Bears Awarded No. 6 National Seed, 1st Round Bye In NCAA Playoffs
11/23/2025 3:08:00 PM | Football
INDIANAPOLIS – No. 6 National Seed Mercer will face the winner of the opening-round matchup between 11th-seeded South Dakota and Drake on December 6 at Five Star Stadium. Kickoff time is scheduled for noon and tickets are slated to go on sale on Tuesday.
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It will mark the third-straight NCAA FCS Playoffs appearance for the Bears (9-2, 8-0Â SoCon) who became the first team since 2008 and 2009 to capture back-to-back outright Southern Conference championships with their win over visiting Chattanooga on November 15 in Macon.
One of 13 at-large selections for the NCAA postseason, South Dakota (8-4, 6-2 MVFC) finished second in the final Missouri Valley Football Conference standings and boasts the nation's 23rd-best rushing attack behind an offensive line that has allowed just 16 sacks through 12 games. The Coyotes have also yielded just nine turnovers all season as well.
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Drake (8-3, 7-1 PFL) received an automatic bid to the FCS Playoffs after clinching the Pioneer Football League title with a 17-10 home victory over Morehead State on Saturday. The Bulldogs rank 15th among all 126 NCAA FCS schools in total defense (314.7 yards/game allowed), as well as the nation's 18th-ranked rushing offense (198.8 rushing yards/game).
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It will mark the third-straight NCAA FCS Playoffs appearance for the Bears (9-2, 8-0Â SoCon) who became the first team since 2008 and 2009 to capture back-to-back outright Southern Conference championships with their win over visiting Chattanooga on November 15 in Macon.
One of 13 at-large selections for the NCAA postseason, South Dakota (8-4, 6-2 MVFC) finished second in the final Missouri Valley Football Conference standings and boasts the nation's 23rd-best rushing attack behind an offensive line that has allowed just 16 sacks through 12 games. The Coyotes have also yielded just nine turnovers all season as well.
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Drake (8-3, 7-1 PFL) received an automatic bid to the FCS Playoffs after clinching the Pioneer Football League title with a 17-10 home victory over Morehead State on Saturday. The Bulldogs rank 15th among all 126 NCAA FCS schools in total defense (314.7 yards/game allowed), as well as the nation's 18th-ranked rushing offense (198.8 rushing yards/game).
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