Redbirds And Bobcats Set For National Championship Matchup In Nashville

SETTING THE SCENE
Date: January 5, 2026
Time: 6:30 p.m. CT
Site: Nashville, Tennessee
Stadium: FirstBank Stadium
Capacity: 40,350
Series: First Meeting
Last: N/A
Watch/Stream: ESPN
Listen: WJBC 1230 AM / 102.1 FM / 98.9 FM WJEZ / The Varsity Network

THE GAME
When the 2025 FCS Selection Show aired it had Illinois State listed as one of the last four teams in the 24 team championship field, which meant the Redbirds would have to go on the road for the whole tournament to advance to the FCS Championship game. That's exactly what the Redbirds (12-4) have done, becoming the only team in FCS history to win four-straight road games in the playoffs to advance to the national title game against No. 2 Montana State (13-2) in Nashville.

THE SERIES
Illinois State and Montana State will meet for the first time on the gridiron in the title game. The Redbirds are 4-3 all-time against current members of the Big Sky Conference, with playoff wins in 2014 at Eastern Washington and in 2025 at UC Davis.

THE COACHES
Illinois State: Brock Spack (Purdue, 1983) is in his 17th season as the head coach at Illinois State (123-78). Spack guided the Redbirds to back-to-back shares of the MVFC title in 2014-15 and two appearances in the FCS National Championship game in 2014 and 2025. He has led the ISU to seven playoff appearances and two semifinal appearances and became the program's all-time wins leader in 2021.

Montana State: Brent Vigen (North Dakota State, 1998) is in his fifth season as the head coach at Montana State (60-12). Vigen became Montana State's fourth national coach of the year in 2024, the first to win the Eddie Robinson Award. He owns four seasons of at least 12 wins and is the program's only coach to lead MSU to five straight post-season appearances, and three national championship game appearances.

THE REDBIRD FOOTBALL PROGRAM

• 10 FCS playoff appearances (1998, 1999, 2006, 2012, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2019, 2024, 2025)
• 7-time FCS quarterfinalists (1999, 2006, 2012, 2014, 2015, 2019, 2025)
• 3-time FCS semifinalists (1999, 2014, 2025)
• 2-time FCS Championship game qualifier (2014, 2025)
• The team is 12-6 in the FCS playoffs under Spack's guidance
• ISU is 15-1 against FCS opponents on the road the past two seasons

THIS WEEK'S OPPONENT

• Montana State University is located in Bozeman, Montana, and has an enrollment of 18,800. The Bobcats are members of the Big Sky Conference and play their home games at Bobcat Stadium (17,000).
• The Bobcats (13-2) advanced to the national championship game after defeating their arch rival Montana in the semifinals by a score of 48-23, thanks to 21 fourth-quarter points. MSU's seven straight post-season appearances is the program's longest stretch.
• With the win, the Cats extended their winning streak to 13 games and advanced to the FCS Championship for the second straight season and the third time in five seasons. 
• Montana State's 2025 Big Sky title was the program's 18th overall and its ninth this century, sixth in the last 15 years, and third in the last 4 years.  
• The Bobcats lead the FCS in completion percentage (.719), and quarterback Justin Lamson is 2nd (.720). Overall, Montana State is 17th in the FCS in total offense (437.1) and 8th in scoring (38.1).

ROAD WARRIORS 
Over the past two seasons, Illinois State has been very comfortable going on the road picking up key victories away from home. In the past two years, ISU is 15-3 on the road with two of those losses coming to FBS foes in Iowa (2024) and Oklahoma (2025). Last season, the Redbirds won six-straight FCS road games before suffering a second-round playoff loss to UC Davis and this year, the Redbirds are 9-0 on the road against FCS foes after their 30-14 semifinal win at UC Davis. In the 13-year history of the 24-team bracket (since 2013), , Illinois State has more playoff road wins (9) than any other FCS team.

THE BIRDS ARE BACK
It's taken longer than some would have liked, but Illinois State is back in the FCS title game for the second time in school history. The Redbirds played one of the most memorable championship games in history against North Dakota State in 2014, but ultimately fell a bit short. ISU will be looking for a different result in 2025, and should the Redbirds defeat the Bobcats in Nashville, it will mark just the second national championship in school history, joining the 1969 baseball team's college division national championship. Counting this year, an MVFC school has appeared in an FCS record 15 straight title games (every year since 2011). The MVFC is 14-6 in previous title-game appearances, although Youngstown State (1991, 1992, 1993, 1994) and Southern Illinois (1983) both played in the championship prior to joining the league, recording a combined 4-1 record in those five championship games.

