FCS Bracketology: Predicting The 2024 FCS Playoff Bracket

Zachary McKinnell | Nov 23, 2024

Jerome Miron-Imagn Images

2023 Final Bracketology Accuracy: 7/8 Top 8 Seeds Correct, 22/24 Teams In Field Correct

The final week of the FCS regular season was filled with chaos as multiple potential seeds and bubble teams suffered upset losses.

Below, we make our predictions for the Top 16 seeds, at-large bids, and which teams are on the bubble for the 2024 FCS Playoffs. The projections were created based on what we think the committee will do, not our personal predictions on who we believe should earn a spot in the field.

The official bracket will be announced Nov. 24 at 11:30 a.m. CT on ESPNU.

Auto-Bids:

Big Sky: Montana State
Big South-OVC: SEMO
CAA: Richmond
MVFC: South Dakota State
NEC: Central Connecticut State
Patriot: Lehigh
Pioneer: Drake
SoCon: Mercer
Southland: Incarnate Word
UAC: Abilene Christian

Seeds: 

1. Montana State
2. North Dakota State
3. South Dakota State
4. South Dakota
5. UC Davis
6. Idaho
7. Mercer
8. Incarnate Word
9. Richmond
10. Rhode Island
11. Villanova
12. Montana
13. Illinois State
14. Abilene Christian
15. Tarleton State
16. SEMO

At-Large Bids:

North Dakota State (Seed)
South Dakota (Seed)
UC Davis (Seed)
Idaho (Seed)
Rhode Island (Seed)
Villanova (Seed)
Illinois State (Seed)
Montana (Seed)
Tarleton State (Seed)
Eastern Kentucky

Last Four In:

Tennessee State (9-3, 6-2 Big South-OVC)
New Hampshire (8-4, 6-2 CAA)
UT Martin (8-4, 6-2 Big South-OVC)
Northern Arizona (8-4, 6-2 Big Sky)

Bubble Teams Left Out:

Southeastern Louisiana (7-5, 6-1 Southland)
Southern Utah (7-5, 6-2 UAC)
Western Carolina (7-5, 6-2 SoCon)
North Carolina Central (8-3, 4-1 MEAC)
Chattanooga (7-5, 5-3 SoCon)
Stony Brook (8-4, 5-3 CAA)

Projected Bracket:

The playoff committee prioritizes regionalization in the first round to save on travel costs for the NCAA. As many bus trips (400 miles or less) as possible will be scheduled while avoiding rematches from the regular season.

Conference matchups in the first round are avoided if the two teams played during the regular season. If two conference teams did not play during the season, they could play each other in the first round.

FCS Football Central

FCS Playoff Schedule:

First Round: Nov. 30
Second Round: Dec. 7
Quarterfinals: Dec. 13-14
Semifinals: Dec. 21
FCS National Championship: Jan. 6, 2025 (7 p.m. ET, ABC)

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