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 placed in the race, with each earning the opportunity to host their first playoff game.

The top eight receiving byes are:

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

North Dakota State (10-2) is the No. 2 seed as an at-large of 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 Missouri Valley Football Conference automatic qualifier. 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 after a three-way tie for first place in the Missouri Valley Football Conference. The Coyotes have the second-best scoring defense in the country, allowing just 14.9 points per game. This will be their fourth appearance in the playoffs.

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

Word made flesh (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) took the No. 7 seed. The Bears clinched the Southern Conference automatic qualifier and are making their second appearance in the FCS Championship.

Idaho (9-3) rounds up the top eight seeds receiving first-round byes. The Vandals finished in third place in the Big Sky Conference and will make 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 category.

The 2024 Championship field consists of 10 automatic qualifiers and 14 general qualifiers. Unseeded teams are paired with teams seeded 9-16 in the first round, primarily based on geographic proximity.

Teams from the same conference will not be paired for first-round games (except for teams from the same conference that have not played 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 endG
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 win the championship for the first time
Abilene Christian
Tarleton State

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

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

Dates/Sites/Pairings-First Round Games

November 30 in Durham, New Hampshire, 1:00 PM ET (ESPN+)
UT Martin (8-4) at New Hampshire (8-4)

November 30 in Richmond, Virginia, 2:00 PM ET (ESPN+)
Lehigh (8-3) at Richmond (10-2)

November 30 in Cape Girardeau, Missouri, noon ET (ESPN+)
Illinois State (9-3) and Southeast Mo. State (9-3)

November 30 in Stephenville, Texas, 3:00 PM ET (ESPN+)
Drake (8-2) at Tarleton State (9-3)

November 30 in Missoula, Montana, 10:15 PM ET (ESPN2)
Tennessee State (9-3) and Montana (8-4)

November 30 in Villanova, Pennsylvania, 2:00 PM ET (ESPN+)
Eastern Kentucky (8-4) and Villanova (9-3)

November 30 in Kingston, Rhode Island, noon ET (ESPN+)
Central State Connecticut (7-5) and Rhode Island (10-2)

November 30 in Abilene, Texas, 3:00 PM ET (ESPN+)
Northern Arizona (8-4) and 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 the first round games taking place on Saturday, November 30 and culminating with the national championship game at Toyota Stadium in Frisco, Texas, Monday, January 6 at 7:00 PM. ET on ESPN.