INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. - Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference champion Trinity University (10-0) and league runner-up Centre College (8-1) earned bids to the 2011 NCAA Division III Football Championship. Interactive Bracket | Printable Bracket
With Trinity's and Centre's NCAA playoff berths, it marks the first time in SCAC history that two teams have made the NCAA playoffs in the same season.
Trinity, by way of its perfect 6-0 SCAC record, earned the league's automatic bid to the playoffs. The Tigers (No. 11 AFCA/No. 15 D3football.com) advance to the NCAA playoffs for the first time since the 2007 season. It marks the Tigers' 12th appearance in the NCAA Division III playoffs.
Trinity will open up at home against McMurry University (8-2) on Saturday, November 19 at 12 p.m. CST. McMurry's (No. 19 D3football.com/No. 24 AFCA) only two losses on the season are to Division I FCS member Stephen F. Austin and fourth-ranked Mary Hardin-Baylor. The winner will play the winner of Mary Hardin-Baylor (10-0) vs. Redlands (Calif.) (8-1) the following week.
Centre earned an at-large bid to the field of 32 after finishing 5-1 in SCAC play, with its only conference loss coming to Trinity. Centre (No. 25 D3football.com) will host Old Dominion Athletic Conference chamion Hampden-Sydney (8-2). The Colonels enter the NCAA Division III playoffs for the first time in school history. It also marks the program's first postseason berth since the 1921 season.
