After 15 years in Frisco, Texas, the FCS championship game is heading to Nashville.
The Music City will host the title game this season and next season before the game is back up for bid. In the meantime, Frisco’s Toyota Stadium is undergoing $182 million renovations. Frisco and Nashville, among other cities, are expected to bid to host the FCS championship.
Nashville is ready for a festive weekend in its debut year.
“I think the folks that come to Nashville are going to really enjoy how compact our downtown environment is. I think certainly it’ll create a campus kind of environment downtown, which is only about 2.5 miles away from Vanderbilt,” Nashville Sports Council President Scott Ramsey told HERO Sports. “It really creates a great environment for events, and we’ve really seen fans respond to that positively. Live music, entertainment, hotels, restaurants. I know a lot of the alumni groups are scouting out locations downtown. So I think the weekend will really create a lot of excitement.”
Here are some items that will highlight the week. Game time between Montana State and Illinois State is 6:30 p.m. CT on Monday, Jan. 5. It will air on ESPN.
Gameday festivities and tailgating
The tailgating will be a similar setup to Vanderbilt gamedays. Parking lots and athletics fields by the stadium can be utilized by tailgaters.
“Big, little, or small … everything from a small tent to taking over a whole soccer field if they want. So there will be tons of options,” Ramsey said. “It will be compact and will create a lot of energy for team walks and bands.”
Pregame concert
Nashville plans to have a live band in the tailgate area, utilizing local talent.
ESPN pregame and halftime show
The NCAA and ESPN are working together to potentially have an in-person pregame and halftime show with ESPN talent. The shows would take place in the stadium.
FCS championship song
Nashville is working on a song that is dedicated to the FCS and the FCS championship game that can be used during the broadcast.
Opryland hotel
Teams will stay at Gaylord Opryland Resort & Convention Center, which is a destination itself.
“It can really not only host both teams, but really host them with all the amenities necessary for the coaches and the players to really focus in on the game with separate entrances, separate transfer portals, and separate meeting space,” Ramsey said. “At the same time, an indoor water park and some things that really allow the players to have a great experience while they’re here.”
NFL-FCS Showcase
The NCAA, AFCA, and the NFL have collaborated to host an FCS Showcase in Nashville during the national championship weekend.
The purpose of the event is to provide a premier evaluation platform for about 50 FCS prospects who are eligible for the 2026 NFL draft. It will provide invited players with a complete evaluation by NFL team scouting staffs, while leveraging the national spotlight of the championship.
This initiative reflects a continued commitment of the NCAA, AFCA, and NFL to enhance exposure and opportunity for FCS players. Key benefits include enhanced early evaluation access for players, greater visibility and exposure for prospects ahead of the traditional draft cycle.
Prospects invited to the event will be interviewed on Jan. 4 by representatives of NFL teams. The players will participate in some limited on-field drills on the morning of Jan. 5, and participants will be invited to attend the championship game that evening.
FCS commissioners meetings
FCS commissioners will be in town for meetings and forums.
FCS branding
Frisco embraced the FCS championship. Nashville expects to do the same thing.
“We’ve been working on branding,” Ramsey said. “And I think anytime – I’ve been doing this 30 years – and sometimes with events moving around, you know, you get comfortable in places. And man, Frisco did a heck of a job when you start talking about average attendance and the success they had there. And the opportunity for us to build on that. Our city does events really well. I think the welcomeness of not just branding, but I think the energy that people see in a real compact kind of campus that we have downtown has really been a great calling card for us in a lot of events … When the FCS rolls in, I think they’re going to get a sense of Nashville is really going to be welcoming. They’ll know that they’re here and appreciate them coming to our city.”
