Follow this area for all of the updates and details as the week progresses for Benedictine's third appearance in the NCAA Playoffs in five seasons.Â
The Benedictine University football team will not need to make a long trip for the NCAA Playoffs. When the bracket was released on Sunday night, the Eagles saw a familiar and close opponent in eighth-ranked Wheaton. Benedictine will just need to make a short jaunt across DuPage County for the 12:00 p.m. game on Saturday.
APPAREL
Benedictine University Athletics will be selling Football Conference Championship Tshirts at the tailgate this Saturday. Short sleeve tshirts are $15.00 and long-sleeve tshirts are $20.00. Get them while supplies last! Cash or check will be accepted for payment.
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TICKETS
Prices are $8 for adults and $4 for students. Children under the age of three are admitted for free. As a NCAA event no season passes, parents passes or any other regular season passes will be accepted. Tickets can be pre-ordered online ahead of time. Credit card can be used for advance order and tickets can be printed out at home or sent to a smartphone. Only cash will be accepted at the gate on game day.
ORDER TICKETS ONLINE
FAN BUSBenedictine University is providing a fan bus to head to Wheaton College at 10:00 am. The cost is $4 and includes transportation to and from and free food at the BenU tailgate. Tickets are on sale until Thursday, Nov. 20 at 10:00 pm in BenUnion or Krasa 115.
DIRECTIONSDirections to McCully Field: Directions from I-355: Exit 355 at Roosevelt Rd. Travel on Roosevelt Rd. west through Glen Ellyn into Wheaton. Go past President to Chase Street and turn right onto Chase Street. Chase Street brings you to the campus (just beyond railroad tracks). Stay on Chase until you see the football stadium on right and Billy Graham Center on left. Park in Billy Graham Center parking lot.
From Interstate 88: Exit at Naperville Road and go north about 6 miles to Roosevelt Road (Illinois 38). Turn right at Roosevelt and turn left at Chase Street (no signal or stop sign) which comes before the next signal light (President St.). Chase Street brings you to the campus (just beyond railroad tracks). Stay on Chase until you see the football stadium on right and Billy Graham Center on left. Park in Billy Graham Center parking lot.
TAILGATE INFORMATION
Benedictine University Athletics will hold a free Eagle Tailgate on the grass area in between the football stadium and the Billy Graham Center (BGC) parking lot. Look for the giant Eagle Club tent! Parking is free. Just a reminder that Wheaton College is a dry campus and there is no alcohol allowed on the premises.
WHEATON CAMPUS MAP
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BROADCAST
Lukas Stanczyk will make the trip to Wheaton to call the game. Follow the links below for live video, audio and stats.
LIVE VIDEO | LIVE AUDIO | LIVE STATS
BENEDICTINE
The Eagles will make their third NCAA appearance in five years on November 15 when they travel to Wheaton College. Benedictine won the final five games of the regular season following a 1-4 start to earn a share of the NACC Title, claiming the automatic bid to the playoffs through tiebreaker scenarios.
Benedictine posted a pair of shutouts during the regular season and led the conference in total defense. The Eagles allowed just 37 points in the final five games of the season, all victories. On the offensive side, Benedictine led the conference in time of possession while ranking second in the conference in total offense.
THE OPPONENT
Wheaton finished 10-0 and won the CCIW outright for the first time since 2003. The Thunder scored just 34 points in the final two games of the regular season (Wins of 13-7 over Illinois Wesleyan and 21-2 at Carthage), but own six games with 25 or more points scored.
Wheaton marks the third different playoff location for Benedictine. The Eagles were sent to St. Thomas (Minnesota) in 2010. Benedictine made the trip to Mt. Union (Ohio) in 2011, facing the eventual national runner-up.
Benedictine and Wheaton faced each other in home and home regular season meetings to open the season in 2012 and 2013. Wheaton won 48-7 in 2012 at home and 48-27 at Benedictine last season. The teams have a common opponent this year in Kalamazoo. Benedictine posted a 16-14 win on October 4 in Michigan when Jacob Plevell kicked a field goal in the final minute. Wheaton logged a 26-12 win in Michigan on September 12. Wheaton is 4-1 against Benedictine all-time, though Saturday marks the first ever playoff meeting.
For an in-depth preview of Saturday's matchup, click here.
Benedictine secured the NACC Automatic bid with a 16-0 win over Lakeland in the final game of the regular season.
To read more about the process and follow along to the leader in coverage for Division III Football, visit D3football.com.
