POST-SEASON SCHEDULE
Saturday, November 30, 2024
FIRST ROUND TV TIME (MT)
Northern Arizona at #15 Abilene Christian
ESPN+ 1:00 p.m.
Tennessee State at #14 Montana
ESPN2 8:15 p.m.
NEWS & NOTES
Two of the Big Sky’s five playoff teams will be in action in the opening round of the FCS Playoffs, as Northern Arizona and Montana look to advance to the next round. Below are news and notes for first round of the FCS Playoffs.
NAU, Montana Open Playoff Run in the First Round This Saturday
Northern Arizona and Montana will be in action this Saturday, as the two teams will open their playoff runs in the first round.
Northern Arizona, who makes its first trip to the playoff since 2017, will travel to No. 15 Abilene Christian in the opening round. It’s the sixth FCS Playoff appearance for the Lumberjacks in program history, with NAU going 1-5 in the postseason.
Kickoff between NAU and Abilene Christian is slated for 1:00 p.m. MT on ESPN+. The winner will go on to face No. 2 North Dakota State in Fargo, on Saturday, Dec. 7.
Montana, who makes its 28th playoff appearance overall, will host Tennessee State for a late-night against the Eddie George-coached team. Saturday’s game will be the first-ever meeting between the two football programs. Montana enters Saturday’s game with a 38-25 overall playoff record and a 35-7 record in playoff games at Washington-Grizzly Stadium.
Kickoff between Montana and Tennessee State is slated for 8:15 p.m. on ESPN2. The winner will go on to face No. 3 South Dakota State in Brookings, on Saturday, Dec. 7.
Montana State Earns No. 1 Seed for FCS Playoffs
After finishing the regular season with a perfect 12-0 record, Montana State was awarded a No. 1 seed in the FCS Playoffs. The top seed is the first-ever for Montana State and the first for a Big Sky team since 2009.
Four different Big Sky teams have earned the No. 1 seed since the FCS Playoffs began seeding in 1981. Montana has the most No. 1 seeds for a Big Sky team with four, while Nevada earned a No. 1 seed twice and Idaho claimed the top seed once.
No. 1 Seed History for Big Sky Teams
Montana: 4 times (2009, 2001, 2000, 1996)
Nevada: 2 times (1991, 1986)
Montana State: 1 time (2024)
Idaho: 1 time (1988)
Big Sky Earns Five Playoffs Selections
The Big Sky led all other FCS leagues for playoff bids in 2024, with the Big Sky’s five selections topping the Missouri Valley (4), the CAA (4), the United Athletic (3) and the Big South-OVC (3) overall for the 24-team field.
BOBCATS ON BEST START EVER
Montana State earned its first 10-0 start ever, following a 49-7 win over Sacramento State on Nov. 9. Prior to the 10-0 start, the best start for Montana State in program history was a 9-0 start in 1956. No Big Sky team has ever gone an entire season undefeated, with Montana coming the closest with a 14-0 record in 2009, before falling to Villanova in the FCS National Championship game to finish 14-1 on the year.
