If the FCS Playoffs Started Today: Our 24-Team Bracket After Week 9

This is our fourth FCS playoff projection of 2026. It shows the field if the season ended today: the automatic qualifiers, at-larges, seeds, first-round pairings and first four out. Seeds 1 through 10 follow the committee's Nov. 5 top 10. Seeds 11 through 16 and the first-round road teams are our projection.

Every pick starts from the Redshirt Sports FCS Top 25 after Week 9. Tarleton State is still No. 1 in our poll with 13 of 22 first-place votes and 538 points. As far as Redshirt Sports knows, the committee doesn't use our poll, but it can be a good indicator.

Our After Week 8 projection had Tarleton State, Stephen F. Austin, Montana State and South Dakota State as the top four seeds. The committee's Nov. 5 top 10 put Montana State first, Tarleton State second and Stephen F. Austin third, and seeds 1 through 10 below follow that order.

The committee's Nov. 5 top 10

The Division I Football Championship Committee released its second in-season top 10 on Thursday, Nov. 5, through games of Oct. 31. The full FCS Top 10 committee rankings are on NCAA.com. Montana State stayed No. 1. Unbeaten Tarleton State stayed No. 2. Stephen F. Austin moved up to No. 3. Tennessee Tech and Lamar entered the top 10. North Dakota and Harvard dropped out. Seeds 1 through 10 in this bracket match that list. Seeds 11 through 16 remain our call.

1. Montana State (8-1), Big Sky
2. Tarleton State (9-0), UAC
3. Stephen F. Austin (9-0), Southland
4. South Dakota State (7-2), MVFC
5. Youngstown State (7-2), MVFC
6. Northern Arizona (7-2), Big Sky
7. Austin Peay (7-2), UAC
8. South Dakota (7-3), MVFC
9. Tennessee Tech (8-1), SoCon
10. Lamar (7-2), Southland

How the field works

The bracket has 24 teams: 11 automatic qualifiers and 13 at-larges. The top 16 are seeded, and the top eight get first-round byes. Seeds 9 through 16 host the eight unseeded teams in the first round. The NCAA pairs those games mostly by geography and keeps conference opponents apart in the first round.

The automatic-bid leagues are the Big Sky, CAA, Ivy, MVFC, NEC, OVC, Patriot, Pioneer, SoCon, Southland and UAC. Selection Sunday is Nov. 22, and the first round is Nov. 28.

Our formula

We use the same steps as last week, with one change for seeding after the committee's Nov. 5 top 10. We also look at the Redshirt Sports FCS ratings for results context. Those ratings do not set the committee's top 10 or this bracket.

1. Automatic bids go to the team with the fewest league losses today. Ties are broken by head-to-head result, then by rank in our poll, then by record against Division I teams.
2. To be an at-large, a team needs a winning record against Division I opponents today and a path to at least seven Division I wins. Teams at .500 or worse against Division I are out, no matter their wins.
3. Eligible teams are ordered by our poll. When teams are close in the poll, wins over FCS Top 25 teams come first, then Division I record. Only teams in our current FCS Top 25 count as ranked wins.
4. Seeds 1 through 10 follow the committee's Nov. 5 top 10. Seeds 11 through 16 follow our poll among the remaining teams in the field. First-round road teams are our projection.
5. First-round games are paired by distance. In the first round, we don't pair conference opponents that already played each other, and we avoid regular-season rematches. Second-round rematches are allowed.

