Sat Nov 23 22:50:00 UTC 2024: ## FCS Playoff Picture Takes Shape as Week 13 Approaches

**[City, State] –** With Week 13 of the FCS season fast approaching, the playoff picture is starting to clarify, though several conferences remain fiercely competitive. Twenty-four teams will advance to the 2024 FCS playoffs, with ten automatic bids going to conference champions and fourteen at-large bids up for grabs. Sports Illustrated’s analysis breaks down the contenders, separating teams into “Locks,” “Should Be In,” and “Work to Do” categories.

Several teams have already secured their playoff berths. In the Big Sky, Montana State, UC Davis, Idaho, and Montana are considered “Locks.” In the CAA, Richmond and Rhode Island have also clinched automatic bids. The MVFC boasts four “Locks”: North Dakota State, South Dakota State, South Dakota, and Illinois State. Mercer secured the SoCon’s automatic bid, and Incarnate Word claimed the Southland’s. Finally, Abilene Christian locked up the WAC’s automatic bid.

However, many teams are still fighting for a spot. In the Big South-OVC, SEMO is a “Should Be In” contender, while UT Martin, Tennessee State, and Tennessee Tech are still working to bolster their resumes. The CAA’s Stony Brook, William & Mary, New Hampshire, and Villanova all have “Work to Do” to secure at-large bids. The NEC’s Duquesne and Central Connecticut State will battle it out for their conference’s automatic bid, while the Patriot League’s Holy Cross and Lehigh are locked in a close race. The Pioneer Football League’s Drake, Morehead State, and Butler are also in a tight competition. Finally, in the SoCon, ETSU, Chattanooga, and Western Carolina are battling for at-large spots, while the Southland’s Southeastern Louisiana is also on the bubble.

Several key matchups will determine the final playoff berths. The North Dakota State vs. South Dakota game in the MVFC will have major seeding implications. The Duquesne-Central Connecticut State game will decide the NEC automatic bid, and the Holy Cross-Lehigh game will determine the Patriot League champion. Numerous other games across different conferences will have significant consequences for teams on the bubble.

North Carolina Central, while not guaranteed a bid, remains the strongest contender from the HBCU conferences and is in consideration for an at-large bid. The final week of the regular season promises to be exciting as teams fight for their playoff hopes.

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