Golden Bears set for NCAA opener against Bentley

Kutztown University is the No. 1 seed in Super Region One and will open the NCAA Division II tournament Saturday against Northeast 10 Conference champion Bentley at Andre Reed Stadium at noon.

The Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference champion Golden Bears (11-0) are the top seed in the region for the second straight year. They can match the program record for victories with a win.

Kutztown is one of 32 teams to qualify for the five-round tournament. It will take four wins to reach the championship game Dec. 20.

The Golden Bears defense is led by a pair of Governor Mifflin grads, Brandon Strausser and Eden Johnson.

Strausser, a redshirt senior linebacker, is second on the team with 47 tackles and fourth with three pass breakups. Johnson, a redshirt junior linebacker, is third on the team with 45 tackles and fourth with 4.5 tackles for loss.

Daniel Boone grad Nate Millard, a senior, handles KU’s punting. He is averaging 41.3 yards on 32 kicks, with 14 fair catches and eight kicks inside the 20.

Kutztown extended its Division II-best active regular season winning streak to 31 games by holding off Indiana University 28-23 Saturday to win its third consecutive PSAC Championship.

The Golden Bears are making their eighth national tournament appearance and fifth in the last six seasons. They are the top seed in SR1 for the fourth time in program history (2010, 2021, 2024, 2025).

Kutztown was stunned in the opening round last year by Slippery Rock 25-24 in overtime; it had entered the tournament 11-0.

Kutztown advanced to the national semifinals in 2023, rebounding from an 0-2 start to win 12 straight before a 35-7 loss at top-seeded Colorado School of Mines. It beat Virginia Union, Charleston and Slippery Rock along the way.

Bentley (7-3), located in Waltham, Mass., received the automatic qualifying berth from the NE10 after defeating Assumption, 20-17. There are 16 automatic qualifiers in the 32-team field.
The Falcons are 7-3 after an 0-3 start. They closed out the regular season with a 21-7 victory over AIC Saturday.
Bentley will be making its fourth overall appearance in the NCAA Championship, and first since 2021.
The winner will face either Indiana (Pa) or Assumption in the second round on November 29.

 The remaining three first round matchups in Region 1 feature No. 2 seed Johnson C. Smith, the Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association champion, taking on Mountain East champion and unseeded Frostburg State; No. 3 seed Virginia Union from the CIAA facing unseeded California (Pa.) from the PSAC; and No. 4 seed IUP hosting Assumption out of the NE10.
The other regional top seeds are Albany State (Ga.), defending national champion Ferris State, Harding.

All NCAA DII Championship games through the semifinals will be carried live on ESPN+, with the national championship game airing on ESPN2 from McKinney, Texas.