Yale Captures IVY League’s First FCS Playoff Appearance
November 24, 2025
In the 141st edition of The Game, it was all Yale. The Bulldogs built a 17-0 lead early in the second quarter and never looked back, beating rival and previously undefeated Harvard, 45-28. The victory gave Yale a share of the IVY League crown and the conference’s first-ever automatic bid into the NCAA FCS playoffs. The win also moved the Bulldogs to No. 21 in this week’s AFCA FCS Coaches Poll, presented by Hudl, while Harvard dropped to No. 19. Yale will travel to No. 13 Youngstown State for their first-round playoff game while the Crimson, who made the field with an at-large bid, will also hit the road and visit No. 6 Villanova.
No. 1 North Dakota State ends the regular season undefeated and is the overall No. 1 seed in the FCS playoffs. The Bison earned a bye in the first round and will await the winner between No. 15 Southeastern Louisiana and No. 17 Illinois State. No. 3 Lehigh joins NDSU as the only other team to go undefeated this season. The Mountain Hawks are the fifth seed and will await the winner of the Villanova/Harvard matchup in the second round.
The rest of the top eight seeds in the FCS playoffs who received first-round byes are No. 2 Montana State, No. 4 Montana, No. 5 Tarleton State, No. 8 Mercer, No. 10 Stephen F. Austin and No. 11 UC Davis.
Rank School (1st votes) Rec. Pts. Prev. Week 13 Next Game
1 North Dakota St. (24) 12-0 623 1 D. St. Thomas (Minn.), 62-7 Dec. 6 TBD
2 Montana St. (1) 10-2 597 3 D. No. 2 Montana, 31-28 Dec. 6 TBD
3 Lehigh 12-0 557 4 D. No. 24 Lafayette, 42-32 Dec. 6 TBD
4 Montana 11-1 554 2 Lost to No. 3 Montana St., 31-28 Dec. 6 TBD
5 Tarleton St. 11-1 534 5 D. Austin Peay, 45-44 OT Dec. 6 TBD
6 Villanova 9-2 470 7 D. Sacred Heart, 34-10 Nov. 29 vs. No. 19 Harvard
7 Tennessee Tech 11-1 455 8 D. UT Martin, 20-17 Nov. 29 vs. No. 23 North Dakota
8 Mercer 9-2 444 6 Lost to Auburn, 62-17 Dec. 6 TBD
9 Rhode Island 10-2 430 9 D. Hampton, 38-10 Nov. 29 vs. Central Connecticut St.
10 Stephen F. Austin 10-2 392 13 D. Northwestern St., 62-14 Dec. 6 TBD
11 UC Davis 8-3 348 14 D. Sacramento St., 31-27 Dec. 6 TBD
12 Jackson St. 9-2 309 15 D. Alcorn St., 27-21 Dec. 6 vs. Prairie View A&M
13 Youngstown St. 8-4 294 17 D. Northern Iowa, 35-32 Nov. 29 vs. No. 21 Yale
14 ACU 8-4 265 18 D. Central Arkansas, 49-28 Nov. 29 vs. No. 24 Lamar
15 Southeastern Louisiana 9-3 247 20 D. Nicholls, 38-26 Nov. 29 vs. No. 17 Illinois St.
16 Monmouth (N.J.) 9-3 208 11t Lost to UAlbany, 31-24 Season Complete
17 Illinois St. 8-4 199 11t Lost to Southern Illinois, 37-7 Nov. 29 at No. 15 Southeastern Louisiana
18 South Dakota St. 8-4 182 22 D. No. 16 North Dakota, 34-31 OT Nov. 29 vs. New Hampshire
19 Harvard 9-1 175 10 Lost to No. 25 Yale, 45-28 Nov. 29 at No. 6 Villanova
20 South Dakota 8-4 173 21 Idle Nov. 29 vs. Drake
21 Yale 8-2 136 25 D. No. 10 Harvard, 45-28 Nov. 29 at No. 13 Youngstown St.
22 West Georgia 8-3 108 23 Idle Season Complete
23 North Dakota 7-5 96 16 Lost to No. 22 South Dakota St., 34-31 OT Nov. 29 at No. 7 Tennessee Tech
24 Lamar 8-4 61 19 Lost to McNeese, 21-19 Nov. 29 at No. 14 ACU
25 Southern Illinois 7-5 58 NR D. No. 11t Illinois St., 37-7 Season Complete
Dropped Out: Lafayette (24)
Others Receiving Votes: Alabama St., 52; Lafayette, 40; UT Rio Grande Valley, 31; New Hampshire, 15; Gardner-Webb, 14; South Carolina St., 12; Presbyterian, 11; Sacramento St., 8; Austin Peay, 7; Richmond, 6; East Tennessee St., 4; Southern Utah, 4; Dartmouth, 3; Central Connecticut St., 1; Drake, 1; North Carolina Central, 1.
