Nicholls earns at-large in FCS playoffs, hosts South Dakota in first round

When Nicholls hosts South Dakota in the first round of the FCS playoffs, it will be a special day for both programs.

With USD is in the FCS postseason for the first time, the Colonels will enjoy their first FCS berth since 2005.

The Southland Conference also had regular season champion Sam Houston State and second-place Central Arkansas make the 24-team FCS bracket.

McNeese (9-2, 7-2 in the Southland) did not receive a bid. A season-opening 38-35 loss at Nicholls proved decisive for both teams in the eyes of the FCS selection committee.

Nicholls (8-3, 7-2 in SLC) seemed in danger of falling off the at-large bubble with a 21-17 loss to Southeastern in Hammond to wrap up the regular season. But the body of work was enough for the Colonels. The same can be said for South Dakota (7-4, 4-4 in Missouri Valley), which fell Saturday to rival South Dakota State.

The winner of South Dakota-Nicholls visits No. 6 seed Sam Houston in the second round.

FCS PLAYOFF SCHEDULE
 First-round games

November 25 at Stony Brook, New York, 2 p.m. (ET) (ESPN3)
Lehigh (5-6) at Stony Brook (9-2)

November 25 at Ogden, Utah, 4 p.m. (ET) (ESPN3)
Western Ill. (8-3) at Weber St. (9-2)

November 25 at Cedar Falls, Iowa, 5 p.m. (ET) (ESPN3)
Monmouth (9-2) at UNI (7-4)

November 25 at Durham, New Hampshire, 2 p.m. (ET) (ESPN3)
Central Conn. St. (8-3) at New Hampshire (7-4)

November 25 at Kennesaw, Georgia, 2 p.m. (ET) (ESPN3)
Samford (8-3) at Kennesaw St. (10-1)

November 25 at Thibodaux, Louisiana, 4 p.m. (ET) (ESPN3)
South Dakota (7-4) at Nicholls (8-3)
November 25 at Elon, North Carolina, 1 p.m. (ET) (ESPN3)
Furman (7-4) at Elon (8-3)

November 25 at Flagstaff, Arizona, 8 p.m. (ET) (ESPN3)
San Diego (9-2) at Northern Ariz. (7-4)

December 2 at Harrisonburg, Virginia, 2 p.m. (ET) (ESPN3)
Lehigh/Stony Brook winner at #1 James Madison (11-0)

December 2 at Cedar City, Utah, 8 p.m. (ET) (ESPN3)
Western Ill./Weber St. winner at #8 Southern Utah (9-2)

December 2 at Brookings, South Dakota, 3 p.m. (ET) (ESPN3)
Monmouth/UNI winner at #5 South Dakota St. (9-2)

December 2 at Conway, Arkansas, 3 p.m. (ET) (ESPN3)
Central Conn. St./New Hampshire winner at #4 Central Ark. (10-1)

December 2 at Jacksonville, Alabama, 2 p.m. (ET) (ESPN3)
Samford/Kennesaw St. winner at #3 Jacksonville St. (10-1)

December 2 at Huntsville, Texas, 3 p.m. (ET) (ESPN3)
South Dakota at Nicholls St. winner at #6 Sam Houston St. (10-1)

December 2 at Spartanburg, South Carolina, 2 p.m. (ET) (ESPN3)
Furman/Elon winner at #7 Wofford (9-2)

December 2 at Fargo, North Dakota, 3:30 p.m. (ET) (ESPN3)
San Diego/Northern Ariz. winner at #2 North Dakota St. (10-1)

Television schedules and games times for all rounds of the 2017 championship will be updated at www.NCAA.com/fcs.