NCAA FCS playoff bracket revealed: Who do Blue Hens play, where and when?

Delaware has sought to, once again, make reaching the NCAA Division I Football Championship Subdivision Tournament habit rather than happenstance.

Sunday’s invitation achieved that ambition, as the Blue Hens are playoff qualifiers in back-to-back years for the first time since 2003-04.

As expected, Delaware (8-3) was among the at-large selections in the 24-team FCS bracket announced Sunday afternoon on ESPNU. The Blue Hens will host Patriot League champ Lafayette (9-2) on Saturday in a first-round game at 2 p.m. (ESPN+). Tickets are on sale at Bluehens.com.

The winner advances to visit No, 2-seeded Big Sky Conference champion Montana (10-1) on Dec. 2 at 9 p.m. EST. Delaware won at Montana 49-48 in a 1993 opening-round thriller.

"It's something that I do believe should be the expectation here," second-year coach Ryan Carty said Sunday about making the playoffs. "I believed that coming into the job and I believe it now having the resources and support that we have here."

Delaware will be trying to bounce back from Saturday’s 35-7 loss to visiting Villanova in the regular-season finale. Villanova (9-2), which earned the automatic Coastal Athletic Association berth in a tie-breaker after sharing the title with Albany and Richmond, is seeded eighth.

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"We can't let [Saturday] beat us two weeks in a row," linebacker Dillon Trainer said of the importance of bouncing back from the Villanova disappointment. "We gotta leave that where it was and just kinda move forward for what we're trying to accomplish."

The injuries from the Villanova game, in which Delaware went to No. 3 quarterback true freshman Nick Minicucci late in the second quarter, is "an extreme concern," Carty said. Starting quarterback Ryan O'Connor may be able to return but back-up Zach Marker and starting guard Bradly Anyanwu, the Dover High grad, suffered season-ending injuries.

Only the first eight teams are seeded, earn first-round byes and are assured of round-of-16 home games. The remaining 16 are bracketed with geographic proximity in mind when possible. The field consists of 10 automatic conference champion qualifiers and 14 at-large selections.

Defending champ South Dakota State (11-0) is seeded first followed by Montana, No.3 South Dakota (9-2) and No. 4 Idaho (8-3) rounding out the top four. Albany (9-3) is fifth, Montana State (8-3) sixth and Furman (9-2) seventh followed by Villanova.

"Hopefully we can do the best with our second life here," Carty said.

NCAA BRACKET: Blue Hens host Lafayette Saturday

The CAA is sending four teams as Richmond was also picked. The FCS title game is at Toyota Stadium in Frisco, Texas, on Jan. 7 at 2 p.m.

"We have goals set out and we want to win championships," Carty said. "One of those championships has come and gone, we didn't win it. Still have that opportunity to go out there and kinda prove who we are as a football team."

Delaware beat Lafayette 28-14 in a 2004 first-round game at Delaware Stadium and also has three recent regular-season wins over the Leopards, the last in 2018. Lafayette, now under second-year coach John Troxell, has not won in four previous FCS playoff appearances, the others coming in 2005, 2006 and 2013.

Last fall, Delaware downed Saint Francis 56-17 in a first-round game before losing at eventual champion South Dakota State 42-6. Delaware also made the 2018 and 2021 spring playoffs, giving it four appearances the last six seasons after an unprecedented seven-year drought.

The NCAA instituted championship playoffs for lower-division schools beginning in 1973, when Delaware was in the brand new Division II. The Blue Hens moved up to Division I-AA (now FCS) in 1980. Delaware has now reached the postseason 24 times in those 51 seasons, including 20 times through 2010.

The Blue Hens won the FCS championship in 2003, when Carty was back-up quarterback and Lafayette offensive coordinator T.J. DiMuzio was also a UD QB. Delaware lost in the finals in 1982 to Eastern Kentucky, 2007 to Appalachian State and 2010 to Eastern Washington.

Delaware made the Division II finals three times before that, beating Youngstown State in 1979 after falling to Central Michigan in 1974 and Eastern Illinois in 1978. Four previous UD national titles came in what was then termed the College Division via wire-service polls in 1946, 1963, 1971 and 1972.

Delaware wins CAA volleyball, heads to NCAAs

No, 2-seeded Delaware upset No. 1 Towson Saturday night at the Tigers' SECU Arena to win the CAA Volleyball Tournament and qualify for the NCAA Tournament. The Blue Hens prevailed 25-22, 22-25, 25-23, 25-17.

It'll be Delaware's fifth NCAA berth and first since 2011. Delaware also qualified in 2007, 2008 and 2010. The bracket will be announced next Sunday at 6 p.m. on ESPNU.

Delaware (24-4) has won a program record 15 straight matches. Lani Mason was named most outstanding player and joined on the all-tournament team by UD teammates Ezgi Basaranlar and Madelyn Grunza.

Have an idea for a compelling local sports story or is there an issue that needs public scrutiny? Contact Kevin Tresolini at ktresolini@delawareonline.com and follow on Twitter @kevintresolini. Support local journalism by subscribing to delawareonline.com and our DE Game Day newsletter.

This article originally appeared on Delaware News Journal: Delaware Blue Hens make NCAA FCS Tournament bracket