2013 NCAA Division I Football Championship Game
January 5, 2013; Noon
FC Dallas Stadium, Frisco, Texas

Bracket (PDF)  |  Interactive Bracket

The 2013 NCAA Division I Football Championship Game will be played Saturday, January 5, 2013, at noon, Central, at FC Dallas Stadium in Frisco, Texas. The game, which concludes a 20-team national playoff, is hosted by the Southland Conference, the City of Frisco and Hunt Sports Group. Last year, North Dakota State beat Sam Houston State 17-6 in front of a sell-out crowd in excess of 20,000 fans. In the 2011 game, Eastern Washington came from behind for a 20-19 win in the first college football game played at FC Dallas Stadium.

Weekend Winners Advance to Frisco
The NCAA Division I Football Championship is down to just four teams from 20 at the start of the playoffs and this weekend’s semifinal games will determine the two teams that will battle in this year’s national championship game Jan. 5 at FC Dallas Stadium in Frisco, Texas. This Friday, No. 5 seed Georgia Southern visits no. 1 seed North Dakota State at 7 p.m., Central, on ESPN2. Then on Saturday, Sam Houston State travels to No. 2 seed Eastern Washington. That game kicks off at 3 p.m., Central, on ESPNU. Three of the four remaining teams have won national championships previously. North Dakota State won its only title last year and Eastern Washington claimed its lone title after the 2010 season. Georgia Southern has claimed six titles with it last title coming in 2000. Sam Houston State has not won a national championship, but played for the title last year.

Semifinal Games
Friday, Dec. 14
No. 5 Georgia Southern (10-3) at No. 1 North Dakota State (12-1), 7 p.m., Central (ESPN2 & WatchESPN)

Saturday, Dec. 15
Sam Houston State (10-3) at No. 2 Eastern Washington (11-2), 3 p.m., Central (ESPNU & WatchESPN)

Three Teams Have History in Frisco
Though NCAA Division I Football Championship Game has been played in Frisco only twice previously, three of the four semifinal teams have a history here. North Dakota State and Sam Houston State played in the title game last January, while Eastern Washington played Delaware in the 2011 game. The Bison and Eagles won their first Division I national championships at FC Dallas Stadium.

Three Teams Were Semifinalists in 2011
Three of the four teams playing in this year’s semifinal round played in the semifinals last year, including Georgia Southern and North Dakota State, who faced each other last year. The Bison advanced to Frisco after a 35-7 win against the Eagles in Fargo, N.D., which is the site again this year. Sam Houston State defeated Montana last year in Huntsville to punch its ticket to Frisco. Eastern Washington did not make the playoffs last year but is back in the semifinals for the first time since winning the national championship in 2010. Georgia Southern is back in the semifinals for a third consecutive year.

A Look at the Semifinal Teams…
No. 1 Seed North Dakota State
North Dakota State is in the Division I playoffs for the third consecutive season and won its first FCS championship last year, a season after reaching the quarterfinals before falling to Eastern Washington, the eventual national champion. North Dakota State is 12-1 overall and was 7-1 to win the Missouri Valley Football Conference one game ahead of South Dakota State, a team it beat during the regular season and again in the second round (28-3) of this year’s playoffs. The Bison followed with a 14-7 win against Wofford to get to this point. Craig Bohl is 87-32 in his 10th season as the head coach at North Dakota State. The Bison are the winningest program in both Division I subdivisions with a 25-2 record in the last two years.

No. 2 Seed Eastern Washington
Eastern Washington is back in the playoffs after sitting out last year. The Eagles defeated Delaware to win the 2011 NCAA Division I Football Championship Game, which was the first year the game was held in Frisco. Eastern Washington is making ninth appearance in the FCS Playoffs and is making its third appearance in the semifinals. The Eagles are 11-2 overall and finished 7-1 in the Big Sky Conference, sharing the title with Cal Poly and Montana State. Eastern Washington is ranked No. 4 in both FCS polls, but is the No. 2 seed in this year’s playoffs. After a first-round bye, the Eagles have beaten Wagner (29-19) and Illinois State (51-35) to reach the semifinals. Head coach Beau Baldwin is 49-18 in his fifth season at Eastern Washington.

No. 5 Seed Georgia Southern
Georgia Southern has won a record six national championships at the Division I level and has made a record nine appearances in the title game, but not since 2000. It has won titles in 1985, 1986, 1989, 1990, 1999, 2000 and boast a record 45 victories in the playoffs. The Eagles are 10-3 this season. Jeff Monken, who is 31-11 in his third season at Georgia Southern, has guided his team to semifinal appearances each of the last three years, including last year when the Eagles lost at North Dakota State. The previous year they lost to Delaware, the national runner up. Georgia Southern finished 6-2 in the Southern Conference and shared the title with Appalachian State and Wofford. After a first-round bye, the Eagles have beaten Central Arkansas (24-16) and No. 4 seed Old Dominion (49-35) to reach the semifinals.

