Johnson C. Smith and Mars Hill are in position to earn NCAA Division II football playoff berths, according to the first set of postseason rankings released Monday. UNC Pembroke and Chowan also are in the conversation but may have to win a conference title to get in.
With three weeks remaining in the regular season, no North Carolina team can afford to get comfortable.
Mars Hill sits seventh in its playoff region despite losing two straight games, while Johnson C. Smith holds the eighth and final qualifying position in its region. Both face critical games down the stretch as conference championship races – and automatic playoff bids – threaten to shake up the postseason picture.
The NCAA released its first National Power Index (NPI) rankings Sunday, introducing a new system to help determine the 32-team Division II playoff field. Eight teams will qualify from each of four super regions, with conference champions receiving automatic berths and the remaining spots filled through at-large selections. The D2 playoff bracket had been 28 teams until this year’s expansion.
Here’s where North Carolina’s Division II teams stand, what the initial rankings mean and which games could have the biggest impact on their postseason hopes.
CIAA teams like Johnson C. Smith and Fayetteville State are included in Super Region 1. South Atlantic Conference (Mars Hill) and Conference Carolinas (UNCP, Chowan) play in Super Region 2.
Follow D2 conference championship races
Conference standings will play a major role in determining which North Carolina teams reach the NCAA Division II playoffs. Follow the latest standings and championship races for the state’s three Division II conferences:
CIAA Standings | South Atlantic Conference Standings
Conference Carolinas Standings | D2 Football Scoreboard
Super Region 1: JCSU, Two Other CIAA Rivals In Playoff Contention
The CIAA has three teams among the top eight in the initial NCAA Power Index rankings for Super Region 1, putting the conference in position to potentially earn multiple Division II playoff berths.
Virginia State leads the CIAA contingent at No. 4 in the region and No. 24 nationally. Virginia Union stands seventh (No. 31 nationally), followed by Johnson C. Smith at No. 8 (No. 36 nationally).
Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference powers Slippery Rock, Kutztown and East Stroudsburg occupy the top three regional positions.
What to watch: CIAA race could reshape playoff picture
The CIAA enters the final three weeks of its regular season with three teams unbeaten in conference play: Virginia State (6-0), Johnson C. Smith (5-0) and Virginia Union (5-0).
All three remain in contention for the conference championship, but an unbalanced league schedule adds an interesting wrinkle. Johnson C. Smith and Virginia Union do not play head-to-head, while Virginia State faces both challengers in its final two games.
The Trojans have a bye this weekend before facing Johnson C. Smith and Virginia Union in consecutive weeks. The Golden Bulls also have games remaining against Bowie State and Livingstone, while Virginia Union closes against Shaw, Lincoln (Pa.) and Virginia State.
Depending on those results, conference tiebreaking procedures could help determine which teams advance to the CIAA championship game.
The stakes are particularly high this season because the CIAA has expanded its championship weekend to include four teams. The top two finishers will meet for the conference title and automatic NCAA playoff berth, while the third- and fourth-place teams will play an additional game designed to strengthen their postseason resumes.
That extra opportunity could prove valuable for a conference hoping to send more than one team to the NCAA playoffs.
Johnson C. Smith is coming of a 2025 CIAA championship and D2 playoff appearance – its best season in school history – though the Bulls were knocked out of the post-season in the opening round by Frostburg State.
Super Region 1: Top 16 Teams
| Rank | Team | Conference | NPI Rank | NPI Value | DII W-L |
| 1 | Slippery Rock | PSAC | 1 | 66.161 | 7-0 |
| 2 | Kutztown | PSAC | 8 | 61.746 | 6-0 |
| 3 | East Stroudsburg | PSAC | 15 | 59.376 | 5-1 |
| 4 | Virginia St. | CIAA | 24 | 56.931 | 7-0 |
| 5 | West Liberty | MEC | 26 | 55.81 | 6-1 |
| 6 | Indiana (PA) | PSAC | 28 | 55.567 | 5-2 |
| 7 | Virginia Union | CIAA | 31 | 55.445 | 6-1 |
| 8 | Johnson C. Smith | CIAA | 36 | 54.682 | 6-1 |
| 9 | Franklin Pierce | NE10 | 38 | 54.379 | 4-0 |
| 10 | Assumption | NE10 | 40 | 54.327 | 4-2 |
| 11 | Shepherd | PSAC | 50 | 53.019 | 5-2 |
| 12 | Bloomsburg | PSAC | 52 | 52.357 | 4-2 |
| 13 | Frostburg St. | MEC | 56 | 51.121 | 4-3 |
| 14 | Lock Haven | PSAC | 58 | 51.047 | 4-3 |
| 15 | California (PA) | PSAC | 60 | 50.973 | 4-3 |
| 16 | Bowie St. | CIAA | 61 | 50.59 | 3-2 |
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Super Region 2: Mars Hill clings to playoff position amid SAC chaos
Mars Hill remains among the top eight teams in Super Region 2 despite a two-game losing streak that has thrown the South Atlantic Conference championship race into some turmoil.
The Lions (5-2 against Division II opponents) are seventh in the region and No. 27 nationally in the initial NPI rankings. They had been in the driver’s seat in the SAC race before suffering consecutive defeats, including Saturday’s 20-7 loss to Newberry.
