ESPN’s coverage of the 2020 Division I Football Championship kicks off on Saturday, April 24, with all eight first round games of the FCS Playoffs live on ESPN3. The championship is one of 27 being contested across ESPN networks this spring.
- The quarterfinals are slated for ESPN2 and ESPN3 the first weekend in May, with the semifinals set for ABC and ESPN/ESPN2 on Saturday, May 8.
- The FCS Championship will be broadcast live on Sunday, May 16, at 2 p.m. ET on ABC.
- The championship field consists of 10 automatic qualifiers and six at-large qualifiers, and fall competitions were considered when determining the field for the spring championship.
- Predetermined sites will host the first round through the semifinals, with the 2021 FCS Championship staged at Toyota Stadium in Frisco, Texas for the 11th consecutive year.
- The defending national champion is North Dakota State, who will face off against Eastern Washington in the first round in a rematch of the 2020 FCS Championship.
- The television schedule and assigned talent are both subject to change.
Complete schedule (All times ET):
- Saturday, April 24:
- Noon: FCS First Round (Huntsville, Texas): Monmouth vs. Sam Houston – Jonathan Yardley, Rene Ingoglia – ESPN3
- 2 PM: FCS First Round (Jacksonville, Ala.): Davidson vs. Jacksonville State – Mike Morgan, Cole Cubelic – ESPN3
- 2 PM: FCS First Round (Harrisonburg, Va.): VMI vs. James Madison – Bill Roth, Hutson Mason – ESPN3
- 3 PM: FCS First Round (Brookings, SD): Holy Cross vs. South Dakota State – David Saltzman, Craig Haubert – ESPN3
- 3:30 PM: FCS First Round (Fargo, ND): Eastern Washington vs. North Dakota State – Clay Matvick, Rocky Boiman – ESPN3
- 4 PM: FCS First Round (Grand Forks, ND): Missouri State vs. North Dakota – Matt Stewart, Eric Mac Lain – ESPN3
- 4 PM: FCS First Round (Ogden, Utah): Southern Illinois vs. Weber State – John Schriffen, Kirk Morrison – ESPN3
- 7 PM: FCS First Round (Newark, Del.): Sacred Heart vs. Delaware – Tiffany Greene, Jay Walker – ESPN3
- Saturday, May 1:
- TBD: FCS Quarterfinals – John Schriffen, Kirk Morrison – ESPN3
- TBD: FCS Quarterfinals – Matt Schick, Eric Mac Lain – ESPN3
- Sunday, May 2:
- 6 PM: FCS Quarterfinals – Matt Barrie, Mike Golic Jr. – ESPN2
- 9 PM: FCS Quarterfinals – Roy Philpott, Tom Luginbill – ESPN2
- Saturday, May 8:
- 2:30 PM: FCS Semifinals – Dave Pasch, Andre Ware, Kris Budden – ABC
- TBD: FCS Semifinals – Matt Barrie, Mike Golic Jr., Katie George – ESPN or ESPN2
- Sunday, May 16:
- 2 PM: FCS Championship – Dave Pasch, Andre Ware, Kris Budden – ABC