NCAA Division II Football Championship

NCAA Division II Football Championship

Logo used for the 2005 NCAA Division II National Championship Game
In operation 1973–present
Preceded by Small college polls
Number of playoff teams 28
Championship trophy NCAA Division II National Championship Trophy
Television partner(s) ESPN 2
Most playoff appearances North Alabama
Northwest Missouri State (19)
Most playoff championships North Dakota State
Northwest Missouri State (5)
Current champion Northwest Missouri State (5)
National football championship trophy room at Bearcat Stadium at Northwest Missouri State University. The two trophies in the middle are national championships in 1998 and 1999. The four trophies on the left are for appearances in the title games in 2005, 2006, 2007, and 2008. Northwest also appeared in the 2009 national championship game an unprecedented fifth time in a row against Grand Valley State which defeated Northwest twice before in title games.

The NCAA Division II Football Championship is an American college football tournament played annually to determine a champion at the NCAA Division II level. It was first held in 1973. Prior to 1973, four regional bowl games were played in order to provide postseason action for what was then called the "NCAA College Division" and a poll determined the final champion.

The National Championship game was held at Sacramento, California from 1973 to 1975. It was in Wichita Falls, Texas in 1976 and 1977. The game was played in Longview, Texas in 1978. For 1979 and 1980, Albuquerque, New Mexico hosted the game. McAllen, Texas hosted the championship games from 1981 to 1985. From 1986 to 2013, the Division II championship game was played at Braly Municipal Stadium near the campus of the University of North Alabama in Florence, Alabama. Between 2014 and 2017, the championship game will be played at Children's Mercy Park in Kansas City, Kansas.[1] Since 1994, the games have been broadcast on ESPN.

NCAA College Division wire service national champions

From 1964 to 1972, four regional bowl games were played that led up to a wire service poll to determine the final champion of Division II's predecessor, the NCAA College Division.

Those games were:

Winners of regional bowls

YearWestMidwestMideastEast
1964Montana StateNorthern IowaMiddle Tennessee StateEast Carolina
1965Los Angeles StateNorth Dakota State Ball State / Tenn State (tie game) East Carolina
1966San Diego State North DakotaTennessee State Morgan State
1967San Diego StateTexas-ArlingtonEastern KentuckyTennessee-Martin
1968Humboldt StateNorth Dakota StateLouisiana TechDelaware
1969North Dakota StateArkansas State East Tennessee State Delaware
1970 North Dakota StateArkansas StateTennessee StateDelaware
1971 Boise StateLouisiana Tech Tennessee StateDelaware
1972North Dakota Tennessee StateLouisiana TechMassachusetts

National champions by polling

YearChampion
1958 Southern Miss
1959 Bowling Green
1960 Ohio
1961 Pittsburg State
1962 Southern Miss (UPI), Florida A&M (AP)
1963 Delaware (UPI), Northern Illinois (AP)
1964 Cal State Los Angeles (UPI), Wittenberg (AP)
1965 North Dakota State
1966 San Diego State
1967 San Diego State
1968 San Diego State (UPI), North Dakota State (AP)
1969 North Dakota State
1970 Arkansas State
1971 Delaware
1972 Delaware
1973 Tennessee State
1974 Louisiana Tech (UPI), Central Michigan (AP)

