2012 NCAA Division I Football Championship Game, Nov. 16 e-Newsletter
E-Newsletter, Nov. 16
2012
NCAA Division I Football Championship Game
January 7, 2012; Noon
Pizza Hut Park, Frisco, Texas
The 2012 NCAA
Division I Football Championship Game will be played Saturday, January 7, 2012,
at noon, Central, at Pizza Hut Park in Frisco, Texas. The game, which concludes
a 20-team national playoff, will be hosted by the Southland Conference, the
City of Frisco and Hunt Sports Group. Last year, Eastern Washington beat
Delaware, 20-19, in the first college football game at Pizza Hut Park. The
venue will host the championship again in 2013.
Championship Bracket to be Announced Sunday
The 20-team playoff
bracket for this year's championship will be announced Sunday at 9 a.m.,
Central, on ESPNU. The show will be hosted by Dari Nowkhah with Craig Haubert
and Tom Luginbill providing additional commentary.
Division I Football Championship Structure
Ten member conferences have automatic qualification for this year's
championship, including the Big Sky, Big South, Colonial, Mid-Eastern Athletic,
Missouri Valley Football, Northeast, Ohio Valley, Patriot League, Southern and
Southland. The remaining 10 teams will be selected at large by the Division I Football
Championship Committee. The top five teams in the 20-team bracket for the championship
will be seeded. Check out this account from the SportsNetwork.com about the committee's selection process.
Team pairings will be determined according to geographical proximity,
with the exception that teams from the same conference will not be paired in
games in which both teams are playing their first game of the championship.
Four first-round games will be conducted Nov. 26 on the campus of one of
the competing institutions and the winners will advance to the second round.
The second round features eight games (including the 12 teams that received a
first-round bye) on campus of one of the competing teams, Dec. 3. Second-round
winners meet in the quarterfinals Dec. 9-10 and the semifinals will be played
Dec. 16-16 with those winners advancing to play in the 2012 NCAA Division I
Football Championship Game at Pizza Hut Park in Frisco, Texas on Jan. 7, 2012.
Automatic Bids
Already Locked Up
Mid-Eastern Athletic: Norfolk State (9-2, 7-1)
Patriot League: Lehigh (9-1, 4-0)
Southern: Georgia Southern (9-1, 7-1)
Southland: Sam Houston State (10-0, 7-0)
Other Automatic-Bid Conference Leaders
Big Sky: Montana State (9-1, 7-0)
Big South: Stony Brook (7-3, 5-0) and Liberty (7-3, 5-0)
Colonial Athletic: Maine (8-2, 6-1) and Towson (8-2, 6-1)
Missouri Valley: North Dakota State (9-1, 6-1) and Northern Iowa
(8-2, 6-1)
Northeast: Duquesne (8-2, 6-1) and Albany (7-3, 6-1)
Ohio Valley: Tennessee State (6-4, 5-2), Eastern Kentucky (6-4,
5-2) and Jacksonville State (6-4, 5-2)
About the Football Championship Subdivision
The
Football Championship Subdivision, formerly named Division I-AA from 1978-2005,
is made up of 124 football playing institutions, though only 118 are eligible
for the championship. The FCS includes the conferences and institutions that
compete in the NCAA Division I Football Championship - Big Sky, Big South,
Colonial Athletic Association, Mid-Eastern Athletic, Missouri Valley Football,
Northeast, Ohio Valley, Patriot League, Pioneer Football, Southern and the
Southland - in addition to two other conferences, the Ivy League and the
Southwestern Athletic Conference. The FCS experience provides more than 12,000
NCAA student-athletes with an opportunity to compete while also working toward
an academic degree and ultimately graduation. The FCS embodies a tradition of
excellence through high level competition, student-athlete character and
sportsmanship throughout the regular season and the championship experience.
FCS History
The
2012 NCAA Division I Football Championship Game will be the 34th edition. The
first championship took place in 1978 when Florida A&M beat Massachusetts
35-28 in Wichita Falls, Texas. Chattanooga, Tenn., has hosted the championship
game more than any other city with 13 games between 1997-2009. The FCS was
formerly named Division I-AA from 1978-2005. Since the NCAA does not sponsor a
championship for the FBS, the tournament to determine the FCS winner was
changed to be called the Division I Football Championship in 2006. Georgia
Southern has won the most championships with six.