Projected automatic qualifiers

• Big Sky: Montana State (8-1, 5-1). The Bobcats beat Cal Poly 61-7. Northern Arizona is also 5-1 after a 34-27 win at Southern Utah, but Montana State beat the Lumberjacks 28-14, so the bid stays in Bozeman.
• CAA: Monmouth (7-2, 6-0). The Hawks beat Bryant 34-21 and are the only unbeaten team in league play. Campbell lost 45-35 at UAlbany, and both are now 4-1. Monmouth visits Campbell on Nov. 21.
• Ivy: Dartmouth (4-3, 3-1). The Big Green beat Harvard 24-14 on Friday night, so Harvard, Princeton and Dartmouth are all 3-1. Dartmouth beat Harvard, Harvard beat Princeton 35-7, and Dartmouth and Princeton haven't played. That makes Dartmouth 1-0 in games among the three. It plays at Princeton on Nov. 7.
• MVFC: South Dakota State (7-2, 4-1). The Jackrabbits beat South Dakota 31-21. Youngstown State is 5-1 after a 31-28 win over North Dakota, so both have one league loss. South Dakota State beat Youngstown State 27-20 on Sept. 19, which keeps the bid with the Jackrabbits.
• NEC: Central Connecticut (5-3, 4-0). The Blue Devils beat Robert Morris 49-14 and are still the only NEC team without a league loss.
• OVC: Southeast Missouri State (5-4, 3-1). The Redhawks lost 34-10 to Gardner-Webb, and Western Illinois and Lindenwood are also 3-1. Southeast Missouri State beat both, 40-30 over Western Illinois and 38-27 at Lindenwood, so it keeps the bid.
• Patriot: Lehigh (7-2, 5-1). The Mountain Hawks held off Bucknell 31-30, and Richmond lost 33-14 to Holy Cross. Lehigh is now alone in first. Richmond, Colgate, Villanova and Holy Cross are 4-2.
• Pioneer: Dayton (7-1, 4-1). Dayton, Butler and St. Thomas are all 4-1. Dayton won 44-34 at Stetson, and it beat Butler 19-9. It hasn't played St. Thomas, and it has the best overall record of the three. St. Thomas visits Butler on Nov. 7.
• SoCon: Tennessee Tech (8-1, 5-1). The Golden Eagles won 24-17 at East Tennessee State. Tennessee Tech and Chattanooga are 5-1, and Mercer and East Tennessee State are 4-1. Tennessee Tech beat East Tennessee State, which beat Chattanooga 14-3, and it is the highest of the four in our poll. Mercer visits Cookeville on Nov. 14.
• Southland: Stephen F. Austin (9-0, 6-0). The Lumberjacks beat Houston Christian 37-6. They play at Lamar, which is 5-1, on Nov. 7.
• UAC: Tarleton State (9-0, 4-0). The Texans beat Eastern Kentucky 28-24. Abilene Christian is also 4-0 after a 59-0 win over West Georgia, but Tarleton is No. 1 in our poll, and the Wildcats visit Stephenville on Nov. 7.

The 13 at-larges

1. Youngstown State (7-2). The Penguins beat North Dakota 31-28 and are 5-1 in the MVFC. Their losses were 27-20 at South Dakota State and at Kentucky.
2. Northern Arizona (7-2). The Lumberjacks won 34-27 at Southern Utah. Their losses were at Arizona and at Montana State.
3. South Dakota (7-3). The Coyotes lost 31-21 at South Dakota State after scoring all 21 points in the fourth quarter. They still have a win over North Dakota.
4. Austin Peay (7-2). The Governors had a bye. Their losses were at Vanderbilt and to Tarleton State.
5. North Dakota (6-4). The Fighting Hawks lost 31-28 at Youngstown State, their second straight loss. They still own a win over South Dakota State, and they host Illinois State on Nov. 7.
6. Illinois State (7-2). The Redbirds beat Murray State 35-14 for their third straight win. They are 6-2 against Division I teams.
7. Lamar (7-2). The Cardinals won 52-23 at UTRGV. Their losses were at Louisiana and at Southeastern Louisiana.
8. Montana (6-3). The Grizzlies won 42-33 at Eastern Washington. Their 62-22 win at UC Davis is no longer a ranked win, but they still sit at No. 13.
9. Mercer (7-2). The Bears beat The Citadel 28-19 for their fifth straight win. Their losses were to Furman and at Georgia Tech.
10. Campbell (7-2). The Camels lost 45-35 at UAlbany, which cost them the CAA bid. They won at East Tennessee State in August, and they host Monmouth on Nov. 21.
11. East Tennessee State (6-3). The Buccaneers lost to Tennessee Tech, which ended a five-game winning streak. They are 5-3 against Division I teams, and they beat No. 24 Chattanooga 14-3.
12. Weber State (6-4). The Wildcats beat UC Davis 38-14. All 10 of their games have come against Division I teams, and they beat No. 23 Idaho State 27-20. They play at Northern Arizona on Nov. 14.
13. UAlbany (6-3). The Great Danes beat Campbell 45-35 for their fourth straight win. That's a win over a team in our Top 25. Their losses were to Monmouth, at Buffalo and at Princeton.

