After a few weeks away, we’re back to take another look at the NCAA Division I FCS playoff picture.  

Have things gotten any clearer, or is it time to start figuring out all the tiebreaker scenarios? 

Most likely, half the teams in each conference fell well out of contention long ago, while the top part of the standings is a jumbled mess that won’t be sorted until the final whistle blows on the regular season. And, we’re here for the chaos.

If the season ended today, which teams would be in the mix for the FCS Playoffs?

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With help from the latest rankings, current records, conference standings and our understanding of the playoff structure and rules, we’re going to try to paint the picture now and lay out the bracket after nine weeks of action.

Again, 24 teams will compete in the 2025 NCAA Division I FCS Championship – 11 automatic berths (conference champions) and 13 at-large selections made by the FCS Championship Committee.

I’m going to attempt something new this week and try to be brief with this analysis, so the season isn’t over by the time you get to the last conference on the list.

To read the introductory edition of this ongoing series, click here: NCAA FCS Bracket Predictions: If The 2025 Playoffs Started This Week (Oct. 8).

The REAL bracket selections for the 2025 Division I FCS Championship will be on Sunday, Nov. 23. The bracket will be revealed via a selection show.

Until then, here’s another look as things continue to unfold:

Big Sky Conference

Automatic Bid: Montana

At Large Bids: Montana State, UC Davis

Is it now a two-team race in the Big Sky Conference? Not quite yet, but this week will tell a lot. 

Montana (9-0 overall) and Montana State (7-2 overall) sit atop the BSC standings at 5-0. They’re No. 2 and No. 3 in the latest American Football Coaches Association FCS Coaches Poll. 

Oh, and they’re slated to face off Nov. 22 in the final game of the regular season, which should be where the conference champion and automatic playoff bid are determined. 

However, UC Davis still is lurking. 

Unfortunately for the Aggies, a 38-36 loss to struggling Idaho State last week was a huge setback, especially with Montana State on the schedule for Nov. 15.

Right now, UC Davis is 6-2 overall, 4-1 in conference play and ranked 12th in the recent AFCA poll. An at-large playoff berth still is very possible, and even winning the Big Sky Conference isn’t an impossible dream.

The Aggies don’t play Montana this year, but if they beat Montana State, and Montana State takes out Montana – well, that should leave UC Davis at the top of the pile – as long as the Aggies don’t slip up against Idaho this week or Sacramento State on Nov. 22.

That’s definitely a lot of what-ifs. And assumes the Montana schools might not continue their winning ways. 

Beyond that, the other nine Big Sky programs have two or more conference losses, so hope is dim. Sacramento State is 5-4/3-2 and received votes in this week’s poll. Northern Arizona is 5-4/2-3 and also received votes. 

Big South/Ohio Valley Conference

Automatic Bid: Tennessee Tech

At Large Bids: None

After arguably being slighted by the selection committee last season, Tennessee Tech isn’t leaving anything to chance in 2025.

The Golden Eagles have won 14 consecutive games, are 9-0 overall this year, 6-0 in the Big South-OVC and surged from No. 8 to No. 5 in the latest AFCA FCS Coaches Poll. It’s the second time in history, and first time since 1952, that Tennessee Tech is 9-0.

There’s no doubt Tennessee Tech is headed to the playoffs this year, but the automatic bid still isn’t locked up.

Among their three remaining games, the Golden Eagles have two conference matchups – Eastern Illinois and UT Martin – with a showdown against FBS Kentucky in between. 

UT Martin may be 4-5 overall, but the Skyhawks are 4-1 in conference play. 

That means if they can beat Tennessee State and Charleston Southern over the next two weeks, the Skyhawks could repeat as conference champions and take the Big South-OVC’s automatic bid with a win over Tennessee Tech on Nov. 22.

That’s probably the only way UT Martin makes is back to the playoffs in 2025.

Again, that means both teams have to win their remaining conference games to keep Gardner-Webb and Lindenwood (both 3-2) at bay, otherwise – more chaos. 

The only other Big South-OVC team mentioned in the Nov. 3 AFCA poll was Gardner-Webb, which received votes but did not crack the top 25.

Coastal Athletic Association

Automatic Bid: Monmouth

At Large Bids: Villanova, Rhode Island

In the latest AFCA poll, three CAA teams landed in the top 10, and all three likely are headed to the playoffs – Monmouth (No. 6), Villanova (No. 8) and Rhode Island (tied for 10th).

