NCAA

Football

Three GSC Football Teams Heading to the 2023 NCAA Playoff

INDIANAPOLIS — Three Gulf South Conference teams—Delta State, Valdosta State and West Florida—will represent the conference in the 2023 NCAA Division II Football Championship and Super Region 2 action, as announced Sunday evening during the NCAA D2 Football Selection Show.

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The announcement marks the ninth-consecutive season two or more GSC teams will compete in the NCAA postseason event. It is also the 15th time since 2000 that the league will be represented by at least three teams. 

For the second consecutive year, GSC co-champion, Delta State enter as the No. 2-seed. The Statesmen, who make their 11th all-time appearance and third since 2017, will host conference-foe, West Florida. Delta State has one national title (2000) and go into the tournament with a 16-9 record in the NCAA postseason.

West Florida makes its fourth consecutive NCAA appearance. The Argonauts reached the national semifinals in 2022, before falling to eventual national champion, Ferris State. They are 12-3 all-time in tournament play including a national title in 2019.

After missing out last season, Valdosta State returns to NCAA postseason action after claiming a share of GSC title. The Blazers go in as the No. 3-seed and will face Limestone from the South Atlantic Conference (SAC). This will be VSU's 20th all-time appearance and eighth since 2010. The 2021 national runners-up have four national titles and boast a 29-14 record in the playoffs. 

Opening round action will be take place November 18, with second round matchups set for November 25. The region championship/national quarterfinals are set for December 2. National semifinals will be played December 10, with the national title game returning to the McKinney, Texas on Saturday, December 16.

For the regional round of the NCAA Division II Football Championship, all games will be streamed on Hudl and will require a subscription. Fans will have the option to purchase a single-game pass ($9.95/game) or region tourament pass ($19.95) for just regional games. The national semifinals and championship will air on ESPN. Click here for more information.