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.

Projected bracket, from the NCAA NPI through games of Oct 24

D2CFB projection, not the NCAA's bracket. The committee selects and places the field on Selection Sunday.
Automatic qualifiers are each conference's current standings leader, with ties broken by the ranking shown, until the conference announces its champion.
Unseeded teams stay in their home region here; the committee may move them to reduce flights.

Super Region 1

First round, Sat Nov 21

1 Slippery Rock AQ No. 1 · 8-0

Assumption AQ No. 43 · 5-2
4 Virginia State No. 21 · 7-1

Virginia Union AQ No. 25 · 7-1
2 Kutztown No. 8 · 8-0

Bowie State No. 40 · 4-4
3 East Stroudsburg No. 11 · 7-1

West Liberty AQ No. 29 · 7-1

First four out: Indiana (PA) (42), Johnson C. Smith (45), California (PA) (47), Shepherd (53)

Super Region 2

First round, Sat Nov 21

1 Kentucky State AQ No. 10 · 7-2

UNC Pembroke AQ No. 52 · 7-2
4 Carson-Newman AQ No. 16 · 5-0

Central State No. 20 · 5-3
2 Edward Waters No. 13 · 6-2

Mars Hill No. 28 · 3-1
3 Benedict No. 15 · 7-1

North Greenville No. 23 · 7-1

First four out: Newberry (38), West Alabama (39), Tuskegee (44), Valdosta State (46)

Super Region 3

First round, Sat Nov 21

1 Ferris State No. 2 · 7-0

William Jewell AQ No. 61 · 5-2
4 Davenport AQ No. 9 · 8-0

Findlay No. 18 · 7-1
2 Northwood AQ No. 4 · 8-0

Minnesota Duluth No. 22 · 6-2
3 Minnesota State AQ No. 7 · 8-0

Michigan Tech No. 19 · 6-2

First four out: Tiffin (26), Northern State (31), Augustana (41), Minnesota State Moorhead (48)

Super Region 4

First round, Sat Nov 21

1 Harding AQ No. 3 · 8-0

Central Missouri No. 27 · 5-3
4 Western Colorado No. 12 · 8-0

Central Washington AQ No. 14 · 6-2
2 Emporia State AQ No. 5 · 8-0

Henderson State No. 24 · 7-1
3 Colorado State Pueblo AQ No. 6 · 8-0

Northwest Missouri State No. 17 · 6-1

First four out: Ouachita Baptist (30), Washburn (32), East Central (34), Colorado School of Mines (35)

Short of the qualifying schedule: Northeastern State

Semifinals and national championship

The four regional winners are reseeded one through four by the committee: 1 plays 4 and 2 plays 3, on campus Saturday, December 12, 2026. The final is Saturday, December 19, 2026 in McKinney, Texas.

Projected automatic qualifiers

CIAA: Virginia Union
Conference Carolinas: UNC Pembroke (tied for first; our tiebreak)
Great American: Harding
Great Lakes Intercollegiate: Davenport
Great Lakes Valley: William Jewell (tied for first; our tiebreak)
Great Midwest: Northwood
Lone Star: Central Washington
MIAA: Emporia State
Mountain East: West Liberty
Northeast-10: Assumption
Northern Sun: Minnesota State
PSAC: Slippery Rock
Rocky Mountain: Colorado State Pueblo (tied for first; our tiebreak)
SIAC: Kentucky State
South Atlantic: Carson-Newman

Source: D2CFB projection from the NCAA Power Index published on NCAA.com (opens in a new tab) and the 2026-27 NCAA prechampionship manual. NPI read Oct 25, 3:35 PM CT.