2023 FCS Playoff Bracket

The official 2023 FCS Football Playoff bracket

The 2023 FCS playoff bracket is set. Below are the seeds, bubble teams, and the official bracket. 

Seeds:

1. South Dakota State (11-0, 8-0 MVFC)
2. Montana (10-1, 7-1 Big Sky)
3. South Dakota (9-2, 7-1 MVFC)
4. Idaho (8-3, 6-2 Big Sky)
5. UAlbany (9-3, 7-1 CAA)
6. Montana State (8-3, 6-2 Big Sky)
7. Furman (9-2, 7-1 SoCon)
8. Villanova (9-2, 7-1 CAA)

Bubble:

Last Four In:
Mercer
Chattanooga
Sacramento State
Youngstown State
First Four Out:
Eastern Illinois
UT Martin
UC Davis
Holy Cross

First Round Matchups:

Sacramento State at North Dakota (Noon CT, ESPN+)
North Carolina Central at Richmond (1 p.m. CT, ESPN+)
Lafayette at Delaware (1 p.m. CT, ESPN+)
Gardner-Webb at Mercer (2 p.m. CT, ESPN+)
Nicholls State at Southern Illinois (2 p.m. CT, ESPN+)
Chattanooga at Austin Peay (2 p.m. CT, ESPN+)
Drake at North Dakota State (2:30 p.m. CT, ESPN+)
Duquesne at Youngstown State (4 p.m. CT, ESPN+)

Second Round Matchups:

Richmond at No. 5 UAlbany (11 a.m. CT, ESPN+)
Youngstown State at No. 8 Villanova (11 a.m. CT, ESPN+)
Chattanooga at No. 7 Furman (Noon CT, ESPN+)
Sacramento State at No. 3 South Dakota (1 p.m. CT, ESPN+)
Mercer at No. 1 South Dakota State (1 p.m. CT, ESPN+)
North Dakota State at No. 6 Montana State (2 p.m. CT, ESPN+)
Delaware at No. 2 Montana (8:00 p.m. CT, ESPN+)
Southern Illinois at No. 4 Idaho (9 p.m. CT, ESPN2)

Quarterfinal Matchups:

Friday (Dec. 8):
No. 7 Furman at No. 2 Montana (9 p.m. ET, ESPN2)

Saturday (Dec. 9):
No. 8 Villanova at No. 1 South Dakota State (Noon ET, ESPN)
No. 5 UAlbany at No. 4 Idaho (10 p.m. ET, ESPN+)
North Dakota State at No. 3 South Dakota (2:30 p.m. ET, ABC)

Semifinal Matchups:

Friday (Dec. 15):
No. 5 UAlbany at No. 1 South Dakota State (6 p.m. CT, ESPN2)

Saturday (Dec. 16):
North Dakota State at No. 2 Montana (3:30 p.m. CT, ESPN2)

2024 FCS National Championship:

Sunday (Jan. 7):
No. 1 South Dakota State vs. No. 2 Montana (1 p.m. CT, ABC)

2023 FCS Playoff Bracket:

2023 FCS Playoff Bracket / NCAA Photo

FCS Playoff Schedule:

First Round: Nov. 25
Second Round: Dec. 2
Quarterfinals: Dec. 8-9
Semifinals: Dec. 15-16
FCS National Championship: Jan. 7 (1 p.m. CT, ABC)