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NCAA Division II football championship

(Redirected from NCAA Division II National Football Championship)

The NCAA Division II football championship is an American college football tournament that is played annually to determine a champion at the NCAA Division II level. It was first held in 1973, as a single-elimination playoff with only eight teams. The tournament field has subsequently been expanded over the years four times: to 16 teams in 1988, 24 teams in 2004, 28 teams in 2016, and 32 teams in 2025.

NCAA Division II
football championship
Current season, competition or edition:
Current sports event 2025 NCAA Division II football season
SportAmerican football
Founded1973; 53 years ago (1973)
First season1973
No. of teams32
CountryUnited States
Most recent
champion		Ferris State
(2025)
Most titlesNorthwest Missouri State
(6 titles)
BroadcasterESPN2
Level on pyramid2
Related
competitions		Division III
Official websitencaa.com/football/d2

The national championship game has been held in eight cities. Former sites include Sacramento, California (1973–1975); Wichita Falls, Texas (1976–1977); Longview, Texas (1978); Albuquerque, New Mexico (1979–1980); McAllen, Texas (1981–1985); Florence, Alabama (1986–2013); and Kansas City, Kansas (2014–2017).[1] From 1973 through 1985 (with the exception of 1978) the championship game carried a bowl designation (see NCAA Division II bowl games).

Since 2018, the championship game has been played at the McKinney ISD Stadium and Community Event Center in McKinney, Texas.[2] Since 1994, the games have been broadcast on ESPN.

Small-college wire service national champions

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Prior to 1973, for what was then called the NCAA College Division, national champions were selected by polls conducted at the end of each regular season by two major wire services, the Associated Press (AP) and United Press International (UPI). In five years, the two polls named different number one teams. From 1964 to 1972, postseason bowl games crowned four regional champions. NCAA Division II bowl games still exist, but only as postseason contests for teams not qualifying for the championship playoffs.

Polls to rank "small college" football teams were conducted by the Associated Press (AP) and United Press International (UPI) during and at the end of each regular season. The AP polled a panel of experts, while UPI polled a panel of coaches. When UPI began its poll in 1958, it explained that the poll would cover college football programs not considered "major" by the Football Writers Association of America (FWAA), with the small schools (then numbering 519) belonging to the NCAA, the NAIA, both, or neither.[3] The AP began its poll in 1960.[4]


National champions per wire service polls

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National football championship trophy room at Bearcat Stadium at Northwest Missouri State University. The two trophies in the middle are for the team's 1998 and 1999 national championships. The four trophies on the left are for appearances in the 2005–2008 title games
YearTop-ranked team
per UPI pollper AP poll
1958Mississippi Southern(no poll)
1959Bowling Green(no poll)
1960Ohio
1961Pittsburg State
1962Southern MissFlorida A&M
1963DelawareNorthern Illinois
1964Cal State Los AngelesWittenberg
1965North Dakota State
1966San Diego State
1967San Diego State
1968San Diego StateNorth Dakota State
1969North Dakota State
1970Arkansas State
1971Delaware
1972Delaware
1973[n 1]Tennessee State
1974[n 1]Louisiana TechCentral Michigan
Notes
  1. 1 2 While the NCAA started Division II playoffs in 1973, AP and UPI still conducted their polls during the 1973 and 1974 seasons.

NCAA Division II champions

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Since 1973, a post-season tournament has been held to determine the Division II Champion. The current format, in use since 2025, features 32 teams organized into 4 super-regions of 8 teams each. Prior to the championship game, all contests are hosted by the higher-seeded team. the semi-final games are held at the home stadiums of the two highest-seeded remaining teams. Since 2018, the championship game has been played at the McKinney Independent School District Stadium, a 12,000 seat facility that opened in August 2018.

