North Dakota State Wins Their 10th FCS National Title
January 7, 2025
WACO, TEX.– North Dakota State survived a furious second half comeback from Montana State in the NCAA FCS national championship game to win, 35-32. The Bobcats outscored NDSU 29-14 in the final two periods, but the Bison recovered an on-side kick with a little over a minute left in the game and ran out the clock. This was North Dakota State’s 10th national title in the last 14 years. The Bison end the 2024 season at No. 1 in the final AFCA FCS Coaches Poll, presented by Hudl. Montana State falls to No. 2.
South Dakota State and South Dakota both made appearances in the FCS semifinals, and finish at No. 3 and No. 4, respectively. UC Davis, UIW, Mercer and Idaho all reached the quarterfinals and end the season ranked five through eight. Villanova and Illinois State made it to the second round of the playoffs and round out the top 10.
Lehigh and Eastern Kentucky used playoff appearances to end 2024 ranked in the AFCA top 25 for the first time this season. Lehigh made it to the second round, finishing with a 9-4 record and ranked No. 21 while Eastern Kentucky lost in the first round and comes in at No. 25 with an 8-5 mark.
Rank School (1st votes) Rec. Pts. Prev. Postseason Head Coach
1 North Dakota St. (23) 14-2 575 4 D. No. 1 Montana St., 35-32, in national championship Tim Polasek
2 Montana St. 15-1 552 1 Lost to No. 4 North Dakota St., 35-32 in national championship Brent Vigen
3 South Dakota St. 12-3 529 2 Lost to No. 4 North Dakota St., 28-21, in semifinals Jimmy Rogers
4 South Dakota 11-3 507 3 Lost to No. 1 Montana St., 31-17, in semifinals Bob Nielson
5 UC Davis 11-3 480 5 Lost to No. 3 South Dakota, 35-21, in quarterfinals Tim Plough
6 UIW 11-3 448 6 Lost to No. 2 South Dakota St., 55-14, in quarterfinals Clint Killough
7 Mercer 11-3 418 9 Lost to No. 4 North Dakota St., 31-7, in quarterfinals Mike Jacobs
8 Idaho 10-4 402 8 Lost to No. 1 Montana St., 52-19, in quarterfinals Jason Eck
9 Villanova 10-4 351 11 Lost to No. 6 UIW, 13-6, in second round Mark Ferrante
10 Illinois St. 10-4 350 10 Lost to No. 5 UC Davis, 42-10, in second round Brock Spack
11 Rhode Island 11-3 336 12 Lost to No. 9 Mercer, 17-10, in second round Jim Fleming
12 Tarleton St. 10-4 307 14 Lost to No. 2 South Dakota, 42-31, in second round Todd Whitten
13 Montana 9-5 288 13 Lost to No. 2 South Dakota St., 35-18, in second round Bobby Hauck
14 ACU 9-5 252 17 Lost to No. 4 North Dakota St., 51-31, in second round Keith Patterson
15 Jackson St. 12-2 249 15 D. No. 18 South Carolina St., 28-7, in Celebration Bowl T.C. Taylor
16 Richmond 10-3 238 7 Lost to Lehigh, 20-16, in first round Russ Huesman
17 Southeast Missouri St. 9-4 223 16 Lost to No. 10 Illinois St., 35-27, in first round Tom Matukewicz
18 UT Martin 9-5 173 20 Lost to No. 1 Montana St., 49-17, in second round Jason Simpson
19 Tennessee St. 9-4 139 19 Lost to No. 13 Montana, 41-27, in first round Eddie George
20 South Carolina St. 8-5 127 18 Lost to No. 15 Jackson St., 28-7, in Celebration Bowl Chennis Berry
21 Lehigh 9-4 113 NR Lost to No. 8 Idaho, 34-13, in second round Kevin Cahill
22 Northern Arizona 8-5 102 22 Lost to No. 17 ACU, 24-0, in first round Brian Wright
23 Missouri St. 8-4 73 21 DNQ Playoffs Ryan Beard
24 New Hampshire 8-5 55 24 Lost to No. 20 UT Martin, 41-10, in first round Rick Santos
25 Eastern Kentucky 8-5 51 NR Lost to No. 11 Villanova, 22-17, in first round Walt Wells
Dropped Out: North Carolina Central (23), Duquesne (25)
Others Receiving Votes: North Carolina Central, 30; Drake, 29; Central Connecticut St., 28; Stony Brook, 15; Duquesne, 14; Dartmouth, 7; Columbia, 6; Harvard, 5; Southeastern Louisiana, 5.
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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WACO, TEX.– North Dakota State survived a furious second half comeback from Montana State in the NCAA FCS national championship game to win, 35-32. The Bobcats outscored NDSU 29-14 in the final two periods, but the Bison recovered an on-side kick with a little over a minute left in the game and ran out the clock. This was North Dakota State’s 10th national title in the last 14 years. The Bison end the 2024 season at No. 1 in the final AFCA FCS Coaches Poll, presented by Hudl. Montana State falls to No. 2.
