Live updates: 2023 FCS football playoffs
FCS bracket predictions 🔮
The 2023 FCS football playoff bracket is in. NCAA Digital's Stan Becton predicts the bracket team by team from the first round through the championship.
2023 NCAA Division I Football Championship Field Announced
The field of 24 teams competing for the 2023 NCAA Division I Football Championship was announced today by the NCAA Division I Football Championship Committee.
MORE: See more on the 2023 FCS playoff field selections
The 2023 championship field consists of 10 automatic qualifiers and 14 at-large qualifiers. Team pairings are determined primarily according to geographical proximity.
Teams from the same conference will not be paired for first round games. (except for teams from the same conference that did not play against each other during the regular season; such teams may play each other in the first round).
Click or tap here to view the bracket
Bottom half of bracket revealed
The bottom half of the FCS playoff bracket has been revealed. The following at-large teams earned a spot in the top half of the bracket:
- Sacramento State
- North Dakota
- North Dakota State
- Chattanooga
- Delaware
Top half of the bracket revealed
The top half of the FCS playoff bracket has been revealed. The following at-large teams earned a spot in the top half of the bracket:
- Mercer
- Youngstown State
- North Carolina Central
- Richmond
- Southern Illinois
Top eight seeds in
The top eight seeds for the 2023 FCS playoffs are in. See the seeds below:
- South Dakota State
- Montana
- South Dakota
- Idaho
- UAlbany
- Montana State
- Furman
- Villanova
The FCS selection show is underway
📺 How to watch the 2023 FCS selection show
The 2023 FCS championship selection show will air on Sunday, November 19 at 12:30 p.m. ET live on ESPNU. The complete tournament field and official bracket will be posted here shortly after it is unveiled.
24 teams will be selected for the championships. 10 will automatically qualify while the remaining 14 will be picked at large.
When: Sunday, November 19 at 12:30 p.m. ET
Where: ESPNU
The championship game will be at Toyota Stadium in Frisco, Texas on Sunday, January 7. It will air on ABC at 2 p.m. ET.
Below is the schedule for the 2023 FCS Football championships:
First round
- Saturday, Nov. 25 | Multiple Sites
Second round
- Saturday, Dec. 2| Multiple Sites
Quarterfinals
- Friday, Dec. 8 | Multiple Sites
- Saturday, Dec. 9 | Multiple Sites
Semifinals
- Friday, Dec. 15 | Semifinal I | Location TBD
- Saturday, Dec. 16 | Semifinal II | Location TBD
National Championship
- Sunday, Jan. 7 | National Championship: 2 p.m. ET | Toyota Stadium in Frisco, TX | ABC
🎟 All 10 automatic bids clinched
Ten teams will receive automatic qualifying bids to the FCS playoffs. We tracked every automatic bid as teams punched their tickets.
| CONFERENCE | AUTO-BID TEAM |
|---|---|
| ASUN-WAC (UAC) | Austin Peay |
| Big Sky | Montana |
| Big South-OVC | Gardner-Webb |
| CAA | Villanova |
| MVFC | South Dakota State |
| NEC | Duquesne |
| Patriot | Lafayette |
| Pioneer | Drake |
| SoCon | Furman |
| Southland | Nicholls |
Championship history
Here's the FCS national championship history.
| YEAR | CHAMPION | COACH | SCORE | RUNNER-UP | SITE |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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.