KANSAS CITY, Mo. - The 20-team field is set, and the Battle for the Red Banner is ready to begin, as the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics announced the qualifiers for the 2025 NAIA Football Championship Series.

2025 NAIA Football Championship Series First Round Schedule

The top 12 seeds in the postseason are off until Nov. 29, with four first-round games, featuring teams seeded No. 13 through No. 20, played on campus sites Nov. 22. All paths lead to Dec. 20 and Fort Worth, Texas, where the season's final two teams will meet in the 70th-Annual NAIA Football Championship Game at Crowley ISD Multipurpose Stadium. 

This year's championship field includes 13 automatic qualifiers that won their respective conference regular-season or division titles, as well as seven at-large selections made by the NAIA Football National Selection Committee.

The University of Saint Francis (Ind.) earned the 16 seed and will host No. 18 Evangel University on Saturday, November 22. Kickoff is set for noon at Bishop John M. D'Arcy Stadium.

ADMISSION

• Gates will open at 11:00 a.m.
• General admission is $10. Children 12 years old and younger can enter for free. No passes will be accepted.
• Tickets can be purchased at the gate or online here.
• For suite availability, email SF Athletic Director Mike McCaffrey at mmccaffrey@sf.edu.

GAME NOTES

• The field for the 2025 championship series begins the first round of playoffs with an impressive collective record of 180 wins and 30 losses, resulting in a winning percentage of .857.
• Saint Francis wrapped up the regular season with an overall record of 9 wins and 2 losses, including a 4-1 record in the Mid-States Association (MSFA) Midwest League.
• This marks the 21st time the Cougars have qualified for the NAIA FCS tournament, with Saint Francis returning to the postseason for the second consecutive year. The Cougars are coming off a decisive 63-20 victory over Judson University to close out the regular season.
• Evangel wrapped up the regular season with an overall record of 9-2 and a perfect 5-0 record in the Kessinger Division of the Kansas Collegiate Athletic Conference (KCAC). The Valor secured their second division title in three seasons after defeating Bethany College 41-10 in their final regular-season game.
• Offensively, Evangel averages 33.64 points per game and has accumulated 4,353 yards of total offense, averaging 395.7 yards per game. Their rushing attack accounts for an average of 181 yards per game, while the passing game averages 214.7 yards per game.
• Defensively, the Valor completed the season with 636 tackles, 39 sacks, and 14 interceptions. They allowed an average of 16 points per game and 292 total yards of offense per game.
• Saint Francis averages 34.7 points per game and has totaled 4,591 yards of offense, averaging 417.4 yards per game. Their rushing game contributes an average of 124.6 yards per game, while their passing game averages 292.7 yards per game.
• On the defensive side, the Cougars recorded 679 tackles this season and finished with 27 sacks. They are tied for fifth in the NAIA with 17 interceptions. Saint Francis has allowed an average of 25.1 points per game and 343.4 total yards per game during the season.

Founded in 1890 in the Catholic Franciscan tradition, the University of Saint Francis offers more than 60 undergraduate, graduate and doctoral programs through the College of Health Sciences and the College of Arts, Sciences, and Business. In addition to its traditional programs, Saint Francis designs focused curricula for working adults in Fort Wayne, Crown Point, Lafayette and online. Saint Francis Downtown houses the music technology program while offering enhanced internship and networking opportunities for students. The University of Saint Francis, recognized as an NAIA Five-Star Champion of Character institution, has 21 athletic programs boasting two individual and four team NAIA national championships. More than 1,900 students from a broad geographic region attend Saint Francis.