• FCS Playoff Bracket (PDF) | Interactive Bracket
Ohio Valley Conference champion Jacksonville State has been selected to participate in the 2016 NCAA Division I Football Championship.
Jacksonville State received the No. 3 overall national seed and a first round bye (and will have home field advantage through at least the quarterfinals) and will not play until Saturday, December 3.
This year marks the fourth of an expanded 24-team field playoff field. In 2010 the FCS Playoffs expanded from 16 teams to 20 teams, the first expansion since the field grew from 12 to 16 teams in 1997.
Jacksonville State (10-1, 7-0 OVC) enters the playoffs ranked No. 2 nationally in the STATS Top 25 poll having won nine-straight games since an overtime loss to No. 21 FBS foe LSU on September 10. The Gamecocks completed its third-straight undefeated and untied Conference season (a first in OVC history) and overall have won 24-straight OVC games and 31-straight regular season games against non-FBS teams. The Gamecocks enter the playoffs ranked No. 1 nationally in total defense (252.6 yards/game allowed) and third down conversion defense (22.4%) and fourth in scoring defense (16.3 points/game allowed). The JSU offense, which features reigning FCS National Quarterback of the Year Eli Jenkins, is 21st overall in total offense (432.0 yards/game) and ninth in rushing offense (244.5 yards/game).
Jacksonville State is appearing in its seventh overall Division I playoffs, having also appeared in the event in 2003, 2004, 2010, 2013, 2014 and 2015. The Gamecocks are 5-6 all-time in the event including advancing to the National Championship Game a season ago.
By being the No. 3 overall national seed the Gamecocks receive a first round bye, marking the sixth time an OVC has received a first round bye since the field expanded above 16 teams in 2010 (JSU and Southeast Missouri received byes in 2010 as did Eastern Illinois in 2013 and JSU in 2014 and 2015). Jax State will play the winner of the first round matchup between Samford (7-4, 5-3 Southern) at Youngstown State (8-3, 6-2 MVFC). JSU's second round game will be played at 1:00 p.m. CT and televised on ESPN3.
This year the top eight seeds received byes to the second round while the first round features 16 teams in eight total matchups. The first round of the playoffs will be played on November 26, with the second round taking place on December 3. For the seventh-straight year the championship game will be played in Frisco, Texas at Toyota Stadium. The Southland Conference will serve as the host of the championship, which will be held on Saturday, January 7 (11 a.m. CT, ESPN2).