Champions

YearChampion[2]Runner-upScoreVenueLocationAttendanceWinning Head Coach
1973 Louisiana Tech Western Kentucky 34–0 Hughes Stadium Sacramento, California - Lambright, MaxieMaxie Lambright
1974 Central Michigan Delaware 54–14 Hughes Stadium Sacramento, California - Kramer, RoyRoy Kramer
1975 Northern Michigan Western Kentucky 16–14 Hughes Stadium Sacramento California - Krueger, GilGil Krueger
1976 Montana State Akron 24–13 Memorial Stadium Wichita Falls, Texas 13,200 Holland, SonnySonny Holland
1977 Lehigh Jacksonville State 33–0 Memorial Stadium Wichita Falls, Texas 14,114 Whitehead, JohnJohn Whitehead
1978 Eastern Illinois Delaware 10–9 Lobo Stadium Longview, Texas 5,500 Mudra, DarrellDarrell Mudra
1979 Delaware Youngstown State 38–21 University Stadium Albuquerque, New Mexico 4,000 Raymond, TubbyTubby Raymond
1980 Cal Poly Eastern Illinois 21–13 University Stadium Albuquerque, New Mexico - Harper, JoeJoe Harper
1981 Southwest Texas State North Dakota State 42–13 Veterans Memorial Stadium McAllen, Texas 9,415 Wacker, JimJim Wacker
1982 Southwest Texas State UC Davis 34–9 Veterans Memorial Stadium McAllen, Texas 8,000 Wacker, JimJim Wacker
1983 North Dakota State Central State 41–21 Veterans Memorial Stadium McAllen, Texas 5,275 Morton, DonDon Morton
1984 Troy State North Dakota State 18–17 Veterans Memorial Stadium McAllen, Texas 4,500 Gailey, ChanChan Gailey
1985 North Dakota State North Alabama 35–7 Veterans Memorial Stadium McAllen, Texas 6,000 Solomonson, EarleEarle Solomonson
1986 North Dakota State South Dakota 27–7 Braly Municipal Stadium Florence, Alabama 11,506 Solomonson, EarleEarle Solomonson
1987 Troy State Portland State 31–17 Braly Municipal Stadium Florence, Alabama 10,600 Rhoades, RickRick Rhoades
1988 North Dakota State Portland State 35–21 Braly Municipal Stadium Florence, Alabama 6,763 Hager, RockyRocky Hager
1989 Mississippi College† Jacksonville State 3–0 Braly Municipal Stadium Florence, Alabama 6,763 Williams, John M.John M. Williams
1990 North Dakota State Indiana (PA) 51–11 Braly Municipal Stadium Florence, Alabama 10,080 Hager, RockyRocky Hager
1991 Pittsburg State Jacksonville State 23–6 Braly Municipal Stadium Florence, Alabama 11,500 Broyles, ChuckChuck Broyles
1992 Jacksonville State Pittsburg State 17–13 Braly Municipal Stadium Florence, Alabama 11,733 Burgess, BillBill Burgess
1993 North Alabama Indiana (PA) 41–34 Braly Municipal Stadium Florence, Alabama 15,361 Wallace, BobbyBobby Wallace
1994 North Alabama Texas A&M–Kingsville 16–10 Braly Municipal Stadium Florence, Alabama 13,526 Wallace, BobbyBobby Wallace
1995 North Alabama Pittsburg State 27–7 Braly Municipal Stadium Florence, Alabama 15,241 Wallace, BobbyBobby Wallace
1996 Northern Colorado Carson–Newman 23–14 Braly Municipal Stadium Florence, Alabama 5,745 Glenn, JoeJoe Glenn
1997 Northern Colorado New Haven 51–0 Braly Municipal Stadium Florence, Alabama 3,352 Glenn, JoeJoe Glenn
1998 Northwest Missouri State Carson–Newman 24–6 Braly Municipal Stadium Florence, Alabama 6,149 Tjeerdsma, MelMel Tjeerdsma
1999 Northwest Missouri State Carson–Newman 58–52 (4OT) Braly Municipal Stadium Florence, Alabama 8,451 Tjeerdsma, MelMel Tjeerdsma
2000 Delta State Bloomsburg 63–34 Braly Municipal Stadium Florence, Alabama 7,123 Campbell, SteveSteve Campbell
2001 North Dakota Grand Valley State 17–14 Braly Municipal Stadium Florence, Alabama 6,113 Lennon, DaleDale Lennon
2002 Grand Valley State Valdosta State 31–24 Braly Municipal Stadium Florence, Alabama 9,783 Kelly, BrianBrian Kelly
2003 Grand Valley State North Dakota 10–3 Braly Municipal Stadium Florence, Alabama 7,236 Kelly, BrianBrian Kelly
2004 Valdosta State Pittsburg State 36–31 Braly Municipal Stadium Florence, Alabama 8,604 Hatcher, ChrisChris Hatcher
2005 Grand Valley State Northwest Missouri State 21–17 Braly Municipal Stadium Florence, Alabama 6,837 Martin, ChuckChuck Martin
2006 Grand Valley State Northwest Missouri State 17–14 Braly Municipal Stadium Florence, Alabama 7,437 Martin, ChuckChuck Martin
2007 Valdosta State Northwest Missouri State 25–20 Braly Municipal Stadium Florence, Alabama 7,532 Dean, DavidDavid Dean
2008 Minnesota–Duluth Northwest Missouri State 21–14 Braly Municipal Stadium Florence, Alabama 6,215 Nielson, BobBob Nielson
2009 Northwest Missouri State Grand Valley State 30–23 Braly Municipal Stadium Florence, Alabama 6,211 Tjeerdsma, MelMel Tjeerdsma
2010 Minnesota–Duluth Delta State 20–17 Braly Municipal Stadium Florence, Alabama 4,027 Nielson, BobBob Nielson
2011 Pittsburg StateWayne State (MI) 35–21 Braly Municipal Stadium Florence, Alabama 7,276 Beck, TimTim Beck
2012 Valdosta State Winston-Salem State 35–7 Braly Municipal Stadium Florence, Alabama 7,525 Dean, DavidDavid Dean
2013 Northwest Missouri State Lenoir–Rhyne 43–28 Braly Municipal Stadium Florence, Alabama 6,543 Dorrel, AdamAdam Dorrel
2014 CSU–Pueblo Minnesota State–Mankato 13–0 Children's Mercy Park Kansas City, Kansas 6,762 Wristen, JohnJohn Wristen
2015 Northwest Missouri State Shepherd 34–7 Children's Mercy Park Kansas City, Kansas 16,181 Dorrel, AdamAdam Dorrel

