NCAA Sends Spartans Football Back to St. John's in Season Opening Rematch
Nov 15, 2015
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INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. - The NCAA Division III Football Committee announced today the field of 32 teams for the 2015 NCAA Division III Football Championship. The 2015 Iowa Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (IIAC) champions, University of Dubuque (8-2 overall, 7-0 in IIAC), will face St. John's University (9-1 overall, 7-1 in MIAC) in an opening day rematch in the first round of the NCAA Division III Playoffs this Saturday, Nov. 21. Kickoff is scheduled for noon at Clemens Stadium in Collegeville, Minnesota.
The committee selected teams based on conference results and competition within an institution’s respective evaluation region. Twenty-five conferences received automatic-qualifying berths. One berth is reserved for a true independent or a team that is a member of a conference that does not receive automatic qualification. The remaining six berths were awarded to teams from either automatic qualifying conferences that did not win an automatic berth, the remaining true independent teams, or teams in non-automatic qualifying conferences.
The postseason appearance is UD's fourth and first since 2011. The Spartans won their eighth conference title and an automatic bid to the NCAA playoffs in 2015 after being picked to finish fourth in the conference coaches pre-season poll. The Johnnies' earned their 26th appearance (22nd at the NCAA Division III level) and first as an at-large team (non-conference champion) since 2007.
SJU is 17-5 all-time against current members of the Iowa Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (IIAC), including an 11-1 record in Collegeville.
TICKET INFORMATION: There are no advance ticket sales for playoff games. All tickets are to be purchased at the ticket gates on game day. Gates open at 10 a.m. for the noon kickoff. Ticket prices are $8 for adults, $4 for college students (with ID) and $4 for youth, ages 3-17. Young children that do not require a seat may gain free admittance. SJU season-ticket holders keep their reserved seat, but they must purchase a ticket at the gate in order to gain access to the venue.
The Amos Alonzo Stagg Bowl, the national championship game, will be played Friday, December 18, at Salem Stadium in Salem, Virginia. The game will be broadcast live on ESPNU at 7 p.m. Eastern time.
All games start at noon local time, except the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh vs St. Scholastica which has a 3 p.m. local start time due to the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh hosting the NCAA Division III Men’s and Women’s Cross Country Championship.
