Mercer football to play in first-ever college playoff game in Macon. Here’s how to watch

Micah Johnston
·3 min read
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For the first time in school history, the Mercer University Bears will play in and host an n FCS, or Football Championship Subdivision, tournament game this Saturday, the NCAA has announced.

The Bears will face Gardner-Webb at 3 p.m. in Five Star Stadium at the Moye Athletic Complex in the opening round of the FCS playoffs, the championship bracket in the division below FBS and the bowl system.

Neither team received a ranking or bye, which only go to the top eight schools, but both placed in the top 24 among all FCS teams to earn a spot in the playoffs.

“We’re excited, it’s a great opportunity. I’m proud for our kids, they earned it,” Mercer head coach Drew Cronic said at a Monday press conference about the playoff berth. “It’s our opportunity to have a home game. … I want people around here to get used to playing on Thanksgiving week.”

The playoff appearance comes in Cronic’s fourth season as head coach at Mercer, a program that was resurrected in 2013 after being dormant for 72 years. Even in the program’s first stint from 1892 to 1941, the team never got a chance to play postseason football.

The announcement Sunday led to an uproarious celebration from the players, who were watching live in anticipation of the news. Mercer had come close to making the bracket in each of the past three seasons, including losing its final game of the year in both 2021 and 2022.

“We’ve come a long way, we’ve been knocking on the door,” Cronic said. “I like our kids, and they’ve earned this opportunity, but everybody’s good now. So ‘are you going to put your best product out there on the field Saturday?’ that’s what it comes down to.”

The Bears will face the Bulldogs, who hail from Boiling Springs, North Carolina, for just the second time ever. Mercer scored a convincing 45-14 win over Gardner-Webb last year in the regular season on the road.

“They’re a great team, they’ve won the conference championship two years in a row,” Cronic said of Gardner-Webb. “We know their coach really well. … We’ve been watching them.”

The Bears enter the matchup with an 8-3 record after they earned the postseason appearance via an at-large bid, an impressive feat given their tough schedule. Their résumé includes impressive wins over Western Carolina and Samford, victories that came as part of a four-game winning streak that Mercer brings into the contest.

Other conference members who snagged a seat at the table include Chattanooga and Furman, the latter of which earned the No. 2 seed and a bye week.

As for individual talent, the Bears saw a whopping nine players named to the All-Southern Conference squad, including quarterback Carter Peevy, standout receiver Ty James and safety Lance Wise Jr.

The Bulldogs come into the game 7-4 and boast their own streak of five consecutive wins, a run that includes a big win over then-ranked University of Tennessee-Martin. Gardner-Webb went undefeated at home but went 2-4 in their road games this year.

How to watch, listen or buy tickets

Mercer v.s. Gardner-Webb