2012 NCAA Division I Football Championship Game

[4] This was the final day that the name of the venue was officially Pizza Hut Park,[5] although ESPN2 referred to it as FC Dallas Stadium during its broadcast.

North Dakota State finished their regular season with a 10–1 record (7–1 in conference), including a win over Minnesota of the FBS.

As the second-seed in the tournament, the Bison defeated James Madison, Lehigh, and third-seed Georgia Southern to reach the final.

Sam Houston State finished their regular season with an 11–0 record (7–0 in conference), including a win over New Mexico of the FBS.

The only second-half scoring was a pair of touchdowns by the Bison; the first setup by a fake punt that gained 27 yards, and the second following a 63-yard interception return by the game's MVP, linebacker Travis Beck.