Division I-AA Football Championship

Dates and sites: First-round games are November 27, quarterfinals are December 4 and semifinals are December 10-11, all at campus sites. The final is December 17 at Finley Stadium/Davenport Field in Chattanooga, Tennessee.

Field: Sixteen teams, including eight automatic qualifiers. The remaining eight teams will be selected at large.

Selection date: November 21.

2003 champion: Delaware.

Top contenders: According to the USA Today/ESPN top 25 poll, Southern Illinois, Furman, Sam Houston State, James Madison and Western Kentucky were the top-ranked teams through November 7.

Championship notes: Southern Illinois last appeared in the I-AA championship game in 1983, defeating Western Carolina, 43-7 ... Of the top five teams, Western Kentucky played in the championship game most recently, a 34-14 win over McNeese State in 2002 ... Sam Houston State last made the playoffs in 1991 when it lost a 20-19 first-round contest in overtime to Middle Tennessee ... Of the top five-ranked teams, Furman has the most championship appearances with 12.

Division I Women's Volleyball Championship

Dates and sites: First- and second-round matches will be December 2-5. The four regionals will be December 10-11. The national semifinals and championship match will be December 16-18 at Long Beach State.

Field: Sixty-four teams compete, with 16 teams in four separate regions.

Selection date: November 28.

2003 champion: Southern California.

Top contenders: Washington, Hawaii, Nebraska, Penn State, Minnesota, Southern California, Florida, Ohio State.

Championship notes: Courtney Thompson of Washington ranks second in the nation in assists at 14.8 ... Hawaii has won nine straight Western Athletic Conference titles ... Nebraska's Melissa Elmer leads the nation in blocks per game at 1.83 ... Penn State set a season high with 80 digs in a three-game victory over Northwestern this season ... Minnesota's Paula Gentil is third in the country in digs at 6.52 ... Southern California's Emily Adams' .430 hitting percentage ranks fourth in the nation ... Florida's NCAA-record 145-match conference win streak was ended November 14 in a 3-2 loss to Tennessee ... Stacey Gordon of Ohio State leads the country in kills per match at 7.22.