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SAC addresses Wolves playoffs omission

dylan francis, the newberry observer, s.c.
·2 min read

Dec. 12—NEWBERRY — The South Atlantic Conference has released a statement in regards to Newberry College's omission from NCAA Division II playoffs.

Following a victory against Mars Hill for the South Atlantic Conference championship this season, the Newberry College Wolves were not selected to go further into the NCAA Division II playoffs. With the wolves boasting a 7-2 in-conference season and a 9-2 overall season, this decision made by the NCAA was met with questions.

Sean Johnson, the director of athletics at Newberry College, expressed his vexation with the decision and the wolves' seemingly overlooked candidacy in a statement to the Newberry College Athletic Club and the campus community.

"We all feel disappointed and frustrated that our football team did not receive an NCAA playoff invitation. A conference championship does not automatically guarantee any team an invitation to the playoffs, and many factors came into play," Johnson said.

The situation was made all the more confusing by the inclusion of the Wingate University Bulldogs who, while having a similar season record (6-2 in-conference and 10-2 overall), lost to the Wolves 24-15 in their own stadium earlier in November. Several Newberry College alumni and wolves supporters reached out to SAC and the NCAA with their objections to the decision, prompting them to release a statement regarding the decision and their process.

Per the SAC statement: "After reviewing the situation and discussing it with multiple individuals at the NCAA involved in the process, the SAC is confident the selection procedures were followed appropriately as they are currently written. It is important to note that the SAC plays no part in the selection of teams that participate in the NCAA championships in any sport. Several sports that SAC sponsors (e.g., soccer, basketball, softball, etc.), the conference champion receives an "automatic bid" into the NCAA championships; however, football is not one of those."

SAC ended their statement congratulating Newberry College on their Piedmont and SAC championships and wishing Limestone University and Wingate University luck in the NCAA playoffs.