UMD will Host Second Round NCAA II Playoff Game on A-Turf Field

Being the only 11-0 NCAA Division II football team in the nation does have its perks. For the University of Minnesota Duluth, it means a first-ever home berth and an opening-round bye in the 2008 NCAA II Championship playoffs.

One day after capping off a perfect regular season, the Bulldogs were selected as the No. 2 seed in the Super Regional Three and will host a second round game at 12:00 p.m. on Nov. 22. UMD, which is just one of three unbeaten clubs in 24-team playoff field, is slated to face the winner of this Saturday’s matchup between No. 6 seed — and fellow Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference colleague — Wayne State College (9-2) and No. 3 Chadron State College (10-1). In the other first round contest, No. 5 Minnesota State University-Mankato of the NSIC will travel to Ohio to take on No. 4 Ashland University (8-3) that same afternoon. The winner will then move on to play at No. 1 Grand Valley State University (10-0) on Nov. 22.

The quarterfinals are scheduled for Nov. 29 at the site of the highest-seeded team while the two nationally-televised semifinal-round games will be held the following week. The NCAA II championship game kicks off at 12 p.m. (CST) on Dec. 13 at Braly Municipal Stadium in Florence, Ala.

This marks the third time in school history — and third time in the last seven seasons — that the Bulldogs have qualified for NCAA II postseason play. UMD, under the direction of current head coach Bob Nielson, also went 11-0 during the regular season before bowing out to host Northwest Missouri State University 45-41 in the first round of the 2002 playoffs. Three years later, then-head coach Kyle “Bubba” Schweigert and the Bulldogs were upended 23-12 by the University of North Dakota in Grand Forks, N.D. in another opening round contest.