American Football Database
American Football Database
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The 1996 NCAA Division III football season, part of the college football season organized by the NCAA at the Division III level in the United States, began in August 1996, and concluded with the NCAA Division III Football Championship, also known as the Stagg Bowl, in December 1996 at Salem Football Stadium in Salem, Virginia. The Mount Union Purple Raiders won their second Division III championship by defeating the Rowan Profs, 56−24. The Gagliardi Trophy, given to the most outstanding player in Division III football, was awarded to Lon Erickson, quarterback from Illinois Wesleyan.[1]

Conference and program changes[]

Conference changes[]

  • The American Southwest Conference began its first season of play in 1996.
  • The Texas Intercollegiate Athletic Association dissolved after the 1996 season when most of members joined the American Southwest.
School 1995 Conference 1996 Conference
Austin College TIAA American Southwest
Hardin–Simmons TIAA American Southwest
Howard Payne TIAA American Southwest
McMurry TIAA American Southwest
Mississippi College Independent American Southwest
Sul Ross State TIAA American Southwest

Program changes[]

  • After Trenton State College changed its name to The College of New Jersey in 1996, the Trenton State Lions became the College of New Jersey (TCNJ) Lions at the start of the 1996 season.

Conference champions[]

Conference champions
  • American Southwest ConferenceHardin–Simmons and Sul Ross State
  • Centennial Conference – Ursinus
  • College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin – Illinois Wesleyan
  • Freedom Football Conference – Coast Guard
  • Illini-Badger Football ConferenceLakeland
  • Indiana Collegiate Athletic Conference – DePauw
  • Iowa Intercollegiate Athletic Conference – Simpson
  • Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association – Albion
  • Middle Atlantic Conference – Lycoming
  • Midwest Conference – Ripon
  • Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference – Saint John's (MN)
  • New England Football Conference – Worcester State
  • New Jersey Athletic Conference – TCNJ
  • North Coast Athletic Conference – Allegheny
  • Northwest ConferenceWillamette
  • Ohio Athletic Conference – Mount Union
  • Old Dominion Athletic Conference – Emory & Henry
  • Presidents' Athletic Conference – Washington & Jefferson
  • Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference – Redlands
  • Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference – Millsaps and Trinity (TX)
  • University Athletic Association – Carnegie Mellon, Case Western, and Washington–Saint Louis
  • Upper Midwest Athletic Conference – Maranatha Baptist and Martin Luther
  • Upstate Collegiate Athletic Conference – Union (NY)
  • Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference – Wisconsin–La Crosse

Postseason[]

The 1996 NCAA Division III Football Championship playoffs were the 24th annual single-elimination tournament to determine the national champion of men's NCAA Division III college football. The championship Stagg Bowl game was held at Salem Football Stadium in Salem, Virginia for the second time. As of 2014, Salem has remained the yearly host of the Stagg Bowl. Like the previous eleven tournaments, this year's bracket featured sixteen teams.[2]

Playoff bracket[]

  Regionals
Campus Sites
Quarterfinals
Campus Sites
Semifinals
Campus Sites
National Championship Game
Salem Football Stadium
Salem, Virginia
                                     
 Mount Union 31  
 Allegheny 26  
   Mount Union 49  
 
   Illinois Wesleyan 14  
 Illinois Wesleyan 23
 Albion 20  
   Mount Union 39  
   Wisconsin–La Crosse 21  
 Wisconsin–La Crosse 44  
 Wisconsin–River Falls 0  
   Wisconsin–La Crosse 37
 
   Saint John's (MN) 30  
 Saint John's (MN) 21
 Simpson 18  
   Mount Union 56
   Rowan 24
 Lycoming 31  
 Ursinus 24  
   Lycoming 31
 
   Albright 13  
 Albright 31
 Washington & Jefferson 17  
   Lycoming 14
   Rowan 33  
 Rowan 21  
 Buffalo State 20  
   Rowan 7
 
   TCNJ 3  
 TCNJ 17
 Coast Guard 16  

See also[]

References[]

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