In what should be the most wide-open fall championship in years, the last three national champions enter the FCS playoffs as the top three seeds.
The FCS selection committee revealed its 24 team-bracket on Saturday, all funneling toward the Jan. 8 title game at Toyota Stadium in Frisco, Texas.
The top eight seeds are as follows:
1. Sam Houston
2. North Dakota State
3. James Madison
4. Sacramento State
5. Villanova
6. Montana
7. East Tennessee State
8. Montana State
Stephen F. Austin at Incarnate Word -- winner gets No. 1 Sam Houston
UT Martin at Missouri State -- winner gets No. 8 Montana State
Sacred Heart at Holy Cross -- winner gets No. 5 Villanova
UC Davis at South Dakota State -- winner gets No. 4 Sacramento State
Florida A&M at Southeastern Louisiana -- winner gets No. 3 James Madison
Northern Iowa at Eastern Washington -- winner gets No. 6 Montana
Davidson at Kennesaw State -- winner gets No. 7 East Tennessee State
Southern Illinois at South Dakota -- winner gets No. 2 North Dakota State
(The ESPN graphic below has a typo. The 5-6 North Dakota Fighting Hawks are not the No. 2 seed.)
The Race to Frisco is officially on.