NCAA Division III Bracket
Indianapolis, Ind. - The University of Wisconsin-La Crosse football team has earned an at-large bid to the 2024 National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division III Championships, the national committee announced Sunday. The Eagles are one of 12 at-large teams in the 40-team field.
UWL hosts the University of Northwestern (Minn.) in the first round on Saturday, November 23. Kickoff is set for 12 p.m. at Roger Harring Stadium at Veterans Memorial Field Sports Complex. UWL and Northwestern (Minn.) both finished 7-3 in the regular season. Tickets will only be sold on game day with the ticket box office opening at 10:30 a.m. All tickets (cash or credit card) are general admission at $10.00 for adults, $6.00 for senior and $4.00 for youth/student.
Making its 15th appearance (1983, 1991-93, 1995-96, 1999, 2002-04, 2006, 2021-24) in school history in the NCAA III Championships, including fourth straight, UWL is 19-12 all-time in NCAA playoff history with two (1992, 1995) national titles. The four consecutive national championship berths is the first time UWL has accomplished the feat with six straight trips from 1988-93. UWL advanced to its sixth (1991-93, 1995-96, 2023) appearance in the national quarterfinals last season.
Last season, playing all three games at home, advanced to the quarterfinals for the first time since 1996. UWL earned an opening round victory (62-7) over the University of Minnesota Morris a year ago followed by a second round win (56-35) against Aurora University (Ill.). The Eagles fell (55-42) in the national quarterfinals to top-ranked North Central College (Ill.). UWL's 62 points versus Minnesota Morris are the most points in a playoff game in school history. The Eagles are 11-4 at home in the NCAA Division III Championships.
The Eagles finished 5-2 in the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) this season, placing second in the league standings. After a pair of losses in league play to UW-Platteville (30-27 in overtime) and at UW-Oshkosh (34-33), UWL won five consecutive games to finish the regular season. The Eagles earned WIAC wins over UW-Eau Claire (34-7), UW-River Falls (28-24), UW-Stout (33-31), UW-Whitewater (24-21) and UW-Stevens Point (56-14).
In non-conference play, UWL went 2-1. The Eagles opened the season with a victory (35-0) at Rensselarer Polytechnic Institute (N.Y.) followed by a win (35-21) in their home opener over NCAA Division II Northern Michigan University. UWL lost (20-13) its final non-conference game at NCAA Division II Grand Valley State University (Mich.).
UWL and Northwestern (Minn.) will be meeting for the first time in school history. The Eagles of Northwestern (Minn.) earned the Upper Midwest Athletic Conference (UMAC) automatic bid to this year's NCAA Division III Championships with their 7-0 league mark. Northwestern (Minn.) went 0-3 in non-conference play, including a 56-19 lost to WIAC member UW-Stout.
Twenty-eight teams earned automatic bids to the NCAA III Championships while 12 squads earned at-large bids. First round action is Saturday, November 23 with second round set for Saturday, November 30 and third round on Saturday, December 7. Quarterfinals are set for Saturday, December 14. The national semifinals are Saturday, December 21 and the national championship game will take place Sunday, January 5 at Shell Stadium in Houston, Texas, on ESPN.
The 40 teams are placed in four competition brackets, each consisting of 10 teams. Twenty-four teams receive first round byes.
