After its first undefeated regular season, Christopher Newport received a bye and a home game as its NCAA Division III football playoff assignment — and a rematch could be in order.
Following their 27-7 victory Friday at The College of New Jersey that clinched the outright New Jersey Athletic Conference title, the Captains (10-0) — who climbed a spot to an all-time-high No. 6 in the new d3football.com poll — will get to rest and prepare for more than two weeks before taking the TowneBank Stadium field, and it’s certain they’ll play a foe from Pennsylvania.
As part of the 40-team bracket, they’ll face the winner of Saturday’s first-round game pitting Washington & Jefferson (8-2) at No. 22 Susquehanna (8-2). If the host River Hawks beat the Presidents, Susquehanna would get its second trip to Newport News this season.
One of the most notable victories on CNU’s résumé was its 41-27 victory Sept. 27 over Susquehanna, when the River Hawks were ranked 13th by d3football.com. It was the Captains’ first triumph against a top-25 opponent since 2016, and it propelled CNU into the poll.
It was an early indicator of the best year in a program that first competed in 2001. The Captains will make their 12th playoff appearance and are 3-11 all-time in the postseason.
Meanwhile in the first round, the Old Dominion Athletic Conference champion, No. 20 Randolph-Macon (9-1), will go to Ohio to face No. 9 John Carroll (9-1), and No. 12 Salisbury (9-1) will play host to Endicott (9-1).
R-MC is the only team from Virginia besides the Captains in the bracket. Salisbury gained one of the 13 at-large bids; the Sea Gulls’ only loss was a 45-42 thriller Nov. 8 at CNU.