• Playoff Ticket Information (pdf)
• NCAA Tournament Bracket

NEWARK, DE -- The much anticipated first-ever football meeting between the University of Delaware and Delaware State University will take place this Friday, Nov. 23, as the Hens and Hornets will square off in the first round of the NCAA Football Championship Subdivision playoffs at 1:30 p.m. at 22,000-seat Delaware Stadium.

The No. 9 ranked Blue Hens (8-3) were among an NCAA-record five teams from the Colonial Athletic Association selected to the 16-team field and will take on the 10th-ranked Hornets (10-1), who captured the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference title this season with a perfect 8-0 mark in league play. The game will be televised live on ESPN.

The other seven first round games will all be played on Saturday, Nov. 24 with the Fordham vs. Massachusetts game set for 12 noon.

Delaware will be making its third trip to the tournament in five years but its first since 2004 while Delaware State, which has won eight straight games, qualifies for the post-season for the first time in school history. The Blue Hens, who captured the NCAA I-AA title in 2003, will be making their 19th NCAA post-season appearance, including their 14th as an NCAA FCS member. Delaware advanced to the national championship game in 1982 and also competed in the semifinals in 1992, 1997, and 2000. MEAC teams have lost nine straight NCAA playoff games since North Carolina A&T won its first round game in 1999.

“The goal of our program here at Delaware is to get into the playoffs,” said Delaware head coach K.C. Keeler (at right), who is 10-1 all-time in first round NCAA playoff games, including a 2-0 mark at Delaware. “We’ve had a great season and we deserved the chance to play again. We didn’t finish off the season like we wanted (losses to Richmond and Villanova), but we are in the tournament for the third time in five years and not many people can say that.

“This is a great matchup against a very good opponent,” continued Keeler. “A lot has been said about us never playing in football, so this is a historic matchup. But we are excited just to to be in the playoffs. The proximity of our two schools makes sense and there is the chance for a great draw. There is very little difference between No. 1 and No. 16 in this tournament, but I think we are capable of beating anybody.”

No. 1 ranked Northern Iowa (11-0), the Gateway Conference champion, earned the top seed in the tournament field and will host No. 20 New Hampshire (7-4); No. 2 seed and fourth-ranked McNeese State (11-0), the Southland Conference champion, will host No. 15 Eastern Washington (8-3); No. 3 seed and third-ranked Montana (11-0), the Big Sky champion, will host No. 13 Wofford (8-3); No. 4 seed and fifth-ranked Southern Illinois (10-1) will host No. 21 Eastern Illinois (8-3); No. 14 James Madison travels to No. 6 ranked and two-time defending national champion Appalachian State (9-2); No. 7 Richmond (9-2) will host Ohio Valley Conference champion and 12th-ranked Eastern Kentucky (9-2); and CAA champion and eighth-ranked Massachusetts will host Patriot League champion and No. 18 Fordham (8-3).

The five teams from the Colonial Athletic Association sets a new NCAA record and marks the 17th straight season that the CAA (formerly the Atlantic 10) has placed multiple teams in the tournament. A total of four teams were selected in 2004. Massachusetts won the national title in 1998 and advanced to the championship game last season; Delaware won the national title in 2003; James Madison captured the national title in 2004; New Hampshire advanced to the quarterfinals last season; and Richmond returns to the national playoffs for the second time in three years after advancing to the quarterfinals in 2005.

Delaware, which qualified for the tournament despite losing its final two games, features an offense that leads the CAA and ranks among the top 10 nationally in scoring (38.1 points per game), total offense (468.1 yards per game), and passing offense (292.9 yards per game). Senior running back Omar Cuff has rushed for 1,369 yards and has scored an NCAA single season record 33 touchdowns while quarterback Joe Flacco has thrown for 3,185 yards and 17 touchdowns. Aaron Love is the top receiver with 55 catches for 741 yards and three touchdowns while placekicker Jon Striefsky leads all NCAA FCS kickers in scoring, converting all 51 extra point attempts and 16 of 18 field goals.

Delaware State, led by head coach Al Lavan, ranks eighth nationally in scoring defense (16.1 points per game), holding seven opponents to 17 points or less, and allows just 322.2 total yards per game. Kareem Jones leads the team in rushing with 671 yards and two touchdowns while quarterback Vashon Winton has thrown for 1,562 yards and 12 touchdowns. Shaheer McBride is the top pass-catcher with 47 receptions for 583 yards and nine touchdowns while Peter Gaertner is the top kicker in the MEAC with 19 field goals, including two game-winners. Russell Reeves leads the defense with 72 tackles and five sacks while Akeem Green has posted 63 tackles, three interceptions, and nine pass breakups.

Tickets for the general public and students will go on sale on Monday, Nov. 19 at 10 a.m. Walk-up sales will be conducted Monday through Wednesday from 10 a.m. until 6 p.m. and beginning Friday at 10 a.m. at the Bob Carpenter Center Box Office and on Monday and Tuesday from 10 a.m. until 3 p.m. at the Trabant Student Center Box Office. Telephone and on-line sales will begin Monday at 10 a.m. by calling TicketMaster at 302-984-2000 or visiting the web at www.ticketmaster.com.

Ticket prices are $25 for grandstand reserved seats, $16 for North End Zone seats (one youth ticket, 17 & under, must be purchased for every 1-2 adult tickets), and $5 for University of Delaware students (with valid identification) in the South End Zone. All End Zone seating sales are by walk-up only.

Season ticket holders received special playoff ticket information in the mail. Those with questions should contact the UD Season Ticket and Group Sales Office at 302-831-2257.

Tickets purchased through Ticketmaster or those by season ticket holders that were not picked up by Wednesday, will be available for pickup beginning at 10 a.m. Friday, Nov. 23 at the Delaware Stadium Box Office Will Call window.