Since we last looked at the conference standings, nothing has changed. Monmouth and Rhode Island are undefeated at 5-0, with Villanova close behind at 5-1 and Maine at 4-1.

Monmouth and Villanova don’t have particularly tough matchups ahead, though Monmouth has three CAA games left, and Villanova only has two. The one thing they can’t do at this point is get complacent. 

Perhaps the biggest game left on the CAA schedule is a Nov. 15 meeting between Rhode Island and Maine. 

An upset by the Black Bears could mean a beeline to the solo title for Monmouth, while a URI win could lead to co-champions and some scientific calculations to determine the automatic bid, since Monmouth and Rhode Island didn’t meet this season.

Again, it looks like the CAA will be three-strong in the playoff bracket, but the only way the conference is going to match last year’s four is if things get shaken up, and Maine somehow wins the conference title. Well, MAYBE if the Black Bears win out, an at-large bid might be warranted. 

Ivy League 

Automatic Bid: Harvard

At Large Bids: None 

The first automatic playoff berth for the Ivy League still isn’t settled, though Harvard is 7-0 overall, 4-0 in league play, ranked 13th in the AFCA poll and the favorite to win it. 

Yale and Dartmouth both received votes, while Penn was left out of the discussion, despite having the same overall record as Dartmouth and a better mark in Ivy League games.

Penn and Yale are 5-2 overall and 3-1 in league games, while Dartmouth is 5-2 overall and one of three 2-2 teams in the league. 

We’ve already said the league probably isn’t strong enough to send multiple teams to the playoffs, unless someone besides Harvard takes the Ivy League crown – which definitely is possible.

Though the Crimson will meet winless Columbia this week (1-6 overall), the front-runners will end the regular season against Penn and Yale, respectively. Those two already played, with Penn defeating Yale 35-13 on Oct. 25.

Could Yale pull it off and win it all? Could Harvard lose twice and miss the playoffs completely? If Harvard loses twice, with Yale and Penn both winning out, does Penn have an argument for an at-large bid?

Did you miss the reason the Ivy League has opted out of the FCS Playoffs since 1945? Read more: Are Ivy League Teams Eligible For The FCS Playoffs? Here’s What To Know

Missouri Valley Football Conference

Automatic Bid: North Dakota State

At Large Bids: South Dakota State, North Dakota, Southern Illinois, Illinois State

The 10-team MVFC is so strong and so well-represented in the polls (seven of the 10 teams are ranked in the top 25) that there’s no doubt multiple teams are headed to the playoffs. 

Could all seven make it? Probably not, but in looking at the rankings, five, even six, doesn’t seem impossible.

However, the first spot, the automatic one, could be locked up as early as this weekend.

North Dakota State, 9-0 overall and 6-0 MVFC play, can claim the conference title outright, along with the league’s automatic berth for the 2025 NCAA Division I FCS Championship, with a win on Saturday against second-place North Dakota (6-3, 4-1).

A North Dakota upset certainly would complicate things and bring a lot of math into the situation, but that sounds like next week’s problem.

Heading the huge showdown, North Dakota State, the reigning FCS national champion, is the No. 1 team in the latest AFCA FCS Coaches Poll, while North Dakota slid from No. 10 to No. 15 after a 26-21 loss to South Dakota.

Beyond NDSU and North Dakota, South Dakota State is No. 9, Southern Illinois is No. 16, Illinois State is No. 17, Youngstown State is No. 22 and South Dakota jumped into the No. 25 spot with last week’s win. 

North Dakota State will finish its MVFC slate next week against Northern Iowa, which is 0-5 in conference play this year. 

Through last weekend, the MVFC standings look like this: NDSU (6-0), North Dakota (4-1), South Dakota (4-2), South Dakota State (3-2), Illinois State (3-2), Southern Illinois (3-2), Youngstown State (2-3), Indiana State (1-4), Northern Iowa (0-5) and Murray State (0-5). 

Northeast Conference

Automatic Bid: Central Connecticut State

At Large Bids: None

Central Connecticut State continues to roll in the Northeast Conference, and the Blue Devils have won eight consecutive conference games. This season, they’re 6-3 overall and 4-0 in NEC contests. 

Since our last look, there has been some separation in the NEC standings, but the end-of-season matchups still leave room for significant changes.

Duquesne is second at 3-1 and followed by four teams that are 2-2 – Mercyhurst, Robert Morris, Stonehill and Wagner. 

