(COLUMBUS, Ohio)—Capital University will host North Central (Ill.) College in the second round of the NCAA Division III Football Championship Saturday, Nov. 25, at 12 p.m. at Bernlohr Stadium in Columbus.
These two teams met in last year’s NCAA Playoffs in the first round as Capital scored a 21-19 win in Naperville, Illinois.
The Crusaders, ranked No. 4 in the nation, advanced to the second round with a 32-14 win over Wittenberg University last Saturday in Columbus, while North Central was one of three road teams to win in the first round with a 35-6 win over Concordia (Wis.) University in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. It was the Cardinals first-ever NCAA Playoff win in school history.
This week’s game will featue a matchup of two of the nation’s top quartbacks in Capital’s Rocky Pentello and North Central’s Kam Kniss. Pentello, who is fourth all-time in NCAA Division III history with 11,815 passing yards, had a career-high 423 yards passing last week against Wittenberg. Kniss is a two-time College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin Offensive Player of the Year, who holds virtually every school and conference passing record.
Capital is making its second straight and third overall appearance in the NCAA Division III Football Championship. The Crusaders last hosted a postseason football game in 1970 when they defeated Luther (Iowa) College, 34-21 in the Amos Alonzo Stagg Bowl. The NCAA did not make the Stagg Bowl its championship game or hold a Division III playoff until 1973.
North Central is making its second straight and second-ever appearance in the NCAA Division III Football Championship.
All of Capital University’s football playoff games will be broadcast on flagship station WFCO 90.9 FM (Lancaster/Columbus) and WXOL 1550 AM (Columbus). The broadcast will also be simulcast on the Internet at www.capitalcrusaders.net.
TICKETS are $8 for adults and $4 for students. An advance ticket sale will be held on Monday and Tuesday from 12-5 p.m. in the athletic department offices on the second floor of The Capital Center. Tickets will also be available at the stadium when the gates open at 10:30 a.m. Saturday.
For ticket questions call the athletic department at (614) 236-6209.