Golden Eagles Miss Out on Postseason: 2024 Campaign Ends in Disappointment

Tennessee Tech Football Update

The Tennessee Tech football team watched the 2024 NCAA Division I Football Championship Subdivision selection show on Sunday. Southeast Missouri earned a spot in the tournament after winning the automatic qualifier through a tiebreaker. Tennessee Tech, Southeast Missouri, Tennessee State (TSU), and UT Martin each finished with a 6-2 record in the Big South-Ohio Valley Conference.

Tennessee Tech ended the season with a 7-5 record. Despite their successful finish, their chances for postseason play decreased as UT Martin and Tennessee State received selections. UT Martin concluded the regular season at 8-4, while Tennessee State finished at 9-3. Central Connecticut State was also selected, representing the Northeast Conference as a seven-win automatic qualifier.

In the playoffs, the Skyhawks will face New Hampshire (8-4). The winner will meet the top seed, Montana State (12-0), on December 7. Southeast Missouri will compete against Illinois State (9-3), with the winner facing UC Davis (10-2). Tennessee State will play against Montana (8-4), and the victor will take on South Dakota State, seeded third.

Tennessee Tech achieved several milestones this season. They shared their conference championship for the first time since 2011 and secured seven wins in a season for the first time since then. The team also won the Sergeant York Trophy for the first time since Spring 2020 and outright for the first time since 2009.

Defensively, Tech’s players received recognition, with Theron Gaines and Daniel Rickert earning National Defensive Player of the Week honors. The team held seven opponents to under 100 rushing yards and averaged only 66.4 rushing yards allowed during a five-game winning streak. They also limited five opponents to under 300 yards of offense.

The Big South-OVC will announce its postseason awards later this week.