Illinois State’s road warriors are headed to the national championship game.
The Redbird football team kept their historic playoff run alive Saturday with a decisive 30-14 win at Villanova. The Redbirds — who were unseeded in these playoffs — are the first FCS team ever to win four straight road playoff games, and they’re now 9-0 on the road this season.
The Redbirds (12-4) will face No. 2 Montana State in the FCS national championship game at 6:30 p.m. Monday, Jan. 5, in Nashville. The game will be televised on ESPN.
It’s the first national championship game for the Redbirds since 2015, when they fell to North Dakota State. ISU defeated the No. 1 Bison during their historic 2025 playoff run.
The Redbirds’ win at Villanova was remarkable, in part, because Villanova came into the game with a 23-game home winning streak. That was an FCS record. ISU's 16-point victory Saturday was the largest semifinal win by a road team in the last 30 seasons, according to the NCAA.
Redbird QB Tommy Rittenhouse threw for 251 yards and 2 touchdowns on Saturday, with Daniel Sobkowicz catching both scores. Running back Victor Dawson put up an impressive 155 yards and also scored a TD.
Tickets for Nashville
The ISU Ticket Office is now accepting ticket requests for the FCS championship game in Nashville. Tickets will be allocated to donors and season-ticket holders first, then the general public.
ISU Athletics is also offering a charter bus travel package for fans.
This story will be updated.
