The Dakotas have had a stranglehold on the FCS title for nearly a decade, with North Dakota State and South Dakota State winning seven of the last eight national championships.
NDSU has followed up its 10th title with another dominant season and is once again the team to beat in the FCS playoffs. The Bison and their challengers will learn their path to the championship Sunday with the playoff selection show.
The 24-team field features 11 automatic qualifiers and 13 at-large teams selected by a committee. The top 16 teams will be seeded, with the top eight receiving first-round byes and waiting until Dec. 6 to begin postseason play.
The rest of the field will open up next weekend against opponents to be revealed Sunday.
AllSportsPeople has you covered with everything that you need to know about the 2025 FCS playoffs selection show, including TV and live stream information.
Where to watch FCS playoffs selection show: TV channel, live stream
The 24-team field will be announced in a selection show that will air on ESPNU. The bracket reveal can also be streamed on the ESPN app or via Fubo, which offers a free trial to new users.
Now you can watch ESPN without cable. Stream live NBA, NFL, MLB, NHL, college sports, plus SportsCenter, First Take, and all your favorite ESPN shows—anytime, anywhere—only in the new ESPN app.
FCS playoffs selection show start time
- Date: Sunday, Nov. 23
- Time: 12 p.m. ET
The 2025-26 FCS playoffs selection show will begin at 12 p.m. ET on Sunday, Nov. 23.
FCS playoffs schedule 2025
The 2025-26 FCS playoffs begin on Saturday, Nov. 29 with eight first-round games. The playoffs conclude on Monday, Jan. 5 with the FCS Championship in Nashville, Tenn.
| Date | Round | TV channel |
|---|---|---|
| Nov. 23 | Selection Show | ESPNU |
| Nov. 29 | First round | ESPN+ |
| Dec. 6 | Second round | ESPN+ |
| Dec. 12-13 | Quarterfinals | ESPN, ABC, ESPN+ |
| Dec. 20 | Semifinals | ABC, ESPN2 |
| Jan. 5 | Championship | ESPN |
FCS playoffs automatic bids 2025
The following 11 teams receive automatic bids to the playoffs as conference champions.
| Conference | Automatic bid |
|---|---|
| ASUN-WAC | Abilene Christian |
| Big Sky | Montana State |
| CAA | Rhode Island |
| Ivy League | Yale |
| MVFC | North Dakota State |
| NEC | Central Connecticut State |
| OVC-Big South | Tennessee Tech |
| Patriot | Lehigh |
| Pioneer | Drake |
| SoCon | Mercer |
| Southland | Stephen F. Austin |
FCS rankings
Stats Perform FCS Top 25 as of Nov. 15
- North Dakota State
- Montana
- Montana State
- Lehigh
- Tarleton State
- Tennessee Tech
- Mercer
- Harvard
- Villanova
- Rhode Island
- Illinois State
- Monmouth
- North Dakota
- Stephen F. Austin
- UC Davis
- South Dakota
- Abilene Christian
- Youngstown State
- Lamar
- Jackson State
- Southeastern Louisiana
- South Dakota State
- Northern Arizona
- Southern Illinois
- New Hampshire