CCSU, which received votes in the latest AFCA poll and was the only NEC team to be mentioned, will finish the regular season against Stonehill, Duquesne and Mercyhurst, respectively. 

Mercyhurst opened the season at 1-4, but the strength of those opponents was insane, with four of those teams now ranked in the top 25 or receiving votes. 

The Lakers then opened their official conference schedule with a pair of wins, starting the conversation about the final game of the regular season between Mercyhurst and Central Connecticut State deciding the champion and the NEC’s automatic playoff bid.

That was the scenario last year, but it was CCSU and Duquesne, with CCSU winning. 

Consecutive losses over the past two weeks show that Mercyhurst just isn’t up to the challenge, so the Nov. 15 meeting between Central Connecticut State and Duquesne likely will be where the conference championship is settled.

And, again, that likely will be the only way an NEC team is making the postseason, as seven of the nine teams have losing records this season.

Patriot League

Automatic Bid: Lehigh

At Large Bids: None

The race for the Patriot League title and the automatic bid to the playoffs has come down to two teams, and there’s no reason to believe that will change before Lehigh and Lafayette meet Nov. 22 in the final game of the regular season.

Lehigh, riding an FCS-best 14-game regular-season winning streak, is one of five undefeated teams at the FCS level, and the Mountain Hawks surged from No. 7 to No. 4 after last week’s 41-0 rout of Patriot League foe Georgetown. 

Lehigh is 4-0 in conference play, but so is Lafayette, which is 6-3 overall and on the verge of breaking into the top 25. 

Best case for the Patriot League is that Lafayette beats Lehigh for the title, and both teams make the playoffs. 

If Lehigh continues to cruise and wins it all, there will be a very nervous Lafayette team on Selection Sunday – if the Leopards can handle Colgate (2-2) and Richmond (2-3) over the next two weeks.

Pioneer Football League

Automatic Bid: Drake

At Large Bids: None

Presbyterian opened the 2025 season with seven consecutive wins, including three in the Pioneer Football League, and it felt like there would be no stopping the Blue Hose. 

Then, Dayton spoiled things, using a 21-point second quarter to ease past Presbyterian 35-19 and hand the Blue Hose their first loss.

Presbyterian rebounded with a win, but the damage was done, with Dayton’s win clearing a path for Drake to pull ahead in the race for the league title.

Now, Drake is 5-0 atop the standings, followed by Presbyterian (4-1), Dayton (4-2) and St. Thomas (4-2). 

Drake (6-2, 5-0) and Presbyterian (8-1, 4-1) won’t see each other this season, but Drake and Dayton (6-3, 4-2) have a showdown scheduled for Nov. 15. Can the Flyers play spoiler again and really complicate things in the PFL?

Rankings-wise, Presbyterian was able to hold on to the No. 23 spot, though the 8-1 Blue Hose find themselves behind five teams with three or more losses. That says a lot about the strength, or lack thereof, of the Pioneer Football League.

Presbyterian is the only PFL team mentioned in the latest poll, and it would be hard to believe that anyone besides the league champion will end up in the playoff bracket. 

MAYBE, if Presbyterian has a strong couple of weeks but ends up losing the championship, the Blue Hose would have made a strong enough case to still be considered, similar to what could happen in the Patriot League.

Southern Conference

Automatic Bid: Mercer

At Large Bids: Western Carolina

Mercer still is in control in the Southern Conference, but Western Carolina has been on a tear since starting the year with three consecutive losses.

They’re 6-0 and 5-0, respectively, in SoCon play, and Chattanooga (3-2) is the only one of the other seven teams with less than three conference losses. 

What does that mean? It means another two-team race for the title and automatic bid, with things likely being settled this week when Western Carolina (6-3, 5-0) hosts Mercer (7-1, 6-0).

Western Carolina has three conference games left, while Mercer only has two. Should they end up tied at the top of the standings, whichever team wins this week would have the advantage. 

The only wrench would be both teams somehow losing twice and Chattanooga winning out for a three-way tie. But, will Western Carolina, 6-3 overall, lose all three of its remaining games? Probably not.

In the latest rankings, Mercer is up from No. 13 to a tie for 10th, while Western Carolina's winning streak finally landed the Catamounts in the top 25. They’re at No. 23, but there’s still plenty of time to move up. Lose where they shouldn’t, and Nov. 22 will be a very sleepless night.