ILLINOIS STATE IN THE POSTSEASON
The Redbirds are making their tenth appearance in the FCS playoffs and seventh under the leadership of head coach Brock Spack. ISU is 15-9 all-time in playoff games and are making a second-straight appearance. Last season, the Redbirds picked up a first-round playoff win at Southeast Missouri State, before falling in the second round on the road to No. 5 seed UC Davis. Overall, the Redbirds are 12-6 in the playoffs under Spack and are 10-4 in road contests, with national championship appearances in 2014 and 2025.

DAN THE MAN
Fans at Illinois State and in the MVFC have known the name Daniel Sobkowicz, but now the entire country is finding out why he is one of the best wide receivers in FCS football. The senior has caught seven touchdown passes in wins over No. 1 North Dakota State (3), No. 8 UC Davis (2) and No. 12 Villanova (2). Sobkowicz now has 40 career receiving touchdowns which puts him in the top spot on the career list, and he also sits atop the career receptions list with 257 ahead of Tyrone Walker (250) . In addition, Sobkowicz sits in second place on the career receiving yards list (3,507) and continues to chase Walker for first place (3,565). With his performance last week, Sobkowicz went over the 1,000 yard mark on the season to become the first Redbird wide receiver since Anthony Warrum (2015-16) to record back-to-back 1,000 yard receiving seasons and just the second player in school history to do so.

VIC TAKES OVER
With three-straight 100-plus yard rushing performances in the past three weeks in the playoffs, Victor Dawson has proven he's ready for the spotlight. He shined bright in that light in the win over North Dakota State, rushing for 137 yards including a 69-yard touchdown dash to help lead the Redbirds to a stunning upset over the defending national champions. He followed that up with 148 yards on 29 carries in the quarterfinal win at UC Davis. Then, for the third-straight week, he best his previous career high with a career-best 34 carries for 155 yards and a score in the semifinal win at Villanova. Dawson now leads the Redbirds with 1,251 yards on the season, which ranks him No. 10 in the FCS.

TOMMY BY THE NUMBERS
Its safe to say that senior quarterback Tommy Rittenhouse is saving some of his best football for the end of his career at ISU. This season, Rittenhouse has thrown for 3,257 yards and has completed 64.0 percent of his passes, while throwing for 36 touchdowns and running for seven. His 36 passing TDs set a new single-season record, and he became just the fourth quarterback in school history to throw for over 3,000 yards in a season, joining Matt Brown, Tre Roberson and Kevin Glenn. He has also jumped up the career passing lists at ISU, with his 6,806 career passing yards ranking him fourth all-time and his 56 career passing TDs also putting him in fourth.

THE MAN IN THE MIDDLE
Following another stellar season at middle linebacker, Tye Niekamp was named as one of 30 finalists for the 2025 Buck Buchanan Award, which is presented to the national defensive player of the year in Division I FCS college football by Stats Perform. Niekamp is ISU's eighth finalist for the award, including 2022 Buck Buchanan Award winner Zeke Vandenburgh. A consensus First-Team All-American selection, Niekamp was also named the 2025 MVFC Defensive Player of the Year, after he ranked third in the MVFC in tackles with 126 (63 solo) and second in the league in tackles-for-loss with 12.0 during the regular season. Niekamp is the first Redbird named the MVFC Defensive Player of the Year since 2022, when Zeke Vandenburgh won the honor on way to being named the Buck Buchanan Award recipient. He now has 155 tackles on the year, which ranks him No. 2 in the FCS behind Fordham's James Conway (159) who broke the FCS career tackles record earlier this year that was previously held by Illinois State legend and College Football Hall of Famer Boomer Grigsby.

THANKS, I'LL TAKE THAT
In a long playoff run, young players are going to have to make big plays from time to time for your team to be successful and redshirt freshman safety CJ Richard Jr. has come up big the past two games for the Redbirds. He made a huge interception in the end zone to help seal the quarterfinal win at UC Davis, and at Villanova he also picked off a pass in the end zone early in the game to record his second interception in as many weeks. 

