The USA Rugby Fall DIAA bracket has been finalized as it carries a little bit of a surprise, but probably a well thought-out one.

Lindenwood-Belleville, which went 6-3 during the fall as an independent, did not make the cut. Likely the thinking within the selection committee was a) L-B lost to Kentucky, which is the #2 team in the SCRC and didn't make the playoffs, and b) split two games against Iowa Central CC, but lost heavily in terms of aggregate points.

Whether committee members felt only one independent team should be in the top eight, or whether it was just a case of the results telling the tale, the Lynx are out and the Tritons are in.

Also out is MARC runner-up West Chester, which, according to Head Coach Bjorn Haglid, reconsidered its desire to be an at-large team after incurring some injuries. 

The four conference winners, then, are of course in: St. Joseph's, Bowling Green, Virginia Tech, and the winner of Tennessee and Kennesaw State this weekend.

With so little time to turn around and play the first round, it makes sense that the SCRC runner-up should also get in. The hugely competitive MAC sends Western Michigan (who lost the MAC final on a last-second penalty goal), and the even more hugely competitive Chesapeake sends NC State.

Click on the bracket image to enlarge.