University of Wisconsin La Crosse Snubbed, Left Out of Playoffs

http://cslab.uwlax.edu/~ander_rj/foot/97playoffs.html (Internet on a CD, 07/1998)

For just the second time in the last 10 years, the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse football team will be on the sidelines when the NCAA III Football Playoffs begin on Nov. 22. That's because the Eagles (7-2) were passed over in favor of Concordia-Moorhead (8-2) for the fourth seed in the West Region. The Eagles, whose two losses came to UW-WHitewater and UW-Stout, finished in second place in the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference, traditionally one of the strongest in the nation. The last time the Eagles didn't make the playoffs in 1994, they respnded the next year by becoming the first NCAA III team in history to go 14-0 as they won the Amos Alonzo Stagg Bowl with a victory over Rowan. A list of the pairings is below.

1997 NCAA Football Playoffs First Round Matchups Nov. 22

West Region

Simpson, Iowa, 10-0, at Wis.-Whitewater, 9-0.
Augsburg, 9-1, at Concordia, 8-2. Noon at Fargodome

North Region

Allegheny, Pa., 9-1, at Mount Union, Ohio, 10-0
John Carroll, Ohio, 9-1, at Hanover, Ind., 10-0.

South Region
Western Maryland, 10-0. at Lycoming, Pa., 9-0. at
Catholic, D.C., 10-0, at Trinity, Texas, 9-0.

East Region

Coast Guard, Conn., 9-1 at Rowan, N.J., 9-0. at
College of New Jersey, 8-2 at Cortland State, N.Y., 8-2.

Championship Schedule
NCAA 1st round Nov. 22
NCAA 2nd round Nov. 29 Regional Championships
NCAA 3rd round Dec. 6 (Semis, West at North, East at South)
Championship Dec. 13 Amos Alonzo Stagg Bowl - Salem, Virginia -
City of Salem and Old Dominion Athletic Conference, cohosts

CHAMPIONSHIP STRUCTURE:

The Division III football championship provides for a maximum field of 16 teams. Participating institutions normally are geographically paired for first- round games within their respective regions. However, if two teams in the same region have played during the season, the committee may elect to pair teams differently.

First-round winners within each region play each other in the quarterfinals. The East region winner will play the South region winner and the West region winner will play the North region winner. All three preliminary rounds will be played on campus or at an alternate site approved by the Division III Football Committee.

The Amos Alonzo Stagg Bowl, the national championship game, will be played December 13 in Salem, Virginia.

SELECTION PROCESS:

All teams normally will be eligible for the Division III championship in the region in which they are located geographically; however, a limited number of teams have been relocated to other regions because of conference affiliation. Four teams have been selected per region to make up the field of 16 teams and, therefore, strong consideration is given to regional play.

CONFERENCES RECEIVING AUTOMATIC QUALIFICATION:

No automatic berths are awarded for the Division III championship.

DEFENDING CHAMPION:

Mount Union defeated Rowan, 56-24, to claim the 1996 championship. It was the Raiders' second NCAA football championship; the first coming in 1993 when they also defeated Rowan.