The College Football Playoff remains at four teams for one more year, but the FCS playoffs have long taken a different approach with an expanded field. Starting on Nov. 25, the madness is about to get underway.
The 24-team FCS playoff field has been revealed, featuring 10 automatic qualifiers and 14 at-large bids. As usual, the top eight teams receive a bye to the second round, while the non-seeded teams will battle it out in the first round on Thanksgiving weekend.
The playoffs will last all the way through Jan. 7, when the two remaining teams play for a national championship in Frisco, Texas.
MORE: Watch select FCS playoff games live with Fubo (free trial)
Here's a complete look at the 2023 FCS playoff bracket, including the schedule and how to watch the games.
FCS football playoff bracket 2023
Second-round games
- Mercer vs. No. 1 South Dakota State
- Youngstown State vs. No. 8 Villanova
- Southern Illinois vs. No. 4 Idaho
- Richmond vs. No. 5 Albany
- Sacramento State vs. No. 3 South Dakota
- North Dakota State vs. No. 6 Montana State
- Chattanooga vs. No. 7 Furman
- Delaware vs. No. 2 Montana
Quarterfinal games
- Mercer/South Dakota State winner vs. Youngstown State/Villanova winner
- Southern Illinois/Idaho winner vs. Richmond/Albany winner
- Sacramento State/South Dakota winner vs. North Dakota State/Montana State winner
- Chattanooga/Furman winner vs. Delaware/Montana winner
Full bracket available on NCAA.com
FCS football playoff schedule, scores
First round
Saturday, Nov. 25
| Score |
| Sacramento State 42, North Dakota 35 |
| Delaware 36, Lafayette 34 |
| Richmond 49, NC Central 27 |
| Southern Illinois 35, Nicholls 0 |
| Mercer 17, Gardner-Webb 7 |
| Chattanooga 24, Austin Peay 21 |
| North Dakota State 66, Drake 3 |
| Youngstown State 40, Duquesne 7 |
Second round
Saturday, Dec. 2
| Score |
| No. 1 South Dakota St. 41, Mercer 0 |
| No. 2 Montana 49, Delaware 19 |
| No. 3 South Dakota 34, Sacramento State 24 |
| No. 4 Idaho 20, Southern Illinois 17 (OT) |
| No. 5 Albany 41, Richmond 13 |
| North Dakota State 35, No. 6 Montana State 34 (OT) |
| No. 7 Furman 26, Chattanooga 7 |
| No. 8 Villanova 45, Youngstown State 28 |
Quarterfinals
Saturday, Dec, 8
| Game | Time (ET) | TV channel |
| TBD | ESPN+ | |
| TBD | ESPN+ |
Sunday, Dec. 9
| Game | Time (ET) | TV channel |
| TBD | ||
| TBD |
Semifinals
Saturday, Dec. 15
| Game | Time (ET) | TV channel |
| TBD |
Sunday, Dec. 16
| Game | Time (ET) | TV channel |
| TBD |
National championship
Sunday, Jan. 7
| Game | Time (ET) | TV channel |
| Semifinal winners | 2 p.m. | ABC |
How to watch FCS playoff games
FCS playoff games will air on ESPN's family of networks, with ABC airing the national championship game on Jan. 7.
Streaming options for the FCS playoffs include ESPN+, the ESPN app and Fubo, which offers a free trial.