Why UAlbany gets the last spot

UAlbany is No. 19 in our poll, and Harvard is No. 20. The two are next to each other, so we looked at wins. UAlbany beat No. 16 Campbell on Saturday. Harvard is 6-1 against Division I teams, but its best wins came against Colgate and Princeton, and neither is in our Top 25. It also lost the Ivy bid on Friday.

Why Illinois State is on the road: Seeds 9 through 16 normally host first-round games. The first round is Nov. 28, and the IHSA state football finals are at Hancock Stadium on Nov. 27-28. So the Redbirds, the No. 12 seed, play at Southeast Missouri State instead of hosting. It's the same path as Illinois State's 2024 first-round road trip, when it was the No. 12 seed.

Full projected field

Seeds 1-8 (first-round byes):

• No. 1 Montana State (Big Sky, automatic qualifier)
• No. 2 Tarleton State (UAC, automatic qualifier)
• No. 3 Stephen F. Austin (Southland, automatic qualifier)
• No. 4 South Dakota State (MVFC, automatic qualifier)
• No. 5 Youngstown State (MVFC)
• No. 6 Northern Arizona (Big Sky)
• No. 7 Austin Peay (UAC)
• No. 8 South Dakota (MVFC)

Seeds 9-16 (first-round hosts):

• No. 9 Tennessee Tech (SoCon, automatic qualifier)
• No. 10 Lamar (Southland)
• No. 11 North Dakota (MVFC)
• No. 12 Illinois State (MVFC)
• No. 13 Montana (Big Sky)
• No. 14 Monmouth (CAA, automatic qualifier)
• No. 15 Mercer (SoCon)
• No. 16 Campbell (CAA)

Unseeded:

• Central Connecticut (NEC, automatic qualifier)
• Dartmouth (Ivy, automatic qualifier)
• Dayton (Pioneer, automatic qualifier)
• Lehigh (Patriot, automatic qualifier)
• Southeast Missouri State (OVC, automatic qualifier)
• East Tennessee State (SoCon)
• UAlbany (CAA)
• Weber State (Big Sky)

Bids by conference: MVFC 5, Big Sky 4, CAA 3, SoCon 3, Southland 2, UAC 2, Ivy 1, NEC 1, OVC 1, Patriot 1, Pioneer 1.

Projected pairings

We paired each first-round game by distance, kept conference opponents that already played each other apart in the first round and avoided regular-season rematches there. Each winner plays at the matching top-eight seed in the second round. Seeds 1 through 10 follow the committee. The first-round road teams are our projection.

• Central Connecticut at No. 16 Campbell. Winner at No. 1 Montana State.
• UAlbany at No. 9 Tennessee Tech. Winner at No. 8 South Dakota.
• Dayton at No. 13 Montana. Winner at No. 4 South Dakota State.
• East Tennessee State at No. 10 Lamar. Winner at No. 7 Austin Peay.
• Lehigh at No. 14 Monmouth. Winner at No. 3 Stephen F. Austin.
• No. 12 Illinois State at Southeast Missouri State. Winner at No. 5 Youngstown State.
• Weber State at No. 11 North Dakota. Winner at No. 6 Northern Arizona.
• Dartmouth at No. 15 Mercer. Winner at No. 2 Tarleton State.

