FARMINGTON, Utah (Dec. 10, 2025) – Three Big Sky teams are still alive in the FCS Playoffs, as the trio of Montana State, Montana, and UC Davis seek to punch their tickets to the FCS Semifinals as they inch closer to Nashville. Below are news and notes for the quarterfinal of the FCS Playoffs.
Big Sky Football Weekly Notebook (Quarterfinals of FCS Playoffs)
Big Sky Playoff Preview
#2 Montana State vs. #7 Stephen F. Austin // Friday, Dec. 12 at 7:00 p.m. MT (ESPN)
No. 2 seed Montana State faces No. 7 seed Stephen F. Austin in the FCS Quarterfinals, as the Bobcats seek to take down another conference champion following its 21-13 victory over Ivy League champion Yale in the second round of the FCS Playoffs.
Stephen F. Austin enters Friday night’s matchup on ESPN with an 11-2 overall record, while having gone 8-0 on the year in league play to win the Southland Conference. MSU and SFA have faced off six times in program history, with the Bobcats owning a 4-2 record in the head-to-head series and a perfect 3-0 mark at home.
#3 Montana vs. #11 South Dakota // Saturday, Dec. 13 at 1:30 p.m. MT (ABC)
No. 3 seed Montana faces No. 11 seed South Dakota in the FCS Quarterfinals, as the Griz seek to take down back-to-back foes from the Mount Rushmore State following its 50-29 win over South Dakota State in the second round of the FCS Playoffs.
The contest will also mark the first time ever a game at Washington-Grizzly Stadium has aired on ABC, with the first and only other time coming at the 2023 FCS National Championship Game against South Dakota State.
Montana owns a 14-6 record all-time against South Dakota in a series that dates back to 1915, but have never faced off in the FCS Playoffs.
#8 UC Davis vs. Illinois State // Saturday, Dec. 13 at 3:00 p.m. MT (ESPN+)
No. 8 seed UC Davis takes on Illinois State in the FCS Quarterfinals, seeking the program’s first ever FCS Semifinal berth.
The Aggies handled No. 9 Rhode Island in the previous round, winning a 47-26 game on ESPN2. Illinois State punched their ticket to the FCS Quarterfinals after upsetting No. 1 seed North Dakota State 29-28 in Fargo.
Saturday’s game will mark the second-straight season UC Davis and Illinois State have faced off in the FCS Playoffs, with the Aggies winning a 42-10 contest at home in the second round last season.
Big Sky History in FCS Quarterfinals
Aside from the spring season in 2021, the Big Sky has had at least two teams in the FCS Quarterfinals every season since 2018. The Big Sky has had a national title game appearance in four of those six seasons, with a chance at five of seven seasons if all goes well this year.
Big Sky Quarterfinal Teams Since 2018
Year Big Sky Team (# National Seed)
2025 #2 Montana State, #3 Montana, #8 UC Davis
2024 #1 Montana State*, #5 UC Davis, #8 Idaho
2023 #2 Montana*, #4 Idaho
2022 #2 Sac State, #4 Montana State
2021 #6 Montana, #8 Montana State*
2019 #3 Weber State, #5 Montana State, #6 Montana
2018 #2 Weber State, #3 Eastern Washington*, #6 UC Davis
Big Sky History in FCS Semifinals
If Montana State, Montana, or UC Davis wins this weekend, the Big Sky will have secured five-straight seasons with at least one team in the FCS Semifinals. The Big Sky has had two teams in the same FCS Semifinals four times in its history, coming in 2019, 1994, 1990, and 1981. In only one of those seasons did a Big Sky team face off against one another, with Nevada winning a 59-52 contest in triple overtime against Boise State in 1990 to secure a spot in the national title game.
Two Big Sky Teams Making FCS Semifinals
Year Big Sky Team (# National Seed)
2019 #3 Weber State, #5 Montana State
1994 #3 Boise State*, Montana
1990 #4 Nevada*, Boise State
1981 #2 Idaho State*^, #4 Boise State
* - Played in National Title Game // ^ - Won National Title
National Title Game Moves to Nashville for 2026, 2027
For the first time since 2010, the FCS National Title Game will have a new location, as the city of Nashville will host the game for 2026 and 2027. The games, which will be co-hosted by the Ohio Valley Conference and the Nashville Sports Council, will be played at FirstBank Stadium on the campus of Vanderbilt.
