The game was played on December 17, 2004, at Finley Stadium, home field of the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga.
The culminating game of the 2004 NCAA Division I-AA football season, it was won by James Madison, 31–21.
The participants of the Championship Game were the finalists of the 2004 I-AA Playoffs, which began with a 16-team bracket.
The Dukes, unseeded in the tournament, defeated Lehigh, second-seed Furman, and third-seed William & Mary to reach the final.
This was the fifth appearance for Montana in a Division I-AA championship game; they had won in 1995 and 2001, and lost in 1996 and 2000.