Southland Conference

Automatic Bid: Southeastern Louisiana

At Large Bids: Stephen F. Austin, Lamar

The Southland is another conference that should have multiple teams in the 24-team FCS postseason bracket. 

Though they keep moving around, Southeastern Louisiana (No. 14), Lamar (18) and Stephen F. Austin (21) all maintained spots in the top 25 this week. 

Despite being the highest-ranked of the three front-runners, Lamar was the first to suffer a conference loss this year, falling to a struggling University of the Incarnate Word last week, 24-17.

That leaves Stephen F. Austin (7-2 overall) and Southeastern Louisiana (7-2 overall) atop the Southland standings at 5-0, while Lamar (7-2 overall) fell to 4-1. 

Southeastern Louisiana and Lamar will face off this week, and that’s a huge game with big implications. Lamar won’t get any time to rest, as the Cardinals head to Stephen F. Austin next week.

As SLU found out last year, you don’t want to leave your fate up to the selection committee. The only guaranteed way in is to win the conference. 

United Athletic Conference

Automatic Bid: Tarleton State

At Large Bids: Abilene Christian, West Georgia

A few weeks ago, the United Athletic Conference had four teams in the top 25 of the AFCA FCS Coaches Poll and two more receiving votes. It looked the mighty nine-team conference was going to claim a huge portion of the playoff bracket. 

Unfortunately for the UAC, things have shifted a bit, though the conference still should be well-represented in the postseason.

As of Nov. 3, Tarleton State is No. 7 and Abilene Christian is No. 20, with West Georgia and Austin Peay both receiving votes. 

Tarleton State (9-1 overall) tops the conference standings at 5-1, but the Texans are coming off a conference loss to Abilene Christian that saw them drop five spots in the poll this week. 

ACU (5-4 overall) is next in the UAC standings at 4-1, followed by Southern Utah (3-2), West Georgia (3-3) and Austin Peay (3-3).

It got messy, and the talented teams are beating up on each other, but it really feels like it's TSU’s title to lose at this point. 

The Texans only have two conference games left, with one being struggling North Alabama, and the other being the wild-card Austin Peay in the final week of the regular season.

Even though Abilene Christian has three UAC games left, the path to a one-loss conference slate actually might be a little easier, as those games come against three of the bottom four teams in the conference. 

That means the win over Tarleton State, which ended with a walk-off field goal, could end up being bigger than the Wildcats ever expected.

West Georgia also gets to close the year against three of the last four teams in the standings, and success there should be enough to propel the Wolves to an at-large playoff spot.

Last Four In

Abilene Christian, Stephen F. Austin, Western Carolina, West Georgia

First Four Out  

Youngstown State, Presbyterian, South Dakota, Lafayette

First-Round Matchups 

• Illinois State at No. 16 Southern Illinois
• Stephen F. Austin at No. 9 South Dakota State
• Abilene Christian at No. 12 UC Davis
• Central Connecticut State at No. 13 Harvard
• Lamar at No. 14 Southeastern Louisiana 
• Western Carolina at No. 11 Rhode Island
• West Georgia at No. 10 Mercer
• Drake at No. 15 North Dakota

Second-Round Matchups

• Illinois State/Southern Illinois at No. 1 North Dakota State
• Stephen F. Austin/South Dakota State at No. 8 Villanova
• Abilene Christian/UC Davis at No. 5 Tennessee Tech
• Central Connecticut State/Harvard at No. 4 Lehigh
• Lamar/Southeastern Louisiana at No. 3 Montana State
• Western Carolina/Rhode Island at No. 6 Monmouth
• West Georgia/Mercer at No. 7 Tarleton State
• Drake/North Dakota at No. 2 Montana

About The 2025 NCAA Division I FCS Playoffs 

The 2025 FCS Playoffs will feature a 24-team bracket. The top 16 teams will be seeded, and the top eight seeds will receive first-round byes. 

The rest of the field (the remaining 16 teams) will play in the first round, with the No. 9 through No. 16 expected to host, if possible. Their opponents are selected by regional proximity, if possible, to ensure the shortest trip possible for the teams. 

However, the first round will try to avoid any matchups featuring conference teams that have played each other.

