Logo for the 2005 Division II National Championship game
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, 2008. Northwest in 2009 is appearing in an unprecedented fifth consecutive national title game competing against Grand Valley which defeated Northwest twice before in title games.
The NCAA Division II National Football Championship began 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 1973–1975. It was in Wichita Falls, Texas in 1976–1977. 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 1981–1985. Since 1986 the Division II championship game has been played annually at Braly Municipal Stadium near the campus of the University of North Alabama in Florence, Alabama. Since 1998 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:
- West: Camellia Bowl, in Sacramento, California 1964–1972
- Midwest: Pecan Bowl in Abilene, Texas 1964–1967 & Arlington, Texas 1968–1970, Pioneer Bowl in Wichita Falls, Texas, 1971–1972
- Mideast: Grantland Rice Bowl in Murfreesboro, Tennessee 1964–1968 & Baton Rouge, Louisiana 1969–1972
- East: Tangerine Bowl in Orlando, Florida 1964–1967, Boardwalk Bowl in Atlantic City, New Jersey 1968–1972
Winners of regional bowls[]
| Year | West | Midwest | Mideast | East |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1964 | Montana State | Northern Iowa | Middle Tennessee State | East Carolina |
| 1965 | Los Angeles State | North Dakota State | Ball State / Tenn State (tie game) | East Carolina |
| 1966 | San Diego State | North Dakota | Tennessee State | Morgan State |
| 1967 | San Diego State | Texas-Arlington | Eastern Kentucky | Tennessee-Martin |
| 1968 | Humboldt State | North Dakota State | Louisiana Tech | Delaware |
| 1969 | North Dakota State | Arkansas State | East Tennessee State | Delaware |
| 1970 | North Dakota State | Arkansas State | Tennessee State | Delaware |
| 1971 | Boise State | Louisiana Tech | Tennessee State | Delaware |
| 1972 | North Dakota | Tennessee State | Louisiana Tech | Massachusetts |
National champions by polling[]
| Year | Champion |
|---|---|
| 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 | Los Angeles State (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) |
National Championship games[]
A playoff series was started in 1973 to determine the Division II champion.
† 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 |
| Grand Valley State | 4 | 2002, 2003, 2005, 2006 |
| North Alabama | 3 | 1993, 1994, 1995 |
| Northwest Missouri State | 6 | 1998, 1999, 2009, 2013, 2015, 2016 |
| 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-SLO* | 1 | 1980 |
| Central Michigan* | 1 | 1974 |
| 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)
- Akron (1976 runner-up)
- Central Michigan (1974 champion)
- Louisiana Tech (1973 champion)
- Texas State (champion 1981, 1982 as Southwest Texas State; provisional FBS member in 2012, full FBS member in 2013)
- Troy (1984 and 1987 champion as Troy State)
- Western Kentucky (1973 and 1975 runner-up)
- Division I FCS (formerly I-AA)
- Cal Poly-SLO (1980 champion)
- Delaware (1979 champion;1974 and 1978 runner-up)
- Eastern Illinois (1978 champion;1980 runner-up)
- Jacksonville State (1992 champion; 1977, 1989 and 1991 runner-up)
- Lehigh (champion 1977)
- Montana State (champion 1976)
- North Dakota (champion 2001, runner-up 2003)
- North Dakota State (champion 1965, 1968, 1969, 1983, 1985, 1986, 1988, 1990; runner-up 1981, 1984)
- Northern Colorado (champion 1996, 1997)
- Portland State (runner-up 1987, 1988)
- South Dakota (runner-up 1986)
- UC Davis (runner-up 1982)
- Youngstown State (runner-up 1979)
See also[]
- College football national championships in NCAA Division I FBS
- NCAA Division I Football Championship
- NCAA Division I FCS Consensus Mid-Major Football National Championship
- NCAA Division III National Football Championship
- NAIA National Football Championship
- NJCAA National Football Championship
- List of college bowl games
External links[]
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