Mercer 8th In Initial FCS Football Committee Top 10
10/31/2024 11:12:00 AM | Football
INDIANAPOLIS – The Mercer Bears were among the nation's Top 10 teams in the initial Division I Football Championship Committee in-season top 10 ranking that was released on Wednesday afternoon by the NCAA. The 8th-ranked Bears are the only institution in the ranking that is located east of the Mississippi River.
Â
The committee used results of games played through Oct. 26, and these in-season rankings serve as a snapshot as to where the committee has teams ranked heading into the final four weeks of the regular season.
Â
The committee consider some of the following criteria (in no order) when selecting at large teams:
Â
The committee's top 10 rankings give insight into which teams are in contention for the first-round byes given to the eight seeded teams in the FCS playoff bracket. For the first time in 2024, teams seeded Nos. 9-16 will also be seeded, increasing the importance of the last two teams ranked in the committee's rankings. Click or tap here for more on this year's FCS Championship.
The Bears (7-1, 4-1 SoCon) will be back in action again on Saturday when they culminate Homecoming Week on campus by battling the 23rd-ranked East Tennessee State Buccaneers (5-3, 3-1) at Five Star Stadium. Kickoff is slated for 3 p.m.
Tickets are still available and can be purchased by visiting MercerBears.com/Tickets.
Â
The committee used results of games played through Oct. 26, and these in-season rankings serve as a snapshot as to where the committee has teams ranked heading into the final four weeks of the regular season.
Â
The committee consider some of the following criteria (in no order) when selecting at large teams:
Â
- Each team's won-lost record
- Each team's strength of schedule
- The won-lost record of a team will be scrutinized to determine a team's strength of schedule; however, fewer than six Division I wins may place a team in jeopardy of not being selected.
- The committee may give more consideration to those teams that have played all Division I opponents.
- Eligibility and availability of student-athletes for the NCAA championship
- Two predictive methods (Massey and ESPN)
- Two results-based metrics (KPI and ESPN) as a tool for evaluating teams.
- Unlike past years, the FCS Coaches Poll and FCS STATS Perform Poll ARE NOT considered.
The committee's top 10 rankings give insight into which teams are in contention for the first-round byes given to the eight seeded teams in the FCS playoff bracket. For the first time in 2024, teams seeded Nos. 9-16 will also be seeded, increasing the importance of the last two teams ranked in the committee's rankings. Click or tap here for more on this year's FCS Championship.
The Bears (7-1, 4-1 SoCon) will be back in action again on Saturday when they culminate Homecoming Week on campus by battling the 23rd-ranked East Tennessee State Buccaneers (5-3, 3-1) at Five Star Stadium. Kickoff is slated for 3 p.m.
Tickets are still available and can be purchased by visiting MercerBears.com/Tickets.
Mercer Football Press Conference (Week 4 vs Citadel)
Tuesday, September 16
Mercer 22, Wofford 21 | Postgame Press Conference (9/13/25)
Sunday, September 14
Mercer Football 2025 | vs. Wofford | Full Game Highlights
Sunday, September 14
Mercer Football Press Conference (Week 3 vs. Wofford)
Monday, September 08