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Saturday, Nov. 8

All Times Eastern

• Noon - New Hampshire vs Monmouth
• Noon - North Carolina A&T vs Stony Brook
• 1 p.m. - Bryant vs UAlbany
• 1 p.m. - Maine vs Hampton
• 1 p.m. - Villanova vs Towson
• 2 p.m. - William & Mary vs Campbell
• 2 p.m. - Rhode Island vs Elon

AFCA FCS Coaches Poll For Week 10

• 1. North Dakota State (9-0) — Previous: 1
• 2. Montana (9-0) — Previous: 3
• 3. Montana State (7-2) — Previous: 4
• 4. Lehigh (9-0) — Previous: 7
• 5. Tennessee Tech (9-0) — Previous: 8
• 6. Monmouth (N.J.) (8-1) — Previous: 9
• 7. Tarleton State (9-1) — Previous: 2
• 8. Villanova (6-2) — Previous: 11
• 9. South Dakota State (7-2) — Previous: 5
• T-10. Mercer (7-1) — Previous: 13
• T-10. Rhode Island (7-2) — Previous: 12
• 12. UC Davis (6-2) — Previous: 6
• 13. Harvard (7-0) — Previous: 15
• 14. Southeastern Louisiana (7-2) — Previous: 16
• 15. North Dakota (6-3) — Previous: 10
• 16. Southern Illinois (6-3) — Previous: 17
• 17. Illinois State (6-3) — Previous: 18
• 18. Lamar (7-2) — Previous: 14
• 19. Jackson State (6-2) — Previous: 20
• 20. Abilene Christian (5-4) — Previous: 25
• 21. Stephen F. Austin (7-2) — Previous: 23
• 22. Youngstown State (5-4) — Previous: 19
• 23. Presbyterian (8-1) — Previous: 22
• 24. Western Carolina (6-3) — Previous: NR
• 25. South Dakota (6-4) — Previous: NR

Others Receiving Votes: Lafayette, 29; West Georgia, 27; Alabama St., 12; Sacramento St., 12; Northern Arizona, 10; UT Rio Grande Valley, 10; Dartmouth, 8; Gardner-Webb, 7; North Carolina Central, 4; Austin Peay, 3; South Carolina St., 2; Yale, 2; Central Connecticut St., 1; Delaware St., 1.

Stats Perform FCS Top 25 After Nov. 1, 2025

• 1. North Dakota State (9-0) — Previous: 1
• 2. Montana (9-0) — Previous: 3
• 3. Montana State (7-2) — Previous: T-4
• 4. Lehigh (9-0) — Previous: 7
• 5. Tennessee Tech (9-0) — Previous: 9
• 6. Tarleton State (9-1) — Previous: 2
• 7. Monmouth (8-1) — Previous: 10
• 8. South Dakota State (7-2) — Previous: T-4
• 9. Harvard (7-0) — Previous: 12
• 10. Villanova (6-2) — Previous: 11
• 11. UC Davis (6-2) — Previous: 6
• 12. Mercer (7-1) — Previous: 15
• 13. North Dakota (6-3) — Previous: 8
• 14. Rhode Island (7-2) — Previous: 13
• 15. Southern Illinois (6-3) — Previous: 16
• 16. Illinois State (6-3) — Previous: 17
• 17. Stephen F. Austin (7-2) — Previous: 20
• 18. Abilene Christian (5-4) — Previous: 24
• 19. Southeastern Louisiana (7-2) — Previous: 21
• 20. Lamar (7-2) — Previous: 14
• 21. Youngstown State (5-4) — Previous: 18
• 22. South Dakota (6-4) — Previous: NR 
• 23. Jackson State (6-2) — Previous: 23
• 24. Western Carolina (6-3) — Previous: NR 
• 25. Presbyterian (8-1) — Previous: 25

Dropped Out: Northern Arizona (19), Austin Peay (22)

Others Receiving Votes: Northern Arizona (5-4, 2-3 Big Sky), 70; Alabama State (6-2, 4-1 SWAC), 48; Delaware State (6-3, 2-0 MEAC), 23; Austin Peay (5-4, 3-3 UAC), 19; West Georgia (6-3, 3-3 UAC), 18; Lafayette (6-3, 4-0 Patriot), 15; Yale (5-2, 3-1 Ivy), 8; Sacramento State (5-4, 3-2 Big Sky), 7; New Hampshire (5-4, 3-2 CAA), 6.

When Do The 2025 FCS College Football Playoffs Start?

The FCS Playoffs begin Saturday, Nov. 29, 2025, featuring 24 teams. 

The 2025 Division I FCS College Football Championship game will be played on Jan. 5, 2026, at FirstBank Stadium in Nashville, Tennessee.

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