Montana State Captures First National Title Since 1984
January 6, 2026
For the first time in FCS championship history, it took overtime to decide a winner. Illinois State scored 14 points in the fourth quarter to force the extra period, and the Redbirds scored a touchdown on their possession, but Montana State blocked the extra point attempt. Facing a 4th and 10 on their possession, the Bobcats connected on a touchdown pass and converted the extra point to win, 35-34. Montana State wins their second national title in program history and ends the season at No. 1 in the AFCA FCS Coaches Poll, presented by Hudl. Despite the loss, Illinois State jumped 15 spots to finish at No. 2.
Montana and Villanova’s semifinal appearances allowed them to finish 3rd and 4th in the final poll, respectively, while North Dakota State dropped four spots to finish at No. 5 after its second-round playoff loss to Illinois State.
South Dakota made the biggest move in the final poll, jumping nine spots to No. 11 after making a run to the quarterfinals which started with a 47-0 domination over Mercer in the second round. The loss dropped the Bears 10 places to No. 18. Yale moved up eight spots to No. 13 after making an appearance in the second round. South Carolina State entered the AFCA Top 25 for the first time this season thanks to their four overtime Celebration Bowl victory over Prairie View A&M. The Bulldogs come in at No. 25 and finished with a 10-3 overall record.
Rank School (1st votes) Rec. Pts. Prev. Post-season Head Coach
1 Montana St. (21) 14-2 525 2 D. No. 17 Illinois St., 35-34 OT, in national championship Brent Vigen
2 Illinois St. 12-5 504 17 Lost to No. 2 Montana St., 35-34 OT, in national championship Brock Spack
3 Montana 13-2 472 4 Lost to No. 2 Montana St., 48-23, in semifinals Bobby Hauck
4 Villanova 12-3 427 6 Lost to No. 17 Illinois St., 30-14, in semifinals Mark Ferrante
5 North Dakota St. 12-1 426 1 Lost to No. 17 Illinois St., 29-28, in second round Tim Polasek
6 Tarleton St. 12-2 419 5 Lost to No. 6 Villanova, 26-21, in quarterfinals Todd Whitten
7 Stephen F. Austin 11-3 369 10 Lost to No. 2 Montana St., 44-28, in quarterfinals Colby Carthel
8 UC Davis 9-4 359 11 Lost to No. 17 Illinois St., 42-31, in quarterfinals Tim Plough
9 Lehigh 12-1 358 3 Lost to No. 6 Villanova, 14-7, in second round Kevin Cahill
10 Rhode Island 11-3 304 9 Lost to No. 11 UC Davis, 47-26, in second round Jim Fleming
11 South Dakota 10-5 295 20 Lost to No. 4 Montana, 52-22, in quarterfinals Travis Johansen
12 ACU 9-5 257 14 Lost to No. 10 Stephen F. Austin, 41-34, in second round Keith Patterson
13 Yale 9-3 235 21 Lost to No. 2 Montana St., 21-13, in second round Tony Reno
14 South Dakota St. 9-5 209 18 Lost to No. 4 Montana, 50-29, in second round Dan Jackson
15 Tennessee Tech 11-2 206 7 Lost to No. 23 North Dakota, 31-6, in first round Bobby Wilder
16 North Dakota 8-6 192 23 Lost to No. 5 Tarleton St., 31-13, in second round Eric Schmidt=
17 Youngstown St. 8-5 190 13 Lost to No. 21 Yale, 43-42, in first round Doug Phillips
18 Mercer 9-3 186 8 Lost to No. 20 South Dakota, 47-0, in second round Mike Jacobs
19 Southeastern Louisiana 9-4 172 15 Lost to No. 17 Illinois St., 21-3, in first round Frank Scelfo
20 Monmouth (N.J.) 9-3 112 16 DNQ Playoffs Kevin Callahan
21 Lamar 8-5 105 24 Lost to No. 14 ACU, 38-20, in first round Pete Rossomando
22 Jackson St. 9-3 103 12 Lost to Prairie View A&M, 23-21, in SWAC title game T.C. Taylor
23 Harvard 9-2 78 19 Lost to No. 6 Villanova, 52-7, in first round Andrew Aurich
24 West Georgia 8-3 68 22 DNQ Playoffs Joel Taylor
25 South Carolina St. 10-3 59 NR D. Prairie View A&M, 40-38 4OT, in Celebration Bowl Chennis Berry
Dropped Out: Southern Illinois (25)
Others Receiving Votes: New Hampshire, 35; Lafayette, 30; Southern Illinois, 29; Drake, 20; UT Rio Grande Valley, 20; Prairie View A&M, 16; Central Connecticut St., 15; Richmond, 15; Alabama St., 10; Presbyterian, 10; Southern Utah, 5; Austin Peay, 2.
For more information about the AFCA, visit www.AFCA.com. For more interesting articles, check out The Insider and subscribe to our weekly email.
If you are interested in more in-depth articles and videos, please become an AFCA member. You can find out more information about membership and specific member benefits on the AFCA Membership Overview page. If you are ready to join, please fill out the AFCA Membership Application.
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For the first time in FCS championship history, it took overtime to decide a winner. Illinois State scored 14 points in the fourth quarter to force the extra period, and the Redbirds scored a touchdown on their possession, but Montana State blocked the extra point attempt. Facing a 4th and 10 on their possession, the Bobcats connected on a touchdown pass and converted the extra point to win, 35-34. Montana State wins their second national title in program history and ends the season at No. 1 in the AFCA FCS Coaches Poll, presented by Hudl. Despite the loss, Illinois State jumped 15 spots to finish at No. 2.