Nashville becomes the 11th city to host the Football Championship Subdivision championship game since 1978. It will be the first time the game has been played in Tennessee since Chattanooga hosted from 1997 to 2009.
Toyota Stadium in Frisco, Texas, the host of the game since 2010, originally had been slated to host through 2027.
Due to a recently announced multiyear renovation project to begin after this year's contest, it became necessary to look at other sites. The location of the game beyond 2027 will be determined in a future bid cycle.
Montana’s Botner Wins Doris Robinson Scholar-Athlete Award
Montana’s Dillon Botner was recognized for his hard work on the field, in the classroom and the community, as the Grizzly offensive lineman was named the 2025 Doris Robinson Scholar-Athlete Award recipient by Stats Perform FCS on this past week.
The Doris Robinson Award, first presented in 2015 and in its 11th season, honors FCS student-athletes who exemplify excellence on the field, in the classroom and across the community. The values embody the leadership and integrity championed by Doris Robinson, a former schoolteacher and the wife of legendary Grambling State University coach Eddie Robinson.
Botner is the second winner to come from the Big Sky Conference, joining Montana State’s Tommy Mellott who won the honor in 2023.
Botner was selected from 13 Doris Robinson Award finalists – one from each conference involved in the Division I subdivision. He’s the fifth finalist from Montana, joining Derek Crittenden (2015), Reggie Tillman (2018), Dante Olson (2019), and Robby Hauck (2022) and will be honored at the Stats Perform FCS National Awards Show on Jan. 3 in Nashville, Tennessee.
Big Sky Earns 10 Finalists for National Awards
Award voting for the Stats Perform FCS National Awards were announced this past week, with the Big Sky earning 10 finalists for the national honors. The highest finish so far has been UC Davis quarterback Caden Pinnick finishing second in voting for the Jerry Rice Award.
Walter Payton Award (Voting Result) - Top Offensive Player
Justin Lamson, Montana State (7th, 40 points)
Keali’I Ah Yat, Montana (9th, 30 points)
Michael Wortham, Montana (t-18th, 6 points)
Rodney Hammond Jr., Sac State (t-29th, 0 points)
Buck Buchanan Award (Voting Result) - Top Defensive Player
Caden Dowler, Montana State (4th, 65 points)
Jaco Psyk, UC Davis (20th, 9 points)
Jerry Rice Award (Voting Result) - Top Freshman Player
Caden Pinnick, UC Davis (2nd, 149 points)
Brooks Davis, Montana (t-12th, 10 points)
Eddie Robinson Award (Voting Result) - Top Coach
Bobby Hauck, Montana (12th, 20 points)
Doris Robinson Award (Voting Result) - Top Scholar-Athlete
Dillon Botner, Montana (winner)
Treasure State Headlines Postseason Honors
The Big Sky announced its annual football individual awards and all-conference teams last week, highlighted by a pair of Treasure State standouts in Offensive Player of the Year Eli Gillman of Montana and Defensive Player of the Year Caden Dowler of Montana State.
In addition to Dowler's Defensive MVP honor, Montana State took home three of the five individual honors on Wednesday, with Brent Vigen being voted the Coach of the Year and Justin Lamson winning the title of Newcomer of the Year. Rounding out the individual award winners for the 2025 season, Caden Pinnick of UC Davis was a unanimous selection for Freshman of the Year.
For the full release,
click here.
2025 Big Sky Football Individual Awards
Offensive Player of the Year: Eli Gillman, RB, Montana
Defensive Player of the Year: Caden Dowler, DB, Montana State
Newcomer of the Year: Justin Lamson, QB, Montana State
Freshman of the Year: Caden Pinnick, QB, UC Davis*
Coach of the Year: Brent Vigen, Montana State
* - Unanimous selection
Big Sky Conference Announces 2026 Football Schedule
The Big Sky Conference recently announced its 2026 football schedule this past October, which features 58 total games as it welcomes two new members to the 13-team league for the upcoming football season. The full release and team-by-team schedules can be found
here.
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Upcoming Big Sky Football Games (Quarterfinals of FCS Playoffs)
Friday, Dec. 12
#7 Stephen F. Austin at #2 Montana State // ESPN // 7:00 p.m. MT
Saturday, Dec. 13
#11 South Dakota at #3 Montana // ABC // 1:30 p.m. MT
Illinois State at #8 UC Davis // ESPN+ // 3:00 p.m. MT