It was announced earlier today by the American Football Coaches Association (AFCA) that the University of Redlands football team cracked the final NCAA Division III Poll of 2016 by landing at the No. 25 position.  With more than 250 schools considered in the rankings, Redlands sits among the very best in the nation following its 8-2 season that included an undefeated run through the Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SCIAC).

While winning the 30th conference title in program history, Redlands also captured the 12th championship under the direction of Head Coach Mike Maynard, who improved to 182-85-1 in his Bulldog career for a .681 winning percentage since 1988.   The title-clinching win of the season came in the fifth-annual Smudge Pot game against Cal Lutheran University on November 12, which gave the Bulldogs their fourth-consecutive victory over the Kingsmen.

This season, the Bulldogs went a perfect 7-0 in conference competition and garnered seven All-SCIAC honorees, including the 2016 Defensive Athlete of the Year in junior linebacker Mitch Shepherd (Seattle, WA).  Shepherd also represented the Maroon and Gray among the D3football.com All-West Region teams. 

After winning the 2016 SCIAC title, the Bulldogs moved on to the NCAA Championships for the eighth time in Maynard's impressive tenure.  While squaring off against the University of Mary Hardin-Baylor (TX) for the fifth time in program history, Redlands put together its best showing en route to a 21-14 halftime lead, before the Cru rallied to win by a score of 50-28.  Despite the loss, Redlands put up the most points this season against the eventual national champions.

To view the final poll, please visit the AFCA website.