Carson-Newman (6-1) is the region’s highest-ranked SAC team at No. 4, while Newberry sits ninth following its victory over Mars Hill.
The region’s top three spots belong to SIAC teams Edward Waters, Kentucky State and Benedict. North Greenville of Conference Carolinas is fifth, followed by West Alabama of the Gulf South Conference.
Mars Hill hanging on, Wingate & Lenoir-Rhyne can still play spoiler
The South Atlantic Conference has been one of Division II football’s most unpredictable leagues this season, with traditional contenders struggling and the championship race remaining unsettled. Wingate was picked as the preseason favorite, with Lenoir-Rhyne tabbed third. Both are near the bottom. Mars Hill was tabbed eighth.
Mars Hill (5-2 overall, 4-2 SAC) appeared to be in control before suffering consecutive losses. Carson-Newman (7-1, 5-1) leads the conference and ranks fourth in the region, while Newberry (5-2, 4-2) has climbed into ninth place in the regional NPI standings.
The remaining schedule offers plenty of opportunities for more upheaval. Carson-Newman faces Catawba, Newberry and Tusculum over its final three conference games. Newberry also must play Tusculum and Anderson.
Mars Hill, meanwhile, closes against UVA Wise, Anderson and rival Wingate. A three-game winning streak would strengthen the Lions’ postseason credentials and potentially return them to the conference championship race.
Unlike Conference Carolinas and the CIAA, the SAC does not hold a championship game this season, making the remaining regular-season results particularly important.
Two of North Carolina’s recent Division II playoff regulars appear unlikely to return to the postseason. Wingate (4-4, 3-3) ranks 15th in the region despite making the NCAA field in both 2024 and 2025. Lenoir-Rhyne (3-5, 2-4), a national semifinalist in 2023, stands 17th. Catawba (4-4, 3-3) is listed 14th.
Wingate defeated Lenoir-Rhyne 20-17 on Saturday, continuing the roller-coaster season for both programs.
For Mars Hill, the immediate challenge is clear: Stop the losing streak and protect a narrow advantage over the teams chasing the final regional playoff positions.
Conference Carolinas: Chowan leads surprising championship race
The biggest surprise in Conference Carolinas is Chowan, which sits atop the league standings despite ranking only 21st in Super Region 2 and No. 83 nationally in the NPI.
The Hawks (4-3 overall, 3-0 conference) have won two straight, including Saturday’s 37-7 victory over Erskine. Their earlier upset of North Greenville, the region’s fifth-ranked team, could prove particularly significant in the conference championship race.
Chowan visits UNC Pembroke (6-2, 3-1) this Saturday in a matchup with major implications for the league standings. The Braves are 15th in the region and No. 62 nationally, while North Greenville (6-1, 3-1) is fifth regionally and No. 20 nationally.
A Chowan victory would give the Hawks a 4-0 conference record and head-to-head wins over both North Greenville and UNC Pembroke. A Braves victory, however, would further complicate the race, with each of the three contenders holding a victory over one of the others.
Chowan finishes its regular season against Ferrum and Shorter, while UNC Pembroke has a bye following Saturday’s matchup before closing against Ferrum.
Conference Carolinas determines its automatic NCAA playoff representative through a conference championship game, making the league title particularly valuable. Based on the initial NPI rankings, Chowan and UNC Pembroke would face steep climbs to earn at-large invitations if they are unable to win the championship outright.
One other wrinkle in Super Region 2: The Gulf South Conference does not have an automatic qualifier this season because it falls short of the NCAA’s minimum membership requirement. Its teams, including sixth-ranked West Alabama, must compete for at-large selections.
With eight playoff spots available in Super Region 2, the remaining conference races could significantly reshape the postseason picture.
Super Region 2: Top 16 Teams
| Rank | Team | Conference | NPI Rank | NPI Value | DII W-L |
| 1 | Edward Waters | SIAC | 12 | 59.566 | 4-1 |
| 2 | Kentucky St. | SIAC | 13 | 59.533 | 6-1 |
| 3 | Benedict | SIAC | 16 | 59.078 | 6-1 |
| 4 | Carson-Newman | SAC | 17 | 58.784 | 6-1 |
| 5 | North Greenville | Conference Carolinas | 20 | 57.692 | 6-1 |
| 6 | West Ala. | Gulf South | 25 | 56.353 | 5-1 |
| 7 | Mars Hill | SAC | 27 | 55.642 | 5-2 |
| 8 | Central St. (OH) | SIAC | 29 | 55.522 | 4-1 |
| 9 | Newberry | SAC | 42 | 53.913 | 4-2 |
| 10 | Valdosta St. | Gulf South | 53 | 52.217 | 3-1 |
| 11 | Tuskegee | SIAC | 54 | 52.194 | 3-3 |
| 12 | Miles | SIAC | 57 | 51.059 | 3-2 |
| 13 | UNC Pembroke | Conference Carolinas | 62 | 50.55 | 5-2 |
| 14 | Catawba | SAC | 64 | 50.444 | 4-4 |
| 15 | Wingate | SAC | 66 | 50.148 | 4-4 |
| 16 | Anderson (SC) | SAC | 71 | 49.578 | 3-3 |
