2002 Division II Football Championship Field Announced

November 17, 2002 -

2002 Championship Brackets

INDIANAPOLIS -- The NCAA Division II Football Committee announced today the field of 16 teams for the 2002 NCAA Division II Football Championship.

Eight first-round games will be conducted on the campus of one of the competing institutions, and the winners will meet in the quarterfinals. Quarterfinal winners will advance to play in the semifinals on the campus of one of the competing institutions. Four teams selected per region make up the field of 16 teams.

The first-round dates, sites and pairings are:

November 23 at Valdosta, Georgia
*Valdosta State University (11-0) vs. Catawba College (8-2)

November 23 at Jefferson City, Tennessee
*Carson-Newman College (11-0) vs. Fayetteville State University (10-1)

November 23 at Ellensburg, Washington
*Central Washington University (11-0) vs. University of California, Davis (8-2)

November 23 at Kearney, Nebraska
*University of Nebraska at Kearney (9-1) vs. Texas A&M University - Kingsville (8-2)

November 23 at Allendale, Michigan
*Grand Valley State University (10-0) vs. C.W. Post Campus/Long Island University (11-0)

November 23 at Indiana, Pennsylvania
*Indiana University of Pennsylvania (10-1) vs. Saginaw Valley State University (9-2)

November 23 at Maryville, Missouri
*Northwest Missouri State University (11-0) vs. University of Minnesota Duluth (11-0)

November 23 at Greeley, Colorado
*University of Northern Colorado (10-1) vs. Central Missouri State University (10-1)

*Denotes Host Institution

Starting times will be determined by the host institution. All contests shall start between noon and 1 p.m. local time. Other times may be established if approved by the committee.

University of North Dakota defeated Grand Valley State University in the 2001 national championship game to claim its first NCAA title.

The championship game will be played December 14, at 3 p.m. Central time at Braly Municipal Stadium in Florence, Alabama and will be broadcast live on ESPN. The 2002 championship will mark 17 consecutive years that the Division II championship game has been played in Florence.