Friday, November 6, 2015

Breaking News - MAC, Centennial Announce Formation of Bowl Series

A MACfb.com Photo
ANNVILLE, Pa. – Lebanon Valley is among a number of Middle Atlantic Conference (MAC) teams with a new lease on postseason life after an announcement was made on Thursday confirming the formation of a bowl series between a pair of teams from the MAC and Centennial Conference beginning this fall.


The inaugural Centennial-MAC Bowl Series will involve the top two teams from each conference that are not selected to the NCAA Division III Championship Tournament. The top team from each league not selected to NCAAs will host the second best team from the opposing conference that failed to earn an automatic NCAA berth. The bowl games are scheduled for Saturday, November 21.

"Traditionally, the ECAC has provided postseason opportunities for our football teams in our area," said Ken Andrews, executive director of the MAC. "With the announcement that all ECAC bowl games would be held in Connecticut this fall, we felt that the significant financial impact that our member institutions would absorb would be prohibitive."

The two conferences will also support the NCAA Division III Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) partnership with Special Olympics by donating 25 percent of ticket revenue generated during the Bowl Series to the organization. Giving back to local and regional communities not only adds to the comprehensive learning component of Division III, but also provides a venue for passion and service.

"This joint arrangement with the MAC is a win-win for all of our members," said Steve Ulrich, executive director of the Centennial Conference. "It will provide a postseason opportunity for deserving football players and teams while controlling our costs. We also have the added benefit of renewing old rivalries with a neighboring conference which is exciting for all involved."

NCAA rules permit a conference-sponsored postseason tournament – one between teams that are not identified until the end of the preceding regular season – not to exceed one contest for any one institution.

More information, including the bowl participants from both the MAC and Centennial, will be available on Sunday, Nov. 15, following the announcement of the 32-team NCAA Division III championship field.
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