Eureka to Travel to St. Thomas to Open NCAA Playoffs

ST. PAUL, Minn. – The Eureka College football team will visit St. Thomas (Minn.) in the first round of the NCAA Division III playoffs, according to a Sunday announcement from the NCAA. The Red Devils and Tommies are slated for a noon CST kickoff on Saturday, Nov. 18 at O'Shaughnessy Stadium in St. Paul, Minn.

The Red Devils went 8-2 overall and 8-1 against Upper Midwest Athletic Conference opponents to win the outright league championship in 2017. Eureka, which won its first league championship since winning the Illini-Badger Football Conference crown in 1995, will be playing in the NCAA Division III postseason for the first time ever. The Red Devils qualified for the NAIA playoffs in 1991 and again in 1994. EC is 0-2 all-time in national postseason games, falling 42-14 to Georgetown (Ky.) on Nov. 23, 1991, and dropping a 41-14 decision to Tiffin (Ohio) on Nov. 19, 1994.

St. Thomas is ranked fourth according to the most recent national polls conducted by the American Football Coaches Association and D3football.com The Tommies went 9-1 overall and a perfect 8-0 in the Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference to win the MIAC title. UST is in the NCAA postseason for the ninth time overall and the seventh time since 2009.

Eureka has never met St. Thomas in football. The Red Devils are 2-0 all-time against MIAC member schools, sweeping a home-and-home series from Bethel (Minn.) during the 1970 and 1971 seasons.

More information on Saturday's game in St. Paul will be available at EurekaRedDevils.com throughout the week.