November 15th, 2026 12:30am
The field for the 2026 Division II playoffs wil be revealed on Sunday, Nov. 15 at 6:00pm, EST. The selection show will air live on the NCAA Website. A direct link to the broadcast will be added here and circulated on social media once it is made available by the NCAA. After the selection show, tune into Inside D2Football at 8pm, EST for reactions and analysis from our panel.
NCAA Division II Championship Selection Show (link to be added when available)
Fifteen of the sixteen conferences that sponsor football in division II receive an automatic bid to the playoff, which is awarded to the conference champion. In the event of tie atop the standings, it is up to each confernce to determine how the tie is broken to award the bid. This year's automatic qualifiers are listed below. The remainder of the field will be made up of 17 at-large teams. Super Regions one, three and four will have four automatic qualifiers and four at-large teams. Super Region two will have three automatic qualifiers and five at-large. The at-large participant are determined by the NCAA Power Index (NPI).
NPI is a data-driven ranking system that evaluates teams based on results and strength of schedule in games against Division II opponents. A team's rating updates throughout the season as contests are played and opponents' performances change. NPI is being used in all Division II team championship sports, beginning with the 2026 / 2027 academic year. The system has been in use in Division III for multiple seasons.