Where to watch FCS playoffs selection show: Time, channel, schedule, live stream for 2025 college football bracket reveal

Where to watch FCS playoffs selection show: Time, channel, schedule, live stream for 2025 college football bracket reveal originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

The Dakotas have had a stranglehold on the FCS title for nearly a decade, with North Dakota State and South Dakota State winning seven of the last eight national championships.

NDSU has followed up its 10th title with another dominant season and is once again the team to beat in the FCS playoffs. The Bison and their challengers will learn their path to the championship Sunday with the playoff selection show.

The 24-team field features 11 automatic qualifiers and 13 at-large teams selected by a committee. The top 16 teams will be seeded, with the top eight receiving first-round byes and waiting until Dec. 6 to begin postseason play.

The rest of the field will open up next weekend against opponents to be revealed Sunday.

The Sporting News has you covered with everything that you need to know about the 2025 FCS playoffs selection show, including TV and live stream information.

Where to watch FCS playoffs selection show: TV channel, live stream

• TV channel: ESPNU

• Live stream: ESPN app, Fubo

The 24-team field will be announced in a selection show that will air on ESPNU. The bracket reveal can also be streamed on the ESPN app or via Fubo, which offers a free trial to new users.

Now you can watch ESPN without cable. Stream live NBA, NFL, MLB, NHL, college sports, plus SportsCenter, First Take, and all your favorite ESPN shows—anytime, anywhere—only in the new ESPN app.

FCS playoffs selection show start time

• Date: Sunday, Nov. 23

• Time: 12 p.m. ET

The 2025-26 FCS playoffs selection show will begin at 12 p.m. ET on Sunday, Nov. 23.

FCS playoffs schedule 2025

The 2025-26 FCS playoffs begin on Saturday, Nov. 29 with eight first-round games. The playoffs conclude on Monday, Jan. 5 with the FCS Championship in Nashville, Tenn.

Date

Round

TV channel

Nov. 23

Selection Show

ESPNU

Nov. 29

First round

ESPN+

Dec. 6

Second round

ESPN+

Dec. 12-13

Quarterfinals

ESPN, ABC, ESPN+

Dec. 20

Semifinals

ABC, ESPN2

Jan. 5

Championship

ESPN

FCS playoffs automatic bids 2025

The following 11 teams receive automatic bids to the playoffs as conference champions.

Conference

Automatic bid

ASUN-WAC

Abilene Christian

Big Sky

Montana State

CAA

Rhode Island

Ivy League

Yale

MVFC

North Dakota State

NEC

Central Connecticut State

OVC-Big South

Tennessee Tech

Patriot

Lehigh

Pioneer

Drake

SoCon

Mercer

Southland

Stephen F. Austin

FCS rankings

Stats Perform FCS Top 25 as of Nov. 15

1. North Dakota State

2. Montana

3. Montana State

4. Lehigh

5. Tarleton State

6. Tennessee Tech

7. Mercer

8. Harvard

9. Villanova

10. Rhode Island

11. Illinois State

12. Monmouth

13. North Dakota

14. Stephen F. Austin

15. UC Davis

16. South Dakota

17. Abilene Christian

18. Youngstown State

19. Lamar

20. Jackson State

21. Southeastern Louisiana

22. South Dakota State

23. Northern Arizona

24. Southern Illinois

25. New Hampshire

Related Links

• Latest college football news

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• This week's Top 25 polls

• How to bet on college football