ASHLAND, Va. — Randolph-Macon didn't have to wait long to hear their names called during the NCAA Division III Football selection show.
The Jackets, who had an automatic bid to the playoffs by virtue of their ODAC Championship, were among the first four teams revealed in the brackets.
They will head to face 9th 9th-ranked John Carroll in the second round of the tournament on Saturday, Nov. 29 in University Heights, Ohio.
Randolph-Macon will head west to face @JohnCarrollU in the 2nd round of the @NCAADIII playoffs, the 2nd time the Jackets and Blue Streaks will meet in the postseason.@RMCfootball @RMCathletics @CBS6 pic.twitter.com/AOEkXZAyar
— Lane Casadonte (@LaneCtvsports) November 16, 2025
The matchup came as a bit of a surprise in the Jackets' team meeting room, but head coach Pedro Arruza has a team he feels is ready for any challenge.
"We've tried to build a program for those late November, early December cold weather places," Arruza explained. "If you can run the ball, play great defense and get down the field on special teams, you're always going to have a chance."
This is the 9th NCAA appearance for RMC. They are one of just four programs nationally that have made the NCAA round of 16 in each of the past three seasons.
The Jackets have faced John Carroll just once before, back in the 2018 playoffs, an RMC 23-20 victory in Ohio that was the Jackets' first-ever NCAA win.
WATCH: Highlights from Randolph-Macon downing Hampden-Sydney for ODAC title win
Outside of Arruza, in his 22nd season in Ashland, there's not much similarity from that game to this one, including the John Carroll staff, most of which is in just its second season with their program.
"We were thinking we were going to match up against someone on the East Coast," Arruza said. "They have a totally different coaching staff than when we played them in '18. I have no idea what kind of schemes they run, what kind of players they have, and we haven't seen them on film".
The Blue Streaks are champions of the North Coast Athletic Conference and are 9-1, as is RMC. While Arruza isn't crazy about having a second bye in three weeks, the extra time to prepare for a relatively unknown opponent is welcome.
"We came out of the Hampden-Sydney game a little more beat up than I thought," Arruza admitted. "We've got a few guys that probably need a week to heal up. It will give us a little extra time to prepare."
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