There is still one more weekend for National Collegiate Rugby (NCR) conferences to name their champions, and then the brackets for four women’s 15s regional championships can mostly fill in. There are some at-large spots to fill, and those updates will come through NCR. Then suit up for a big day of playoff rugby on Friday-Sunday, Nov. 14-16, when semifinalists or finalists (depending on the competition) will be named for nationals on Saturday-Sunday Dec. 6-7 in Houston. Check out the NCR championship home page, which will be the hub for all things postseason. [lead photo: David Hughes @davidhughesphoto]

DI

SAT Nov 15: National Semifinals
5 p.m. ET Penn State @ Wheeling (W.V.)
10 a.m. CT BYU @ Southern Nazarene (Okla.)

SAT Dec 6: National Championship
7 p.m. CT @ SaberCats Stadium, Houston

Originally, the Division I semifinal set-up had East #1 and West #1 hosting West #2 and East #2, respectively. But now the semifinals are taking more of an Eastern and Western regional championship shape — i.e., West #1 vs. West #2, and East #1 vs. East #2. The current setup means more manageable travel and logistics for the #2 seeds. The finalists then anchor opening day of the NCR 15s National Championships, contesting the title under the lights on Saturday, Dec. 6 inside SaberCats Stadium.

DI-AA

FRI Nov 14: Quarterfinals
SUN Nov 16: Semifinals
@ Obetz & Springfield

SAT Dec 6: 5 p.m. CT Final
SUN Dec 7: 10 a.m. Lone Star Bowl
@ Houston

DI-AA begins at the quarterfinal stage, and all six conference champions have now been named. There are also two at-large berths, and there are some quality options. South Atlantic runner-up Lander (Tenn.), for example, fell 39-21 to champion Virginia on Sunday. And yesterday, Purdue locked up #2 in the Big 10, ending its regular season with a 46-12 win against Michigan.

DI-AA builds in a day of rest for its regional playoffs, contesting quarterfinals on Friday, Nov. 14 and semifinals on Sunday, Nov. 16. The two finalists will contest the title match at 5 p.m. on Saturday, Dec. 6 in Houston. There is also the annual Lone Star Bowl, which traditionally pits a Texan program against another TBA team.

REGIONALS BOUND
Big 10: Notre Dame
High Peaks: Colorado
Lone Star: Univ. Texas
Midwest: Northern Iowa
Rugby Northeast: Northeastern
South Atlantic: Virginia
At-Large (2): TBD

DIVISION II

SAT Nov 15: Rd 16
SUN Nov 16: Quarterfinals
@ all 4 locations

SAT Dec 6: 1 & 3 p.m. CT Semifinals
SUN Dec 7: 12:15 p.m. 3rd; 2 p.m. Final
@ Houston

Division II will hold its Round of 16 and quarterfinal matches on Saturday-Sunday, Nov. 15-16 at four locations: Obetz, Ohio; Canton, Mass.; Georgetown, Del.; and Springfield, Mo. The four regional champions will then report to Houston for Saturday, Dec. 6 semifinals, and Sunday, Dec. 7 finals.

Two conferences receive two automatic berths: Great Waters and Tri-State. The latter will hold finals this weekend; however, the regionals-bound teams are already decided: Vassar College and Fairfield University.

Many conferences name their champions on standings, but not all. College of William & Mary won the Mid-Atlantic after a 14-12 decision against Towson on Saturday. Coastal Carolina had a bye through Saturday’s SARC semifinal round and then beat Kennesaw State 50-12 in Sunday’s title match.

There are at-large berths presently. Good options might be Towson or Kent State

REGIONALS BOUND
Allegheny: Univ. Cincinnati
Great Lakes: Bowling Green State
Great Waters (2): UW Eau Claire, Northwester.
High Peaks: Colorado Mesa Univ.
Lone Star: Univ. Texas San Antonio
Mid-Atlantic: William & Mary
North Atlantic: Nov. 8 final – Coast Guard vs. New Hampshire
Rugby Northeast: Roger Williams
South Atlantic: Coastal Carolina
Tri-State (2): Vassar, Fairfield (final this weekend)
Upstate New York: SUNY Binghamton
At-Large (3): TBD

DIVISION III

SAT Nov 15: Rd 16
SUN Nov 16: Quarterfinals
@ all 4 locations

SAT Dec 6: 9 & 11 a.m. CT Semifinals
SUN Dec 7: 10:15 a.m. 3rd; 12 p.m. Final
@ Houston

DIII is set up identically to DII in that regionals begin at the Round of 16 stage, and quarterfinals are held the following day (Nov. 15-16). The four regional champs then report to Houston for Dec. 6 semifinals and Dec. 7 finals. There is room for at-large teams, which might go to high-performing teams in conferences that don’t get automatic berths, e.g., Mid-America, Ohio Valley, Florida, Lone Star, etc.

REGIONALS BOUND
Allegheny:
Eastern Pennsylvania: East Stroudsburg Univ.
Great Lakes:
Great Waters (2): UW Platteville, UW Stevens Point
High Peaks: Colorado School of Mines
Mid-Atlantic: Christopher Newport Univ.
North Atlantic: Nov. 8 final – Endicott vs. Yale
Rugby Northeast: Colby College (Maine)
Northern Lights: Univ. North Dakota
Prairie States: Wayne State College (Neb.)
South Atlantic:
Tri-State:
Upstate New York (2): SUNY Cortland, Niagara Univ.
At Large: