EDITOR’S NOTE: This story was originally published at the Ashland University website.
ASHLAND — Ashland University’s football team is back in the NCAA Division II playoffs – and will start the 2025 edition at home.
As announced by the NCAA on Sunday (Nov. 16) night, the No. 20-ranked Eagles (9-2), the Great Midwest Athletic Conference co-champions, will start the postseason at 1 p.m. on Saturday (Nov. 22) vs. Minnesota Duluth (10-1) at Jack Miller Stadium/Martinelli Field.
The current Ashland senior class is the first to go to the NCAA Division II postseason three times. This will be the Eagles’ 10th overall playoff appearance overall (1986, 1997, 2007-08, 2012, 2015, 2017, 2022 and 2024-25).
A 32-team tournament (eight teams in each of four super regions), the D-II postseason will begin on Nov. 22. The 2025 NCAA Division II football national championship game will be in McKinney, Texas, on Dec. 20.
In Super Region 3, there is automatic qualification from four conferences – Great Midwest, Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference, Great Lakes Valley Conference and Northern Sun Intercollegiate Athletic Conference.
There are 39 teams in the super region eligible for postseason play – 10 from the Great Midwest, 13 from the Northern Sun, nine from the GLVC and seven from the GLIAC.
Findlay and Northwood also have made this year’s field, marking the first time in Great Midwest history that three member teams will go to the Division II football playoffs in the same season.
Local players spice AU roster
There is a heavy local flavor wearing purple and gold this autumn, with 13 north central Ohio athletes on the Ashland University football roster, including:
Redshirt junior Isaac Brooks (Madison), freshman Grayson Sasis (Madison), freshman Mekhi Bradley (Mansfield Senior), freshman M.J. Bradley (Mansfield Senior), freshman A.J. Bower (Northmor), sophomore Issaiah Ramsey (Shelby), freshman Karsen Homan (Shelby), junior Isaac Roop (Ashland), freshman Tyler Sauder (Ashland), freshman Logan Toms (Lucas), freshman Josh Byers (Danville), freshman Caleb Lucas (Danville), redshirt sophomore Kaden Riddle (Clear Fork),