The 2025 FCS playoffs will feature 24 teams, including 11 automatic bids (conference winners) and 13 At-large bids. This will be the Ivy League’s first year in the FCS playoffs, making the bubble even tighter than usual.
The official bracket will be released on Sunday, Nov. 23 at 11 a.m. CT on ESPNU.
Below are our final predictions for the Top 16 seeds, auto-bids, at-large bids, the bracket, and which teams are on the bubble ahead of Selection Sunday.
2024 Final Bracketology Accuracy: 8/8 Top 8 Seeds Correct, 15/16 Top 16 Seeds Correct, 24/24 Teams In Field Correct
Big Sky: Montana State (10-2)
CAA: Rhode Island (10-2)
Ivy League: Yale (8-2)
MVFC: North Dakota State (12-0)
NEC: Central Connecticut State (8-4)
OVC-Big South: Tennessee Tech (11-1)
Patriot League: Lehigh (12-0)
Pioneer League: Drake (8-3)
SoCon: Mercer (9-2)
Southland: Stephen F. Austin (10-2)
UAC: Abilene Christian (8-4)
Montana (11-1)
Tarleton State (11-1)
Harvard (9-1)
Villanova (9-2)
UC Davis (8-3)
South Dakota (8-4)
South Dakota State (8-4)
Youngstown State (8-4)
Monmouth (9-3)
Last Four In:
Illinois State (8-4)
Lamar (8-4)
Southeastern Louisiana (9-3)
North Dakota (7-5)
1. North Dakota State (12-0)
2. Montana State (10-2)
3. Montana (11-1)
4. Lehigh (12-0)
5. Tarleton State (11-1)
6. Tennessee Tech (11-1)
7. Mercer (9-2)
8. Rhode Island (10-2)
9. Stephen F. Austin (10-2)
10. Villanova (9-2)
11. Abilene Christian (8-4)
12. South Dakota (8-4)
13. South Dakota State (8-4)
14. UC Davis (8-3)
15. Youngstown State (8-4)
16. Harvard (9-1)
New Hampshire (8-4)
Austin Peay (7-5)
Southern Utah (7-5)
Sacramento State (7-5)
Northern Arizona (7-5)
Southern Illinois (7-5)
William & Mary (7-5)
Lafayette (8-4)
Southeastern Louisiana at No. 9 Stephen F. Austin (Winner at No. 8 Rhode Island)
Yale at No. 10 Villanova (Winner at No. 7 Mercer)
Illinois State at No. 11 Abilene Christian (Winner at No. 6 Tennessee Tech)
Drake at No. 12 South Dakota (Winner at No. 5 Tarleton State)
Lamar at No. 13 South Dakota State (Winner at No. 4 Lehigh)
North Dakota at No. 14 UC Davis (Winner at No. 3 Montana)
Monmouth at No. 15 Youngstown State (Winner at No. 2 Montana State)
Central Connecticut State at No. 16 Harvard (Winner at No. 1 North Dakota State)
2025 FCS Football Playoff Predictions (Final-Nov. 22, 2025) / FCS Football Central on SI
North Dakota State is the undisputed No. 1 overall seed at 12-0 overall with six ranked wins. Montana State locked in the No. 2 seed with a win over Montana on Saturday. The Bobcats are 10-2 overall (10-1 vs. the FCS) with quality wins over NAU, Montana, and UC Davis.
Even with the loss this weekend, Montana still deserves the No. 3 seed. The Grizzlies are 11-1 overall (10-1 vs. the FCS), including quality wins over North Dakota and Sacramento State. They also have a much stronger strength of schedule than Lehigh, which is why I think the Grizzlies get the edge. Lehigh would remain at the No. 4 seed after finishing 12-0 with key wins over Penn, Yale, and Lafayette.
Tarleton State has a case for a Top 4 seed, and I would personally have them at No. 4, but the committee already favored Lehigh in its last ranking. The Texans are 11-1 with an FBS win over Army. Tennessee Tech secured a Top 8 seed with a win over UT Martin, finishing 11-1 overall and 10-0 against the FCS.
Mercer deserves a Top 8 seed, and I think the committee will reward them tomorrow. The Bears finished 9-2 overall (9-1 vs. the FCS), including nine straight wins against the FCS after switching to quarterback Braden Atkinson. The final seed is projected to go to Rhode Island, which benefited from the chaos this weekend. The Rams are 10-2 overall (10-1 vs. the FCS), including a quality win over New Hampshire.
Stephen F. Austin finished the season 10-2 overall (9-1 vs. the FCS), including a key win over Lamar. The Lumberjacks enter the postseason on a 10-game winning streak. Villanova is 9-2 overall (9-1 vs. the FCS), with its only loss coming against Monmouth before Derek Robertson’s injury. They hold quality wins over William & Mary and New Hampshire.
Abilene Christian finishes 8-4 overall (8-2 vs. the FCS), which includes quality wins over Stephen F. Austin, West Georgia, Austin Peay, and Tarleton State. Four ranked wins, a better FCS record, and a projected Top 10 SOS were enough to give ACU the edge over SDSU and South Dakota.
South Dakota secured its spot last week, finishing 8-4 overall (8-3 vs. FCS) with wins over North Dakota, SDSU, and Southern Illinois. South Dakota State also secured a seed with a win over North Dakota this weekend. The Jacks have impressive wins over Montana State, Youngstown State, and UND, but I think the committee gives the Coyotes the edge due to the recent head-to-head win. The committee also has to consider Chase Mason’s availability, which also limits SDSU’s ceiling here.
UC Davis finishes 8-3 overall (8-2 vs. the FCS), including key wins over Sacramento State and NAU. Youngstown State secures a Top 16 seed by finishing 8-4 overall (8-3 vs. the FCS) with two ranked wins over Illinois State and SIU. For the final seed, I had a hard time projecting what the committee may value most. They showed the valued Harvard earlier this year, and at 9-1 overall, I think the Crimson gets the nod for the final seed.
As for the rest of the field, Illinois State suffered a blowout loss to Southern Illinois this weekend, costing the Redbirds a Top 16 seed. They still finished 8-4 overall with quality wins over South Dakota and SDSU. Monmouth also finds its way into the field despite a head-scratching loss to UAlbany in Week 13. I would imagine the committee makes note that All-American quarterback Derek Robertson has been unavailable, but at 9-2 vs. the FCS, the Hawks should be in the field.
Lamar remains in the field despite an upset loss to McNeese in Week 13. The Cardinals are 8-3 against the FCS, including head-to-head wins over South Dakota and Southeastern Louisiana. That’s enough to secure one of the last remaining bids. Speaking of Southeastern Louisiana, the Lions will make the field at 9-1 against the FCS (9-3 overall) after Thursday’s win over Nicholls.
The final projected team in the field is North Dakota, which dropped to 7-5 overall (7-4 vs. the FCS) with a loss to SDSU this weekend. The Hawks have quality wins over Youngstown State and Southern Illinois, which gives them the edge over the remaining bubble teams. They are also projected to finish with a Top 5 SOS, while all their FCS losses came against ranked opponents by a total of 14 points.
Playoff Selection Show: Nov. 23 (Noon ET, ESPNU)
First Round: Nov. 29
Second Round: Dec. 6
Quarterfinals: Dec. 12-13
Semifinals: Dec. 20
FCS National Championship: Jan. 5, 2026 (7:30 p.m. ET, ESPN)
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