Southland Conference

2008 NCAA Division I Football Championship Field Announced

11/24/2008 6:00:00 AM

INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. ? The field of 16 teams competing for the 2008 NCAA Division I Football Championship was announced today by the NCAA Division I Football Championship Committee.

James Madison University (10-1) tops the bracket as the top seed after capturing the automatic qualifying berth from the Colonial Athletic Association. The Dukes, who won the 2004 national championship, are making their ninth tournament appearance. 

Second-seeded Appalachian State University (10-2), the three-time defending Football Championship Subdivision national champion, is making its 16th appearance. The Mountaineers captured the Southern Conference automatic berth.

The University of Northern Iowa (10-2), which is making its 14th tournament appearance, is the number-three seed. The Panthers were the national runners-up to Appalachian State in 2005.

Rounding out this year’s seeded teams is the University of Montana (11-1) with the number- four seed. The Grizzlies, who won the 1995 and 2001 national championship, are making their 16th straight appearance and 19th overall.

Other first-round hosts include Cal Poly (8-2), University of Richmond (9-3), Missouri Valley Football Conference automatic qualifier Southern Illinois University (9-2), and Villanova University (9-2).

Other automatic qualifiers in the tournament include 2003 national runners-up Colgate University (9-2), which earned the automatic bid from the Patriot League. Eastern Kentucky University (8-3) was the automatic qualifier from the Ohio Valley Conference, while South Carolina State University (10-2) earned the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference’s automatic bid. Texas State University (8-4) was the automatic qualifier from the Southland Conference and Weber State University (9-3) was the automatic qualifier from the Big Sky Conference.

Other teams in the field are University of Maine (8-4), University of New Hampshire (9-2), Richmond University (9-3) and Wofford College (9-2).

Eight conferences received automatic-qualifying berths: the Big Sky Conference, Colonial Athletic Association, Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference, Missouri Valley Football Conference, Ohio Valley Conference, Patriot League, Southern Conference and Southland Conference.

ESPN’s family of networks will once again provide coverage of all rounds of the 2008 NCAA Division I Football Championship. In the first round, ESPNU/ESPNUHD will broadcast the South Carolina State at Appalachian State game live at Noon ET, Saturday, November 29.

The 2008 NCAA Division I Football Championship game is slated for 8 p.m. Eastern time Friday, December 19, at W. Max Finley Stadium/Davenport Field in Chattanooga, Tennessee. ESPN2/ESPN2HD/ESPN360.com will televise the championship game.

More games may possibly be televised in the first round as well as additional rounds. Television schedules and games times for all rounds of the 2008 championship will be updated daily at the NCAA Sports web site (www.ncaa.com).

November 29 at Harrisburg, Va.

Wofford (9-2) at No. 1 James Madison (10-1)

November 29 at Philadelphia, Pa.

Colgate (9-2) at Villanova (9-2)

November 29 at Missoula, Mont.

Texas St. (8-4) at No. 4 Montana (11-1)

November 29 at San Luis Obispo, Calif.

Weber St. (9-3) at Cal Poly (8-2)

November 29 at Boone, N.C. (ESPNU/ESPNUHD at Noon ET)

South Carolina St. (10-2) at No. 2 Appalachian St. (10-2)

November 29 at Richmond, Va.

Eastern Ky. (8-3) at Richmond (9-3)

November 29 at Cedar Falls, Iowa

Maine (8-4) at No. 3 UNI (10-2)

November 29 at Carbondale, Ill.

New Hampshire (9-2) at Southern Ill. (9-2)

The 2008 championship field consists of eight automatic qualifiers and eight at-large qualifiers.

Cal Poly

Great West Conference