FCS playoff bracket: the 24-team field today
South Dakota State, Tarleton State, Stephen F. Austin and Lehigh would be the top four seeds.
All eleven automatic bids go to today's conference leaders and thirteen teams are at-large. Jackson State (SWAC) would play the Celebration Bowl instead. First out: Idaho State, No. 21. Ordered on the FCS Coaches Poll (Week 7) with today's conference leaders as champions. This is the standings as they stand, not a forecast.
The field if the season ended today
First four out: Idaho State (21), Richmond (22), Yale (23), Northern Iowa (25). Seeds 9 to 16 host a first-round game against an unseeded team; the committee pairs those games, mostly by geography. A shared conference lead goes to the best-ranked leader.
Questions
Who would be in the FCS playoffs if the season ended today?
South Dakota State, Tarleton State, Stephen F. Austin, Lehigh, Montana State, Youngstown State, Montana, Lamar, South Dakota, Northern Arizona, Austin Peay, UC Davis, Illinois State, Tennessee Tech, North Dakota, Mercer, Harvard, Campbell, Colgate, Monmouth, East Tennessee State, Butler, Robert Morris and Southeast Missouri State.
How does the FCS playoff bracket work?
24 teams: the champions of 11 conferences get automatic bids and the committee picks 13 at-large teams. The top 16 are seeded and seeds 1 to 8 get first-round byes. The SWAC and MEAC champions play the Celebration Bowl instead.
When is the FCS playoff selection show?
Sunday, Nov 22, 2026, when the committee announces the 24-team bracket.