Created: 11/22/2009 11:21:12 PM 
ELON, N.C. -- The Elon Phoenix football team, ranked ninth in the nation by The Sports Network, will make its first-ever Division I Football Championship appearance by visiting the defending national champion Richmond Spiders on Nov. 28. The Phoenix finished its regular-season with a 9-2 overall record and garnered a program-best 7-1 Southern Conference ledger in 2009.
Richmond, ranked fourth in The Sports Network poll and seeded fourth in the tournament, ended its regular-season with a 10-1 overall mark and a 7-1 record in the Colonial Athletic Association, sharing the league title.
The playoff appearance will be the first at any level for Elon since the 1981 team captured the NAIA National Championship. The nine wins are the most for the program since the 1999 team went 9-2 in Elon's first-ever season at the Division I level.
"We've been working for towards this moment for almost four years," stated Elon head coach Pete Lembo. "I'm very proud of this team. They're a very tight-knit group. This will be a great test for us."
Added Elon wide receiver Terrell Hudgins, "It took a while to get to the playoffs and now we have a tough challenge ahead of us. Hopefully we won't make mistakes and will control the ball and come out with a victory.
Game time will be announced early this week.
Tickets will go on sale at 9 a.m. on Monday morning. Elon fans wishing to purchase tickets need to phone the Richmond ticket office at 1-877-SPIDER-1. Elon students will receive ticket information in an e-mail. The only tickets that will be sold through the Elon Athletics Ticket Office will be for player guests. Tickets will cost $22 for adults and $10 for youth (12 and under).
The Phoenix and Spiders have met just twice on the gridiron before with the last meeting coming in the 2008 season-opener at Elon's Rhodes Stadium. Richmond won that contest by a 28-10 score.
The winner of the Elon-Richmond game will advance in the 16-team tournament to take on the winner of the Appalachian State-South Carolina State contest on Dec. 5.
Phoenix fans should check back to www.elonphoenix.com for information about travel opportunities.
