It goes beyond a feeling of deja vu. The year-by-year results of the FCS championship game reflect many of the same teams make it back to the final game in consecutive seasons.
It wouldn’t surprise many people if 2025 FCS national champion Montana State or runner-up Illinois State, maybe even both teams, advance back to the next title game in early January.
It goes beyond their talented lineups.
In the dynasty-filled history of FCS college football, the chances are at least one of the finalists will appear in consecutive championship games, even capture national titles in back-to-back seasons.
The title game matchup has been repeated three different times, a program has won two or more consecutive national titles eight different times, and an incredible 18 different runs across 37 of the 48 overall FCS seasons (1978-2025) involve at least one team that will be in the midst of consecutive appearances in the final.
Montana State has appeared in the two most-recent championship games (also three of the last five), edging Illinois State 35-34 in overtime in Nashville, Tennessee, one year after falling to North Dakota State 35-32 in Frisco, Texas.
Following is a breakdown of the FCS championship game’s recurring “look who’s back” storyline:
Consecutive Championship Game Matchups
Marshall vs. Youngstown State (1991-93) – 1991: Youngstown State 25, Marshall 17; 1992: Marshall 31, Youngstown State 28; 1993: Youngstown State 17, Marshall 5
Marshall vs. Montana (1995-96) – 1995: Montana 22, Marshall 20; 1996: Marshall 49, Montana 29
North Dakota State vs. Sam Houston (2011-12) – 2011: North Dakota State 17, Sam Houston 6; 2012: North Dakota State 39, Sam Houston 13
North Dakota State team members celebrate after winning the fourth of five straight FCS championships, 29-27 over Illinois State on Jan. 10, 2015 in Frisco, Texas. (AP Photo)Consecutive National Championships
Appalachian State (three straight) – 21-16 over Northern Iowa in 2005, 28-17 over Massachusetts in ’06 and 49-21 over Delaware in ’07
Georgia Southern (two straight three different times) – 44-42 over Furman in 1985 and 48-21 over Arkansas State in ’86; 37-34 over Stephen F. Austin in 1989 and 36-13 over Nevada in ’90; 59-24 over Youngstown State in 1999 and 27-25 over Montana in 2000
North Dakota State (five straight and three straight) – 17-6 over Sam Houston in 2011, 39-13 over Sam Houston in ’12, 35-7 over Towson in ’13, 29-27 over Illinois State in ’14 and 37-10 over Jacksonville State in ’15; 17-13 over James Madison in 2017, 38-24 over Eastern Washington in ’18 and 28-20 over James Madison in ’19
South Dakota State (two straight) – 45-21 over North Dakota State in 2022 and 23-3 over Montana in ’23
Youngstown State (two straight) – 17-5 over Marshall in 1993 and 28-14 over Boise State in ’94
Consecutive Championship Game Appearances
Appalachian State – 2005-07 (three titles)
Eastern Kentucky – 1979-82 (two titles, two runner-up)
James Madison – 2016-17 (one title, one runner-up)
Georgia Southern – 1985-86 (two titles); 1988-90 (two titles, one runner-up); 1998-2000 (two titles, one runner-up)
Marshall – 1991-93 (one title, two runner-up); 1995-96 (one title, one runner-up)
Montana – 1995-96 (one title, one runner-up); 2000-01 (one title, one runner-up); 2008-09 (two runner-up)
Montana State – 2024-25 (one title, one runner-up)
North Dakota State – 2011-15 (five titles); 2017-19 (three titles); 2021-22 (one title, one runner-up)
Sam Houston – 2011-12 (two runner-up)
South Dakota State – 2022-23 (two titles)
Youngstown State – 1991-94 (three titles, one runner-up)
Youngstown State coach Jim Tressel guided the Penguins to four FCS national championships during the 1990s. (YSU Athletics)FCS Championships by School
10 – North Dakota State (2011, ’12, ’13, ’14, ‘15, ’17, ’18, ‘19, 2021, ’24)
6 – *Georgia Southern (1985, ’86, ’89, ’90, ’99, 2000)
4 – Youngstown State (1991, ’93, ’94, ’97)
3 – *Appalachian State (2005, ’06, ’07)
2 – Eastern Kentucky (1979, ’82); *Marshall (1992, ’96); Montana (1995, 2001); Montana State (1984, 2025); *James Madison (2004, ’16); South Dakota State (2022, ’23)
1 – *Boise State (1980);*Delaware (2003); Eastern Washington (2010); Florida A&M (1978); Furman (1988); Idaho State (1981); *Louisiana-Monroe (1987); *Massachusetts (1998); Richmond (2008); *Sam Houston (2020); Southern Illinois (1983); Villanova (2009); *Western Kentucky (2002)
* – now an FBS program
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What You See in One FCS Championship Game is Often What You Get the Next Year Opta Analyst.
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