Photo Courtesy: Harding Athletics (Jeff Montgomery)
SEARCY, Ark. (Harding Univ.) - The nationally-ranked Harding football team will play its
first-ever NCAA Division II playoff game against Northwest Missouri
State, a team that has played for the NCAA Division II national
championship seven times, winning three titles.
More than 200 Harding players, coaches and fans crowded into Harding's
Hammon Student Center on Sunday as the NCAA announced that the Bisons
are the No. 5 seed in Super Region 3 and will travel to Maryville, Mo.,
to meet No. 4 Northwest Missouri State.
Kickoff at Bearcat Stadium will be Saturday, Nov. 17 at 12 p.m.
Information will be available soon about game coverage and how Harding
fans can buy tickets to the game. Check HardingSports.com throughout the
week for further updates.
Northwest Missouri State will be making its 17th NCAA II postseason
appearance. The Bearcats won the championship in 1998, 1999, and 2009.
The winner of the Harding-Northwest Missouri State game will play Super
Region 3's top seed, Minnesota State Mankato, on Saturday, Nov. 24 in
Mankato, Minn.
Harding will be making its fifth postseason appearance overall and its first since reaching the NAIA playoffs in 1992.
Harding, who is 6-0 away from home this season, enters the game with a
9-1 overall record, its best regular season mark since the 1972 team had
the same record and won the Cowboy Bowl over Langston.
Northwest Missouri State is 9-2 overall and finished second in the MIAA
with an 8-2 conference record. The Bearcats are coming off a 21-20 home
loss to Missouri Western on Saturday.
This will be the first meeting between Harding and Northwest Missouri State.