INDIANAPOLIS, IN - The NCAA Division II Football Committee announced the field of 28 teams for the 2022 NCAA Division II Football Championship Sunday evening and two Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association (CIAA) programs, Fayetteville State University and Virginia Union University earned bids in the D-II playoffs.  

The Panthers ranked No. 4 overall in the Super Region Two after finishing the regular season with a 9-1 overall record, will host Wingate University at Hovey Field on November 19th at 1 p.m. in the first round of the D-II playoffs. The Bulldogs, a member of the South Atlantic Conference (SAC), had a 9-2 regular season overall, including September wins over CIAA schools Fayetteville State and Shaw University.

Led by CIAA Coach of the Year Dr. Alvin Parker and CIAA Offensive Player of the Year Jada Byers, Virginia Union has its first NCAA D-II Playoff appearance since 2015. The Panthers are third in Division II with 43.9 points per game while Byers gets a chance to add to his Division II-leading rushing total of 1,809 yards.

The 9-2 Broncos, fresh off winning their first CIAA Championship since 2009, were awarded the seventh and final spot in the Super Region Two and will visit the two-seeded Delta State University in Cleveland, Mississippi. The first-round matchup is set for 1 p.m. on November 19th. The Statesmen finished as Co-Champions of the Gulf South Conference (GSC) after a 10-1 overall season. The winner gets to play the victor of West Florida-Limestone on November 26.

Fayetteville State's 31-28 win over Chowan University in the conference championship Saturday played a huge role in the Broncos' first playoff appearance since 2009 as the NCAA D-II Playoffs does not offer automatic qualifiers and FSU had been ranked outside of the top 10 in the final Regional Rankings that was released. 

Fellow HBCU Benedict College (11-0 overall and Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Association Champions [SIAC]) is the top-seeded team in Super Region Two, which grants the Tigers a bye and the right to host the winner of the Virginia Union-Wingate game on November 26.

The last time that two CIAA schools earned playoff bids in the same year was in 2017 when conference champions Virginia State earned a No. 2 seed in Super Region Two and Bowie State grabbed the fourth seed in the super region.

The full 28-team field for the NCAA Division II football playoffs can be seen at NCAA.com. 

About the CIAA

Founded in 1912, the Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association (CIAA) is the first and longest running, African American athletic conference in the U.S. and one of the most recognized conferences in Division II. The CIAA conducts 14 championships attended by more than 150,000 fans from around the country. In 2020, the conference celebrated the special 75th anniversary of its Championship Basketball Tournament - an event that has become a must-see in the African American community. The Basketball Tournament has been honored as a Champion of Economic Impact in Sports Tourism by Sports Destination Management, the leading publication with the largest circulation of sports event planners and tournament directors in the sports tourism market, for both 2018 and 2019. Headquartered in Charlotte, N.C., the CIAA is governed by the Presidents and Chancellors of its 12 member-institutions: Bowie State University, Claflin University, Elizabeth City State University, Fayetteville State University, Johnson C. Smith University, Lincoln University of Pennsylvania, Livingstone College, Saint Augustine's University, Shaw University, Virginia State University, Virginia Union University, and Winston-Salem State University. Chowan University is an associate member in football. For more information on the CIAA, visit theciaa.com, like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter and Instagram.

About the NCAA Division II

The NCAA, the national governing body for college athletics, is a volunteer association of more than 1,000 colleges and universities that classify their athletics programs in one of three membership divisions. The 300+ institutions in NCAA Division II support a balanced approach in which student-athletes have the opportunity to earn scholarships based on their athletic ability, pursue their desired academic degree, and participate in all the campus and surrounding community have to offer. Division II student-athletes annually graduate at rates higher than their student body peers, and they have access to the best championships-participant ratio among the NCAA’s three divisions. Division II gives student-athletes the unique opportunity to compete in the classroom, on the field, in their career, for their causes, and on their terms. For additional information, visit NCAA.org.

About NCAA Division II Football Playoffs

NCAA Division II football is broken down into four Super Regions. Since four conferences make up each Super Region, there are no automatic qualifiers in the DII football championship. Seven teams selected per super regional make up the field of 28 teams. The Super Region Two contains schools from the conferences of CIAA, GSC, SAC, and SIAC. Twelve first-round games will be conducted on the campus of one of the competing institutions. In addition, one team per super regional has earned a first-round bye. The first-round winners will all advance to the second round with games on the campus of one of the competing institutions. Second-round winners will meet in the quarterfinals at various campus sites. Quarterfinal winners will advance to play in the semifinals on the campus of one of the competing institutions. The 2022 championship game will be played December 17, at 1 p.m. Eastern time at McKinney ISD Stadium in McKinney, Texas and will be broadcast live on ESPNU HD.