Sioux Falls and Minnesota Duluth will represent the NSIC in the NCAA Super Region Three playoffs as the pairings were released by the NCAA.
USF, which finished with a 11-0 record and won the NSIC Overall and South Division Championships, earned the number two seed and will host the seventh seed Azusa Pacific (9-2) of the GNAC on Saturday, Nov. 19. It is the second straight appearance in the DII playoffs for USF and is also USF’s third straight postseason appearance overall.
Minnesota Duluth, which finished 10-1 and won the NSIC North Division Championship, earned the fifth seed and will travel to fourth seed Emporia State (10-1) from the MIAA on Saturday. It will mark just the second meeting ever between the two clubs with the other coming in the opening round of NCAA II playoffs two years ago at James S. Malosky Stadium, where the Bulldogs prevailed 55-13. The Bulldogs have now qualified for the NCAA II playoffs on 10 occasions (2002, 2005 and 2008-14 and 2016) in their 84-year history and have an 14-7 record to show for it (6-5 away from Malosky Stadium and 3-2 under fourth-year head coach Curt Wiese).
Northwest Missouri State from the MIAA earned the top seed and first round bye. NMSU will host the winner of the UMD/Emporia State game.