All-Time NCAA
Division I National Champions
Appalachian
State (3 championships), Boise State, Delaware, Eastern Kentucky (2), Eastern
Washington, Florida A&M, Furman, Georgia Southern (6), Idaho State, James
Madison, Louisiana-Monroe, Massachusetts, Marshall (2), Montana (2), Montana
State, Richmond, Southern Illinois, Western Kentucky, Villanova, and Youngstown
State (4).
This Week's National
FCS Polls
FCS
Coaches Poll (Nov. 14)
|
Rk.
|
Team (No. 1 Votes)
|
Record
|
|
1.
|
Montana
State (18)
|
9-1
|
|
2.
|
Georgia
Southern (2)
|
9-1
|
|
3.
|
Sam
Houston State (8)
|
10-0
|
|
4.
|
Northern
Iowa
|
8-2
|
|
5.
|
North
Dakota State
|
9-1
|
|
6.
|
Lehigh
|
9-1
|
|
7.
|
Montana
|
8-2
|
|
8.
|
Appalachian
State
|
7-3
|
|
9.
|
Old
Dominion
|
9-2
|
|
10.
|
Towson
|
8-2
|
For the complete FCS
Top 25 Coaches poll, click here.
The
Sports Network/Fathead.com Poll (Nov. 14)
|
Rk.
|
Team (No. 1 Votes)
|
Record
|
|
1.
|
Montana State (76)
|
9-1
|
|
2.
|
Sam Houston State (71)
|
10-0
|
|
3.
|
Georgia Southern (8)
|
9-1
|
|
4.
|
Northern Iowa
|
8-2
|
|
5.
|
North Dakota State (1)
|
9-1
|
|
6.
|
Lehigh
|
9-1
|
|
7.
|
Montana
|
8-2
|
|
8.
|
Towson
|
8-2
|
|
9.
|
Appalachian State
|
7-3
|
|
10.
|
Old Dominion
|
9-2
|
For the complete
Sports Network/Fathead.com Top 25, click here.
FCS Game of the
Week: Nov. 19
No. 7 Montana at No. 1 Montana
State, Bobcat Stadium, Bozeman, Mont.1:05 p.m., Central; TV: KPAX-TV
in Missoula, Mont.
Buy Tickets Now and Save
With the championship
bracket announcement a little over two weeks away, fans can save by buying
their tickets now for the 2012 NCAA Division I Football Championship Game at
Pizza Hut Park in Frisco, Texas. Fans are encouraged to buy early for the most
affordable ticket options, which are just $35 for a midfield seat and $30 for a
sideline seat. After the playoff bracket is announced Nov. 20, tickets increase
to $45/$40 and on game day to $55/50. Tickets for the game are now available
online at ncaa.com/fcs or by calling (469) 365-0000 for group and
suite sales. Another attractive ticket package is the Family Four-Pack, which
includes four tickets to the game, four hot dogs and four drinks for $99.
Tailgate
Town Opens at 9 a.m. on Game Day
Where's
the best place to get ready for the NCAA Division I Football Championship game?
It is just outside of Pizza Hut Park in Tailgate Town! This fun-filled,
interactive area allows fans of any age a chance to experience the thrills,
excitement and spirit of college football. Whether you try your hand at
quarterback, ride the mechanical bull, cheer on your favorite team's band and
cheerleaders, or just kick back with some of Frisco's best food and drink... this
is the place to be before the big game! Admission is free. Tailgate Town opens
at 9 a.m. on game day, Saturday, Jan. 7.
Key Upcoming Dates
Nov. 19: Final Regular Season Games
Nov. 20: NCAA Announces 20-Team Bracket for 2012 NCAA
Championship, 9 a.m., Central (ESPNU)
Nov. 26: First-Round
Games at Campus Sites
Dec. 3:
Second-Round Games at Campus Sites
Dec. 9-10:
Quarterfinal Games at Campus Sites
Dec. 16-17: Semifinal
Games at Campus Sites
Jan. 7: NCAA
Division I Championship Game, Pizza Hut Park, Frisco; Noon, Central (ESPN2)
