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2026 Grand Valley State vs Michigan Tech

D2 Football Playoff Projection: Who Would Make The 32-Team Field Today?

D2 Football Playoff Projection: Who Would Make The 32-Team Field Today?

What would the D2 football playoff bracket look like today? See our projected 32-team field, automatic qualifiers, at-large bids and first-round matchups.

Oct 7, 2026 by R. R. Ellis
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Replay: Wayne State (MI) vs Grand Valley | Oct 3 @ 3 PM3:23:48

Right, so, it's never too early to start thinking about the playoffs. Unless, of course, your team is 0-5 and staring down the barrel of a cold winter. But, listen, anyone out there playing D2 football week-in-and-week-out is a warrior. It's just that some warriors will be playing extra games in November and December. 

Which brings us to the NPI. The NCAA Power Index will be implemented for the first time this season. And I quote (myself): 

The NCAA Power Index will be incorporated into Division II team sports beginning with the 2026-27 academic year, which means it will debut for the upcoming D2 football season. The NPI replaces the previous selection and ranking process, which relied heavily on regional advisory committees.The NPI is a formula-driven system that evaluates winning percentage, strength of schedule, opponent quality, and game location. Road wins are weighted more favorably than home wins, and quality victories carry additional value.

First, I'm not going to calculate the NPI with exactitude based on results after Week 5. I'm going to give it my best estimation based on some data. There are some footnotes that go along with this, though. First, the Gulf South is down to three teams this season, which means Valdosta, West Alabama, and Delta State will be gunning for at-large bids, they'll also be pushing a Sisyphean boulder-sized football up a hill to try to garner one of those spots. That also means Super Region 2 will have five at-large bids. As I put it back in June:

To put this in perspective, Valdosta State had the run of a lifetime last season, winning four straight games to end the regular season. That secured the GSC title and the automatic qualifier, even with a 6-4 record. If the AQ didn't exist last year, that spot likely would have gone to one of three teams, UNC Pembroke, Delta State, or Emory & Henry. But it's important to make this clear, the Gulf South is not guaranteed a single spot in the playoffs.

Now that that's out of the way, we can get to the meat of it. This projection uses the latest FloCollege rankings, current records, and conference standings to estimate what the D2 playoff field might look like today. 

UPCOMING

2026 Grand Valley State vs Michigan Tech

Sat, Oct 10 · 4:00 PM UTC

WATCH

Super Region 1

  1. Kutztown (PSAC AQ)
  2. Slippery Rock (At-large)
  3. Indiana (PA) (At-large)
  4. Virginia Union (CIAA AQ)
  5. Johnson C. Smith (At-large)
  6. East Stroudsburg (At-large)
  7. West Liberty (MEC AQ)
  8. Franklin Pierce (NE10 AQ)

Seed-order first round:

(1) Kutztown vs. Franklin Pierce
(2) Slippery Rock vs. West Liberty
(3) Indiana (PA) vs. East Stroudsburg
(4) Virginia Union vs. Johnson C. Smith

First four out: Bloomsburg, Shepherd, Virginia State, Southern Connecticut.

Super Region 2

  1. North Greenville (Conference Carolinas AQ)
  2. Mars Hill (SAC AQ)
  3. Carson-Newman (At-large)
  4. Valdosta State (At-large)
  5. Benedict (At-large)
  6. Edward Waters (SIAC AQ)
  7. West Alabama (At-large)
  8. Kentucky State (At-large)

Seed-order first round:

(1) North Greenville vs. Kentucky State
(2) Mars Hill vs. West Alabama
(3) Carson-Newman vs. Edward Waters
(4) Valdosta State vs. Benedict

First four out: UNC Pembroke, Newberry, Anderson (SC), Catawba.

Super Region 3

  1. Ferris State (GLIAC AQ)
  2. Minnesota State (NSIC AQ)
  3. Grand Valley State (At-large)
  4. Northwood (GMAC AQ)
  5. Findlay (At-large)
  6. Davenport (At-large)
  7. Michigan Tech (At-large)
  8. Truman State (GLVC AQ)

Seed-order first round:

(1) Ferris State vs. Truman State
(2) Minnesota State vs. Michigan Tech
(3) Grand Valley State vs. Davenport
(4) Northwood vs. Findlay

First four out: Hillsdale, Walsh, Northern State, Tiffin.

Super Region 4

  1. Harding (GAC AQ)
  2. CSU Pueblo (RMAC AQ)
  3. Western Colorado (At-large)
  4. Henderson State (At-large)
  5. Northwest Missouri State (At-large)
  6. Emporia State (MIAA AQ)
  7. UT Permian Basin (LSC AQ)
  8. South Dakota Mines (At-large)

Seed-order first round:

(1) Harding vs. South Dakota Mines
(2) CSU Pueblo vs. UT Permian Basin
(3) Western Colorado vs. Emporia State
(4) Henderson State vs. Northwest Missouri State

First four out: Midwestern State, Central Missouri, Southeastern Oklahoma State, East Central.

FloCollege D2 Football Rankings Week 5

  1. Ferris State (5-0)
  2. Harding (5-0)
  3. CSU Pueblo (6-0)
  4. Kutztown (5-0)
  5. Minnesota State (6-0)
  6. Grand Valley State (5-0)
  7. Slippery Rock (5-0)
  8. Western Colorado (6-0)
  9. Northwood (5-0)
  10. Henderson State (5-0)
  11. Indiana (PA) (5-0)
  12. Findlay (4-1)
  13. Davenport (5-0)
  14. Northwest Missouri State (3-1)
  15. North Greenville (5-0)
  16. Mars Hill (5-0)
  17. Virginia Union (5-1)
  18. Emporia State (5-0)
  19. UT Permian Basin (4-1)
  20. Johnson C. Smith (4-1)
  21. Carson-Newman (5-1)
  22. Valdosta State (4-1)
  23. Michigan Tech (4-1)
  24. South Dakota Mines (5-1)
  25. Benedict (4-1)

Receiving Votes

Augustana (SD) (4-2), Hillsdale (4-1), Bloomsburg (4-1), East Stroudsburg (4-1), Central Missouri (4-1), Tiffin (4-1), Walsh (4-1), Roosevelt (4-1), Edward Waters (5-1), West Liberty (5-1), West Alabama (5-1), Midwestern State (4-1), Southeastern Oklahoma State (4-1), East Central (4-1)

Previous Rankings: 

D2 Football This Week On FloCollege

Saturday, Oct 10

How To Watch D2 Football In 2026

Hundreds of Division 2 football games will stream live on FloCollege and the FloSports app. 

Game replays, highlights and breaking news will also be available on both platforms.

Which Teams Are Undefeated in the Week 5 D2 Football Rankings?

Fifteen teams remain undefeated in the Week 5 FloCollege D2 Top 25, led by the top five: Ferris State, Harding, CSU Pueblo, Kutztown, and Minnesota State.

What Is the Highest-Ranked One-Loss Team in D2 Football?

Findlay (4-1) is the highest-ranked one-loss team in the country, landing at No. 12 in the Week 5 rankings.

Who Is the No. 1 Ranked D2 Football Team?

Ferris State (5-0) holds the No. 1 spot in the Week 5 FloCollege D2 Football Top 25 rankings, leading a top five that includes Harding, CSU Pueblo, Kutztown, and Minnesota State.

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