2015 NCAA Division I Football Championship Game
The 2015 NCAA Division I Football Championship Game was a postseason college football game that determined a national champion in the NCAA Division I Football Championship Subdivision for the 2014 season. It was played at Toyota Stadium in Frisco, Texas, on January 10, 2015, with kickoff at 1:00 p.m. EST, and was the culminating game of the 2014 FCS Playoffs. With sponsorship by Northwestern Mutual, the game was officially known as the NCAA FCS Championship presented by Northwestern Mutual.
Teams
The participants of the 2015 NCAA Division I Football Championship Game were the finalists of the 2014 FCS Playoffs, which began with a 24-team bracket. No. 2 seed North Dakota State and No. 5 seed Illinois State qualified for the final by winning their semifinal games.
Led by first-year head coach Chris Klieman, the Bison finished the regular season 11–1, 7–1 in MVFC play, to earn a conference co-championship and the No. 2 seed in the FCS Playoffs. North Dakota State defeated unseeded South Dakota State, No. 7 seed Coastal Carolina, and unseeded Sam Houston State to reach the final. The Bison entered the Championship game with a 3–0 record in previous FCS Championships, having won the last three straight.
Led by sixth-year head coach Brock Spack, the Redbirds finished the regular season 10–1, 7–1 in MVFC play, to earn a conference co-championship and the No. 5 seed in the FCS Playoffs. Illinois State defeated unseeded Northern Iowa, No. 4 seed Eastern Washington, and No. 1 seed New Hampshire to reach their first-ever final.