERE TO FOLLOW THE COMPLETE 2025 FCS PLAYOFFS.
When is the 2025-26 FCS National Championship?
The 2025-26 FCS Championship Game will be played on Monday, January 5, 2026 at 7:30 p.m.
Where will the 2025-26 FCS Championship be held?
The championship game will be played at FirstBank Stadium on the campus of Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tennessee. This marks the 14th time the championship has returned to Tennessee for the first time since 2009, and the FCS championship will be in Nashville for the first time.
How to watch the 2025-26 FCS Championship
The title game will be broadcast on ESPN Family Network. You can stream the game Click here or click here.
Who will play for the 2025-26 FCS National Championship?
The 2025-26 FCS Championship participants will be decided as the title bracket progresses. Two semi-finalists will fight for the title.
Montana beat Montana 48-23 in the semifinals to claim its first title.
State of Illinois beat Villanova 30-14 in the semifinals to earn their second title.
When is the 2025-26 FCS Championship?
The 2025-26 FCS Championship bracket qualifiers will be held on Sunday, November 23, 2025. The bracket will be determined by the selection show.
How are the FCS Championship teams selected?
24 teams will compete for the 2025-26 FCS Championship. At the end of the regular season, 11 conferences (or conference partnerships/associations) receive an automatic bid to the playoffs. The FCS Championship Committee will select the remaining 13 at-large bids. Also, the committee will select the best 16 teams, and the best eight teams will get a bye in the first round.
What does the 2025-26 FCS bracket look like?
The 2025-26 FCS playoffs will consist of 24 teams, with the top 16 teams and the top eight teams advancing to the second round. The remaining 24 teams (16 remaining teams) will play in the first round.
The first round matches will be zoned to ensure that teams ranked 9th through 16th travel as little as possible. Likewise, any games involving teams from the conference that played each other in the first round will try to avoid it.
When hosting a game, a minimum bid is required. If the winning team submits a reasonable bid, the winning team will receive the right to host.
Click here or click the interactive bracket.
What are the current FCS football rankings?
Click or click here to view the latest FCS football rosters, which will be updated throughout the season.
Previous FCS champions from 1978 to present
Here are the previous FCS championship winners that began in the 1978 season.
| YEAR | THE CHAMPION | Coach | SCORE | PROGRESSIVE | SITE |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| The year 2024 | North Dakota State | Tim Polasek | 35-32 | Montana | Frisco, Texas |
| The year 2023 | South Dakota State | Jimmy Rogers | 23-3 | Montana | Frisco, Texas |
| The year 2022 | South Dakota State | John Stiegelmeier | 45-21 | North Dakota State | Frisco, Texas |
| 2021 | North Dakota State | Matt Entz | 38-10 | Montana | Frisco, Texas |
| 2020 | Sam Houston | KC 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 Kleeman | 38-24 | Eastern Washington | Frisco, Texas |
| 2017 | North Dakota State | Chris Kleeman | 17-13 | James Madison | Frisco, Texas |
| 2016 | James Madison | Mike Houston | 28-14 | Youngstown County | Frisco, Texas |
| 2015 | North Dakota State | Chris Kleeman | 37-10 | Jacksonville County | Frisco, Texas |
| 2014 | North Dakota State | Chris Kleeman | 29-27 | State of Illinois | Frisco, Texas |
| 2013 | North Dakota State | Craig Ball | 35-7 | Towson | Frisco, Texas |
| 2012 | North Dakota State | Craig Ball | 39-13 | Sam Houston State | Frisco, Texas |
| 2011 | North Dakota State | Craig Ball | 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 | KC Keeler | 40-0 | Colgate | Chattanooga, Tenn. |
| 2002 | Western Kentucky | Jack Harbaugh | 34-14 | McNeese County | Chattanooga, Tenn. |
| 2001 | Montana | Joe Glenn | 13-6 | Furman | Chattanooga, Tenn. |
| 2000 | South Georgia | Paul Johnson | 27-25 | Montana | Chattanooga, Tenn. |
| 1999 | South Georgia | Paul Johnson | 59-24 | Youngstown County | Chattanooga, Tenn. |
| 1998 | Massachusetts | Mark Whipple | 55-43 | South Georgia | Chattanooga, Tenn. |
| 1997 | Youngstown County | Jim Tressel | 10-9 | McNeese County | Chattanooga, Tenn. |
| 1996 | Marshall | Bob Pruett | 49-29 | Montana | Huntington, W.W. |
| 1995 | Montana | Don Read | 22-20 | Marshall | Huntington, W.W. |
| 1994 | Youngstown County | Jim Tressel | 28-14 | Boise County | Huntington, W.W. |
| 1993 | Youngstown County | Jim Tressel | 17-5 | Marshall | Huntington, W.W. |
| 1992 | Marshall | Jim Donnan | 31-28 | Youngstown County | Huntington, W.W. |
| 1991 | Youngstown County | Jim Tressel | 25-17 | Marshall | Statesboro, Ga. |
| 1990 | South Georgia | Tim Stowers | 36-13 | Nevada | Statesboro, Ga. |
| 1989 | South Georgia | Eric Russell | 37-34 | Stephen F. Austin * | Statesboro, Ga. |
| 1988 | Furman | Jimmy Satterfield | 17-12 | South Georgia | Pocatello, Idaho |
| 1987 | Louisiana-Monroe | Pat Collins | 43-42 | Marshall | Pocatello, Idaho |
| 1986 | South Georgia | Eric Russell | 48-21 | State of Arkansas | Tacoma, Wash. |
| 1985 | South Georgia | Eric Russell | 44-42 | Furman | Tacoma, Wash. |
| 1984 | Montana | Dave Arnold | 19-6 | Louisiana Tech | Charleston, SC |
| 1983 | Southern Illinois | Ray Dempsey | 43-7 | Western Carolina | Charleston, SC |
| 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 County | Jim Criner | 31-29 | Eastern Kentucky | Sacramento, California. |
| 1979 | Eastern Kentucky | Roy Kidd | 30-7 | Lehi | Orlando, Florida. |
| 1978 | Florida A&M | Rudy Hubbard | 35-28 | Massachusetts | Wichita Falls, Texas |
* — Stephen F. Austin’s 1989 championship vacated.
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