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NCAA Division II football · 2026 championship

Playoffs

32 teams, eight from each Super Region. The NCAA Power Index selects the at-large teams; the field is announced Sunday, November 15, 2026.

Next up

Daily NPI updates begin, two weeks before selection

Sunday, November 1, 2026: in 5 days (our reading of the manual).

What changed in 2026

  • The NCAA Power Index (NPI) selects the at-large teams, replacing the regional rankings used through 2025.
  • Regional advisory committees no longer apply for the 2026 season.
  • The NPI is published weekly on Mondays from four weeks before selection, with daily updates in the final two weeks.

How selection and the bracket work

Key dates

  1. Mon Oct 19 First weekly NPI release
  2. Mon Oct 26 Second weekly NPI release
  3. Sun Nov 1 Daily NPI updates begin, two weeks before selection inferred
  4. Mon Nov 2 Third weekly NPI release
  5. Mon Nov 9 Fourth weekly NPI release
  6. Sun Nov 15 Selection Sunday: the 32-team field is announced
  7. Sat Nov 21 First round, on campus
  8. Sat Nov 28 Second round, on campus
  9. Sat Dec 5 Quarterfinals, on campus
  10. Sat Dec 12 Semifinals, on campus
  11. Sat Dec 19 National championship, McKinney, Texas

Latest official NPI

Through games Saturday, October 24, 2026. The top team in each Super Region:

Top ten in each region · All teams

Projected No. 1 seeds

D2CFB projection from the NCAA NPI through games of Oct 24, not the NCAA's. Full projected bracket.

Playoff headlines

Football headlines about the NPI, selection and the playoffs from the conferences' own sites.