Clinching Scenarios For CAA Football Automatic Bid To The NCAA FCS Playoffs
Rob Washburn
RICHMOND, Va. (November 18, 2025) – Below are the three scenarios for determining the CAA Football champion and the conference’s automatic qualifier to the NCAA FCS playoffs heading into Saturday’s final regular season games.
Rhode Island can clinch the outright CAA Football regular season title and the conference’s automatic bid to the NCAA FCS playoffs with a win over Hampton on Saturday.
If Rhode Island and Villanova finish tied at 7-1: Rhode Island and Villanova did not meet during the regular season so there is no head-to-head tiebreaker. The next tiebreaker is record against common opponents (UAlbany, Elon, Hampton, New Hampshire, Stony Brook). Villanova would be 5-0 and Rhode Island would be 4-1. Rhode Island and Villanova would be co-champions and Villanova would receive the automatic bid.
If Monmouth, Rhode Island and Villanova finish tied at 7-1: Rhode Island did not meet Monmouth or Villanova during the regular season so there is no head-to-head tiebreaker. The next tiebreaker is record against common opponents (UAlbany, Hampton, New Hampshire, Stony Brook). Villanova is 4-0, Monmouth is 3-1 and Rhode Island is 3-1. Monmouth, Rhode Island and Villanova would be tri-champions and Villanova would receive the automatic bid.