Frisco, TX (SportsNetwork.com) - Theres good reason as to why North Dakota States national championship-winning football program doesnt beat itself on the playing field. The three-time defending FCS champion Bison, seeking an unprecedented fourth straight title on Saturday, have a roster full of smart players - both on and off the field. The Missouri Valley Football Conferences 2014 All-Academic team featured 12 players from 10 schools on the first team, and, incredibly, five of the selections were from North Dakota State, each with a grade point average over 3.5 on a 4.0 scale. Its invaluable. Football is a very, very cerebral game, said Illinois State coach Brock Spack, whose team will play the Bison in the FCS championship game. Obviously, theyre a very talented team. They wouldnt win three national titles in a row or be here four years if they didnt have talent. But theyre very well coached, very disciplined and, obviously, very smart. North Dakota States MVFC All-Academic first-team selections were defensive end Kyle Emanuel (3.66 GPA), who won the 2014 Buck Buchanan Award as the FCS defensive player of the year; center Jesse Hinz (3.71); linebacker Esley Thornton (3.92); wide receiver Zach Vraa (3.51); and quarterback Carson Wentz (4.00). Free safety Christian Dudzik made the second team and place-kicker Adam Keller and running back Chase Morlock were honorable mention selections. NDSU has a plus-12 turnover margin and ranks second in the FCS in time of possession. The Bison also rank second nationally in scoring defense and third in total defense. They have a 14-1 record this season and are 57-3 since the start of the 2011 season. Custom Tampa Bay Lightning Jerseys . Then again, he really was at his home away from home. "It was nice to sleep in my own bed last night," Shields said after pitching Kansas City past the San Diego Padres 8-0 Wednesday. Victor Hedman Jersey . - Washington Redskins tight end Fred Davis said Wednesday hes "nodded off" during meetings, but he said its something every player does. http://www.lightninghockeystore.us/Victor-Hedman-Jersey/. - The width of Alec Martinezs shin guard was the difference between the Los Angeles Kings and the Anaheim Ducks in their playoff series opener. Nikita Kucherov Jersey . -- Manchester United thrilled a record crowd with a brilliant opening goal -- and even Cristiano Ronaldos unexpected entrance proved futile for Real Madrid. Brayden Point Jersey . Simona Halep of Romania claimed the fifth title of her career by beating Samantha Stosur of Australia 7-6 (1), 6-2 in the womens final. After trading sets, Gasquet trailed 4-3 in the decider but broke back to 4-4 in a game that went to seven deuces with Kukushkin constantly failing on his forehand shots.BUFFALO, N.Y. - The Buffalo Sabres are raising the price of season tickets despite coming off one of their worst years. The team announced Wednesday that prices are going up from between $1 and $4 per game next year. That translates into a $170 hike over an entire season for the most expensive seats. Sabres president Ted Black explained the hike in price is in part to ensure the team meets league standardds to qualify for revenue sharing.dddddddddddd The Sabres are offering rebates on merchandise and concession stand prices to those who renew their season-ticket packages. The increases come after Buffalo (21-51-10) finished with the NHLs worst record. There remains a high demand for Sabres tickets. Last year, the team capped season-ticket sales at 16,000, about 3,000 below arena capacity. ' ' '