By The Keystone Newspaper They receive first-round bye and home field throughout playoffs
By Mitchell Smedley
On Sunday, Nov. 17, the KU Golden Bears football team was selected as the number one seed in Region 1 for the NCAA Division II playoffs. This achievement capped off an undefeated regular season for the Golden Bears, who followed up their dominant run to the national semifinals last year with an even more impressive run in 2024.
Region 1 is not for the faint of heart, with several formidable challengers looking to dethrone KU as the region’s champion. University of Charleston, who only had a single loss in 2024, is the number two seed. KU beat Charleston in comeback fashion during last year’s playoffs. Charleston will face Ashland in the first round.
The third ranking team in the region is California University, the team KU just beat in the PSAC championship game. The Vulcans will be no easy out, with their playmakers on offense and stout run defense. The Vulcans will face another PSAC team, East Stroudsburg University. ESU likely posed the greatest resistance to KU during the regular season this year, forcing the Golden Bears to execute a 4th quarter comeback to earn the win.
In the second round, KU will play the winner of the Slippery Rock vs. New Haven game. KU beat Slippery Rock twice during last year’s run despite Slippery Rock looking destined to represent the region in the national bracket.
The first round of playoff action will take place Saturday, Nov. 23. KU will take on the winner of Slippery Rock and New Haven the following week, Nov. 30, at Andre Reed Stadium.