From IUP Sports Information
IUP football returns to the postseason as the Crimson Hawks earned the fourth seed in Super Region One as the NCAA announced its 28-team Division II Championship field Sunday evening.
The Crimson Hawks clinched the program’s 19th NCAA playoff appearance with a 54-24 win at Shippensburg Saturday to finish the regular season with a 10-1 overall record. It’s IUP’s 13th season of 10-plus wins since 1987.
As the No. 4 seed IUP will host No. 5 seed Shepherd (9-2) in the NCAA’s opening round Saturday, November 23. Kickoff at George P. Miller Stadium is set for noon.
The top seven teams in each of Division II’s four regions earned playoff berths to make up the field of 28.
IUP rival Slippery Rock (11-0) earned the No. 1 seed as the region’s only undefeated team and will receive a first round bye. The PSAC champion will host the IUP-Shepherd winner November 30.
On the other side of the Super Region One bracket, No. 2 seed Kutztown (10-1) will host No. 7 seed Tiffin (9-1) and No. 3 Notre Dame of Ohio (10-1) will host No. 6 West Chester (9-2). Those winners will play at the highest seed in week two of the postseason.
The last two teams in Super Region One will meet at the highest remaining seed Saturday, December 7. The winners of each region will be re-seeded heading into the semifinal round, which is slated for December 14 at campus locations.
The Division II national championship game will be played at McKinney ISD Stadium in McKinney, Texas Saturday, December 21.
IUP in the postseason
The Crimson Hawks are making the program’s 19th all-time NCAA Division II playoff appearance, the fourth most in Division II history (NW Missouri State 24, North Alabama 21, Grand Valley State 20). This is IUP’s fourth NCAA postseason berth in the last five seasons, the most of any team in the PSAC, and fifth appearance since 2012.
IUP is 6-4 in the playoffs since 2012, advancing to the regional final in 2012 and to the national semifinal as the top-seeded team in 2017.
The program has appeared in the national semifinal seven times (1989-91, 1993-94, 1999, 2017) and the Division II Championship game twice (1990, 1993).
