The NCAA Division II playoff field has been announced, and it features the two HBCU conference champions.
The SIAC champion Miles Golden Bears return to the Division II playoffs for the first time since 2019. They will be the four-seed in Super Region II, hosting a first-round matchup against Carson-Newman.
After starting with a 0-2 record, the Golden Bears bounced back quickly as they entered their conference schedule, winning eight straight to end the regular season 8-2.
In the SIAC championship game against Clark Atlanta, Miles overwhelmed the high-powered offense of the Panthers in a 53-25 win.
They will face a Carson-Newman team that ended the regular season with a 9-1 overall record, clinching a berth in the South Atlantic Conference (SAC) championship game before losing to Wingate.
Miles is looking to become the first SIAC team to win a game in the Division II playoffs since Tuskegee did so in 2016.
Meanwhile, the CIAA champion Virginia Union Panthers claim the final playoff spot in Super Region II and will go on the road to face SAC champion Wingate.
Virginia Union clinched a berth in its second consecutive CIAA championship game after finishing the regular season with a 7-3 overall record (6-1 against the CIAA).
There, the Panthers got revenge on Virginia State after losing to them in the regular season finale, coming away with a 17-13 win.
They will face the SAC champion Wingate, which ended the regular season with an 8-1 overall record.
