INDIANAPOLIS---The field of 24 teams competing for the 2023 NCAA Division I Football Championship was announced today by the NCAA Division I Football Championship Committee.

• MVFC Release (PDF)
• 2023 FCS Playoff Bracket (PDF)

A record-six MVFC teams earned spots into the 24-team field, tying a league mark established in 2021.

The league has 14 title-game appearances in the last 12 years and 10 titles in that span.  In those 12 seasons (2011-22), the MVFC had a total of 85 playoff victories; next best is the CAA with 49.  An MVFC school has appeared in an FCS-record 12-straight title game appearances for the league.  The CAA (5 in a row), OVC (4-straight) and SoCon (4 appearances in a row) are next on the list.




South Dakota State (11-0), winners of the Missouri Valley Football Conference, earned the top seed in their 12th consecutive appearance in the championship. The defending champion Jackrabbits have won 25 games in a row.

For the third time in the last four seasons, South Dakota State has earned the top seed for the Football Championship Subdivision playoffs. The 24-team field was announced Sunday, with the defending national champion Jackrabbits receiving a first-round bye.   SDSU, 11-0 overall and the winner of 25 consecutive games dating back to early in the 2022 season, will host a second-round game Dec. 2 against the winner of Saturday's opening-round matchup between Gardner-Webb (7-4) and Mercer (8-3). Kickoff for the Jackrabbits' playoff opener is tentatively set for 1 p.m. at Dana J. Dykhouse Stadium.  The Jackrabbits will be making their 12^th consecutive appearance in the FCS playoffs and 13^th overall after earning the automatic bid from the Missouri Valley Football Conference. SDSU has earned a top-eight seed six of the last seven seasons and advanced to the FCS national title game each of the two previous times (2020-21 and 2022) it was awarded the top seed.

Montana (10-1) is the number two seed earning the automatic qualifying berth from the Big Sky Conference. The Grizzlies are making their third straight appearance after winning their conference for the first time since 2009.

South Dakota (9-2) is the number three seed after securing an at-large bid. The Coyotes will be making their third all-time appearance in the championship and first time earning a first-round bye.  

It is the program's third FCS playoff appearance and seventh NCAA playoff appearance overall. The Coyotes first competed in the FCS playoffs in 2017 and beat Nicholls in Louisiana in round one before falling to Sam Houston State in Texas in round two. South Dakota dropped a first-round game to Southern Illinois in Vermillion in 2021.   South Dakota has received a top-eight seed for the first time. It comes with a first-round bye and the guaranteed home game. Should the Coyotes prevail in their game Dec. 2, they would host a quarterfinal contest in the DakotaDome Dec. 9.  The Coyotes finished the regular season with a program-record nine FCS wins. Their two losses are to nationally-ranked Missouri of the SEC and South Dakota State, the overall No. 1 seed in the FCS playoffs. South Dakota's resume includes four wins against nationally-ranked teams. Three of those were ranked in the top-10.

Idaho (8-3) rounds out the top four seeds following a third-place finish in the Big Sky Conference.  This will be the Vandals second-straight appearance and 13th overall since 1982.

UAlbany (9-3) secured the number five seed after earning a share of the Coastal Athletic Association title. The Great Danes will make their third appearance in the FCS championship since 2011.

Montana State (8-3) will be the sixth seed after placing second in the Big Sky Conference. The 2022 national championship game Bobcats are making their 13th playoff appearance.

Furman (9-2) clinched the seven seed. The Paladins earned the automatic qualifier from the Southern Conference and are making their 20th appearance in the FCS championship. 

Villanova (9-2) rounds out the top eight seeds receiving first round byes. The Wildcats earned the automatic qualifier in the Coastal Athletic Association and will be making their 15th appearance in the FCS championship.

During the previous 46 years of the championship, 23 schools have won a national title, ten of which earned a place in this year’s bracket.

The 2023 championship field consists of 10 automatic qualifiers and 14 at-large qualifiers. Team pairings are determined primarily according to geographical proximity.  Teams from the same conference will not be paired for first round games. (except for teams from the same conference that did not play against each other during the regular season; such teams may play each other in the first round).

2023 NCAA® DIVISION I FOOTBALL CHAMPIONSHIP  AUTOMATIC QUALIFIERS (10)

Conference	Team	2023 Record	Previous Appearances Years            Wins       Losses			Last Appearance
ASUN/WAC	Austin Peay	9-2	1	2	1	2019
Big Sky	Montana	10-1	26	35	24	2022
Coastal	Villanova	9-2	14	13	13	2021
Missouri Valley	South Dakota St.	11-0	12	18	11	2022
Northeast	Duquesne	7-4	2	1	2	2018
Ohio Valley/Big South	Gardner-Webb	7-4	1	1	1	2022
Patriot	Lafayette	9-2	4	0	4	2013
Pioneer	Drake	8-3				First
Southern	Furman	9-2	19	20	18	2022
Southland	Nicholls	6-4	6	3	6	201

