by Matt Cooke
After a 14-year drought, the West Georgia Wolves' football program is returning to the NCAA Division II Football Playoffs. UWG will travel Saturday to Alabama to face Tuskegee in the opening round of playoff action.
UWG's return to the post season comes in the first season under coach Will Hall, and will be the program's first playoff trip since 2000. West Georgia sealed their ticket in a wild Saturday afternoon that began with a 31-17 UWG win over Shorter in Rome. Later that evening, after Valdosta State's narrow victory over Florida Tech, Tuskegee beat seventh-ranked in the region Albany State 47-41 in the SIAC Championship.
"I'm very proud of what we have accomplished so far," said Will following the announcement. "But now it's a brand new season and we are looking forward to the challenge."
UWG was selected as the sixth seed in Super Region 2 and will face the third-seeded Tuskegee team. The winner of Saturday's game will then travel to Cleveland, Miss, for a November 29th date with second-seeded Delta State.
The announcement was West Georgia's fifth overall bid to the NCAA Division II playoffs, with the last trip coming at Catawba in the 2000 season, where the Wolves went 10-2. West Georgia enters this week's playoffs with a 9-2 overall record, with all games as region games, in the first year under Hall's direction.
Kickoff time is set for the first UWG football NCAA playoff appearance since 2000, as the Wolves and Tuskegee Tigers will begin at 1:00 p.m. (EST) on Saturday afternoon at Cleve L. Abbott Memorial Alumni Stadium in Tuskegee, Ala.
Ticket prices for the game have been announced, and West Georgia fans will be offered a generous supply of general admission seating just behind the UWG bench. Tickets for the general public are set for $20 per person, and student tickets will be offered to students with a valid ID at $10 per person for the NCAA playoff game. Advance tickets will not be available, as all ticket purchases will be available on game day.
Follow @UWGAthletics on Twitter, Facebook, or visit uwgsports.com for more information about this weekend's NCAA Super Region 2 Playoff matchup.
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