SAN ANTONIO, Texas _ The University of Central Arkansas Bears will be playing for a share of another Southland Conference championship on Friday night when they take on the UIW Cardinals.

The 11th-ranked Bears (8-3, 6-2) will face the Cardinals (5-6, 4-4) at 6:30 p.m. at Benson Stadium. The game will be carried live on The Bear 91.3, The Point 94.1 and on ESPN+. UCA will playing for its  second conference title in the past three years.

With its Top 15 ranking, UCA is all but assured of its fifth berth in the Division I Football Championship playoffs in nine years, with eight Division I victories, including an FBS road win over Western Kentucky, a bowl-eligible team with a win over an SEC program, and a road victory over No. 19/20 Austin Peay, which currently tops the Ohio Valley Conference standings. 

A win would give the Bears a first-place tie with either Nicholls or Southeastern Louisiana, who play their regular-season finale on Thursday night in Hammond, La. That winner would be the automatic playoff qualifier from the conference by virtue of a head-to-head victory over UCA, with the Bears in line to grab an at-large berth.

The Cardinals, co-champions of the SLC a year ago, are just 4-4 in league play in Coach Eric Morris' second season. UIW, which finished 6-2 in league play last season, has lost four consecutive game since a home victory over Lamar on Oct. 19.  The Cardinals are fifth in the league in total offense, averaging 415 yards per game, but just 10th in total defense, allowing 466.1 yards. 

UCA, which has won five of its last six games, is coming off a 30-7 victory over Stephen F. Austin in the home regular-season finale last Saturday. The Bears totaled 432 yards of total offense and held the Lumberjacks to just 232, including just 71 yards in the second half. UCA's defense turned in five sacks and nine tackles for loss, recovered three fumbles (Caden Brown, Robert Rochell, Chris Kershner) and intercepted a pass (Davis Harrison).

UCA, hoping for at least one more home game on "The Stripes," will host a free to the public Watch Party at 11 a.m. Sunday at First Security Field at Estes Stadium for the FCS Playoff Selection Show that will be shown on ESPNU. A Top 8 national seed would receive a first-round bye and not play until Dec. 7. The first round games will be play at campus sites beginning on either Friday, Nov. 29 or Saturday Nov. 30. UCA has hosted playoff games twice in the past three years. 

"This is an exciting time of year for our football program, university and the Conway community,' said Dr. Brad Teague, Director of Athletics. "It's always great to be in the playoff discussion and our team certainly has built a very strong résumé as we head into the final week, and a conference championship would only strengthen our case. We know we will be somewhere in the field, and feel confident that with another win on Friday we will be in the mix for a Top 8 national seed. 

"We would love to have everybody come out and join us in supporting our student-athletes and Coach Brown and his staff on Sunday and celebrate the rewards of another great season of UCA football.'