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FCS playoffs bracket released

North Dakota State is the top seed in the 20-team Football Championship Subdivision playoffs. The NCAA revealed the bracket Sunday.

The defending national champion Bison finished 10-1 and won the Missouri Valley's automatic bid.

The playoffs begin Saturday with four games, the winners of which will advance to face the top four seeds: North Dakota State, No. 2 Eastern Washington, No. 3 Montana State, and No. 4 Old Dominion, on Dec. 1.

North Dakota State will play the winner of South Dakota State and Ohio Valley champion Eastern Illinois.

No. 5 Georgia Southern, which received the Southern Conference's automatic bid, is the only other seeded team. The Eagles will face Southland champion Central Arkansas in the second round.

Unseeded at-large bids went to Appalachian State, Cal Poly, Illinois State, New Hampshire, Sam Houston State, South Dakota State, Stony Brook and Wofford.

Other conference champions to receive automatic bids in the championship are
the MEAC's Bethune-Cookman, the Big South's Coastal Carolina,
Colgate of the Patriot League, Villanova of the CAA and the Northeast Conference's Wagner, which is making its first appearance in the FCS playoffs.

All first- and second-round games will be broadcast on ESPN3. A full schedule is available here.