By GERARD WELLBROCK
Hays Post Sports
HAYS – With the NCAA's recent decision to expand the Division II football playoffs from seven to eight teams per region, the Fort Hays State Tigers have their sights set on the postseason. Had the new rules been in place last year, the Tigers would have likely made the playoffs after finishing the 2024 season with an 8-3 record and a No. 8 ranking in Super Region 3.
The team officially kicked off its 2025 campaign on Monday with the start of preseason camp on the new turf inside Lewis Field. Head coach Chris Brown, entering his 14th season, was impressed with what he saw from his players on day one.
"You could tell these guys really put the time in this summer with the weight room and conditioning," Brown said. "It was crisp, it was sharp. Guys knew what they were doing."
Brown noted that being so close to a playoff spot last season fueled his team's motivation throughout the offseason. "Our guys are hungry," he said. "They want to win the conference and they want to get into the playoffs, and you could see that by what they did this summer."
Despite the high hopes, Brown was quick to emphasize that the past is in the past. "2024 is over," he stated. "It’s about what this 2025 group does right now, that’s the most important thing. I think the pieces to the puzzle are there; it's what they do with it."
The Tigers will open their season at home against Angelo State on Thursday, August 28.