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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In the 141st edition of The Game, it was all Yale. The Bulldogs built a 17-0 lead early in the second quarter and never looked back, beating rival and previously undefeated Harvard, 45-28. The victory gave Yale a share of the IVY League crown and the conference’s first-ever automatic bid into the NCAA FCS playoffs. The win also moved the Bulldogs to No. 21 in this week’s AFCA FCS Coaches Poll, presented by Hudl, while Harvard dropped to No. 19. Yale will travel to No. 13 Youngstown State for their first-round playoff game while the Crimson, who made the field with an at-large bid, will also hit the road and visit No. 6 Villanova.
No. 1 North Dakota State ends the regular season undefeated and is the overall No. 1 seed in the FCS playoffs. The Bison earned a bye in the first round and will await the winner between No. 15 Southeastern Louisiana and No. 17 Illinois State. No. 3 Lehigh joins NDSU as the only other team to go undefeated this season. The Mountain Hawks are the fifth seed and will await the winner of the Villanova/Harvard matchup in the second round.
The rest of the top eight seeds in the FCS playoffs who received first-round byes are No. 2 Montana State, No. 4 Montana, No. 5 Tarleton State, No. 8 Mercer, No. 10 Stephen F. Austin and No. 11 UC Davis.
Rank School (1st votes) Rec. Pts. Prev. Week 13 Next Game
1 North Dakota St. (24) 12-0 623 1 D. St. Thomas (Minn.), 62-7 Dec. 6 TBD
2 Montana St. (1) 10-2 597 3 D. No. 2 Montana, 31-28 Dec. 6 TBD
3 Lehigh 12-0 557 4 D. No. 24 Lafayette, 42-32 Dec. 6 TBD
4 Montana 11-1 554 2 Lost to No. 3 Montana St., 31-28 Dec. 6 TBD
5 Tarleton St. 11-1 534 5 D. Austin Peay, 45-44 OT Dec. 6 TBD
6 Villanova 9-2 470 7 D. Sacred Heart, 34-10 Nov. 29 vs. No. 19 Harvard
7 Tennessee Tech 11-1 455 8 D. UT Martin, 20-17 Nov. 29 vs. No. 23 North Dakota
8 Mercer 9-2 444 6 Lost to Auburn, 62-17 Dec. 6 TBD
9 Rhode Island 10-2 430 9 D. Hampton, 38-10 Nov. 29 vs. Central Connecticut St.
10 Stephen F. Austin 10-2 392 13 D. Northwestern St., 62-14 Dec. 6 TBD
11 UC Davis 8-3 348 14 D. Sacramento St., 31-27 Dec. 6 TBD
12 Jackson St. 9-2 309 15 D. Alcorn St., 27-21 Dec. 6 vs. Prairie View A&M
13 Youngstown St. 8-4 294 17 D. Northern Iowa, 35-32 Nov. 29 vs. No. 21 Yale
14 ACU 8-4 265 18 D. Central Arkansas, 49-28 Nov. 29 vs. No. 24 Lamar
15 Southeastern Louisiana 9-3 247 20 D. Nicholls, 38-26 Nov. 29 vs. No. 17 Illinois St.
16 Monmouth (N.J.) 9-3 208 11t Lost to UAlbany, 31-24 Season Complete
17 Illinois St. 8-4 199 11t Lost to Southern Illinois, 37-7 Nov. 29 at No. 15 Southeastern Louisiana
18 South Dakota St. 8-4 182 22 D. No. 16 North Dakota, 34-31 OT Nov. 29 vs. New Hampshire
19 Harvard 9-1 175 10 Lost to No. 25 Yale, 45-28 Nov. 29 at No. 6 Villanova
20 South Dakota 8-4 173 21 Idle Nov. 29 vs. Drake
21 Yale 8-2 136 25 D. No. 10 Harvard, 45-28 Nov. 29 at No. 13 Youngstown St.
22 West Georgia 8-3 108 23 Idle Season Complete
23 North Dakota 7-5 96 16 Lost to No. 22 South Dakota St., 34-31 OT Nov. 29 at No. 7 Tennessee Tech
24 Lamar 8-4 61 19 Lost to McNeese, 21-19 Nov. 29 at No. 14 ACU
25 Southern Illinois 7-5 58 NR D. No. 11t Illinois St., 37-7 Season Complete
Dropped Out: Lafayette (24)
Others Receiving Votes: Alabama St., 52; Lafayette, 40; UT Rio Grande Valley, 31; New Hampshire, 15; Gardner-Webb, 14; South Carolina St., 12; Presbyterian, 11; Sacramento St., 8; Austin Peay, 7; Richmond, 6; East Tennessee St., 4; Southern Utah, 4; Dartmouth, 3; Central Connecticut St., 1; Drake, 1; North Carolina Central, 1.
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.