Sam Houston State
Sam Houston State is trying to get back to the championship game for the second consecutive season after falling 17-6 to North Dakota State last year in Frisco. That was the first trip to the title game for the Bearkats, who are making their sixth playoff appearance this season. This is Sam Houston’s third appearance in the semifinals. Both previous trips to the semifinals came against Montana, including last year when the Bearkats held on for a 31-28 victory in Huntsville. Sam Houston, which is unseeded but ranked No. 5 in both FCS polls, is 10-3 overall and shared the Southland Conference championship with Central Arkansas. The Bearkats had a first-round bye before opening the 2012 playoffs with an 18-16 victory over Cal Poly in Huntsville before dominating No. 3 seed Montana State on the road for a 34-16 quarterfinals victory in Bozeman. Sam Houston, which is 24-4 in the last two years, is 30-9 under third-year head coach Willie Fritz.

Playoff Results
Quarterfinal Games (Dec. 7-8)
Sam Houston St. 34, at No. 3 Montana St. 16
No. 5 Georgia Southern 49, at No. 4 Old Dominion 35
at No. 1 North Dakota St. 14, Wofford 7
at No. 2 Eastern Washington 51, Illinois St. 35

Second-Round Results (Saturday, Dec. 1)
North Dakota State 28, South Dakota State 3
Wofford 23, New Hampshire 7
Georgia Southern 24, Central Arkansas 16
Old Dominion 63, Coastal Carolina 35
Montana State 16, Stony Brook 10
Sam Houston State 18, Cal Poly 16
Illinois State 38, Appalachian State 37 (OT)
Eastern Washington 29, Wagner 19

First-Round Results (Saturday, Nov. 24)
at Wagner 31, Colgate 20
Coastal Carolina 24, at Bethune-Cookman 14
at South Dakota State 58, Eastern Illinois 10
at Stony Brook 20, Villanova 10

Three Remaining Teams have Won Championships
Three teams that are still alive in the playoffs have combined to win eight national titles, led by Georgia Southern which leads all teams with six. The Eagles won in 1985, 1986, 1989, 1990, 1999 and 2000. Eastern Washington defeated Delaware 20-19 to win its first title after the 2010 season, while North Dakota State beat Sam Houston State 17-6 for its lone title following the 2011 season. Among the remaining field, only Sam Houston State has not won a national title, though played for the championship last year.

All-Time NCAA Division I National Champions
Appalachian State (3 championships), Boise State, Delaware, Eastern Kentucky (2), Eastern Washington, Florida A&M, Furman, Georgia Southern (6), Idaho State, James Madison, Louisiana-Monroe, Massachusetts, Marshall (2), Montana (2), Montana State, North Dakota State, Richmond, Southern Illinois, Western Kentucky, Villanova, and Youngstown State (4).

Last Five Champions
2011: North Dakota State
2010: Eastern Washington
2009: Villanova
2008: Richmond
2007: Appalachian State

Start Championship Saturday at Tailgate Town
Where’s the best place to get ready for the NCAA Division I Football Championship game? It is just outside of FC Dallas Stadium in Tailgate Town! This fun-filled, interactive area allows fans of any age a chance to experience the thrills, excitement and spirit of college football. Whether you try your hand at quarterback, ride the mechanical bull, cheer on your favorite team’s band and cheerleaders, or just kick back with some of Frisco’s best food and drink… this is the place to be before the big game! Admission is FREE. Tailgate Town opens at 9 a.m. on game day, Saturday, Jan. 5.

FCS History
The 2013 NCAA Division I Football Championship Game will be the 35th edition. The first championship took place in 1978 when Florida A&M beat Massachusetts 35-28 in Wichita Falls, Texas. Chattanooga, Tenn., has hosted the championship game more than any other city with 13 games between 1997-2009. The FCS was formerly named Division I-AA from 1978-2005. Since the NCAA does not sponsor a championship for the FBS, the tournament to determine the FCS winner was changed to be called the Division I Football Championship in 2006. Georgia Southern has won the most championships with six.

Did You Know?
The NCAA Division I Football National Championship Game has been played in Texas five times. While the last two games have been played in Frisco at FC Dallas Stadium, Wichita Falls was home to the game in 1978 and again in 1981 and 1982. Florida A&M beat Massachusetts 35-28 in the first championship game in 1978. Idaho State beat Eastern Kentucky, 34-23, in 1981. The next year, Eastern Kentucky beat Delaware, 17-14.

Road to the Championship
There are 122 teams within 13 conferences competing in FCS football. The championship bracket consists of 20 teams, 10 of which are selected via automatic qualification. The remaining at-large teams are selected by the Division I Football Championship Committee, assisted by four regional advisory committees that serve in an advisory capacity only. At-large selections are based on multiple factors including overall record and strength of schedule. The championship bracket consists of 20 teams, 10 of which are selected via automatic qualification. The championship is conducted via single elimination format. All preliminary-round games (first round, second round, quarterfinals and semifinals) are hosted on campus sites. Sites are selected and announced during the selection show and as teams advance throughout the championship. The championship game is hosted at FC Dallas Stadium in Frisco, Texas. For the 2013 season the championship bracket will expand from 20 to 24 teams, increasing the number of AQ conferences from 10 to 11. The remaining teams will be selected on an at-large basis. The top-eight teams in the bracket will be seeded and receive first-round byes.

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