WACO, TX – After one of the program’s best seasons in the past 10 years, IUP is ranked seventh in the American Football Coaches Association (AFCA) Division II Top 25 Poll, the final release of 2012.
The Crimson Hawks finished the year with a 12-2 overall record, advancing to the NCAA Division II Super Region One championship, falling to eventual national runner-up Winston-Salem State 21-17 in North Carolina.
IUP won the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) championship game, defeating Shippensburg 41-10, and posted wins over Shepherd (27-17) and New Haven (17-14) in the NCAA championships.
The Crimson Hawks received 545 points in the poll, 30 behind Colorado State-Pueblo for sixth. Valdosta State, which beat Winston-Salem State 35-7 in the Division II national championship game this past weekend, sits atop the poll. Winston-Salem follows in second while Minnesota State-Mankato, West Texas A&M and Missouri Western State are third through fifth, respectively.
IUP finished the season ranked in the final 12 polls, first appearing in the week one poll on September 3 at No. 23.
Other PSAC schools in the final poll include Shippensburg (14th) and Bloomsburg (17th).
