Undefeated Eagles Win GLIAC, Get NCAA Bid and First Round Bye
The Ashland University football team is going to the NCAA Division II playoffs for the fifth time in school history and the first time since 2008. The NCAA announced the 24-team field on Sunday (Nov. 11) and the Eagles are the second seed in Super Region 4.
Ashland, which is 11-0 and champion of the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference, will play the winner of the first round game between Chadron State (9-2) and West Texas A&M (9-2). Those two teams will play this Saturday (Nov. 17) at West Texas A&M. The survivor will come to Jack Miller Stadium/Martinelli Field to take on the Eagles on Saturday, Nov. 24, at 11 a.m.
Tickets for the Nov. 24 game are now on sale at Ashland University’s Troop Center. Ticket prices for the playoff game are: Reserved tickets - $15, General Admission Adult - $10, General Admission student (age 5-college student) -$5 and General Admission Seniors (62 and over) - $5. More information on tickets can be obtained by calling the Ashland University ticket office at 419-289-5475 or 419-207-6163.
This is the first time Ashland University has received a first round bye in the postseason. This is the third time Ashland University has advanced to the postseason under head coach Lee Owens. Ashland previously reached the postseason in 1986, 1997, 2007 and 2008. In 2008, under Owens, Ashland University won a first round game at Ashland’s Community Stadium, 27-16, over Minnesota State-Mankato. That is Ashland University’s only postseason victory and that is the only playoff game to be held in Ashland.
Colorado State-Pueblo is the top seed in the region. The Thunderwolves also get a bye in the first round. They await the winner of this Saturday’s first-round game between Indianapolis (9-2) and Midwestern State (9-1). That game will be played at Midwestern State. The Thunderwolves are in the playoffs for the third time in school history. Last year, CSU-Pueblo completed the regular season with an 11-0 record and lost in the first round to Minnesota-Duluth. This year’s team is 11-0 and won the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference championship.
Ashland University is the lone GLIAC team in this year’s postseason field. This year’s national championship game will be played on Dec. 15 in Florence, Ala.
Of the six playoff teams in Region 4, the only one Ashland has played is Indianapolis. The Greyhounds are making their first-ever appearance in the NCAA Division II playoffs. In this year’s season opener, the Eagles downed the Greyhounds in Ashland, 37-14.
Ashland is 6-0 at home this season and has shut out three teams- Wayne State (7-0), Walsh (30-0) and Notre Dame (65-0). The Eagles are ranked fifth in the country, which equals their highest ranking since becoming an NCAA Division II institution. This is the fourth time in school history Ashland University has ended the regular season without a loss. It’s the first time the Eagles have finished the regular season unbeaten since the 1972 team was 11-0.
Ashland University, ranked in the top 200 colleges and universities in U.S. News and World Report’s National Universities category for 2013, is a mid-sized, private university conveniently located a short distance from Akron, Cleveland and Columbus, Ohio. Ashland University (www.ashland.edu) values the individual student and offers a unique educational experience that combines the challenge of strong, applied academic programs with a faculty and staff who build nurturing relationships with their students.
