KANSAS CITY, Mo. – [FCS Schedule | Live Stats]The quarterfinal round of the 2018 NAIA Football National Championship will kick-off on Saturday at four campus sites across the country. Winners will advance to the NAIA National Championship Semifinal Round, set for Saturday, Dec. 2. The pairings for the semifinal round will be released on www.NAIA.org on Saturday evening.

Since 1997, host schools own a record of 230-72 (including a 4-4 record in 2018 in the first round). This includes a 64-23 mark in the quarterfinals. Last season, hosts went 3-1 in the round of eight.

The 63^rd NAIA Football National Championship will take place in Daytona Beach, Fla., at Daytona Stadium on Saturday, Dec. 15 at 6:00 p.m. EST. The city of Daytona Beach will host the championship for the fifth-straight season. For more information on the 2018 NAIA Football National Championship, click here.

2018 NAIA Football Championship Series – Quarterfinal Schedule

Saturday, November 24 | Campus Sites

Game 1 – Saint Xavier (Ill.) (9-3) at Morningside (Iowa) (12-0)

Game 2 – Dickinson State (N.D.) (9-2) at Kansas Wesleyan (12-0)

Game 3 – Concordia (Mich.) (10-2) at Benedictine (Kan.) (11-1)

Game 4 – Baker (Kan.) (9-2) at Saint Francis (Ind.) (9-2)

2018 NAIA Football Championship Series – Quarterfinal Notes

• No. 1 overall seed Morningside (Iowa) put together an impressive display with a 49-20 win over Rocky Mountain (Mont.) at home. The Mustangs will host a tough Saint Xavier (Ill.) team who upset No. 2 Marian (Ind.) in the first round.
• Morningside defeated Saint Xavier in the quarterfinal round 52-7. The Mustangs are 3-0 all-time against the Cougars in the playoffs. Morningside defeated Saint Xavier 75-69 in a four-overtime affair in 2015 and got the best of the Cougars 47-17 in the semifinal round of 2012.
• Of the eight remaining teams, two have captured a national championship. Saint Francis and Saint Xavier both have a title to their credit.
• Saint Francis leads all quarterfinalists with two national championships, which have come in each of the past two seasons. Saint Xavier’s last title came in 2011.
• Morningside and Saint Francis are both in the quarterfinal round for the third consecutive season.
• This is the first trip to the quarterfinal round for Concordia (Mich.) and Kansas Wesleyan.
• Only two teams remain undefeated, Morningside and Kansas Wesleyan, who both boast a 12-0 record.

2018 NAIA Football Championship Series – First Round Top Performances by Team

• P.J. Dean of Saint Francis led all running backs with 107 yards against Grand View (Iowa). It was the third biggest rushing yardage that the Butler, Ind., product put-up in 2018.
• Joe Connor of Concordia finished his day with 124 yards on the ground and two touchdowns in a 31-21 upset of Reinhart (Ga.). The junior is currently ranked No. 5 in the NAIA in touchdowns per game (11.40).
• Schaefer Schuetz tied a career-high with five touchdown passes for Benedictine (Kan.) in a 48-41, double overtime thriller over Cumberland (Ky.). It was the third time this season he has thrown for five touchdowns.
• Connor Niles recorded three touchdowns and 190 yards receiving for Morningside in a 49-20 win over Rocky Mountain (Mont.). The senior is averaging an incredible 178 yards receiving per game, which leads the NAIA.
• Nick Czeszewski had just two receptions for Saint Xavier, but both were big. The Oak Forest, Ill., native finished his day with 109 yards receiving, a career-high, in a 34-21 upset over No. 2 Marian.
• Jay Liggins of Dickinson State (N.D.) set a new career high with four interceptions, besting his season total of three from 2017, in a 14-6 win over Northwestern (Iowa). His performance tied two others in the NAIA this season with the most interceptions in a game.
• Demarco Prewitt rushed for 123 yards and a touchdown in Kansas Wesleyan’s 15-9 win over Langston (Okla.). The junior leads the NAIA in eight offensive categories.
• J.D. Woods led the Baker (Kan.) rushing attack with 181 yards, but Cooper Lee’s 41-yard field goal in overtime was the most memorable moment in the Wildcats’ 44-41 win over the Bethel (Tenn.) Wildcats.

Don’t miss a minute of any NAIA Championship this season. Buy your All-Championship Pass today.