South Dakota State and South Dakota both made appearances in the FCS semifinals, and finish at No. 3 and No. 4, respectively. UC Davis, UIW, Mercer and Idaho all reached the quarterfinals and end the season ranked five through eight. Villanova and Illinois State made it to the second round of the playoffs and round out the top 10.
Lehigh and Eastern Kentucky used playoff appearances to end 2024 ranked in the AFCA top 25 for the first time this season. Lehigh made it to the second round, finishing with a 9-4 record and ranked No. 21 while Eastern Kentucky lost in the first round and comes in at No. 25 with an 8-5 mark.
| Rank | School (1st votes) | Rec. | Pts. | Prev. | Postseason | Head Coach | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | North Dakota St. (23) | 14-2 | 575 | 4 | D. No. 1 Montana St., 35-32, in national championship | Tim Polasek | |
| 2 | Montana St. | 15-1 | 552 | 1 | Lost to No. 4 North Dakota St., 35-32 in national championship | Brent Vigen | |
| 3 | South Dakota St. | 12-3 | 529 | 2 | Lost to No. 4 North Dakota St., 28-21, in semifinals | Jimmy Rogers | |
| 4 | South Dakota | 11-3 | 507 | 3 | Lost to No. 1 Montana St., 31-17, in semifinals | Bob Nielson | |
| 5 | UC Davis | 11-3 | 480 | 5 | Lost to No. 3 South Dakota, 35-21, in quarterfinals | Tim Plough | |
| 6 | UIW | 11-3 | 448 | 6 | Lost to No. 2 South Dakota St., 55-14, in quarterfinals | Clint Killough | |
| 7 | Mercer | 11-3 | 418 | 9 | Lost to No. 4 North Dakota St., 31-7, in quarterfinals | Mike Jacobs | |
| 8 | Idaho | 10-4 | 402 | 8 | Lost to No. 1 Montana St., 52-19, in quarterfinals | Jason Eck | |
| 9 | Villanova | 10-4 | 351 | 11 | Lost to No. 6 UIW, 13-6, in second round | Mark Ferrante | |
| 10 | Illinois St. | 10-4 | 350 | 10 | Lost to No. 5 UC Davis, 42-10, in second round | Brock Spack | |
| 11 | Rhode Island | 11-3 | 336 | 12 | Lost to No. 9 Mercer, 17-10, in second round | Jim Fleming | |
| 12 | Tarleton St. | 10-4 | 307 | 14 | Lost to No. 2 South Dakota, 42-31, in second round | Todd Whitten | |
| 13 | Montana | 9-5 | 288 | 13 | Lost to No. 2 South Dakota St., 35-18, in second round | Bobby Hauck | |
| 14 | ACU | 9-5 | 252 | 17 | Lost to No. 4 North Dakota St., 51-31, in second round | Keith Patterson | |
| 15 | Jackson St. | 12-2 | 249 | 15 | D. No. 18 South Carolina St., 28-7, in Celebration Bowl | T.C. Taylor | |
| 16 | Richmond | 10-3 | 238 | 7 | Lost to Lehigh, 20-16, in first round | Russ Huesman | |
| 17 | Southeast Missouri St. | 9-4 | 223 | 16 | Lost to No. 10 Illinois St., 35-27, in first round | Tom Matukewicz | |
| 18 | UT Martin | 9-5 | 173 | 20 | Lost to No. 1 Montana St., 49-17, in second round | Jason Simpson | |
| 19 | Tennessee St. | 9-4 | 139 | 19 | Lost to No. 13 Montana, 41-27, in first round | Eddie George | |
| 20 | South Carolina St. | 8-5 | 127 | 18 | Lost to No. 15 Jackson St., 28-7, in Celebration Bowl | Chennis Berry | |
| 21 | Lehigh | 9-4 | 113 | NR | Lost to No. 8 Idaho, 34-13, in second round | Kevin Cahill | |
| 22 | Northern Arizona | 8-5 | 102 | 22 | Lost to No. 17 ACU, 24-0, in first round | Brian Wright | |
| 23 | Missouri St. | 8-4 | 73 | 21 | DNQ Playoffs | Ryan Beard | |
| 24 | New Hampshire | 8-5 | 55 | 24 | Lost to No. 20 UT Martin, 41-10, in first round | Rick Santos | |
| 25 | Eastern Kentucky | 8-5 | 51 | NR | Lost to No. 11 Villanova, 22-17, in first round | Walt Wells |
Dropped Out: North Carolina Central (23), Duquesne (25)
Others Receiving Votes: North Carolina Central, 30; Drake, 29; Central Connecticut St., 28; Stony Brook, 15; Duquesne, 14; Dartmouth, 7; Columbia, 6; Harvard, 5; Southeastern Louisiana, 5.
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.
