| Game Name: | NCAA Division I Football Championship |
| Subheader: | FCS National Championship Game |
| Visitor School: | University of Montana |
| Visitor Name Short: | Montana |
| Visitor Nickname: | Grizzlies |
| Visitor Record: | 13–1 |
| Visitor Rank Stats: | 2 |
| Visitor Seed: | 2 |
| Visitor Conference: | Big Sky |
| Visitor Coach: | Bobby Hauck |
| Visitor 1Q: | 0 |
| Visitor 2Q: | 3 |
| Visitor 3Q: | 0 |
| Visitor 4Q: | 0 |
| Home School: | South Dakota State University |
| Home Nickname: | Jackrabbits |
| Home Name Short: | South Dakota State |
| Home Record: | 14–0 |
| Home Rank Stats: | 1 |
| Home Seed: | 1 |
| Home Conference: | Missouri Valley |
| Home Coach: | Jimmy Rogers |
| Home 1Q: | 7 |
| Home 2Q: | 0 |
| Home 3Q: | 16 |
| Home 4Q: | 0 |
| Football Season: | 2023 |
| Year Game Played: | 2024 |
| Date Game Played: | January 7 |
| Stadium: | Toyota Stadium |
| City: | Frisco, Texas |
| Referee: | Gary Leeper |
| Attendance: | 19,512 |
| Mvp: | Mark Gronowski (QB, South Dakota State)[1] |
| Odds: | South Dakota State by 12.5[2] |
| Us Network: | ABC, ESPN+ |
| Intl Network: | Canada: TSN+ |
| Different Previous: | 2023 |
| Different Next: | 2025 |
The 2024 NCAA Division I Football Championship Game was a college football game played on January 7, 2024, at Toyota Stadium in Frisco, Texas. The game determined the national champion of NCAA Division I FCS for the 2023 season. The game featured the two finalists of the 24-team playoff bracket, which began on November 25, 2023.[3] The game began at approximately 1:00 p.m. CST and was broadcast on ABC and ESPN+.[4]
Defending champion South Dakota State repeated as FCS champions by defeating Montana, 23–3.[5] It was the Jackrabbits' 29th consecutive victory.[5]
See main article: 2023 South Dakota State Jackrabbits football team.
South Dakota State played to a 11–0 regular-season record; their narrowest victory was a 20–16 win over Montana State on September 9. Seeded No. 1 in the FCS playoffs, the Jackrabbits received a first-round bye, then defeated Mercer, Villanova, and Albany, by a combined score of 123–12, to advance to the championship game.[6]
South Dakota State previously appeared in two FCS championship games—they were champions of the 2022 season (2023 game) and runners-up of the 2020 season (2021 game).
See main article: 2023 Montana Grizzlies football team.
Montana played to a 10–1 regular-season record; their only loss was to Northern Arizona in September. Seeded No. 2 in the FCS playoffs, the Grizzlies received a first-round bye, then defeated Delaware, Furman, and North Dakota State to advance to the championship game. Their latter two wins both went into overtime.[7]
Montana previously appeared in seven FCS championship games, winning two and losing five; their most recent appearance was in 2009 (December), and they last won in 2001.
| Statistic | Montana | South Dakota State | |
|---|---|---|---|
| First downs | 17 | 17 | |
| First downs rushing | 6 | 8 | |
| First downs passing | 10 | 8 | |
| First downs penalty | 1 | 1 | |
| Third down efficiency | 4/16 | 4/11 | |
| Fourth down efficiency | 2/5 | 0/0 | |
| Total plays–net yards | 76–259 | 55–363 | |
| Rushing attempts–net yards | 30–47 | 34–188 | |
| Yards per rush | 1.6 | 5.5 | |
| Yards passing | 212 | 175 | |
| Pass completions–attempts (percent) | 28–46 (61%) | 13–21 (62%) | |
| Interceptions thrown | 1 | 1 | |
| Punt returns–total yards | 1–6 | 1–0 | |
| Kickoff returns–total yards | 5–114 | 1–23 | |
| Punts–average yardage | 6–40.7 | 6–38.7 | |
| Fumbles–lost | 2 | 1 | |
| Penalties–yards | 6–34 | 6–35 | |
| Time of possession | 29:50 | 30:10 |