INDIANAPOLIS — The Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference title game will feature Super Region Two's two highest-ranked programs as Benedict and Kentucky State claimed the top two positions in the NCAA Division II football Power Index (NPI) rankings released Sunday, Nov. 8. Benedict climbed to No. 1, followed by Kentucky State at No. 2, setting the stage for a showdown between the region's top contenders on Saturday, Nov. 14.
Benedict advanced two positions to No. 1 with a 62.956 NPI and a 9-1 Division II record. The Tigers also climbed to No. 7 nationally, becoming the SIAC's highest-ranked program in the country. Benedict secured the conference's No. 1 seed and hosting duties for the 2026 SIAC Football Championship with a 45-38 victory over Central State on Saturday.
Kentucky State followed at No. 2 with a 62.150 NPI and an 8-1 Division II record, ranking No. 12 nationally. The Thorobreds punched their ticket to the championship with a 34-10 victory over Morehouse on Saturday.
The 2026 SIAC Football Championship will take place Saturday, Nov. 14, at 10:30 a.m. ET at Charlie W. Johnson Stadium in Columbia, South Carolina, with Benedict hosting Kentucky State. The game will air nationally on ESPNU, one day before the NCAA Division II Football Selection Show.
Beyond the championship matchup, the SIAC maintained a strong presence throughout Super Region Two, claiming three of the top four positions and five of the top 10. Central State ranked No. 4 with a 58.896 NPI, followed by Edward Waters at No. 9 and Miles at No. 10. The Marauders also ranked No. 20 nationally, giving the conference three programs among the nation's top 20.
Miles made one of the conference's most notable gains, entering the regional top 10 for the first time this season and climbing four positions to No. 10 with a 53.831 NPI and a 5-3 Division II record.
Tuskegee followed at No. 12, while Albany State climbed two positions to No. 15. Allen also improved four positions to No. 22, followed by Clark Atlanta (No. 24), Morehouse (No. 25), Fort Valley State (No. 27), Savannah State (No. 29) and Lane (No. 30).
Introduced for Division II football in 2026, the NCAA's NPI system replaces the traditional regional ranking process and evaluates teams based on game results and strength of schedule. The system establishes national rankings while continuing to reflect each team's standing within its region for NCAA championship consideration.
The NCAA Division II Football Selection Show is scheduled for Sunday, Nov. 15, at 6 p.m. ET. The final NPI rankings will not be posted publicly until after the Selection Show.
SUPER REGION TWO RANKINGS
Release: Sunday, Nov. 8
Games through Nov. 7
| RANK |
TEAM |
CONFERENCE |
DII W-L |
NPI |
| 1 |
Benedict |
SIAC |
9-1 |
62.956 |
| 2 |
Kentucky State |
SIAC |
8-1 |
62.150 |
| 3 |
Valdosta State |
GSC |
6-1 |
60.263 |
| 4 |
Central State |
SIAC |
6-2 |
58.896 |
| 5 |
Carson-Newman |
SAC |
7-2 |
57.861 |
| 6 |
Newberry |
SAC |
6-2 |
57.432 |
| 7 |
North Greenville |
CC |
8-2 |
57.342 |
| 8 |
UNC Pembroke |
CC |
7-2 |
56.356 |
| 9 |
Edward Waters |
SIAC |
5-3 |
56.121 |
| 10 |
Miles |
SIAC |
5-3 |
53.831 |
| 11 |
West Alabama |
GSC |
5-3 |
53.400 |
| 12 |
Tuskegee |
SIAC |
5-4 |
53.086 |
| 13 |
Lenoir-Rhyne |
SAC |
5-5 |
52.661 |
| 14 |
Mars Hill |
SAC |
5-4 |
52.476 |
| 15 |
Albany State |
SIAC |
5-4 |
52.427 |
| 16 |
Delta State |
GSC |
4-3 |
51.771 |
| 17 |
Wingate |
SAC |
5-5 |
51.642 |
| 18 |
Catawba |
SAC |
5-5 |
51.014 |
| 19 |
Chowan |
CC |
6-4 |
50.934 |
| 20 |
Anderson (S.C.) |
SAC |
4-4 |
50.805 |
| 21 |
Emory & Henry |
SAC |
4-6 |
49.464 |
| 22 |
Allen |
SIAC |
4-5 |
48.771 |
| 23 |
Tusculum |
SAC |
4-5 |
48.483 |
| 24 |
Clark Atlanta |
SIAC |
2-5 |
48.219 |
| 25 |
Morehouse |
SIAC |
3-5 |
47.913 |
| 26 |
Virginia-Wise |
SAC |
2-7 |
45.286 |
| 27 |
Fort Valley State |
SIAC |
2-6 |
44.640 |
| 28 |
Ferrum |
CC |
3-7 |
42.417 |
| 29 |
Savannah State |
SIAC |
1-7 |
41.875 |
| 30 |
Lane |
SIAC |
1-7 |
41.813 |
| 31 |
Shorter |
CC |
2-7 |
41.139 |
| 32 |
Erskine |
CC |
1-6 |
35.597 |
| 33 |
Barton |
CC |
0-9 |
26.698 |
For additional information, visit the official NCAA Division II football NPI rankings.
FOLLOW THE SIAC
Stay connected by following the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference on Facebook, Instagram and X @TheSIAC.
SIAC NEWS
Sign up for SIAC News to be among the first to receive media releases, updates and more!
ABOUT THE SOUTHERN INTERCOLLEGIATE ATHLETIC CONFERENCE (SIAC)
The SIAC is an NCAA athletic conference consisting primarily of historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs) headquartered in downtown Atlanta, Georgia. The SIAC includes 15 member institutions (Albany State University, Allen University, Benedict College, Central State University, Clark Atlanta University, Edward Waters University, Fort Valley State University, Kentucky State University, Lane College, LeMoyne-Owen College, Miles College, Morehouse College, Savannah State University, Spring Hill College and Tuskegee University), which are located within a contiguous seven-state footprint (Alabama, Georgia, Florida, Kentucky, South Carolina, Tennessee and Ohio). The SIAC sponsors nine men's and eight women's sports and is a proud member of NCAA Division II. For more information, visit www.thesiac.com.