FARMINGTON, Utah (Dec. 29, 2025) – Montana State will make its third trip since 2021 to the FCS National Championship Game, but the scenery and opponent will be new for the Bobcats. The second-seeded 'Cats will face Illinois State in Nashville, as the two teams will have a high-stakes first meeting in the Music City.
Big Sky Football Weekly Notebook (FCS National Championship Game)
National Championship Game Preview
#2 Montana State vs. Illinois State // Monday, Jan. 5 at 5:30 p.m. MT (ESPN)
After a thrilling win over rival Montana in the FCS Semifinals this past December, the Bobcats will now face off against Illinois State in the FCS National Championship Game, which makes the move to Nashville for the first time in the game’s history.
Montana State earned its way to Nashville after victories over Ivy League Champion Yale (21-13), Southland Champion Stephen F. Austin (44-28), and rival Montana (48-23) in the semifinals.
Illinois State’s path to Nashville featured all road games, as the Redbirds upset Southeastern (21-3), defending national champion North Dakota State (29-28), UC Davis (42-31), and Villanova (30-14).
The game in Nashville will be the closest drive for Illinois State during the 2025 FCS Playoffs, while the road trip will be the first of the postseason for No. 2 seed Montana State.
Montana State History in National Title Games
Season: Opponent (Result) // Location
2025: Illinois State (TBD) // Nashville, TN
2024: NDSU (L/32-35) // Frisco, TX
2021: NDSU (L/10-38) // Frisco, TX
1984: LA Tech (W/19-6) // Charleston, SC
1976: Akron (W/24-13) // Wichita Falls, TX*
* - Div. II title, prior to FCS starting in 1978
Big Sky History in FCS National Title Game
Montana State makes its third FCS National Championship Game appearance since 2021, and the fourth overall for a Big Sky team in that time span.
Montana State is 1-2 in the FCS National Championship Game since it began in 1978 and 2-2 in national title games overall. Since it began in 1978, Big Sky teams are 6-11 in the FCS National Championship Game. The last Big Sky team to win a national title was Eastern Washington in 2010 after downing Delaware 20-19.
If Montana State defeats Illinois State in the title game this year, the Big Sky will have at least one national title for six-straight decades (2020’s, 2010’s, 2000’s, 1990’s, 1980’s, 1970’s).
Big Sky Div. II/FCS National Championship Game History
Season: Result (Location)
2025: Montana State vs. Illinois State (Nashville, TN)
2024: NDSU 35, Montana State 32 (Frisco, TX)
2023: SDSU 23, Montana 3 (Frisco, TX)
2021: NDSU 38, Montana State 10 (Frisco, TX)
2018: NDSU 38, EWU 24 (Frisco, TX)
2010: EWU 20, Delaware 19 (Frisco, TX)
2009: Villanova 23, Montana 21 (Chattanooga, TN)
2008: Richmond 24, Montana 7 (Chattanooga, TN)
2004: JMU 31, Montana 21 (Chattanooga, TN)
2001: Montana 13, Furman 6 (Chattanooga, TN)
2000: Georgia So. 27, Montana 25 (Chattanooga, TN)
1996: Marshall 49, Montana 29 (Huntington, WV)
1995: Montana 22, Marshall 20 (Huntington, WV)
1994: Youngstown St. 28, Boise State 14 (Huntington, WV)
1990: Georgia So. 36, Nevada 13 (Statesboro, GA)
1984: Montana State 19, LA Tech 6 (Charleston, SC)
1981: Idaho State 34, EKU 23 (Wichita Falls, TX)
1980: Boise State 31, EKU 29 (Sacramento, CA)
1976*: Montana State 24, Akron 13 (Wichita Falls, TX)
* - Div. II National Title Game
Bold are Big Sky wins
Nevada & Boise State were former Big Sky members
Big Sky Makes 18th Appearance in FCS National Championship Game
With Montana State’s trip to the FCS National Championship Game this year, the Big Sky booked its 18th appearance in the title game. The 18 appearances trail only the Missouri Valley’s 21 trips.
Additionally, the third-straight title appearance for a Big Sky team ties the longest streak of trips to the FCS National Game for the league overall. The Big Sky has achieved the three-straight streak three times since 1978.
Most National Championship Game Streaks for Big Sky
Years (Teams in Order of App.)
2023-25 (Montana, Montana State, Montana State)
2008-10 (Montana, Montana, Eastern Washington)
1994-96 (Boise State, Montana, Montana)
Bold are national title winners
National Title Game Appearances By Conference
Conf. - App. (Titles)
Missouri Valley - 21 (14)
Big Sky - 18 (6)
SoCon - 16 (8)
CAA - 13 (6)
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.
Three New Head Coaches Hired for 2026 Big Sky Teams
Three new head coaches will join the league and coach their Big Sky teams in 2026, as Cal Poly, Portland State and Weber State all named leadership changes in the past month.
Cal Poly hired Tim Skipper in early December, who was a former Fresno State player with extensive collegiate experience, including most recently as the interim head coach for UCLA.
Portland State named Chris Fisk as its new head coach late last week, who had a very successful tenure at Central Washington over the last seven seasons before taking the job with the Vikings.
Weber State hired Eric Kjar as its head coach earlier this week, who was most recently the head coach at Corner Canyon High School in Draper, Utah, where he posted a 112-10 record with six state championships over the last nine seasons.
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.
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
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 (FCS National Championship Game)
Monday, Jan. 5
#2 Montana State vs. Illinois State // ESPN // 5:30 p.m. MT