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The 2025 FCS playoffs are approaching, and 11 automatic bids are up for grabs.
Ten teams automatically qualify for this year’s playoffs via conference affiliation. An additional 13 teams earn at-large bids selected by the FCS Playoff Committee. The complete 24-team bracket will be announced on Sunday, Nov. 23. The FCS playoffs conclude with the national championship in Frisco, Texas, on Monday, Jan. 5, 2025.
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We will fill in the winner of each conference’s automatic bid below as they are decided:
CONFERENCE
Auto-Bid TEAM
ASUN-WAC (UAC)
Big Sky
CAA
Ivy
MVFC
North Dakota State
NEC
OVC-Big South
Patriot
Pioneer
SoCon
Mercer
Southland
STANDINGS: See the latest FCS standings from every conference
Conference winners who abstain from the FCS playoffs are as follows:
- MEAC
- SWAC
- SWAC East: Champion TBD
- SWAC West: Champion TBD
How every team clinched an automatic bid
Missouri Valley Football Conference
North Dakota State clinched the MVFC auto-bid in Week 11 by beating North Dakota, 15-10.
SoCon
Mercer clinched the SoCon auto-bid in Week 11 by beating Western Caroline, 49-47
Stay tuned as we’ll recap how every automatic bid was clinched as they happen.
Clinching scenarios
Here are the scenarios for every team that can clinch a conference title in Week 12.
CAA
Rhode Island can clinch the CAA auto-bid in Week 12 if the following happens:
- Rhode Island beats Maine
- AND Villanova loses to Stony Brook
- AND Monmouth loses to North Carolina A&T
Ivy League
Harvard can clinch the Ivy League auto-bid in Week 12 if the following happens:
- Harvard beats Penn
- AND Yale loses to Princeton
NEC
Central Connecticut State can clinch the NEC auto-bid in Week 12 if the following happens:
- Central Connecticut State beats Duquesne
OVC-Big South
Tennessee Tech can clinch the OVC-Big South auto-bid in Week 12 if the following happens:
- UT Martin loses to Charleston Southern
Southland
Stephen F. Austin can clinch the Southland auto-bid in Week 12 if the following happens:
- Stephen F. Austin beats Lamar
- AND Southeastern Louisiana loses to UIW
ASUN-WAC (UAC)
Abilene Christian can clinch the ASUN-WAC auto-bid in Week 12 if the following happens:
- Abilene Christian beats Eastern Kentucky
- AND Tarleton State loses to North Alabama
- AND Southern Utah loses to Central Arkansas
SWAC East
Jackson State can clinch the SWAC East title in Week 12 if the following happens:
- Jackson State beats Bethune-Cookman
- AND Alabama State loses to Mississippi Valley State
SWAC West
Prairie View A&M can clinch the SWAC West title in Week 12 if the following happens:
- Prairie View A&M beats Arkansas-Pine Bluff
The following conferences will have to wait until Week 13 — the final regular season week — for an automatic bid to be decided:
- Big Sky
- MEAC
- Patriot
- Pioneer
Stan Becton joined NCAA.com in 2021 and has since served as a college football, FCS football, track and field, cross country and HBCU beat reporter. He has covered numerous NCAA championship events, including the FCS Championship, DI Track & Field Championships and Men’s Frozen Four. Additionally, he has covered the College Football Playoff and HBCU sporting events like the Celebration Bowl, MEAC/SWAC Challenge and Legacy Classic. Stan graduated from Carnegie Mellon University, earning a degree in Professional Writing and playing football as a five-year letterman. You can follow him on Twitter @stan_becton.
The views on this page do not necessarily reflect the views of the NCAA or its member institutions.
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