The 2024 NCAA Division I Football Championship Game was a college football game played on January 7, 2024, at Toyota Stadium in Frisco, Texas. The game determined the national champion of NCAA Division I FCS for the 2023 season and featured the two finalists of the 24-team playoff bracket, which began on November 25, 2023. The Sunday game began at approximately 1:00 p.m. CST and was broadcast on ABC and ESPN+.
Defending champion South Dakota State repeated as FCS champions by defeating Montana, 23âÂÂ3. It was the Jackrabbits' 29th consecutive victory.
South Dakota State played to an 11âÂÂ0 regular-season record; their narrowest victory was a 20âÂÂ16 win over Montana State on September 9. Seeded No. 1 in the FCS playoffs, the Jackrabbits received a first-round bye, then defeated Mercer, Villanova, and Albany, by a combined score of 123âÂÂ12, to advance to the championship game.
South Dakota State previously appeared in two FCS championship gamesâÂÂthey were champions of the 2022 season (2023 game) and runners-up of the 2020 season (2021 game).
Montana played to a 10âÂÂ1 regular-season record; their only loss was to Northern Arizona in September. Seeded No. 2 in the FCS playoffs, the Grizzlies received a first-round bye, then defeated Delaware, Furman, and North Dakota State to advance to the championship game. Their latter two wins both went into overtime.
Montana previously appeared in seven FCS championship games, winning two and losing five; their most recent appearance was in 2009 (December), and they last won in 2001.
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