So now that Shaw has captured the CIAA football championship, the debate begins in everyone’s mind; who should be the team to rep the conference in the Division II playoffs?
Ultimately, it’s up to the NCAA, and it will be interesting to see how the rankings come down in light of Shaw’s victory. On Monday, both Fayetteville State and Elizabeth City State were ranked in the Super Regional I top ten, and the only way two teams from any conference can gain entry into the playoffs is by both squads making the top eight.
When you consider that the Bears defeated both programs on their way to a second-consecutive conference title, it would seem that the playoff spot is theirs for the taking. But FSU is already ranked, and its unlikely that the committee will drop the Broncos several slots to make room for the Bears.
Unlikely, but not impossible.
Two teams, American International and Seton Hill, both lost this afternoon. Both teams are ranked in the top eight of the Super Regional I rankings. If they were to fall down in the rankings and possibly out, could it make room for the Shaw Bears?
Only time will tell.
But if everything holds in the rankings, then the fairest assessment on who should make the playoffs rests on who made the rankings first. And that would be the team with the CIAA’s best regular-season record.
The Fayetteville State Broncos.
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