INDIANAPOLIS – Central Oklahoma is returning to the NCAA Division II Football Championships for the first time since 2003 and the Bronchos learned their postseason position with the announcement of the 28-team bracket Sunday night.
UCO will be the No. 4 seed in Super Region III and will host a first-round playoff game against Ouachita Baptist Saturday, Nov. 23 at 1 p.m. The postseason contest at Chad Richison Stadium will be the first home playoff game in Edmond since the 1998 season.
Central Oklahoma posted a 10-1 record this year, with a 9-1 mark in the MIAA. The Bronchos won the league title for the first time since joining the league in 2012.
Ouachita Baptist, of Arkadelphia, Arkansas, also went 10-1 this season and won the Great American Conference title.
Ferris State (Mich.) was awarded the No. 1 seed in Super Region III and earned a first-round bye. The winner of Central Oklahoma and Ouachita Baptist will head to Big Rapids, Michigan Nov. 30 for the second-round matchup. FSU went 10-1 this season and won the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletics Conference title.
The other two first-round matchups include No. 2 Grand Valley State (10-1) hosting No. 7 Indianapolis (10-1). Grand Valley finished runners-up in the GLIAC with its only loss to Ferris State. UIndy won the Great Lakes Valley Conference. Lastly, No. 3 Pittsburg State (8-2) will host No. 6 Harding (10-1). Pitt State and Harding were both second in their respective conferences.
