The roadmap to the 2027 college rugby national championships is beginning to take shape.
The College Rugby Association of America (CRAA), in partnership with USA Rugby, has confirmed its postseason and National Championship Series calendar for the 2026–27 season, setting dates for championships across the men’s and women’s college game.
The announcement establishes a postseason stretching from late March through early May and includes the return of the CRAA Fall Classic, women’s Division 1 and Division 2 championships, a combined USA Rugby College 7s National Championship weekend, and the men’s D1A, D1AA and D2 championships.
It also comes as Rugby Fan Central expands its own college rugby coverage, with CRAA and NIRA schedules and competition information being added to the RFC College Rugby section.
Fall Classic Returns in December
The first major event on the newly announced calendar will be the CRAA Fall Classic, scheduled for December 4–6, 2026 at the University of South Carolina Upstate in Spartanburg, South Carolina.
The event is expected to again feature men’s and women’s bowl and challenge matches, bringing programs from different conferences together before the spring championship season.
Women’s Championships Set for April 10
For the women’s XVs game, the postseason will culminate on April 10, 2027 with national championship matches in Division 1 and Division 2.
The location has not yet been announced.
The Women’s D1 postseason begins with regional quarterfinals and semifinals from March 25–28.
The two teams that fall in the D1 semifinals will also have another postseason opportunity through the returning D1 Challenger Cup, which will be played alongside the national championship on April 10.
Women’s D1
Regional Quarterfinals & Semifinals — March 25–28
D1 Challenger Cup — April 10
National Championship — April 10
Women’s D2
Conference Play & Championships completed — March 25–28
National Championship — April 10
College 7s Reunites in Indianapolis
One of the more notable changes comes in sevens.
The men’s and women’s USA Rugby College 7s National Championships will be held together for the first time since 2023.
Kuntz Stadium in Indianapolis will host the combined championship festival from April 22–25, 2027.
Qualification will come through conference championships as well as at-large applications, which are expected to open during fall 2026.
The timing also creates an interesting postseason sequence for men’s programs. The College 7s championship falls immediately before the final weekend of the men’s XVs championship season, meaning programs still competing for XVs national titles will face decisions surrounding their participation and player availability.
D1A Returns to a 16-Team Championship Path
The Men’s D1A postseason will use a 16-seed format with higher-ranked teams hosting the opening rounds.
The road to the championship is straightforward:
Round of 16 — April 3
Quarterfinals — April 10
Semifinals — April 17
National Championship — May 1
The D1A Challenger Cup also returns.
Teams ranked approximately No. 16 through No. 24 can be selected for the Challenger bracket based on interest and availability, providing another postseason route for programs outside the primary championship field.
D1A Challenger Cup
First Round — April 3
Second Round — April 17
Final — May 1
D1AA and D2 Championships
Men’s D1AA and Division 2 will also conclude their seasons in Indianapolis.
Regional qualifiers and conference championships must be completed by April 10.
The national semifinals will then be played April 30 before the championship matches on May 2.
Kuntz Stadium will host the CRAA National Championship Series for a third consecutive year.
A Bigger College Rugby Focus at Rugby Fan Central
The announcement arrives as Rugby Fan Central begins a significant expansion of its college rugby coverage.
RFC has added dedicated college rugby information covering both the College Rugby Association of America (CRAA)and the National Intercollegiate Rugby Association (NIRA).
Keeping those two competition structures separate is important.
CRAA encompasses several of the major men’s and women’s collegiate competitions, including Men’s D1A and D1AA and women’s divisions.
NIRA operates the varsity women’s collegiate rugby structure associated with NCAA institutions and has its own teams, schedules, standings and championship pathway.
RFC is building its College Rugby section so fans can navigate those structures without having to understand the alphabet soup of organizations that has traditionally made American college rugby difficult for newcomers to follow.
The new coverage will bring together schedules, competition information and championship pathways, with additional college rugby features planned as the 2026–27 season develops.
Rather than treating college rugby only as a series of championship weekends, the aim is to make the season itself easier to follow.
With the CRAA postseason calendar now established, we know where much of that season is heading.
The journey to Indianapolis — and the 2027 national championships — starts long before April.
Explore RFC College Rugby:
https://rugbyfancentral.com/college-rugby/
