INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. - DePauw University (9-1), winner of the SCAC's NCAA Division III Football Championship automatic berth, will host Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association champion Trine (10-0) for a first round matchup on Saturday, Nov. 20 at Noon Eastern time.
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DePauw, the region's No. 3 seed, earned its second consecutive NCAA playoff appearance by finishing 6-0 in SCAC play. The Tigers won their fourth overall SCAC championship and its first outright SCAC title.
The Tigers' opponent, the Thunder of Trine and the region's No. 6 seed, capped off an undefeated 10-0 regular season highlighted by their 58-16 win over Albion on Nov. 13 to earn the MIAA championship and automatic playoff berth. The Thunder (#8 AFCA/#14 D3football.com) made the field of 32 teams for the third consecutive year.
Saturday's game will mark the first ever meeting between DePauw and Trine. Trine makes its third appearance in the NCAA playoffs. The Thunder have an all-time playoff record of 1-2. Last year Trine won its first round matchup with Case Western Reserve, 51-38, before dropping a second round contest to Wittenberg (Ohio), 34-17.
Twenty-three conferences received automatic-qualifying berths.
Three berths were reserved for true independents and those teams
that are members of conferences that do not receive automatic
qualification. The remaining six berths were awarded to teams from
either automatic qualifying conferences that did not win an
automatic berth, or remaining true independent teams and teams in
non-automatic qualifying conferences.
The first round of the championship will be played November 20 at
the host institution's campus or at an alternate site approved by
the football committee. The Amos Alonzo Stagg Bowl, the national
championship game, will be played December 18, at Salem Stadium in
Salem, Va. The game will be broadcast live on ESNPU HD at 3:30 p.m.
Eastern time.
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