INDIANAPOLIS, In. – The Edinboro football team will have to settle for tying the school record for wins and seeting a Division II record for biggest turnaround in a season. The Fighting Scots were hoping to parlay a 9-2 finish into a berth in the NCAA Division II playoffs, but that was not to be.

Edinboro found out late Sunday afternoon that they were not part of the NCAA's 28-team Division II field. Despite finishing seventh in Super Region One, the Fighting Scots fell victim to the NCAA's earned access policy.

When the week began Edinboro was seventh, with Notre Dame(Oh.) eighth and Winston-Salem State and tenth. The Fighting Scots posted a convincing win over Cheyney, Notre Dame rallied for a win over West Virginia Wesleyan, and Winston-Salem claimed the CIAA title with a win over Bowie State. That victory boosted Winston-Salem into eighth in the regional rankings. Without an automatic bid, the CIAA champion bumped Edinboro from the field of seven teams with that eighth-place ranking.

Though disappointed with the failure to earn an NCAA playoff berth, first-year head coach Justin Lustig, the architect of the incredible turnaround from 0-11 to 9-2, praised his team for what they accomplished.

"This has been an incredible ride and I am so proud of our team for what they have accomplished," related Lustig. "I am especially thankful for our seniors who set the tone from day one, establishing a culture of work ethic, discipline and enthusiasm. These seniors are an extraordinary group of young men who have bright futures in whatever fields they choose to follow. It is unfortunate that we cannot prolong this season into the playoffs, but this has been a historical fall that no one will forget."