Lehigh at Monmouth is still the shortest trip on the board. The committee pairs first-round games mainly by geography. It keeps conference opponents that already played each other out of the first round, and it avoids regular-season rematches there. Those first-round limits do not block a second-round rematch. Central Connecticut can open at Campbell even if the winner would visit Montana State, which beat the Blue Devils 35-30 in September. Dartmouth can't go to Monmouth, since the Hawks won 31-28 in Hanover. UAlbany can't go to Monmouth or Campbell, two CAA teams, so it goes to Tennessee Tech. East Tennessee State can't go to Tennessee Tech, Mercer or Campbell, which beat the Bucs 49-37, so it goes to Lamar. Weber State can't go to Montana, another Big Sky team, so it goes to North Dakota. That leaves Dayton at Montana, the longest trip.

A Central Connecticut win at Campbell would set up a second-round rematch at Montana State. The committee has allowed second-round rematches before. In 2025, Illinois State lost to North Dakota State in October, then played at the top-seeded Bison in the second round and won 29-28. North Dakota is now the No. 11 seed, so a Fighting Hawks win over Weber State would send them to Northern Arizona, not South Dakota.

First four out

1. Harvard (6-1). The Crimson are No. 20 in our poll. They lost 24-14 at Dartmouth and the Ivy lead with it. Their path back is the automatic bid, and they finish with Yale at Fenway Park on Nov. 21.
2. Abilene Christian (5-4). The Wildcats are No. 21 and 4-0 in the UAC after a 59-0 win over West Georgia. Their path is the automatic bid, starting at Tarleton State on Nov. 7.
3. Idaho State (6-3). The Bengals beat Utah Tech 34-27 and are No. 23. They lost 27-20 at Weber State, which is why the Wildcats are in and they are out. They play at Montana on Nov. 14.
4. Chattanooga (6-3). The Mocs beat VMI 24-10 and are 5-1 in the SoCon, but they are No. 24 and lost 14-3 at East Tennessee State. They host Mercer on Nov. 7.

Dropped out since Week 8: Richmond lost 33-14 to Holy Cross and fell out of our Top 25. UC Davis lost 38-14 at Weber State and also fell out.

Dartmouth beat Harvard 24-14, Holy Cross beat Richmond 33-14, UAlbany beat Campbell 45-35 and Tennessee Tech won 24-17 at East Tennessee State. That's four projected automatic bids that changed hands in one weekend.

How this changed from Week 8

• Four new projected automatic qualifiers: Dartmouth for Harvard in the Ivy, Lehigh for Richmond in the Patriot, Monmouth for Campbell in the CAA and Tennessee Tech for East Tennessee State in the SoCon.
• In: Dartmouth, Weber State and UAlbany. Out: Harvard, Richmond and Idaho State.
• Seeds after the committee's Nov. 5 top 10: Montana State is No. 1, Tarleton State is No. 2 and Stephen F. Austin is No. 3. Austin Peay rises to No. 7 and South Dakota slips to No. 8. Lamar jumps from No. 12 to No. 10. North Dakota drops from No. 10 to No. 11, and Illinois State is No. 12.
• Monmouth and Mercer stay on the seed line at No. 14 and No. 15. Campbell remains No. 16. Harvard stays out, and East Tennessee State stays off the seed line.

What changes this by November

• Nov. 7: Stephen F. Austin at Lamar, Abilene Christian at Tarleton State, Illinois State at North Dakota, Dartmouth at Princeton, Mercer at Chattanooga and St. Thomas at Butler. Three automatic bids and two MVFC seeds are in play.
• Nov. 14: Weber State at Northern Arizona, Mercer at Tennessee Tech, Illinois State at Youngstown State, Abilene Christian at Austin Peay, Lehigh at Richmond and Idaho State at Montana.
• Nov. 21: Montana at Montana State, Monmouth at Campbell, East Tennessee State at Mercer, Yale vs. Harvard at Fenway Park and South Dakota at Illinois State. The Big Sky, CAA and SoCon races could finish on the final Saturday.