The 2024 D3 Football Selection Show: 5 Biggest Shocks And The New 40-Team Playoff Era

The 2024 NCAA Division III Football Selection Show marked a monumental shift in the landscape of small-college football, ushering in the new 40-team playoff era. The show, which aired on Sunday, November 17, 2024, at 5:00 p.m. Eastern Time on NCAA.com, was one of the most anticipated in history, not just for the teams making the field, but for the controversial new selection criteria that determined the at-large bids. Fans and analysts were on the edge of their seats, waiting to see which 40 programs would earn a spot in the largest DIII bracket ever, a tournament that ultimately saw North Central (IL) claim the national title. This year’s selection process was the first to fully integrate the newly expanded field and the much-discussed NCAA Power Index (NPI), which replaced the traditional regional advisory committee rankings for at-large selections. The expansion from 32 to 40 teams meant eight additional programs got a shot at the Stagg Bowl, leading to a mix of expected conference champions and a handful of truly surprising at-large selections that sparked immediate debate across the D3 football community.

The New Playoff Format and Selection Criteria Explained

The 2024 NCAA Division III Football Championship was the first to feature a 40-team bracket, a significant increase from the previous 32-team format. This expansion was designed to provide more opportunities for highly competitive programs and to better reflect the depth of talent across the nation. The 40-team field was constructed using two primary methods for qualification: * Automatic Qualification (AQ) Bids: Twenty-eight teams earned an automatic bid by winning their respective conference championships. These teams represent the bedrock of the DIII playoff structure, ensuring that every major conference champion has a guaranteed path to the postseason. * At-Large Bids: Twelve teams were selected as at-large participants, a substantial increase from the previous format. This is where the new, decisive selection criteria came into play.

The Role of the NCAA Power Index (NPI)

The biggest change in the 2024 selection show was the official adoption of the NCAA Power Index (NPI) for determining the 12 at-large selections. The NPI is a sophisticated, data-driven metric designed to objectively rank teams based on their performance, strength of schedule, and other statistical factors, moving away from the more subjective human committee rankings of the past. The NPI aimed to create a more equitable and transparent selection process, but its use inevitably led to some high-profile omissions and inclusions that dominated post-show analysis. The committee was tasked with weighing the NPI alongside other traditional factors, including: * Head-to-Head Competition * Results Against Common Opponents * Strength of Schedule (SOS) * Results Against Ranked Teams * In-Region Performance

5 Biggest Surprises and Shocks from the 2024 Selection Show

The November 17, 2024, selection show delivered on its promise of drama, with the new 40-team format and the NPI metric leading to several unexpected results. Here are five of the biggest talking points and surprises from the bracket reveal:

1. The Unwavering Dominance of the Top Seeds: Despite the new system, the perennial powerhouses were firmly entrenched. The four top seeds, including North Central (IL) and Mount Union, were locked in, confirming their status as national title favorites. North Central, in particular, was seen as the clear No. 1 overall seed after an undefeated regular season.
2. The NPI's Impact on Conference Runners-Up: The biggest shock involved the teams that were *left out*. Several highly-regarded conference runners-up with strong overall records were surprisingly snubbed in favor of teams with a slightly lower win total but a significantly higher NPI score due to a brutal strength of schedule. This demonstrated the NPI's heavy weighting of quality opponents over simple win-loss records.
3. A Record-Breaking Number of First-Time Participants: The expansion to 40 teams gave several programs their first-ever taste of the NCAA playoffs. Teams from smaller conferences or those who had been consistently on the bubble in the 32-team era finally broke through. This was a major positive for the health and growth of DIII football.
4. The "Region of Death" Reveal: The bracket reveal showed a heavily-stacked region that included three or four of the top ten teams in the nation, setting up a potential Quarterfinal matchup that felt more like a National Championship game. This uneven distribution, a byproduct of the regional alignment, immediately put one region on notice as the most difficult path to the Stagg Bowl.
5. The Inclusion of a 7-3 At-Large Team: In a move that truly demonstrated the power of the NPI, a team with an uncharacteristic three losses was awarded an at-large bid. Their inclusion was solely based on having arguably the toughest non-conference schedule in the country, featuring multiple games against eventual playoff teams. This was a clear message that the committee valued strength of schedule above all else for the final at-large spots.

The Road to the Stagg Bowl: Key Teams and Entities

The 2024 playoff bracket was a gauntlet, featuring 40 of the best programs DIII football has to offer. The tournament ran from the First Round on November 23, 2204, through the Quarterfinals on December 14, and the Semifinals on December 21. The following entities and teams were central to the 2024 DIII playoff narrative:

• North Central (IL) Cardinals: The undisputed No. 1 team, known for their explosive offense and high-powered scoring. They entered the tournament as the overwhelming favorite.
• Mount Union Purple Raiders: The perennial powerhouse, always a threat to reach the Stagg Bowl. Their 2024 campaign was another masterpiece, securing a high seed.
• Wartburg Knights: A top contender from the American Rivers Conference (ARC), who consistently fielded a nationally-ranked team and were a high seed in their region.
• Susquehanna River Hawks: A strong program that made a deep run, proving their elite status and challenging the traditional power structure in the latter rounds.
• Coe Kohawks: Another strong ARC team that secured a playoff berth, demonstrating the conference's overall strength.

The journey was marked by thrilling upsets and dominant performances, ultimately boiling down to the two teams everyone expected to meet in the final game.

The Final Result: North Central's Third National Championship

The 2024 NCAA Division III Football Championship culminated in the Stagg Bowl LII on Sunday, January 5, 2025, at Shell Energy Stadium in Houston, Texas. In a highly anticipated final, the North Central (IL) Cardinals defeated the Mount Union Purple Raiders with a score of 41-25. The victory secured the Cardinals their third National Championship in five seasons, capping off an undefeated season and cementing their status as the dominant program of the modern DIII football era. Mount Union, in a testament to their incredible consistency, concluded their season with an NCAA-record 23rd appearance in the Stagg Bowl. The 2024 D3 Football Selection Show was more than just a bracket reveal; it was the start of a new, expanded chapter for the entire division. The 40-team field and the implementation of the NPI ensured that the path to the Stagg Bowl was more competitive and unpredictable than ever before, setting the stage for a memorable season of playoff football.

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