DES MOINES, Ia (DC News Now) — After winning the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference tournament beating Norfolk State in the championship game last week, the Howard Bison earned a spot in the NCAA tournament for the first time since 1992 ending a 31-year absence.

The Bison have a tough task as they will play their first-round game in Des Moines Iowa as the 16 seed, trying to take down the number one seed in the South Region, Kansas.

“It’a a great opportunity”, said Bison forward Jelani Williams. “But my team and I we are just taking it like it’s another game. We are showing up and we are going to put up a show”.

A 16-seed has beaten a 1-seed once, back in 2018, when UMBC knocked off Virginia.

The Bison are hoping luck, but more importantly, their preparation will help them become the second team to do so.

“A great opportunity to showcase our talents on the biggest stage in college basketball”, said forward Steve Settle III. “We are grateful to be here. Took a lot of work, and a lot of preparation to get to this moment. So we are looking forward to putting our work on display”.

The game between the Howard Bison and the Kansas Jayhawks will tip-off Thursday afternoon at 2pm.