LANCASTER, Pa. – The Franklin & Marshall football team will be making its first-ever appearance in the NCAA Tournament after winning the Centennial Conference's automatic qualifying bid with yesterday's 29-28 overtime win versus Johns Hopkins.

The Diplomats (9-1, 6-0 CC) finished the year ranked ninth in the NCAA Power Index (NPI) ratings and are one of three Centennial Conference schools to receive bids to the national tournament. Only the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC; four teams) will have more representation in the national tournament. Franklin & Marshall is 2-0 versus teams in the national tournament following regular season victories against Johns Hopkins and Muhlenberg, with both games decided on last second two-point play attempts.

On Sunday, the Diplomats will find out their first-ever opponent in the NCAA Tournament with the NCAA selection show that will be stream lived on NCAA.com at 5 p.m. eastern. Fans can follow along live with the team through that link as the Diplomats learn their playoff destination.

Forty teams (27 conference champions and 13 at-large bids) make up the NCAA Tournament which gets underway with first round action this Saturday, November 22 at campus sites. Twenty-four teams will receive byes into the second round of the NCAA Tournament (Nov. 29) with campus sites hosting the national tournament through the third round (Dec. 6), quarterfinals (Dec. 13), and semifinals (Dec. 20). The Stagg Bowl (NCAA Championship game) is set for Sunday, January 4 in Salem, Virginia.

NCAA Tournament Team Qualifier & Rankings based on NCAA Power Index (NPI)
1. Mount Union (OAC Champions)
2. Wartburg (ARC Champions)
3. Christopher Newport (NJAC Championship)
4. North Central (Ill.) (CCIW Champions)
5. Bethel (MIAC Champions)
6. Wisconsin-River Falls (WIAC Champions)
7. Johns Hopkins (At-large; Centennial Conference)
8. Berry (SAA Champions)
9. Franklin & Marshall (Centennial Conference Champions)
10. John Carroll (NCAC Champions)
11. Trinity (Texas) (At-large; SAA)
12. Hardin Simmons (ASC Champions)
13. Salisbury (At-large; NJAC)
14. Wisconsin-Platteville (At-large; WIAC)
15. Endicott (CNE Champions)
16. St. Johns (At-large; MIAC)
17. Hope (At-large; MIAA)
18. Wisconsin-Whitewater (At-large; WIAC)
19. Randolph-Macon (ODAC Champions)
20. Monmouth (MWC Champions)
21. DePauw (At-large; NCAC)
22. Eastern (MAC Champions)
23. Wisconsin-LaCrosse (At-large; WIAC)
24. Alma (MIAA Champions)
25. LaGrange (USAC Champions)
26. Hanover (HCAC Champions)
27. Muhlenberg (At-large; Centennial Conference)
28. Concordia (Wisc.) (NACC Champions)
29. Wheaton (Ill.) (At-large; CCIW)
30. Whitworth (NWC Champions)
31. Coe (At-large; NWC)
32. Springfield (NEWMAC Champions)
33. Cortland (Empire 8 Champions)
34. Susquehanna (Landmark Champions)
35. Grove City (At-large; PAC)
36. Chapman (SCIAC Champions)
37. Union (Liberty League Champions)
38. Washington & Jefferson (PAC Champions)
39. Framingham State (MASCAC Champions)
40. Crown (UMAC Champions)