General | 11/13/2022 8:01:00 PM
The Cortland football team will travel to Randolph-Macon College in Ashland, Va., for the opening round of the 2022 NCAA Division III playoffs on Saturday, November 19. Game time is scheduled for noon.
Cortland (9-1) is one of 32 teams competing in the tournament field. The Red Dragons earned an automatic bid into the playoffs after winning the Empire 8 conference title with a 6-0 mark for the second straight season. Randolph-Macon is 10-0 and is the champion of the Old Dominion Athletic Conference (ODAC) with a 7-0 record.
The winner of Saturday's game advances to the second round on Saturday, Nov. 26, and will face either Delaware Valley (9-1) or Gallaudet (7-2) at a site to be determined. The quarterfinals are scheduled for Saturday, December 3 and the semifinals on Saturday, Dec. 10. The Division III national championship game, the Amos Alonzo Stagg Bowl, is Friday, Dec. 16 in Annapolis, Md.
Cortland is led by head coach Curt Fitzpatrick, who is in his third year with the Red Dragons but coaching in his second season as the 2020 season was canceled. His overall record with the Red Dragons is 20-2, including an 11-1 mark last season.
Cortland is making its 11th NCAA playoff appearance and second straight. Last season Cortland defeated Springfield in the opening round before losing to RPI in the second round, both at home.
The Red Dragons have advanced to the national quarterfinals twice - as part of a 16-team playoff field in 1988 and as part of a 32-team field in 2008. The Red Dragons are 7-10 in NCAA play, including wins in their last five first-round games (2008, 2010, 2012, 2015 and 2021, all at home). Cortland is 7-3 at home in the NCAAs and 0-7 on the road. Cortland's last NCAA road game was a 38-22 loss at Linfield in the 2015 second round, and the Red Dragons' last NCAA first-round road game was a 23-22 loss at Hobart in 2005.
Randolph-Macon is 10-0 for the first time in program history. The Yellow Jackets completed their perfect regular season with a 38-17 win at rival Hampden-Sydney last Saturday. Randolph-Macon is making its fifth appearance in the NCAA playoffs and will be hosting for the first time since 1984. Cortland and Randolph-Macon will be playing for the first time.
Ticket prices for Saturday's game are $10 for adults and $5 for students of the participating schools as well as children ages 2 to 12. Children under 2 will be admitted free. Tickets are available online – see the
Randolph-Macon Athletics website for the ticket purchase site.