As the Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference's (SCIAC) undefeated champion, the University of Redlands football team knew it was headed to the 2013 NCAA Division III Championships. But the questions of opponent and location remained a mystery until the NCAA's announcement earlier today. The Bulldogs face No. 3 University of Mary Hardin-Baylor (TX) in a rematch from the teams' season-opener, with the postseason showdown taking place in Belton, Texas, on Saturday, November 23, at 12 noon Central Time.
The Bulldogs fired off an impressive 70-16 triumph over Whittier College in its regular-season finale, wrapping up the program's first undefeated SCIAC schedule since 2002. In addition, this marks the Maroon and Gray's 29th overall football crown and the 11th under Head Coach Mike Maynard, who is in the midst of his 26th campaign with the Bulldogs.
Redlands looks forward to the rematch opportunity with the Crusaders, who prevailed over the Bulldogs by a score of 31-13 in the first game of the season on September 7. Despite the loss, the Maroon and Gray is among just five opponents during the current campaign to score 10 or more points against the Mary Hardin-Baylor defense and the only non-conference foe to do so.
Furthermore, these two teams battled it out in the first round of the 2011 NCAA Championships, making this year's playoff meeting their third encounter in three seasons.
Led by 16th-year Head Coach Pete Fredenburg, UMHB (10-0) earned a spot at the NCAA tournament by winning the American Southwest Conference (ASC) title with an undefeated performance. The Crusaders produced its fourth consecutive 10-0 regular season in the process.
Fans may follow Saturday's action via live stats and video streaming at http://client.stretchinternet.com/client/umhb.portal. In addition, plans are underway for Mitch McClellan of KCAA to travel to Texas in order to provide a live audio broadcast of the game. Stay tuned for more information.
Tickets will go on sale to the general public Wednesday and Thursday from 7:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. Central Time and then on Friday, November 22, from 7:30 a.m. to 12 noon Central Time. Reserved tickets are $10 apiece and general admission tickets are $8 for adults and $5 for students (ages 3-college age) and will be sold from the Crusader Stadium Gate One ticket windows off of University Drive or by phone at (254) 295-4455.
Online ticket sales will open at 7:30 a.m. Central Time on Wednesday, November 20, through the following link: https://www.ticketreturn.com/prod2/team.asp?SponsorID=5745.
There are no complimentary tickets or passes for NCAA postseason contests.