Results

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Key
Ed. Season Champion Score Runner-up Venue Location Att. Winning
head coach
1
1973Louisiana Tech (1)34–0Western KentuckyHughes StadiumSacramento, CA12,016Maxie Lambright
2
1974Central Michigan (1)54–14Delaware14,137Roy Kramer
3
1975Northern Michigan (1)16–14Western Kentucky12,017Gil Krueger
4
1976Montana State (1)24–13AkronMemorial StadiumWichita Falls, TX13,200Sonny Holland
5
1977Lehigh (1)33–0Jacksonville State14,114John Whitehead
6
1978Eastern Illinois (1)10–9DelawareLobo StadiumLongview, TX5,500Darrell Mudra
7
1979Delaware (1)38–21Youngstown StateUniversity StadiumAlbuquerque, NM4,000Tubby Raymond
8
1980Cal Poly (1)21–13Eastern Illinois2,056[5]Joe Harper
9
1981Southwest Texas (1)42–13North Dakota StateMcAllen StadiumMcAllen, TX9,415Jim Wacker
10
1982Southwest Texas (2)34–9UC Davis8,000
11
1983North Dakota State (1)41–21Central State5,275Don Morton
12
1984Troy State (1)18–17North Dakota State4,500Chan Gailey
13
1985North Dakota State (2)35–7North Alabama6,000Earle Solomonson
14
1986North Dakota State (3)27–7South DakotaBraly StadiumFlorence, AL11,506
15
1987Troy State (2)31–17Portland State10,660Rick Rhoades
16
1988North Dakota State (4)35–21Portland State6,763Rocky Hager
17
1989Mississippi College[n 1]3–0Jacksonville State10,538John M. Williams
18
1990North Dakota State (5)51–11Indiana (PA)10,080Rocky Hager
19
1991Pittsburg State (1)23–6Jacksonville State11,682Chuck Broyles
20
1992Jacksonville State (1)17–13Pittsburg State11,733Bill Burgess
21
1993North Alabama (1)41–34Indiana (PA)15,631Bobby Wallace
22
1994North Alabama (2)16–10Texas A&M–Kingsville13,526
23
1995North Alabama (3)27–7Pittsburg State15,241
24
1996Northern Colorado (1)23–14Carson–Newman5,745Joe Glenn
25
1997Northern Colorado (2)51–0New Haven3,352
26
1998Northwest Missouri (1)24–6Carson–Newman6,149Mel Tjeerdsma
27
1999Northwest Missouri (2)58–52 (a.e.t.)Carson–Newman8,451
28
2000Delta State (1)63–34Bloomsburg7,123Steve Campbell
29
2001North Dakota (1)17–14Grand Valley State6,113Dale Lennon
30
2002Grand Valley State (1)31–24Valdosta State9,783Brian Kelly
31
2003Grand Valley State (2)10–3North Dakota7,236
32
2004Valdosta State (1)36–31Pittsburg State8,604Chris Hatcher
33
2005Grand Valley State (3)21–17Northwest Missouri6,837Chuck Martin
34
2006Grand Valley State (4)17–14Northwest Missouri7,437
35
2007Valdosta State (2)25–20Northwest Missouri7,532David Dean
36
2008Minnesota–Duluth (1)21–14Northwest Missouri6,215Bob Nielson
37
2009Northwest Missouri (3)30–23Grand Valley State6,211Mel Tjeerdsma
38
2010Minnesota–Duluth (2)20–17Delta State4,027Bob Nielson
39
2011Pittsburg State (2)35–21Wayne State (MI)7,276Tim Beck
40
2012Valdosta State (3)35–7Winston-Salem State7,525David Dean
41
2013Northwest Missouri (4)43–28Lenoir–Rhyne6,543Adam Dorrel
42
2014CSU Pueblo (1)13–0Minnesota StateChildren's MercyKansas City, KS6,762John Wristen
43
2015Northwest Missouri (5)34–7Shepherd16,181Adam Dorrel
44
2016Northwest Missouri (6)29–3North Alabama9,576[7]
45
2017Texas A&M–Commerce (1)37–27West Florida4,259Colby Carthel
46
2018Valdosta State (4)49–47Ferris StateMcKinney StadiumMcKinney, TX4,306Kerwin Bell
47
2019West Florida (1)48–40Minnesota State3,415Pete Shinnick
–
2020
(canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic)
48
2021Ferris State (1)58–17Valdosta StateMcKinney StadiumMcKinney, TX3,933Tony Annese
49
2022Ferris State (2)41–14Colorado Mines6,333
50
2023Harding (1)38–7Colorado Mines12,552Paul Simmons
51
2024Ferris State (3)49–14Valdosta State3,228Tony Annese
52
2025Ferris State (4)42–21Harding10,521
53
2026
54
2027
Notes
  1. ↑ Mississippi College's 1989 tournament participation, along with its championship, were vacated by the NCAA Committee on Infractions.[6]

Team titles

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Championship game appearances

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Programs that no longer compete in Division II are indicated in italics.

