Three HBCUs make NCAA Division II Football Playoff Field
NC Central, Elizabeth City State and Albany State earn bids
November 12, 2006
Complete Bracket
INDIANAPOLIS--The NCAA Division II Football Committee announced today the field of 24 teams for the 2006 NCAA Division II Football Championship.
 Eight first-round games will be conducted on the campus of one of the competing institutions. In addition, two teams per region have earned first-round byes. The first-round winners will all advance to face a bye team in their region in the second round on the campus of one of the competing institutions. Second-round winners will meet in the quarterfinals at various campus sites. Quarterfinal winners will advance to play in the semifinals on the campus of one of the competing institutions. Six teams selected per region make up the field of 24 teams.
The first-round dates, sites and pairings are:
November 18 at Midland, Michigan
University of South Dakota (8-3) vs. *Northwood University (Michigan) (8-2)
November 18 at Grand Forks, North Dakota
Winona State University (9-2) vs. *University of North Dakota (9-1)
November 18 at Elizabeth City, North Carolina
Delta State University (9-2) vs. *Elizabeth City State University (9-2)
November 18 at Newberry, South Carolina
Albany State University (Georgia) (7-3) vs. *Newberry College (10-1)
November 18 at North Andover, Massachusetts
Southern Connecticut State University (7-3) vs. *Merrimack College (7-3)
November 18 at Smithfield, Rhode Island
West Chester University of Pennsylvania (8-3) vs. *Bryant University (8-2)
November 18 at Wichita Falls, Texas
Missouri Western State University (9-2) vs. *Midwestern State University (9-2)
November 18 at Canyon, Texas
Abilene Christian University (8-2) vs. *West Texas A&M University (10-1)
*Denotes Host Institution
The following institutions earned first-round byes in each region and also will host a second-round game on November 25, 2006.
| Northwest: |
Southeast: |
| 1. Grand Valley State University (11-0) |
1. North Carolina Central University (11-0) |
| 2. University of Nebraska at Omaha (8-2) |
2. University of North Alabama (10-0) |
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| Northeast: |
Southwest: |
| 1. Shepherd University (10-0) |
1. Northwest Missouri State University (11-0) |
| 2. Bloomsburg University of Pennsylvania (10-1) |
2. Chadron State College (11-0) |
All contests shall start at noon local time. Other times may be established if approved by the committee.
Grand Valley State defeated Northwest Missouri State in the 2005 national championship game to claim the NCAA title.
The championship game will be played December 16, at Noon Eastern time at Braly Municipal Stadium in Florence, Alabama and will be broadcast live on ESPN. The 2006 championship will mark 21 consecutive years that the Division II championship game has been played in Florence. In addition, both semifinal games will be played on Sunday, December 10. Kick-off will be at either 5:30 p.m. Eastern time or 7 p.m. Eastern time and will air on either ESPN2 or ESPNU.
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