Bethune-Cookman
Joins N.C. A&T in Division I-AA Football Playoffs
November 23, 2003
INDIANAPOLIS -- The field of 16 teams competing for the 2003
Division I-AA Football Championship was announced today by
the NCAA Division I-AA Football Committee.
Bethune-Cookman joins N.C. A&T as HBCU representatives
in the playoffs.
McNeese State University (10-1) tops the bracket as the top
seed after capturing the automatic qualifying berth from the
Southland Conference. The Cowboys, who were the 2002 national
runner-up, have won nine straight games since dropping a decision
to I-A Kansas State University.
The University of Delaware (11-1), which is making its twelfth
tournament appearance and first since 2000, is the number-two
seed. The Fightin' Blue Hens finished the regular season as
the champion of the Atlantic 10 Conference.
Third-seeded Wofford College (10-1) is in the I-AA tournament
for the first time. The Terriers, who captured the Southern
Conference crown, last postseason appearance was in 1991 when
they qualified for the Division II playoffs.
Rounding out this year's seeded teams is Colgate University
(12-0) with the number four seed. The Raiders are making their
sixth tournament appearance and are the automatic qualifier
from the Patriot League.
Other first-round hosts include the University of Montana
(9-2), Bethune-Cookman College (9-2), the University of Northern
Iowa (9-2) and defending national champion Western Kentucky
University (8-3).
Other automatic qualifiers in the tournament include Montana
State University (7-5), which earned the automatic bid from
the Big Sky Conference after winning the tiebreaker over Montana
and the University of Northern Arizona. Jacksonville State
University (8-3), which is making its first postseason appearance
since it won the Division II national championship in 1992,
is the automatic winner from the Ohio Valley Conference. The
University of Northern Iowa (9-2) earned the Gateway Football
Conference's automatic bid. North Carolina A&T (10-2),
from the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference, is the last automatic
qualifier.
Other teams in the field are Florida Atlantic University (9-2),
Northern Arizona (8-3), the University of Massachusetts (10-2),
the Western Illinois University (8-3) and Southern Illinois
University (10-1).
Conferences receiving automatic-qualifying berths were the
Atlantic 10 Conference, Big Sky Conference, Gateway Football
Conference, Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference, Ohio Valley Conference,
Patriot League, Southern Conference and Southland Football
Conference.
Following are the match-ups involving HBCUs for the first
round of competition to be played Saturday, November 29. Game
times
will be released
Monday, November 24, via the NCAA Championships web site (www.ncaasports.com).
Television schedules for all rounds of the 2003 championship
will be updated daily at the NCAA Sports web site (www.ncaasports.com).
November 29 at Daytona Beach, Florida
Florida Atlantic (9-2) at Bethune-Cookman (9-2)
November 29 at Spartanburg, South Carolina North Carolina A&T (10-2) at No. 3 Wofford (10-1)
The 2003 championship field consists of eight automatic qualifiers
and eight at-large qualifiers.
AUTOMATIC QUALIFIERS (8) North Carolina A&T - Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference
Colgate - Patriot League
Wofford - Southern Conference
McNeese State - Southland Conference
Montana St. - Big Sky Conference
Jacksonville State - Ohio Valley Conference
Delaware - Atlantic 10 Conference
Northern Iowa - Gateway Football Conference
AT-LARGE QUALIFERS (8)
Northern Arizona - Big Sky Conference
Western Illinois - Gateway Football Conference Bethune-Cookman - Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference
Massachusetts - Atlantic 10 Conference
Montana - Big Sky Conference
Western Kentucky - Gateway Football Conference
Southern Illinois - Gateway Football Conference
Florida Atlantic - Independent
MBC Network will televise one first
round game on Saturday, November
29, which will be determined at a later time.
The 2003 NCAA Division I-AA Football Championship game is
slated for 7 p.m. Eastern time Friday, December 19, at W. Max
Finley Stadium/Davenport Field in Chattanooga, Tennessee. The
Westwood One Radio Network will also broadcast the championship
game nationally.