† Mississippi College's tournament participation, along with its championship, were vacated by the NCAA Committee on Infractions.

Most national championships

The teams that have won the most national championships since 1973 are:

Team Championships Winning years
North Dakota State* 5 1983, 1985, 1986, 1988, 1990
Northwest Missouri State 5 1998, 1999, 2009, 2013, 2015
Grand Valley State 4 2002, 2003, 2005, 2006
North Alabama 3 1993, 1994, 1995
Valdosta State 3 2004, 2007, 2012
Minnesota–Duluth 2 2008, 2010
Northern Colorado* 2 1996, 1997
Troy State* 2 1984, 1987
Southwest Texas State* 2 1981, 1982
Pittsburg State 2 1991, 2011
Cal Poly* 1 1980
Central Michigan* 1 1974
CSU–Pueblo 1 2014
Delta State 1 2000
Delaware* 1 1979
Eastern Illinois* 1 1978
Jacksonville State* 1 1992
Lehigh* 1 1977
Louisiana Tech* 1 1973
Montana State* 1 1976
North Dakota* 1 2001
Northern Michigan 1 1975

*Inactive; see Teams that moved to Division I

Teams that moved to Division I

Most of the participants in early national championship games have moved into Division I, the main catalyst for their moves being the creation of Division I-AA, now the Division I Football Championship Subdivision (FCS), in 1978. The following Division II title game participants later moved to Division I:

Division I FBS (formerly I-A)
Division I FCS (formerly I-AA)

See also

References

  1. ↑ "Kansas City to host 14 NCAA championships". Sporting Kansas City.
  2. ↑ "Division II All-Time Championship Results Bracket" (PDF). NCAA. NCAA.org. p. 2. Retrieved March 3, 2014.
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