Shepherd Football Earns Top Seed

The NCAA Division II Football Committee announced the field of 24 teams for the 2005 NCAA Division II Football Championship.

Eight first-round games will be conducted on the campus of one of the
competing institutions. In addition, two teams per region have earned
first-round byes. The first-round winners will all advance to face a bye team in their region in the second round on the campus of one of the competing institutions. Second-round winners will meet in the
quarterfinals at various campus sites. Quarterfinal winners will advance to play in the semifinals on the campus of one of the competing
institutions. Six teams selected per region make up the field of 24 teams.

The first-round dates, sites and pairings are:

November 12 at Albany, Georgia
University of Central Arkansas (9-2) vs. *Albany State University
(Georgia) (8-1)

November 12 at Valdosta, Georgia
University of North Alabama (8-2) vs. *Valdosta State University (9-2)

November 12 at Kearney, Nebraska
Pittsburg State University (8-3) vs. *University of Nebraska at Kearney
(9-2)

November 12 at San Angelo, Texas
Northwest Missouri State University (7-3) vs. *Angelo State University (9-2)

November 12 at Brookville, New York
West Chester University of Pennsylvania (8-3) vs. *C.W. Post Campus/Long
Island University (8-2)

November 12 at East Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania
Southern Connecticut State University (8-2) vs. *East Stroudsburg
University of Pennsylvania (8-2)

November 12 at Grand Forks, North Dakota
University of Minnesota Duluth (8-3) vs. *University of North Dakota (9-2)

November 12 at University Center, Michigan
Northwood University (9-2) vs. *Saginaw Valley State University (9-1)

*Denotes Host Institution

The following institutions earned first-round byes in each region and
also will host a second-round game on November 19, 2005:
Northeast:
1. Shepherd University (11-0)
2. Bloomsburg University of Pennsylvania (11-0)
Southeast:
1. Presbyterian College (10-1)
2. North Carolina Central University (10-1)
Northwest:
1. Grand Valley State University (9-0)
2. University of Nebraska at Omaha (8-2)
Southwest:
1. West Texas A & M University (10-1)
2. Washburn University of Topeka (9-2)

All contests shall start at noon local time. Other times may be
established if approved by the committee. Valdosta State defeated
Pittsburg State in the 2004 national championship game to claim the NCAA title. The championship game will be played December 10, at 3 p.m.
Central time at Braly Municipal Stadium in Florence, Alabama and will be broadcast live on ESPN. The 2005 championship will mark 20 consecutive years that the Division II championship game has been played in Florence.

Shepherd, winners of a school record 18 straight contests, becomes the
first West Virginia Conference team to reach the post-season since
1999. This marks the third NCAA playoff appearance for the Rams.
Shepherd downed Indiana (PA) 9-6 in the 1998 NCAA Division II first
round before falling to Slippery Rock 31-20 in the national quarterfinals. SU dropped a 21-14 decision to Millersville to open the
1999 playoffs.

Monte Cater's Rams are led by a stingy defense that allows a mere 10.4
points and 245.0 yards per game. The offense is keyed by running back
Dervon Wallace, who tied a WVIAC single season with 150 points in 2005.
He also ranked second in the league with 1311 rush yards.

The Rams await the winner of the contest between fifth-seeded West
Chester and fourth seeded C.W. Post. SU, the first team from the WVIAC
to earn a top regional seed in football, will host the initial D-II
playoff contest to be held in West Virginia on November 19. A noon
kickoff is likely.