The NCAA Division I FCS Championship will move to Sunday in 2023, airing live on ABC on January 8 at 2 p.m. ET, from Toyota Stadium in Frisco, Texas
“We continuously work with the NCAA on ways to evolve our championship coverage,” said Dan Margulis, Senior Director of Programming and Acquisitions. “Moving the FCS Championship to Sunday opens up the possibility of capitalizing on the Sunday afternoon window on ABC, which we are regularly incorporating into our college sports programming.”
“The addition of our championship game to ABC’s Sunday programming lineup is very exciting news for all of us who are passionate about Division I FCS football,” said Jermaine Truax, chair of the Division I Football Championship Committee and Bucknell University Director of Athletics and Recreation. “The committee greatly appreciates ESPN’s longtime commitment to showcasing the FCS Championship and our outstanding student-athletes and coaches. The FCS Championship is annually one of the most exciting postseason tournaments in college sports and having our national championship game on ABC will result in even more exposure for this great event.”
FCS Championship tickets will go on sale to the public Friday, September 16 at 11 a.m. ET at NCAA.com/FCS.
Last season’s FCS Playoffs were the most viewed in nearly a decade. The semifinal matchup between James Madison and North Dakota State averaged 1,145,000 viewers, making it the most-viewed FCS semifinal since 2009. The Saturday semifinal between South Dakota State and Montana State averaged 795,000 viewers, making it the most-viewed Saturday semifinal since 2009.
The FCS Championship Game first aired on ABC in 2020, when North Dakota State captured its eighth title in a 28-20 victory over James Madison.
