2002 Division III Football Selections Announced

November 17, 2002 - All Games Start at 12 Noon Local Time

2002 Championship Bracket

INDIANAPOLIS -- The NCAA Division III Football Committee announced today the field of 28 teams for the 2002 NCAA Division III Football Championship. The committee selected teams based on conference results and competition within an institution's respective evaluation region.

Eighteen conferences received automatic-qualifying berths. Seven berths were reserved for true independents and those teams that are members of conferences that do not receive automatic qualification. The remaining three berths were awarded to teams from automatic qualifying conferences that did not win an automatic berth.

The first round of the championship will be played November 23 at the host institution's campus or at an alternate site approved by the football committee. The Amos Alonzo Stagg Bowl, the national championship game, will be played December 21, at Salem Stadium in Salem, Virginia. The first-round dates, sites, and team match-ups are:

November 23 at
*Alma College (9-1) vs. Wheaton College (Illinois) (9-1)
Winner will advance to play at Mount Union College (10-0) on November 30.

November 23 at
*Hanover College (10-0) vs. Wittenberg University (9-1)

November 23 at
*Wabash College (10-0) vs. MacMurray College (10-0)

November 23 at
*State University College at Brockport (8-2) vs. Springfield College (8-1)
Winner will advance to play at Rowan University (10-0) on November 30.

November 23 at
*Hobart College (8-1) vs. John Carroll University (9-1)

November 23 at
*Muhlenberg College (9-1) vs. University of Massachusetts, Dartmouth (11-0)

November 23 at
*Wartburg College (9-1) vs. Lake Forest College (9-1)
Winner will advance to play at Linfield College (9-0) on November 30.

November 23 at
*Coe College (9-1) vs. University of Wisconsin, La Crosse (7-3)

November 23 at
*St. John's University (Minnesota) (9-1) vs. University of Redlands (7-2)

November 23 at
*King's College (Pennsylvania) (8-2) vs. Salisbury University (9-1)
Winner will advance to play at Bridgewater College (Virginia) (10-0) on November 30

November 23 at
*Washington and Jefferson College (8-2) vs. Christopher Newport University (6-4)

November 23 at
*Trinity University (Texas) (10-0) vs. University of Mary Hardin-Baylor (10-0)

*Denotes host institution

All games start at noon local time.

The following 18 conferences and their respective schools received automatic-qualifying berths:

American Southwest Conference - Mary Hardin-Baylor
Centennial Conference - Muhlenberg
College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin - Wheaton (Illinois)
Dixie Athletic Conference - Christopher Newport
Freedom Football Conference - Springfield
Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference - Hanover
Illini-Badger Conference - MacMurray
Iowa Intercollegiate Athletic Conference - Coe
Middle Atlantic States Collegiate Athletic Conference - King's (Pennsylvania)
Midwest Conference - Lake Forest
Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference - St. John's (Minnesota)
New England Football Conference - Massachusetts-Dartmouth
New Jersey Athletic Conference - Rowan
North Coast Athletic Conference - Wabash
Ohio Athletic Conference - Mount Union
Old Dominion Athletic Conference - Bridgewater (Virginia)
Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference - Trinity (Texas)
 

Defending national champion Mount Union College will try to gain its sixth NCAA football championship in seven years. They captured the 2001 championship by edging out Bridgewater College (Virginia) 30-27. The Purple Raiders became just the second team to win six NCAA football championships, joining Division I-AA Georgia Southern University.

The complete 2002 NCAA Division III Football Championship bracket follows.