Weber State players, coaches and fans react to learning the Wildcats made the Division I FCS Football Playoffs. (Mackenzie Kasper photo)
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For the first time since 2003 and the fifth time since 1988, three Big Sky Conference teams will play in the Division I Football Playoffs.
Eastern Washington and Weber State learned their postseason fates on Sunday morning as the 16-team field was announced, and both received at-large bids to the playoffs.
Undefeated Montana (11-0) , which secured the Big Sky's automatic bid to the playoffs two weeks ago, was awarded the No. 1 seed, guaranteeing the Grizzlies homefield through the semifinals.
"The Big Sky enjoyed a great regular season,'' said Big Sky Commissioner Doug Fullerton. "We felt we have several playoff-caliber teams this year, and we're thankful the committee felt the same way by awarding Montana the No. 1 seed and selecting Eastern Washington and Weber State for at-large berths. "
Montana will play host to South Dakota State of the Missouri Valley Conference on Saturday at Washington-Grizzly Stadium. Eastern Washington will trek to Southland Conference champion Stephen F. Austin, and Weber State will play at William and Mary of the Colonial Athletic Conference.
Montana, which finished off its regular season with a 33-19 win over No. 23 Montana State, is the only undefeated team remaining in the Football Championship Subdivision. Bobby Hauck’s club has won 31 of its last 32 Big Sky games and has gone 48-4 overall since the start of the 2006 season.
The Grizzlies are making a record 17th straight playoff appearance, and their 20th overall, also a record. The Grizzlies have won national titles in 1995 and 2001, and finished second in 1996, 2000, 2004 and 2008.
South Dakota State is in the playoff field for the first time. The former Division II power is 8-3 with losses to Cal Poly, Southern Illinois and Minnesota.
Eastern Washington (8-3) is in the playoff field for the seventh time, the sixth as a member of the Big Sky. The Eagles upset top-seeded Southern Illinois in the 2004 first round, and upset top-seeded McNeese State in the 2007 first round.
EWU, which closed the regular season with four straight victories, entered the season facing a postseason ban from the NCAA as part of a three-year probation. The NCAA overturned the ban on Oct. 27, making Beau Baldwin’s club eligible for a postseason bid.
Stephen F. Austin, making its first playoff appearance since 1995, won the Southland Conference automatic bid. The Lumberjacks are 9-2 this season with losses to Southern Methodist and Texas State.
Weber State is the in the playoff field for the second straight season and the fourth time overall. The Wildcats won five of their final six games to finish 7-4. Weber State opened the season with close losses to Wyoming and Colorado State of the Mountain West Conference. A 26-21 loss at home to Montana State left the Wildcats at 2-3, but a loss to Montana was the only blemish the rest of the season.
Weber State beat Cal Poly in the 2008 first round before losing at Montana in the quarterfinals.
William & Mary is one of four CAA teams in this year's field. The Tribe is 9-2 with losses to playoff teams Villanova and Richmond. William & Mary is in the playoffs for the eighth time overall, and the first since 2004.
Montana and Eastern Washington would meet in the quarterfinals if both win. If Weber State wins, it will play the winner of No. 3 Southern Illinois/Eastern Illinois.
Game times will be announced later Sunday, or Monday.
November 28 at Missoula, Montana
South Dakota St. (8-3) at No. 1 Montana (11-0)
November 28 at Nacogdoches, Texas
Eastern Wash. (8-3) at Stephen F. Austin (9-2)
November 28 at Richmond, Virginia
Elon (9-2) at No. 4 Richmond (10-1)
November 28 at Boone, North Carolina (ESPNU/ESPNUHD at Noon ET)
South Carolina St. (10-1) at Appalachian St. (9-2)
November 28 at Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Holy Cross (9-2) at No. 2 Villanova (10-1)
November 28 at Lake Charles, Louisiana
New Hampshire (9-2) at McNeese St. (9-2)
November 28 at Carbondale, Illinois
Eastern Ill. (8-3) at No. 2 Southern Ill. (10-1)
November 28 at Williamsburg, Virginia
Weber St. (7-4) at William & Mary (9-2)
The 2009 championship field consists of eight automatic qualifiers and eight at-large qualifiers.
AUTOMATIC QUALIFIERS (8)
Montana Big Sky Conference
Villanova Colonial Athletic Association
South Carolina State Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference
Southern Illinois Missouri Valley Football Conference
Eastern Illinois Ohio Valley Conference
Holy Cross Patriot League
Appalachian State Southern Conference
McNeese State Southland Conference
AT-LARGE QUALIFERS (8)
Eastern Washington Big Sky Conference
Weber State Big Sky Conference
New Hampshire Colonial Athletic Association
Richmond Colonial Athletic Association
William and Mary Colonial Athletic Association
South Dakota State Missouri Valley Football Conference
Elon Southern Conference
McNeese State Southland Conference