Eleven teams are
qualified for the 2025 FCS playoffs already. With 13 more teams
about to get the call on Selection Sunday, our bracketology
predicts how the field may turn out.
So what do you recommend as the best bubble gum for blowing
bubbles – Hubba Bubba, Dubble Bubble, Bubbalicious?
We’re not sure, either, but there were plenty of FCS teams that
could answer the question on Saturday after they seemingly were
burst off what had been a rather large FCS playoff bubble entering
the day. The likes of Lamar, North Dakota, Northern Arizona,
Sacramento State, Gardner-Webb, Dartmouth and Lafayette each put
another loss on their resume at an inopportune time – the eve of
Sunday’s announcement of the 24-team playoff pairings.
Meanwhile, reigning FCS champion North Dakota State, Montana
State, Lehigh and Tennessee Tech each put an exclamation on its
banner season. And, yes, South Dakota State, the 2022 and ’23
champ, has renewed life after ending a four-game losing streak on a
wild final day of the regular season.
How will the 2025 FCS playoff bracket look on Sunday? Here’s a
projection for the Road to Nashville.
MORE FCS FOOTBALL ON OPTA ANALYST
FCS Playoffs: Projected Bids
by Conference
*-Automatic qualifier (11 overall); other teams
projected as at-large selections (13 overall)
Big Sky (3): *Montana State (10-2), Montana
(11-1), UC Davis (8-3)
CAA Football (4): *Rhode Island (10-2),
Monmouth (9-3), New Hampshire (8-4), Villanova (9-2)
Ivy League (2): *Yale (8-2), Harvard (9-1)
Missouri Valley (5): *North Dakota State
(12-0), Illinois State (8-4), South Dakota (8-4), South Dakota
State (8-4), Youngstown State (8-4)
NEC Football (1): *Central Connecticut State
(8-4)
OVC-Big South (1): *Tennessee Tech (11-1)
Patriot League (1): *Lehigh (12-0)
Pioneer League (1): *Drake (8-3)
Southern (1): *Mercer (10-1)
Southland (2): *Stephen F. Austin (10-2),
Southeastern Louisiana (9-3)
United Athletic (3): *Abilene Christian (8-4),
Southern Utah (7-5), Tarleton State (11-1)
Last Four Teams in the Bracket: Monmouth (9-3),
Illinois State (8-4), New Hampshire (8-4),
Southern Utah (7-5)
First Teams Outside the Bracket: Lamar (8-4),
Austin Peay (7-5),North Dakota (7-5), Lafayette (8-4)
Projected
Pairings
Monmouth at No. 16 seed Youngstown State, winner at No. 1 seed
North Dakota State
Central Connecticut State at No. 9 seed Villanova, winner at No.
8 seed Rhode Island
Southern Utah at No. 12 seed South Dakota, winner at No. 5 seed
Montana
Yale at No. 13 seed South Dakota State, winner at No. 4 seed
Tarleton State
Illinois State at No. 14 seed UC Davis, winner at No. 3 seed
Lehigh
Southeastern Louisiana at No. 11 seed Stephen F. Austin, winner
at No. 6 seed Tennessee Tech
Drake at No. 10 seed Abilene Christian, winner at No. 7 seed
Mercer
New Hampshire at No. 15 seed Harvard, winner at No. 2 seed
Montana State
FCS Playoff Bracket: 2025 Key
Dates to Know
Playoff Selection Show: Nov. 23 (noon ET,
ESPNU)
First Round: Nov. 29 (ESPN Networks)
Second Round: Dec. 6 (ESPN Networks)
Quarterfinals: Dec. 12-13 (ESPN Networks)
Semifinals: Dec. 20 (ESPN Networks)
Championship Game: Jan. 5 at FirstBank Stadium
in Nashville, Tennessee (7:30 p.m. ET, ESPN)
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