The FCS national championship game is heading to Nashville.
FirstBank Stadium on the campus of Vanderbilt (35,000 capacity) will host the game for the next two years after this season’s game in Frisco, Texas, which is Jan. 6. The current capacity for Toyota Stadium is around 18,500 for the FCS championship.
The 2025 FCS title game is currently slated for Jan. 5, 2026, and the 2026 national championship is Jan. 4, 2027.
“On behalf of the committee, we are very excited to bring FCS football to Nashville,” said Matt Larsen, athletics director at North Dakota State and chair of the Division I Football Championship Committee. “We considered a number of finalists, but Nashville set themselves apart. The opportunity to continue to grow the game and our brand in a setting like this is something we know the FCS community as a whole will be excited about.”
Cities that bid on games for the next two years were Nashville, Frisco, Houston, St. Louis, and Kansas City.
Frisco, Texas, held the current contract to host the FCS championship with an option to host through the 2026 season (January 2027 game). However, a $182 million renovation will significantly reduce capacity until completion.
Toyota Stadium Planned Renovation Timeline
- Q1 2025: Construction begins on east side of stadium.
- Summer 2026: The east side reopens while construction begins on west side of stadium.
- Q1 2028: The entire stadium reopens.
“The city of Frisco and Toyota Stadium are incredible partners and have helped grow our championship to an exceptional level the past 15 years,” said Ty Halpin, NCAA director of championships. “Frisco holds a special place in the history of the championship and in the hearts of our institutions and fans. The committee looks forward to seeing the renovations to the stadium in Frisco.”
The location of the game beyond 2027 will be determined in a future bid cycle.
The FCS championship game has nearly a $10 million direct economic impact for the Frisco area, a number that jumps to $16 million after taking indirect and induced spending into account. The FBS’ Frisco Bowl, for comparison, has a $1.9 million economic impact.
Frisco has held the FCS championship game since the 2010 season.
Here are some renderings of the renovated Vanderbilt stadium.
