The Illinois State football players and coaches had a lot to cheer about Sunday inside the Hancock Stadium Club, as the team was selected as a No. 5 national seed, given a first-round bye and a second-round home game on Dec. 6.
The Redbirds (10-1, 7-1 MVFC) will be making their fifth appearance in the FCS playoffs (1998, 1999, 2006, 2012) and hosting their first playoff game at Hancock Stadium since 1999. ISU will host the winner of the first-round contest between fellow Missouri Valley Conference member Northern Iowa and Stephen F. Austin on Dec. 6 at 1 p.m. The MVFC led all conferences with a league-record five selections, as North Dakota State, South Dakota State and Indiana State joined the Redbirds and the Panthers in the bracket.