2025 FCS Playoffs: How to Watch Every First-Round Game

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Eight games headline the first round of the 2025 FCS Playoffs, which begin this weekend. The winner of each matchup will advance to face one of the top eight seeds, which received a first-round bye.
Below is the full schedule of first-round games, along with kickoff times, TV information, and series history.
Yale at No. 15 Youngstown State
Kickoff: 11 am CT
TV: ESPN+
Series: First Meeting
Line: Youngstown State (-3.5)
Up Next: Winner at No. 2 seed Montana State
Harvard at No. 12 Villanova
Kickoff: 11 am CT
TV: ESPN+
Series: First Meeting
Line: Harvard (-2.5)
Up Next: Winner at No. 4 seed Lehigh
Central Connecticut State at No. 9 Rhode Island
Kickoff: 11 am CT
TV: ESPN+
Series: Rhode Island leads 4-1
Line: Rhode Island (-17.5)
Up Next: Winner at No. 8 seed UC Davis
New Hampshire at No. 14 South Dakota State
Kickoff: Noon CT
TV: ESPN+
Series: South Dakota leads 1-0
Line: South Dakota State (-10.5)
Up Next: Winner at No. 3 seed Montana
North Dakota at No. 13 Tennessee Tech
Kickoff: Noon CT
TV: ESPN+
Series: First Meeting
Line: Tennessee Tech (-1.5)
Up Next: Winner at No. 4 seed Tarleton State
Drake at No. 11 South Dakota
Kickoff: Noon CT
TV: ESPN+
Series: Drake leads 11-10
Line: South Dakota (-18.5)
Up Next: Winner at No. 6 seed Mercer
Illinois State at No. 16 Southeastern Louisiana
Kickoff: Noon CT
TV: ESPN+
Series: Southeastern Louisiana leads 1-0
Line: Southeastern Louisiana (-3.5)
Up Next: Winner at No. 1 seed North Dakota State
Lamar at No. 10 Abilene Christian
Kickoff: Noon CT
TV: ESPN+
Series: Lamar leads 13-10
Line: Abilene Christian (-11.5)
Up Next: Winner at No. 7 seed Stephen F. Austin
2025 FCS Playoff Bracket:

2025 FCS Playoff Schedule:
First Round: Nov. 29
Second Round: Dec. 6
Quarterfinals: Dec. 12-13
Semifinals: Dec. 20
FCS National Championship: Jan. 5, 2026 (7:30 p.m. ET, ESPN)
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Zach McKinnell is the Founder and Senior Editor of FCS Football Central. He is also a columnist for HERO Sports and a contributor for Athlon Sports. In 2022, he became an official voter in the FCS Stats Perform Top-25. He is a former contributor for Vols Wire, part of the USA TODAY Sports Network, and Fly War Eagle on FanSided. Zach graduated from Auburn University in 2018.
Follow @zachmckinnell