NCAA Division III National Football Championship



The NCAA Division III National Football Championship began in 1973. Before 1973, most of the schools now in Division III competed in the NCAA's former "College Division".

The Division III championship game, known as the Stagg Bowl, has been played annually in Salem, Virginia at Salem Football Stadium since 1993. It was previously played in Phenix City, Alabama (1973–1982, 1985–1989), at the College Football Hall of Fame, when the Hall was located in Kings Island, Ohio (1983–1984) and Bradenton, Florida (1990–1992). Mount Union has appeared in the last eight Stagg Bowls—defeating Wisconsin–Whitewater in 2005, 2006, and 2008; losing to Wisconsin–Whitewater in 2007, 2009, 2010, and 2011; and defeating St. Thomas (MN) in 2012.

Before the national championship game
In 1969, the NCAA started two regional championship games for small college teams: the East Regional's Knute Rockne Bowl and the West's Amos Alonzo Stagg Bowl. When the NCAA developed a national Division III championship game in 1973, the Stagg Bowl name was chosen.