The Mountain Hawks claim the highest seed in League history
NCAA DI INTERACTIVE BRACKET
NCAA DI FOOTBALL CHAMPIONSHIP INFORMATION
BETHLEHEM, Pa. – Patriot League champion Lehigh (12-0, 7-0 PL) received the No. 5 seed, the highest in League history, and a first-round bye when the 24-team NCAA Division I FCS Championship field was revealed on Sunday afternoon.
The back-to-back League champion Mountain Hawks will host the winner of Harvard (9-1, 6-1 Ivy) at No. 12 Villanova (9-2, 7-1 CAA) in a second-round matchup at Goodman Stadium in Bethlehem, Pa. on Saturday, Dec. 6. Live coverage of Lehigh’s second-round FCS Playoff game begins at noon on ESPN+.
The Wildcats will host the Crimson when the first round begins on Saturday, Nov. 29. The first-round matchup will be available on ESPN+ beginning at noon.
No. 4 Lehigh concluded the regular season with a 12-0 overall record and 7-0 record in the Patriot League, extending its FCS-long regular-season winning streak to 17 games with a 42-32 win over No. 24 Lafayette in
The Rivalry, the most-played rivalry game in college football.
The Mountain Hawks earned their Patriot League-record 14th title in program history to return to the FCS Playoffs for the second straight season. Third-year head coach Kevin Cahill and the Mountain Hawks boasted the best rush defense (73.7 ypg) and the fourth-ranked rush offense (233.7) behind junior running back Luke Yoder, who is sixth in the nation in rushing yards (1,329) and eighth in rushing touchdowns (15).
PATRIOT LEAGUE IN THE FCS PLAYOFFS
Patriot League teams are 10-18 in FCS Playoff games since 2010, winning at least one postseason game in nine seasons during that span. Lehigh defeated Richmond, 20-16, in the first round last season.
Lehigh is the third Patriot League team to be seeded. Holy Cross earned the No. 8 seed in 2022, defeating New Hampshire (35-19) in the second round before falling to eventual FCS Champion South Dakota State (42-21) in the quarterfinals. Colgate received the No. 8 seed in 2018, defeating James Madison (23-20) in the second round before falling to national champion North Dakota State (35-0) in the quarterfinals.
ABOUT THE PATRIOT LEAGUE
The Patriot League is in its fourth decade of academic and athletic achievement, continually demonstrating that student-athletes can excel at both academics and athletics without sacrificing high standards. The Patriot League’s athletic success is achieved while its member institutions remain committed to its founding principle of admitting and graduating student-athletes who are academically representative of their class. Participation in athletics at Patriot League institutions is viewed as an important component of a well-rounded education.