CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo. – The Big South-Ohio Valley Association co-champion and automatic qualifier Southeast Missouri (9-3) football team will host #12 Illinois State (9-3) in the first round of the 2024 Football Championship Subdivision Playoffs on Saturday, November 30.
 
Kickoff is set for 11 a.m., CT at Houck Field. The game will be televised live on ESPN+.
 
SEMO finished the regular-season in a four-way tie for first in the Big South-OVC along with Tennessee State, UT Martin and Tennessee Tech. The Redhawks secured the automatic berth when UT Martin defeated Lindenwood in overtime on Nov. 23.
 
The Redhawks make their fifth FCS Playoff appearance and fourth since the 2018 campaign. SEMO's other playoff berths came in 2010, 2018, 2019 and 2022. For Head Coach Tom Matukewicz, this will be his fourth time leading SEMO to the playoffs.
 
The NCAA revealed this year's 24-team bracket as part of the FCS Selection Show earlier this morning on ESPNU.
 
Montana State (12-0), North Dakota State (10-2), South Dakota State (10-2), South Dakota (9-2), UC Davis (10-2), Incarnate Word (10-2), Mercer (10-2) and Idaho (9-3) are the top eight seeds and earned the right to host second round games.
 
Illinois State, a member of the Missouri Valley Football Conference, also came to Cape Girardeau for a first round FCS Playoff game in 2019. The Redbirds beat the Redhawks, 24-6, that year.
 
SEMO, Tennessee State and UT Martin all represent the Big South-OVC in this year's playoff field. It is the first time since 2013 where the conference has three teams in the playoffs. Eastern Illinois, Jacksonville State and Tennessee State made it and all won games that year.