The hunt for a men’s Division I-AA national title continues this weekend with quarterfinals in Atlanta, GA and Butler, PA. Saturday’s winners advance to the national semifinals Dec. 6 in Knoxville, TN.
Meeting in the West Region in Atlanta are Tennessee and Sam Houston State in one quarterfinal, and Texas A&M and Kentucky in the other.
Tennessee earned a first-round bye with a 39-22 defeat of Kentucky in the Southeastern Collegiate Rugby Conference final, while the Lone Star runners-up had to win their way into the quarterfinal – the Bearkats defeating Oregon State 22-20 Saturday in Glendale, CO.
Sam Houston is making its NCR DIAA playoff debut, but the program is no stranger to hardware, winning the Division I Club title at the 2022 Collegiate Rugby Championship. Sam Houston’s only losses this season are twice to Lonestar rival Texas A&M and once to DI Southern Nazarene. The Vols come in a perfect 9-0, mowing down everything in their path so far.
Kentucky is seeking the first-ever three-peat in DIAA history, having won the last two national titles over Bowling Green and Louisville, respectively. The Wildcats’ only losses this season are to Tennessee, and DI Indiana and Marian. They won their way into the quarterfinals with a 79-0 defeat of Southern Conference champion UNC Charlotte in the opening round.
Texas A&M is seeking the first-ever title in program history, while head coach Tui Osborne is trying to become the first coach in college rugby history to win a national title with three different programs, having won previously with Life and St. Bonaventure. The Aggies (7-1) are undefeated against DIAA opposition, with the lone blemish being on the road to DI quarterfinalist Notre Dame.
Meeting in the East in Butler, PA are Louisville and Boston College in one quarterfinal, and Virginia Tech and Bowling Green in the other.
Louisville is 8-0, beating Bowling Green twice this fall to claim the MAC title and earn a bye straight to the quarters. Liberty Conference champion Boston College won its way there with a 64-31 comeback victory over West Chester in the opening round.
Virginia Tech and Bowling Green is a rematch of last year’s semifinal, a narrow Falcon victory. The Hokies earned a bye to the quarterfinals by winning the MARC, while Bowling Green had to go through Liberty runner-up Babson in the first round, winning 55-3. Bowling Green’s only in-division loss this season came to top-ranked Louisville. Virginia Tech enters a perfect 9-0.
More college rugby news at TheCollegeRugbyShow.com.
