The Southland Conference will send three teams to the 2025 NCAA Division I FCS Playoffs—its largest postseason contingent since 2019 and tied for the second-most selections of any conference this year. The Missouri Valley Football Conference led all leagues with six bids, while the Southland matched both the CAA and the Big Sky with three apiece.
Stephen F. Austin secured the Southland’s automatic qualifier and earned the No. 7 national seed, granting the Lumberjacks a first-round bye and a direct berth in the second round. Southeastern Louisiana claimed the No. 16 seed and will host Illinois State at Noon CT on Saturday, Nov. 29, at Strawberry Stadium in Hammond. Lamar received an at-large bid and will travel to No. 10 Abilene Christian for its first-round matchup, also set for Noon CT on Nov. 29 at Wildcat Stadium in Abilene.
This year marks the Southland’s first three-team playoff appearance since 2019, when Central Arkansas, Southeastern Louisiana, and Nicholls represented the league. It is the fourth time in eight seasons that the conference has placed at least three teams in the postseason (2017, 2018, 2019, 2025), the sixth time overall it has sent three or more programs, and the ninth multi-bid year since the playoff field expanded in 2013.
With a national seed for the second consecutive season—and for the third time in four years—the Southland continues to reinforce its national competitiveness and postseason momentum.