Team App. Years
Northwest Missouri State101998, 1999, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2013, 2015, 2016
Valdosta State72002, 2004, 2007, 2012, 2018, 2021, 2024
North Dakota State71981, 1983, 1984, 1985, 1986, 1988, 1990
Grand Valley State62001, 2002, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2009
Ferris State52018, 2021, 2022, 2024, 2025
North Alabama51985, 1993, 1994, 1995, 2016
Pittsburg State51991, 1992, 1995, 2004, 2011
Jacksonville State41977, 1989, 1991, 1992
Carson–Newman31996, 1998, 1999
Delaware31974, 1978, 1979
Harding22023, 2025
Colorado Mines22022, 2023
Delta State22000, 2010
Eastern Illinois21978, 1980
Indiana (PA)21990, 1993
Minnesota–Duluth22008, 2010
Minnesota State22014, 2019
North Dakota22001, 2003
Northern Colorado21996, 1997
Portland State21987, 1988
Texas State[a]21981, 1982
Troy[b]21984, 1987
Western Kentucky21973, 1975
West Florida22017, 2019
Akron11976
Bloomsburg12000
Cal Poly11980
Central Michigan11974
Central State11983
CSU Pueblo12014
East Texas A&M[c]12017
Lehigh11977
Lenoir–Rhyne12013
Louisiana Tech11973
Montana State11976
New Haven11997
Northern Michigan11975
Shepherd12015
South Dakota11986
Texas A&M–Kingsville11994
UC Davis11982
Wayne State (MI)12011
Winston-Salem State12012
Youngstown State11979
Mississippi College01989†

Of the programs that no longer compete in D-II, Akron, Central Michigan, Delaware, Jacksonville State, Louisiana Tech, North Dakota State, Texas State, Troy and Western Kentucky currently compete in Division I FBS, while Mississippi College no longer fields a football team. All others compete in Division I FCS.

Notes

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† Mississippi College's 1989 tournament participation, along with its championship, were vacated by the NCAA Committee on Infractions.

  • a During Texas State's entire tenure in Division II, its name was Southwest Texas State University. The school adopted its current name in 2003.
  • b During Troy's entire tenure in Division II, its name was Troy State University. The school adopted its current name in 2005.
  • c East Texas A&M was known by two names during its Division II tenure—first as East Texas State University through the 1995 season, then as Texas A&M University–Commerce. The school adopted its current name in 2024.

Teams that moved to Division I

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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:

Postseason bowls

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Regional bowls

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From 1964 to 1972, four regional bowl games were played in order to provide postseason action,[6] however these games took place after the AP and UPI polls were completed, therefore these games did not factor in selecting a national champion for the College Division. The bowl games were:

Region 1964 1965 1966 1967 1968 1969 1970 1971 1972
EastTangerine BowlBoardwalk Bowl
Orlando, FloridaAtlantic City, New Jersey
MideastGrantland Rice Bowl
Murfreesboro, TennesseeBaton Rouge, Louisiana
MidwestPecan BowlPioneer Bowl
Abilene, TexasArlington, TexasWichita Falls, Texas
WestCamellia Bowl
Sacramento, California

Winners of regional bowls

Year West Midwest Mideast East
1964Montana StateState College of IowaMiddle TennesseeEast Carolina
1965Cal State Los AngelesNorth Dakota StateBall State / Tennessee A&I (tie)East Carolina
1966San Diego StateNorth DakotaTennessee A&IMorgan State
1967San Diego StateTexas–ArlingtonEastern KentuckyTennessee–Martin
1968Humboldt StateNorth Dakota StateLouisiana TechDelaware
1969North Dakota StateArkansas StateEast Tennessee StateDelaware
1970North Dakota StateArkansas StateTennessee StateDelaware
1971Boise StateLouisiana TechTennessee StateDelaware
1972North Dakota StateTennessee StateLouisiana TechUMass

[6]

Playoff bowls

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From 1973 to 1977, some of the tournament games were also known by bowl names;

References

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  1. ↑ "Kansas City to host 14 NCAA championships". Sporting Kansas City. December 11, 2013. Archived from the original on December 15, 2013. Retrieved December 11, 2013.
  2. ↑ "NCAA seeks new D2 football title game host because Sporting KC will renovate field". KansasCity.com. Kansas City Star. September 4, 2018. Retrieved September 6, 2018.
  3. ↑ "Small College Football Board Named by UPI". Brownwood Bulletin. Brownwood, Texas. UPI. September 18, 1958. p. 3. Retrieved May 6, 2024 – via newspapers.com.
  4. ↑ "Ohio U. Leads Small College Grid Poll; Muskingum Gains Ranking". The Daily Reporter. Associated Press. October 6, 1960. p. 18.
  5. ↑ "Cal Poly-SLO, Martin wreck Eastern Illinois". The Pantagraph. Bloomington, Illinois. AP. December 14, 1980. Retrieved February 26, 2017 – via newspapers.com.
  6. 1 2 3 "Division II All-Time Championship Results Bracket" (PDF). NCAA. NCAA.org. p. 2. Retrieved March 3, 2014.
  7. ↑ "North Alabama vs. Northwest Missouri State - Game Summary". ESPN. December 18, 2016.
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