SPRINGFIELD - The Wittenberg University Tigers took care of everything they could this season on the field, storming to a third consecutive perfect 10-0 regular season record and winning the North Coast Athletic Conference championship in the process.

On Sunday, the Tigers learned what all of their hard work had earned them - a first-round date with the Aurora Spartans, champions of the Illini-Badger Conference, in the NCAA Division III tournament. Wittenberg will host the Spartans on Saturday, Nov. 18 at noon.

Aurora heads into the tourney with a 7-3 record after losing their season finale Saturday to Valparaiso. The Spartans were a perfect 7-0 in the IBC.

Wittenberg, ranked No. 4 in the country, is coming off a bye week. The Tigers wrapped up their regular season last week with a 37-14 victory over Earlham - a game in which senior tailback Casey Donaldson (South Charleston, Ohio/Southeastern) surpassed 5,000 rushing yards in his career, Head Coach Joe Fincham (Ohio '88) became the fastest Tiger coach to reach 50 wins, and the senior class became the winningest in school history with 41 career victories. The Tigers concluded the 2000 regular campaign with a 10-0 overall record and 7-0 mark in the NCAC.

This will be the Tigers' third straight trip to the NCAA Division III tournament championship. In 1998, the Tigers defeated Millikin, which is coached by former Wittenberg head man Doug Neihbur and is in the playoffs again this year as champion of the College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin, before falling to eventual national champion Mount Union, 21-19, in Alliance, Ohio. Last year, the Tigers opened with a big win over Alma before falling in the second round to Ohio Northern.