Montana and Villanova’s semifinal appearances allowed them to finish 3rd and 4th in the final poll, respectively, while North Dakota State dropped four spots to finish at No. 5 after its second-round playoff loss to Illinois State.
South Dakota made the biggest move in the final poll, jumping nine spots to No. 11 after making a run to the quarterfinals which started with a 47-0 domination over Mercer in the second round. The loss dropped the Bears 10 places to No. 18. Yale moved up eight spots to No. 13 after making an appearance in the second round. South Carolina State entered the AFCA Top 25 for the first time this season thanks to their four overtime Celebration Bowl victory over Prairie View A&M. The Bulldogs come in at No. 25 and finished with a 10-3 overall record.
| Rank | School (1st votes) | Rec. | Pts. | Prev. | Post-season | Head Coach | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Montana St. (21) | 14-2 | 525 | 2 | D. No. 17 Illinois St., 35-34 OT, in national championship | Brent Vigen | |
| 2 | Illinois St. | 12-5 | 504 | 17 | Lost to No. 2 Montana St., 35-34 OT, in national championship | Brock Spack | |
| 3 | Montana | 13-2 | 472 | 4 | Lost to No. 2 Montana St., 48-23, in semifinals | Bobby Hauck | |
| 4 | Villanova | 12-3 | 427 | 6 | Lost to No. 17 Illinois St., 30-14, in semifinals | Mark Ferrante | |
| 5 | North Dakota St. | 12-1 | 426 | 1 | Lost to No. 17 Illinois St., 29-28, in second round | Tim Polasek | |
| 6 | Tarleton St. | 12-2 | 419 | 5 | Lost to No. 6 Villanova, 26-21, in quarterfinals | Todd Whitten | |
| 7 | Stephen F. Austin | 11-3 | 369 | 10 | Lost to No. 2 Montana St., 44-28, in quarterfinals | Colby Carthel | |
| 8 | UC Davis | 9-4 | 359 | 11 | Lost to No. 17 Illinois St., 42-31, in quarterfinals | Tim Plough | |
| 9 | Lehigh | 12-1 | 358 | 3 | Lost to No. 6 Villanova, 14-7, in second round | Kevin Cahill | |
| 10 | Rhode Island | 11-3 | 304 | 9 | Lost to No. 11 UC Davis, 47-26, in second round | Jim Fleming | |
| 11 | South Dakota | 10-5 | 295 | 20 | Lost to No. 4 Montana, 52-22, in quarterfinals | Travis Johansen | |
| 12 | ACU | 9-5 | 257 | 14 | Lost to No. 10 Stephen F. Austin, 41-34, in second round | Keith Patterson | |
| 13 | Yale | 9-3 | 235 | 21 | Lost to No. 2 Montana St., 21-13, in second round | Tony Reno | |
| 14 | South Dakota St. | 9-5 | 209 | 18 | Lost to No. 4 Montana, 50-29, in second round | Dan Jackson | |
| 15 | Tennessee Tech | 11-2 | 206 | 7 | Lost to No. 23 North Dakota, 31-6, in first round | Bobby Wilder | |
| 16 | North Dakota | 8-6 | 192 | 23 | Lost to No. 5 Tarleton St., 31-13, in second round | Eric Schmidt= | |
| 17 | Youngstown St. | 8-5 | 190 | 13 | Lost to No. 21 Yale, 43-42, in first round | Doug Phillips | |
| 18 | Mercer | 9-3 | 186 | 8 | Lost to No. 20 South Dakota, 47-0, in second round | Mike Jacobs | |
| 19 | Southeastern Louisiana | 9-4 | 172 | 15 | Lost to No. 17 Illinois St., 21-3, in first round | Frank Scelfo | |
| 20 | Monmouth (N.J.) | 9-3 | 112 | 16 | DNQ Playoffs | Kevin Callahan | |
| 21 | Lamar | 8-5 | 105 | 24 | Lost to No. 14 ACU, 38-20, in first round | Pete Rossomando | |
| 22 | Jackson St. | 9-3 | 103 | 12 | Lost to Prairie View A&M, 23-21, in SWAC title game | T.C. Taylor | |
| 23 | Harvard | 9-2 | 78 | 19 | Lost to No. 6 Villanova, 52-7, in first round | Andrew Aurich | |
| 24 | West Georgia | 8-3 | 68 | 22 | DNQ Playoffs | Joel Taylor | |
| 25 | South Carolina St. | 10-3 | 59 | NR | D. Prairie View A&M, 40-38 4OT, in Celebration Bowl | Chennis Berry | |
Dropped Out: Southern Illinois (25)
Others Receiving Votes: New Hampshire, 35; Lafayette, 30; Southern Illinois, 29; Drake, 20; UT Rio Grande Valley, 20; Prairie View A&M, 16; Central Connecticut St., 15; Richmond, 15; Alabama St., 10; Presbyterian, 10; Southern Utah, 5; Austin Peay, 2.
For more information about the AFCA, visit www.AFCA.com. For more interesting articles, check out The Insider and subscribe to our weekly email.
If you are interested in more in-depth articles and videos, please become an AFCA member. You can find out more information about membership and specific member benefits on the AFCA Membership Overview page. If you are ready to join, please fill out the AFCA Membership Application.
