Mercer football will make its national broadcast television debut Saturday when the Bears face off against North Dakota State University on the Bison’s home turf in Fargo.
The NCAA Football Championship Subdivision quarterfinal between the Bears and the Bison will kick off at 3:30 p.m. EST on Dec. 14 and be televised live on ABC.
The last time a Mercer team appeared on network television was in 2014 when the Bears pulled off a monumental upset of basketball powerhouse Duke in the NCAA Tournament. Now, the Bears face a similar opportunity.
NDSU, 11-2, has won nine national championships, more than any other FCS program. This also is the 15th straight year the Bison have made it to the quarterfinals, while the Bears are making their quarterfinal debut.
“We need to keep doing what we have been doing all year long to get here,” Mercer football head coach Mike Jacobs said. “Our guys are gearing up. It’s going to be a physical game Saturday.”
The Bears went 11-2 this season, leading Mercer to clinch the Southern Conference Championship — its first SoCon conference title. The relatively young program, which restarted in 2013, has been recognized this year for its performance in the conference.
The Bears had a near sweep of major post-season awards in the SoCon. Jacobs, who is in his first year at Mercer, was celebrated as the league’s coach of the year. Running back Dwayne McGee and defensive lineman Brayden Manley were named offensive and defensive player of the year, respectively, and defensive lineman Andrew Zock was honored as freshman of the year. Zock also was named to the FCS Football Central Freshman All-American Team.
Meanwhile, North Dakota State has claimed top honors in the Missouri Valley Football Conference, including quarterback Cam Miller as offensive player of the year and running back CharMar Brown as newcomer of the year and freshman of the year. Brown also received the 2024 Jerry Rice Award as FCS freshman of the year.
