DATE: October 23, 2006
Beavers earn first NCAA regional ranking since 2004
BEMIDJI, Minn. - Bemidji State’s football program cracked the NCAA Regional Rankings for the first time this season, checking in at No. 10 this week on the strength of its 28-7 victory over then-18th ranked Winona State on Oct. 21.
The NCAA Regional Rankings are used as a guide for the Division II Football Committee to select the 24-team NCAA Division II Football Championship. There are no automatic qualifiers to the Division II Football Championship, although earned access to the playoffs can be gained by a conference champion if it is ranked in the top 10 of the final regional poll.
The Division II Football Championship provides for a maximum field of 24 teams, six from each of the four regions of the country. Eight first-round games will be conducted on the campus of one of the competing institutions on Nov. 18. The top two seeds in each region will receive a bye in the first round of the playoffs.
The winners of the first-round games in each region will advance to play one of the teams that received a bye in their region in the second round, on the campus of one of the competing institutions. The winners will meet in the quarterfinals on the campus of one of the competing institutions. Regional champions advance to play in the national semifinals on the campus of one of the competing institutions. The Division II Football Championship culminates with the national championship game on Dec. 16, 2006 in Florence, Ala.
The regional ranking is a rarety for the Bemidji State program. The No. 10 ranking is BSU’s first since Oct. 6, 2004, when the Beavers checked in at No. 11. Prior to that, BSU had not been regionally ranked since checking in at No. 9 in the final poll of the 2000 season.
With the victory over Winona State, the Beavers (6-2, 5-0 NSIC) control their own destiny for the program’s first NSIC championship since 1959. Saturday’s win over Winona State, coupled with Southwest Minnesota State’s loss to Wayne State (Neb.), gives the Beavers an effective two-game lead in the NSIC race with three regular-season contests remaining. BSU wraps up its only two-game homestand of the season Saturday, Oct. 28 when it hosts Southwest Minnesota State in its final appearance of the season at Chet Anderson Stadium Opening kickoff is set for 1:00 p.m. Central time.
--beavers--
| Northeast |
Northwest |
Southeast |
Southwest |
1 |
Shepherd (7-0) |
1 |
Grand Valley State (8-0) |
1 |
Newberry (8-0) |
1 |
NW Missouri State (8-0) |
2 |
Bloomsburg (7-1) |
2
|
Nebraska-Omaha (6-1) |
2 |
North Alabama (7-0) |
2 |
Chadron State (8-0) |
3 |
SE Connecticut St. (5-3) |
3 |
North Dakota (6-1) |
3 |
N. Carolina Central (8-0) |
3 |
Western Mo. St. (7-1) |
4 |
C.W. Post (6-2) |
4 |
South Daktota (7-1) |
4 |
Wingate (6-2) |
4 |
Abilene Christian (7-0) |
5 |
Bryant (6-2) |
5 |
Northwood (6-1) |
5 |
Valdosta State (6-1) |
5 |
West Texas A&M (7-1) |
6 |
California (Pa.) (6-2) |
6 |
Winona State (6-2) |
6 |
Elizabeth City St. (7-1) |
6 |
Fort Lewis (6-3) |
7 |
Merrimack (5-3) |
7 |
Ferris St. (6-2) |
7 |
Presbyterian (5-3) |
7 |
Tarleton State (4-3) |
8 |
Indiana (Pa.) (6-1) |
8 |
Augustana (5-3) |
8 |
Henderson State (6-2) |
8 |
Midwestern St. (6-2) |
9 |
East Stroudsburg (6-2) |
9 |
Minn.-Duluth (5-3) |
9 |
Delta State (6-2) |
9 |
Pittsburg State (7-1) |
10 |
American Int'l (5-2) |
10 |
BEMIDJI STATE (6-2) |
10 |
Lane (7-1) |
10 |
SE Okla. State (4-3) |
11 |
West Chester (5-3) |
11 |
Central Washington (5-3) |
11 |
Carson-Newman (6-2) |
11 |
Truman (4-4) |
12 |
Bentley (4-4) |
12 |
Indianapolis (5-3) |
12 |
Johnson C. Smith (6-2) |
12 |
Central Oklahoma (5-3) |
|
