COMPLETE 2017 FCS FOOTBALL PLAYOFF BRACKET

2017 NCAA.com FCS FOOTBALL BRACKET RELEASE

PURCHASE TICKETS HERE

FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. (Nov. 19, 2017) - The Northern Arizona football team has earned an at-large bid to the 2017 NCAA FCS Football Playoffs and will host the University of San Diego in a 6 p.m. MST kickoff at the J. Lawrence Walkup Skydome on Saturday, Nov. 25.

Tickets for Saturday's NAU-San Diego opening round FCS Playoff game start at $10 for children, $15 for seniors and $20 for adults.

Visit nau.edu/footballpromo for online ticket purchases now or call the NAU Central Ticket office at 928-523-5661.

Tickets can also be purchased in person at the J. Lawrence Walkup Skydome Box Office beginning Tuesday from 10 a.m.-2 p.m. The Skydome Ticket Office will be closed on Thanksgiving Day.

Saturday's first round NCAA FCS Playoff tilt between the Lumberjacks and Toreros will be aired live on ESPN3 and the Lumberjack Radio Network.

The 'Jacks, who finished the regular season 7-4 overall and 6-2 in the Big Sky Conference, will be making their first NCAA FCS/I-AA Playoff appearance since 2013 and the sixth in the program's history.

The winner of Saturday's Northern Arizona and San Diego opening round game will travel to battle No. 2 seed North Dakota State on Saturday, Dec. 2 in Fargo, N.D. at 1:30 p.m. MST.  The Bison claimed five consecutive NCAA FCS National Championships from 2011-2015.  James Madison won the 2016 NCAA FCS Title and is the No. 1 overall seed in this year's playoff bracket.

NAU dropped a 26-7 decision at home against South Dakota State in its most recent FCS Playoff berth.  In 2003, the Lumberjacks upset No. 1 seed McNeese State on the road in the opening round 35-3, before losing to Florida Atlantic 48-25 in the quarterfinals.

The 'Jacks lost to Furman 42-31 in their first-ever postseason appearance in 1996.  NAU followed that with a 72-29 loss at the hands of Georgia Southern in a first-round road meeting in 1999 and an opening round setback in 2001 by a 34-31 margin at Sam Houston State.  NAU is 1-5 all-time in its previous NCAA FCS/I-AA games overall.

This season's NCAA FCS Playoff berth marks the fifth overall under current NAU head coach Jerome Souers.

"I am elated for all members of the program who fought through an 0-2 start and the adversity our program faced this season to keep focus, come back, compete and earn this opportunity," Souers said. 

"We have been on the fringe and on the outside looking in during previous seasons," Souers added.  "It is tough being a bubble team. We play in a strong conference with a lot of good teams that were very deserving.  The selection committee has a truly difficult job.  I am glad they rewarded us for our difficult schedule and we are excited to have the opportunity to move forward in the postseason."

San Diego captured an automatic NCAA FCS Playoff bid after winning the Pioneer League regular season championship with a 9-2 overall record and a perfect 8-0 conference mark.

The Toreros will be making their third postseason appearance in the last four seasons and own a 2-1 playoff record in that span.  San Diego defeated Cal Poly in the first round in 2016 before falling to North Dakota State.  In 2014, the Toreros dropped an opening round contest at Montana.