Like last season, some FCS players who will be playing on Sundays in the future will get an early opportunity in the 2023 national championship game.
That’s not necessarily a positive for football fans who will be balancing important games.
The NCAA has announced its Division I FCS Championship will remain on a Sunday for the second consecutive season, Jan. 7 at Toyota Stadium in Frisco, Texas. With a 2 p.m. ET broadcast on ABC, the game will again face stiff competition for TV ratings on the final day of the NFL regular season.
The ratings dropped for South Dakota State’s 45-21 win over North Dakota State’s FCS dynasty program last Jan. 8. In switching from a usual Saturday championship date, the TV viewership was 1.07 million, according to ShowBuzzDaily, down 19 percent from 1.32 million for NDSU’s win over Montana State to conclude the 2021 season.
In contrast, the 1 p.m. ET timeslot for NFL games on CBS drew 22.73 million viewers and FOX drew 9.42 million viewers, ShowBuzzDaily reported two days after the 2022 FCS title game.
The 2023 season – South Dakota State is considered the favorite to repeat as national champion – will be the 46th since Division I football was split into the FCS and the larger-school FBS in 1978.
Frisco, located about 20 miles north of Dallas, has hosted the FCS championship game since the 2010 season. When it does for the 14th consecutive season, it will break a tie with Chattanooga, Tennessee (1997-2009) for the most times as host.
The NCAA said advance tickets for the 2023 FCS championship game are scheduled to go on sale on Sept. 6. A general sale is expected to follow at a later date.