ST. PAUL -- Northwestern College has accepted an invitation to play in the National Christian College Athletic Association (NCCAA) Victory Bowl, and will face Greenville College on Saturday, Nov. 17. The Eagles, who faced Greenville just three days ago at Reynolds Field in the final game of the 2012 regular season, will head south to the Panthers' home turf in Greenville, Ill. in a rematch of what turned out to be two of the three teams tied for the Upper Midwest Athletic Conference (UMAC) championship.

Greenville used a fourth quarter comeback to beat Northwestern 27-16 on Saturday, ending the Eagles' eight-game winning streak. The Panthers, who will enter the Victory Bowl game with a 7-2 record, have won seven consecutive games themselves. At 8-2, Northwestern is in the midst of its best season since 2008, when the Eagles finished 9-2. A Victory Bowl win for NWC would match that nine-victory season from '08. Northwestern has reached the eight-win mark in six of head coach Kirk Talley's 12 seasons at the team's helm.

In addition to the 12 p.m. game on Saturday, Northwestern will participate in the traditional activities leading up to the Victory Bowl including a Christian service project and a banquet, both of which will feature both teams in the same room.

2012 will represent Northwestern's sixth appearance in the NCCAA Victory Bowl, with the Eagles last participating in 2008 when NWC beat Malone University in the Metrodome in Minneapolis. In addition to that 2008 game, Northwestern has one other Victory Bowl title as the Eagles defeated Greenville in Canton, Ohio in 2000.

Greenville and Northwestern have squared off four times in the two teams' history, with the Panthers taking three of those four games. The Eagles only trip to Greenville, Ill. last year resulted in a 27-23 loss.

More information about the NCCAA Victory Bowl will be announced as it becomes available.