INDIANAPOLIS — The field of 24 teams competing for the 2024 NCAA Division I football championship was announced today by the NCAA Division I football championship committee. For the first time in its history, 16 teams were seeded in the bracket with each earning the ability to host their first playoff game.  

The top eight receiving byes are:

Montana State (12-0), winners of the Big Sky Conference, earned the top seed in their fourth consecutive appearance in the championship. The Bobcats, the 2021 runner-up, are the nation’s top scoring offense at 40.7 points per game and has a Football Bowl Subdivision win.

North Dakota State (10-2) is the No. 2 seed as an at-large from the Missouri Valley Football Conference. The Bison are making their 15th straight appearance, the longest active streak of any team in the field.

South Dakota State (10-2) is the No. 3 seed after securing the automatic qualifier from the Missouri Valley Football Conference. The Jackrabbits are the two-time defending champions and are making their 13th straight championship appearance.

South Dakota (9-2) rounds out the top four seeds following a three-way tie for first place in the Missouri Valley Football Conference.  The Coyotes have the nation’s second-best scoring defense only giving up 14.9 points per game.  This will be their fourth appearance in the playoffs.

UC Davis (10-2) secured the No. 5 seed after a second-place finish in the Big Sky Conference. The Aggies will make their third appearance in the FCS championship and first since 2021.

Incarnate Word (10-2) will be the sixth seed after winning the Southland Conference title with a 7-0 record. The Cardinals are making their fourth playoff appearance and have won their last nine games.

Mercer (10-2) clinched the No. 7 seed. The Bears earned the automatic qualifier from the Southern Conference and are making their second appearance in the FCS championship.  

Idaho (9-3) rounds out the top eight seeds receiving first round byes. The Vandals tied for third in the Big Sky Conference and will be making their third straight appearance in the FCS championship and 14th overall.

During the previous 47 years of the championship, 23 schools have won a national title, seven of which earned a place in this year’s bracket.

The 2024 championship field consists of 10 automatic qualifiers and 14 at-large qualifiers. Unseeded teams are paired in the first round with teams seeded 9-16 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).

Longest consecutive tournament appearances in the championship (including 2024)

North Dakota State – 15
South Dakota State – 13
Montana – 4 
Montana St. – 4 

Consecutive tournament appearances in the championship ending
Sacramento State – 3 
Gardner-Webb – 2 
North Dakota – 2

Most tournament appearances in the championship (including 2024)
Montana – 28
Eastern Kentucky – 23 
New Hampshire – 18 
Villanova – 16
North Dakota State – 15

Schools making the championship for the first time
Abilene Christian
Tarleton State

Longest stretch between championship appearances
Rhode Island – 1985 
Tennessee State – 2013 
Lehigh – 2017
Northern Arizona – 2017
Central Conn State – 2019 
Illinois State – 2019 

Schools by conference 
Big Sky Conference – 5
Missouri Valley Football Conference – 4
Coastal Athletic Association – 4
ASUN/WAC Conference – 3 
Ohio Valley/Big South Conference – 3 

Dates/Sites/Pairings-First-Round Games

Nov. 30 at Durham, New Hampshire, 1 p.m. ET (ESPN+)
UT Martin (8-4) at New Hampshire (8-4)

Nov. 30 at Richmond, Virginia, 2 p.m. ET (ESPN+)
Lehigh (8-3) at Richmond (10-2)

Nov. 30 at Cape Girardeau, Missouri, Noon ET (ESPN+)
Illinois State (9-3) at Southeast Mo. State (9-3)

Nov. 30 at Stephenville, Texas, 3 p.m. ET (ESPN+)
Drake (8-2) at Tarleton State (9-3) 

Nov. 30 at Missoula, Montana, 10:15 p.m. ET (ESPN2)
Tennessee State (9-3) at Montana (8-4)

Nov, 30 at Villanova, Pennsylvania, 2 p.m. ET (ESPN+)
Eastern Kentucky (8-4) at Villanova (9-3)

Nov. 30 at Kingston, Rhode Island, Noon ET (ESPN+)
Central Connecticut State (7-5) at Rhode Island (10-2)

Nov. 30 at Abilene, Texas, 3 p.m. ET (ESPN+)
Northern Arizona (8-4) at Abilene Christian (8-4)

Television schedules and game times for all rounds of the 2024 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 30, and concluding with the national championship game at Toyota Stadium in Frisco, Texas, Monday, Jan. 6 at 7 p.m. ET on ESPN.