With the start of postseason play, two HBCU programs have been selected to compete in the NCAA Division II playoffs. Miles College, the SIAC champions, earned the No. 4 seed in Super Region II and will host Carson-Newman, while Virginia Union, the CIAA champions, secured the No. 7 seed and will travel to Wingate University in North Carolina.

Miles College (9-2) secured its spot by winning nine consecutive games after an 0-2 start. The Golden Bears will be seeking their first-ever NCAA playoff victory when they host Carson-Newman on Saturday. Miles’ most notable win of the season came early, when they defeated Clark Atlanta 49-28. The Golden Bears later defeated Clark Atlanta again, 53-25, in the SIAC Championship, giving them a combined total of 102 points in their two meetings.

The last time Miles College appeared in the playoffs was in 2019, when they lost to Lenoir-Rhyne 36-7.

Virginia Union (8-3) claimed the CIAA Championship with a 17-13 win over Virginia State. The Panthers also defeated Virginia State in the regular season, 35-28. Virginia Union will enter the playoffs as the No. 7 seed in Super Region II, while Wingate, the SAC champions, are the No. 2 seed with a 9-1 record.

The matchup will be a rematch of last year’s game, which Wingate won at home. This marks the third consecutive year Virginia Union has reached the NCAA playoffs, a feat matched by teams in 1981, 1982, and 1983.

This will be just the third meeting between Virginia Union and Wingate. In addition to the 2022 playoff game, Wingate defeated Virginia Union 28-13 on Sept. 5, 2001, in Wingate, North Carolina.

Virginia Union head coach Alvin Parker expressed his excitement about the team’s playoff berth.

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“This feeling never gets old,” Parker said. “When you see your name pop up on the screen, it's always something to get excited about. It means that you've done something pretty good during the season, and I think our body of work speaks for itself. I felt good about our chances leading up to the selection show, but the feeling never gets old.”

If Miles College wins, they will face top-seeded Valdosta State on Nov. 30 at 1 p.m. If Virginia Union wins, they will meet the winner of the Lenoir-Rhyne-West Alabama game, though the location and time have not yet been announced.

Wingate heads into the game riding a seven-game win streak and finished the regular season 9-1. Their only loss came in overtime to Carson-Newman, 31-28.

Carson-Newman (9-2) is looking to extend its postseason run after losing its final regular-season game to Wingate, 28-13. The Eagles went on a seven-game win streak before falling to Emory & Henry, 17-10.

Game times are as follows: Miles College will kick off at noon, while Virginia Union’s game will begin at 1 p.m. at Irwin Belk Stadium.