Golden State Today

The UC Davis football team concluded its regular season with a narrow 42-39 victory over Sacramento State, securing a spot in the NCAA Division I Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) playoffs. This win marks their tenth of the season and places them as the No. 5 seed, their highest ranking in program history.

As the fifth seed, UC Davis will have a bye in the first round of the playoffs. They are set to host either Illinois State or Southeast Missouri State on December 7 at UC Davis Health Stadium. The game is scheduled for a 1 p.m. kickoff and will be available for viewing on ESPN+.

This seeding surpasses their previous high of No. 6 achieved in 2018 and represents only their third appearance in the Division I playoffs since moving up to this level, with their last participation occurring in 2021. The upcoming match will be just their second home playoff game ever, following a successful outing against Northern Iowa six years ago.

Head Coach Tim Plough expressed his gratitude towards his players: “Today I'm just thankful and grateful, especially for these tremendous players,” he said. “They have put in hard work all season and I'm glad to see it pay off for them.” He added that this year marked “the best regular season we have ever had.”

UC Davis is one of five Big Sky Conference teams advancing to the tournament, joining Montana State, Idaho, Montana, and Northern Arizona among the top contenders. The national championship game is slated for January 6 in Frisco, Texas.

Further details about this historic football season can be found online.