Kats host Southeastern La Saturday at 1 p.m.
11/23/2014 11:43:00 AM | Football
Sam Houston State will play host to Southeastern Louisiana in the opening round of the FCS playoffs Saturday at 1 p.m. at Elliott T. Bowers Stadium.
The matchup will feature the two teams that tied for the 2014 Southland Conference championship with 7-1 records. The pair did not play during the regular season.
The Bearkats are one of only three teams that have earned berth in FCS post-season play each of the last four years. The other two programs are North Dakota State and New Hampshire.
The contest is a rematch of last year's FCS second round in Hammond, La., when the Lions eliminated the Bearkats in a 30-29 thriller. Sam Houston reached the NCAA National Championship Game in both 2011 and 2012. The Bearkats are making their eighth football playoff appearance while the Lions are in FCS post-season for the second time.
"We've seen Southeastern Louisiana on tape enought times, watching our other opponents and we know that they are very good," SHSU head coach K. C. Keeler said. "We're co-champions and I know that the kids want to play. They're excited to get a home game too."
The NCAA Division I Football Championship was announced today. The top eight national seeds will host winners from the first round match-ups.
The University of New Hampshire (10-1) tops the bracket as the number one seed after capturing the automatic qualifying berth from the Colonial Athletic Association. The Wildcats are making their 11th straight appearance in the championship and 13th overall. Three-time defending national champion North Dakota State University (11-1) is the number two seed after capturing the automatic qualifying berth from the Missouri Valley Football Conference. The Bison are making their fifth straight appearance in the championship.
Jacksonville State University (10-1), which is making its fifth overall tournament appearance, is the number three seed. The Gamecocks captured the Ohio Valley Conference automatic berth. Eastern Washington University (10-2) is the number four seed after capturing the Big Sky Conference automatic berth. The 2010 national champion Eagles are making their 11th appearance in the championship.
The number five seed is Illinois State University (10-1). The Redbirds tied for the Missouri Valley Football Conference title and are making their fifth overall appearance. Villanova University (10-2), the 2009 national champion, will be the number six seed. The Wildcats are making their 11th appearance in the championship. Coastal Carolina University (11-1) will be the seventh seed. This will be the fifth appearance for the Chanticleers. The eighth and final seeded team will be the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga. The Mocs will be making their second appearance in the championship and first since 1984.
The 2014 championship field consists of 11 automatic qualifiers and 13 at-large qualifiers.
Automatic Qualifiers (11)
Big Sky Conference – Eastern Wash. (10-2)
Big South Conference – Liberty (8-4)
Colonial Athletic Association – New Hampshire (10-1)
Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference – Morgan St. (7-5)
Missouri Valley Football Conference – North Dakota St. (11-1)
Northeast Conference – Sacred Heart (9-2)
Ohio Valley Conference – Jacksonville St. (10-1)
Patriot League – Fordham (10-2)
Pioneer Football League – San Diego (9-2)
Southern Conference – Chattanooga (9-3)
Southland Conference – Sam Houston St. (8-4)
At-Large (13)
Big Sky Conference – Montana (8-4)
Big Sky Conference – Montana St. (8-4)
Big South Conference – Coastal Caro. (11-1)
Colonial Athletic Association – James Madison (9-3)
Colonial Athletic Association – Richmond (8-4)
Colonial Athletic Association – Villanova (10-2)
Missouri Valley Football Conference – Illinois St. (10-1)
Missouri Valley Football Conference – Indiana St. (7-5)
Missouri Valley Football Conference – South Dakota St. (8-4)
Missouri Valley Football Conference – UNI (8-4)
Ohio Valley Conference – Eastern Ky. (9-3)
Southland Conference – Southeastern La. (9-3)
Southland Conference – Stephen F. Austin (8-4)
Television schedules and games times for all rounds of the 2014 championship will be updated at www.NCAA.com/fcs.
OPENING ROUND GAMES
November 29 at Bronx, New York, Noon (ET) (ESPN3)
Sacred Heart (9-2) at Fordham (10-2)
November 29 at Richmond, Kentucky, 1 p.m. (ET) (ESPN3)
Indiana St. (7-5) at Eastern Ky. (9-3)
November 29 at Richmond, Virginia, 1 p.m. (ET) (ESPN3)
Morgan St. (7-5) at Richmond (8-4)
November 29 at Huntsville, Texas, 1 p.m. (CT) (ESPN3)
Southeastern La. (9-3) at Sam Houston St. (8-4)
November 29 at Bozeman, Montana, 4 p.m. (ET) (ESPN3)
South Dakota St. (8-4) at Montana St. (8-4)
November 29 at Missoula, Montana, 4 p.m. (ET) (ESPN3)
San Diego (9-2) at Montana (8-4)
November 29 at Harrisonburg, Virginia, 4 p.m. (ET) (ESPN3)
Liberty (8-4) at James Madison (9-3)
November 29 at Cedar Falls, Iowa, 8 p.m. (ET) (ESPN3)
Stephen F. Austin (8-4) at UNI (8-4)
SECOND-ROUND GAMES
December 6 at Durham, New Hampshire, 1 p.m. (ET) (ESPN3)
Sacred Heart/Fordham winner at #1 New Hampshire (10-1)
December 6 at Chattanooga, Tennessee, 1 p.m. (ET) (ESPN3)
Indiana St./Eastern Ky. winner at #8 Chattanooga (9-3)
December 6 at Conway, South Carolina, 1 p.m. (ET) (ESPN3)
Morgan St./Richmond winner at Coastal Caro. (11-1)
December 6 at Normal, Illinois, 2 p.m. (ET) (ESPN3)
Stephen F. Austin/UNI winner at Illinois St. (10-1)
December 6 at Jacksonville, Alabama, 2 p.m. (ET) (ESPN3)
Southeastern La./Sam Houston St. winner at Jacksonville St. (10-1)
December 6 at Fargo, North Dakota, 3:30 p.m. (ET) (ESPN3)
South Dakota St./Montana St. winner at North Dakota St. (11-1)
December 6 at Cheney, Washington, 4:30 p.m. (ET) (ESPN3)
San Diego/Montana winner at Eastern Wash. (10-2)
December 6 at Villanova, Pennsylvania, 4:30 p.m. (ET) (ESPN3)
Liberty/James Madison winner at Villanova (10-2)
