On Sunday, the 32-team NCAA Division III football tournament bracket was revealed. During the announcement, the Captains found out that they would be playing the Randolph-Macon College Yellow Jackets next Saturday at 12:00 p.m. in Ashland, Virginia.
The tournament consists of 32 teams competing for a chance to win a national championship. Out of the 32 teams, 28 are conference champions who receive automatic-qualifying berths. The remaining four spots left are given to teams from conferences who have already qualified.
Getting the opportunity to play in this tournament has been a long time coming for the Captains. Their 27-21 victory over the College of New Jersey last Friday gave them their first New Jersey Athletic Conference (NJAC) title since the Captains joined the conference in 2015. It will also be the first time the Captains have played in an NCAA tournament game since 2014 when they were defeated by Widener 37-27 in the second round. Given the locations of some of the other schools that made the tournament, the Captains will be pleased to be facing an opponent that is local to them.
The Captains came close to this same achievement last season but were defeated 36-33 by Salisbury University in the NJAC Championship Game. With the Captains winning their conference this season, they will look to make the most out of this opportunity.
The Yellow Jackets have posted a 10-0 record and have won most of their games in convincing fashion. Their offense has been one to look out for as the Yellow Jackets have reached at least 30 points in 28 straight games. Their third down conversion percentage leads the nation at 59.6%.
This surging offense has been a key contributor to the Yellow Jackets winning the Old Dominion Athletic Conference and securing a spot in the NCAA tournament. The two teams have met only twice in their history with the Yellow Jackets winning the first matchup 26-10 and the Captains winning the second contest 21-19. The last time either team faced off against each other was in the 2002 season.
If the Captains were to defeat Randolph-Macon, they would face the winner of the game between Springfield and Ithaca in the round of 16. The rounds are played weekly until the final is played on Dec. 15 in Salem, Virginia. Given the attention this has been receiving around campus, the Captains will have to ensure that they bring their best to this game against Randolph-Macon.