2023 NCAA® DIVISION I FOOTBALL CHAMPIONSHIP  AT-LARGE SELECTIONS (14)

Team	Conference	2023 Record	Previous Appearances Years            Wins       Losses			Last Appearance
Chattanooga	Southern	7-4	4	3	4	2016
Delaware	Coastal	8-3	18	25	17	2022
Idaho	Big Sky	8-3	12	6	12	2022
Mercer	Southern	8-3				First
Montana State	Big Sky	8-3	12	14	11	2022
N.C. Central	MEAC	9-2				First
North Dakota	MVFC	7-4	4	1	4	2022
North Dakota State	MVFC	8-3	13	44	4	2022
UAlbany	Coastal	9-3	2	1	2	2019
Richmond	Coastal	8-3	12	16	11	2022
Sacramento State	Big Sky	7-4	3	1	3	2022
South Dakota	MVFC	9-2	2	1	2	2021
Southern Illinois	MVFC	7-4	10	10	9	2021
Youngstown State	MVFC	7-4	12	28	8	2016

                                         
 
Longest Consecutive Tournament Appearances in the Championship
(Including 2023)
North Dakota State – 14
South Dakota State – 12
 
Consecutive Tournament Appearances in the Championship Ending
Holy Cross – 4
Davidson – 3

Most Tournament Appearances in the Championship
(Including 2023)
Montana – 27
Furman – 20
Delaware – 19
North Dakota State – 14
Villanova – 14
Idaho – 13
Montana St. – 13
Richmond – 13
South Dakota St. – 13

Schools Making the Championship for the First Time
Drake
Mercer
N.C. Central

Longest Stretch between Championship Appearances
Lafayette – 2013
Chattanooga – 2016
Youngstown State – 2016
Duquesne – 2018

Schools by Conference
Missouri Valley Football Conference – 6
Big Sky Conference – 4
Coastal Athletic Association – 4
Southern Conference – 3

DATES/SITES/PAIRINGS-FIRST-ROUND GAMES

November 25 at Macon, Georgia, 3 p.m. (ET) (ESPN+)
Gardner-Webb (7-4) at Mercer (8-3)

November 25 at Youngstown, Ohio, 5 p.m. (ET) (ESPN+)
Duquesne (7-4) at Youngstown St. (7-4)
The Youngstown State football team will play host to Duquesne in the first round of the NCAA FCS Playoffs on Saturday, Nov. 25 at Stambaugh Stadium. Kickoff is set for 5 p.m. ET.  The Penguins are making their first trip to the postseason since 2016 when they won four games and played in the National Championship Game in Frisco, Texas.   YSU finished the season 7-4 overall and posted a 5-3 record in the Missouri Valley Football Conference. Duquesne enters the postseason as the NEC Champion after finishing 7-4 overall and 6-1 in conference play.  The winner of the YSU-Duquesne game will face No. 8 seed Villanova in the second round on Dec. 2.

November 25 at Richmond, Virginia, 2 p.m. (ET) (ESPN+)
N.C. Central (9-2) at Richmond (8-3)

November 25 at Carbondale, Illinois, 3 p.m. (ET) (ESPN+)
Nicholls (6-4) at Southern Ill. (7-4)
Southern Illinois will make its third playoff appearance in the last four years when it hosts Nicholls on Saturday at 2 p.m. in the first round of the FCS Playoffs.  The No. 16-ranked Salukis (7-4) were an at-large selection to the 24-team FCS Playoffs and one of six schools taken from Missouri Valley Football Conference.  The winner of Saturday's game will play at No. 4-seed Idaho on Dec. 2.

November 25 at Grand Forks, North Dakota, 1 p.m. (ET) (ESPN+)
Sacramento St. (7-4) at North Dakota (7-4)
For the fourth time in the last five seasons, North Dakota is postseason bound. UND will host Sacramento State on Saturday, Nov. 25 at Noon (CT) in the opening round of the Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) Playoffs, with the winner heading to No. 3 seed South Dakota the following weekend. This will be the seventh all-time meeting between North Dakota and Sacramento State, with UND holding a 4-2 lead in the series. The Fighting Hawks ended the 2023 regular season with the No. 15 strength of schedule, according to the Massey Ratings. NoDak enters the playoffs with the No. 24 scoring offense this season, averaging 30.9 points per game. The Fighting Hawks have also won eight of their last 11 one-score games.

November 25 at Fargo, North Dakota, 3:30 p.m. (ET) (ESPN+)
Drake (8-3) at North Dakota St. (8-3)
North Dakota State (8-3) will face Pioneer Football League champion Drake (8-3, 8-0 PFL) with the winner advancing to play No. 6 national seed Montana State (8-3, 6-2 Big Sky) in the second round Saturday, Dec. 2.  This is NDSU's 14th consecutive appearance in the NCAA Division I Football Championship. The Bison have advanced to the quarterfinals or beyond all 13 years and have won nine national championships.  North Dakota State has a 44-4 record in the FCS playoffs including a 34-1 record in the Fargodome.

November 25 at Clarksville, Tennessee, 3 p.m. (ET) (ESPN+)
Chattanooga (7-4) at Austin Peay (9-2)

November 25 at Newark, Delaware, 2 p.m. (ET) (ESPN+)
Lafayette (9-2) at Delaware (8-3)

Television schedules and game times for all rounds of the 2023 championship will be updated at www.NCAA.com/fcs. All rounds of the FCS playoffs can be seen on ESPN’s family of networks with first-round games taking place Saturday, November 25 and concluding with the national championship game at Toyota Stadium in Frisco, Texas, Sunday, January 7 at 2 p.m. (ET) on ABC.