NCAA Announcement
Lock Haven, Pa. - For only the second time in NCAA Division II football playoff history, the PSAC has placed four teams in the playoffs, as Shippensburg, California, East Stroudsburg and Edinboro all earned playoffs berths on Sunday.
Ironically, three of this year's four participants out of the PSAC were also participants in 2004, which was the only other time the PSAC placed that many teams in the playoffs. In 2004, Edinboro, East Stroudsburg and Shippensburg all earned playoff berths along with West Chester. The 2004 playoffs also marked Shippensburg's and Edinboro's last playoff appearances up until this year, while East Stroudsburg last appeared in the playoffs in 2005. This year will mark California's third straight NCAA appearance, and the Vulcans are the two-time defending Super Region 1 champions.
PSAC champion Shippensburg earned the top seed out of the four PSAC teams, earning the No. 2 seed overall and a first round bye. PSAC runner-up and West champion California was awarded the No. 3 seed and the Vulcans will host CIAA champion Fayetteville State in the first round next Saturday. East Stroudsburg, which finished in fifth place in the PSAC East but was one of five PSAC teams to finish with an 8-3 overall record, earned the No. 4 seed and the Warriors will host No. 5 Edinboro in the first round on Saturday.
West Liberty out of the WVIAC earned the top seed and first round bye. The Hilltoppers will take on the winner of the East Stroudsburg/Edinboro game in two weeks on November 21. Edinboro was responsible for West Liberty's only loss of the season back on August 30 in the season opener at Edinboro. In the other potential second round matchup, the winner of the California/Fayetteville State game will travel to Shippensburg, which could lead to a rematch of yesterday's PSAC championship game should the Vulcans top FSU in round one.
Game times for the two first round games will be announced later this week.