TAYLOR TO THE HOUSE
After UC Davis scored on a field goal on its first possession of the quarterfinal game, the Redbirds had an immediate answer in the form of hometown product Chris Taylor. The former Normal Community High School standout took the opening kickoff at the ISU 9 yard line and weaved his way up the sideline for a 91-yard touchdown return to give the Redbirds the lead right back. It was the first touchdown return of his career, and the first for the Redbirds since Jalen Carr's in 2022 against Valparaiso. It was also the first touchdown return in playoff history for the Redbirds.

TRUE GRIT
Tommy Rittenhouse's performance against North Dakota State was something straight out of a Hollywood movie. The senior struggled at times during the game, throwing a career high five interceptions against the vaunted Bison defense. However, he never backed down and battle back to throw two touchdown passes in the final three minutes of the contest and found Scotty Presson Jr. for a 2-point conversion to win the game for the Redbirds. The loss was just the second for the Bison at home in the playoffs in 40 contests.

RACKING UP INTERCEPTIONS
The Redbird defense was certainly advantageous in each of its FCS playoff first round games the past two seasons. Last year in the first round win at Southeast Missouri State, the Redbirds recorded a playoff record five interceptions in the contest. They then followed that up this season with four interceptions in their first round playoff win at Southeastern Louisiana to earn a victory and move the total to nine in the past two first round contests. In total, the Redbirds now have 19 interceptions as a team in 2025, just three short of the team record of 22 set in 1984. ISU ranks No.3 in the FCS in passes interception and No. 6 in total turnovers gained with 26.

HONORS GALORE FOR THE REDBIRDS
Illinois State standouts Tye Niekamp and Luke Mailander headlined a list of 12 Redbirds selected as 2025 All-Missouri Valley Football Conference selections in the annual vote conducted by the league's head coaches, media members and sports information directors. Niekamp was named the league's Defensive Player of the Year, while Mailander was named the MVFC Freshman of the Year in the annual vote. Wide receiver Daniel Sobkowicz, offensive lineman Jake Pope and defensive back Shadwel Nkuba II earned First-Team All-MVFC honors alongside Niekamp, while running back Wenkers Wright, fullback Scotty Presson Jr., offensive lineman Landon Woodard, safety La'Shavion Brown and longsnapper Dylan Calabrese each earned Second-Team All-MVFC honors. Quarterback Tommy Rittenhouse, tight end Javon Charles and defensive tackle Jake Anderson were also honored as All-MVFC Honorable Mention selections to round out the list.

NOVEMBERS TO REMEMBER
The month of November has been very good to the Redbirds over the past two seasons. Last year, the Redbirds were 5-0 in the month of November, including a 35-27 road playoff win at Southeast Missouri State, and this year the Redbirds were 4-1 in November after the first round playoff win over Southeastern Louisiana.

THE WRIGHT STUFF
Senior running back Wenkers Wright hit a big milestone in the win at South Dakota, as he passed 2,500 career rushing yards against the Coyotes. Wright now has 2,603 yards in his stellar career making him just the eighth player in school history to rush for 2,500 yards or more. He currently ranks sixth on the all-time rushing yards list, just ahead of Pierre Rembert (2,544) on the list. He is also just one rushing touchdown away from tying Tre Roberson (22) for eighth on the career rushing TDs list and three from tying Bruce Cullen and Ron Bell (24) for sixth place. 

BAUER COMES UP BIG 
Linebacker Patrick Bauer had quite the day against South Dakota State, and it started early on SDSU's first offensive series of the day. On second down, Bauer recorded a tackle for loss to put the Jacks behind the sticks at their own 14 yard line. Then on third down, Bauer jumped the route on a pass to the flat, intercepted it and returned it five yards for the pick six. Then, on the Jacks' final possession of the game, Bauer recorded a 10-yard TFL to ice the game and allow the Redbirds to take a knee for the victory. On the year, Bauer ranks second on the team with 3.5 sacks and 8.5 TFLs to go along with 62 total tackles and two INTs.

THOSE NIEKAMP BOYS ARE TROUBLE
One quick look at the defensive stat sheet from Illinois State's big 35-21 road win at South Dakota and a familiar name is featured heavily: Niekamp. Not only was dad Travis Niekamp calling the plays, but his two sons Tye and Dexter were all over the field making plays against the Jackrabbits. Tye led the way with a career-best 16 tackles and added a forced fumble to earn his third MVFC Defensive Player of the Week honor. Dexter also recorded a career high in tackles with five, but also recorded a career-best two sacks and hauled in his first career interception deep in coverage. They were a big part of the defensive effort that held the Jacks to just 66 yards on the ground and the group that added five sacks and 10 TFLs in the victory.