1956 NCAA College Division football season Regular season September 22 – December 1, 1956 Number of bowls 3 Bowl games December 1, 1956 – January 1, 1957 Champion(s) Tennessee A&I (black )
← 1955 ·
College Division football seasons · 1957 →
The 1956 NCAA College Division football season saw the NCAA split member schools into two divisions: larger schools were part of the University Division, later known as NCAA Division I , and smaller schools were placed in the College Division, later split into NCAA Division II and NCAA Division III .
Champions [ ] Black college championship [ ] The Tennessee A&I (9–0) and the Florida A&M Rattlers (8–0) were considered to be the No. 1 and No. 2 teams "among the nation's Negro grid powers".[1] Orange Blossom Classic as well as the New Year's Day, historically white universities, Orange Bowl game. A crowd of 41,808 watched Tennessee A&I win 41–39.[2]
Conference champions [ ] This section needs expansion . You can help by . (February 2018 )
Conference
Champion(s)
Record
California Collegiate Athletic Association
none
Far Western Conference
Humboldt State Northern Branch San Francisco State
4–1
Mid-American Conference
Bowling Green
5–0–1
Ohio Valley Conference
Middle Tennessee State
5–0
Conference standings [ ]
1956 California Collegiate Athletic Association football standings
Conf Overall
Team W
L
T W
L
T
Fresno State
2
–
0
–
0
8
–
2
–
0
San Diego State
2
–
1
–
0
4
–
3
–
2
Santa Barbara
1
–
1
–
0
5
–
5
–
0
Los Angeles State
0
–
1
–
0
3
–
5
–
1
Cal Poly
0
–
2
–
0
7
–
3
–
0
No champion named for the 1956 season
1956 Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association football standings
Conf Overall
Team W
L
T W
L
T
North Carolina College +
5
–
0
–
2
5
–
2
–
2
Delaware State +
5
–
0
–
1
7
–
1
–
1
Morgan State +
5
–
0
–
1
5
–
2
–
1
Maryland State
5
–
1
–
1
6
–
2
–
1
St. Augustine's
5
–
1
–
1
6
–
1
–
1
Bluefield State
5
–
1
–
0
6
–
3
–
0
Fayetteville State
4
–
2
–
0
4
–
3
–
0
Virginia Union
4
–
3
–
0
6
–
3
–
0
North Carolina A&T
3
–
3
–
0
4
–
4
–
0
Winston-Salem State
3
–
3
–
1
4
–
4
–
1
Shaw
3
–
4
–
1
3
–
4
–
1
Hampton
2
–
7
–
1
2
–
7
–
1
Johnson C. Smith
2
–
5
–
0
3
–
5
–
0
Virginia State
1
–
6
–
1
1
–
7
–
1
Lincoln (PA)
1
–
6
–
0
1
–
6
–
0
Howard
1
–
5
–
0
4
–
5
–
0
Saint Paul's (VA)
0
–
7
–
0
1
–
7
–
0
+ – Conference co-champions
1956 College Conference of Illinois football standings
Conf Overall
Team W
L
T W
L
T
Wheaton (IL) $
7
–
0
–
0
7
–
1
–
0
Millikin
6
–
1
–
0
6
–
2
–
0
Carroll (WI)
5
–
2
–
0
5
–
3
–
0
Lake Forest
3
–
3
–
1
3
–
4
–
1
Illinois Wesleyan
3
–
3
–
1
3
–
5
–
1
North Central (IL)
1
–
6
–
0
2
–
6
–
0
Elmhurst
1
–
6
–
0
1
–
6
–
0
Augustana (IL)
1
–
6
–
0
1
–
7
–
0
1956 Far Western Conference football standings
Conf Overall
Team W
L
T W
L
T
Humboldt State +
4
–
1
–
0
9
–
2
–
0
Cal Aggies +
4
–
1
–
0
7
–
2
–
0
San Francisco State +
4
–
1
–
0
5
–
5
–
0
Chico State
1
–
3
–
1
2
–
6
–
1
Sacramento State
1
–
4
–
0
3
–
5
–
1
Nevada
0
–
4
–
1
0
–
7
–
1
+ – Conference co-champions
1956 Gulf Coast Conference football standings
Conf Overall
Team W
L
T W
L
T
North Texas State +
2
–
0
–
1
7
–
2
–
1
Trinity (TX) +
2
–
0
–
1
5
–
3
–
1
Abilene Christian
1
–
2
–
0
4
–
6
–
0
Midwestern (TX)
0
–
3
–
0
3
–
7
–
0
+ – Conference co-champions
1956 Gulf States Conference football standings
Conf Overall
Team W
L
T W
L
T
Southeastern Louisiana $
4
–
1
–
0
6
–
3
–
0
Northwestern State
3
–
1
–
1
6
–
2
–
2
Louisiana Tech
3
–
1
–
1
4
–
3
–
2
Northeast Louisiana State
2
–
3
–
0
7
–
3
–
0
McNeese State
2
–
3
–
0
5
–
5
–
0
Southwestern Louisiana
1
–
4
–
0
4
–
6
–
0
1956 Hoosier Conference football standings
Conf Overall
Team W
L
T W
L
T
Hanover $
6
–
0
–
0
8
–
1
–
0
Anderson (IN)
5
–
1
–
0
6
–
2
–
0
Indiana Central
4
–
2
–
0
4
–
5
–
0
Franklin (IN)
3
–
3
–
0
5
–
4
–
0
Manchester (IN)
2
–
4
–
0
3
–
6
–
0
Taylor
1
–
5
–
0
3
–
6
–
0
Earlham
0
–
6
–
0
1
–
7
–
0
1956 Indiana Collegiate Conference football standings
Conf Overall
Team W
L
T W
L
T
Saint Joseph's (IN) $^
6
–
0
–
0
8
–
1
–
1
Butler
5
–
1
–
0
6
–
2
–
0
Valparaiso
4
–
2
–
0
6
–
4
–
0
Evansville
3
–
3
–
0
4
–
5
–
0
Ball State
2
–
4
–
0
4
–
4
–
0
DePauw
1
–
5
–
0
1
–
6
–
1
Indiana State
0
–
6
–
0
2
–
6
–
0
$ – Conference champion ^ – NAIA playoff participant
1956 Interstate Intercollegiate Athletic Conference football standings
Conf Overall
Team W
L
T W
L
T
Central Michigan $
6
–
0
–
0
9
–
0
–
0
Western Illinois
4
–
2
–
0
6
–
3
–
0
Eastern Michigan
3
–
3
–
0
4
–
4
–
0
Illinois State Normal
3
–
3
–
0
4
–
4
–
1
Southern Illinois
3
–
3
–
0
4
–
5
–
0
Eastern Illinois
2
–
4
–
0
2
–
7
–
0
Northern Illinois State
0
–
6
–
0
1
–
8
–
0
1956 Iowa Conference football standings
Conf Overall
Team W
L
T W
L
T
Central (IA) $
7
–
1
–
0
7
–
1
–
0
Simpson
5
–
2
–
1
5
–
2
–
1
Luther
5
–
2
–
1
5
–
3
–
1
Iowa Wesleyan
5
–
3
–
0
5
–
4
–
0
Buena Vista
4
–
4
–
0
4
–
4
–
1
Dubuque
3
–
3
–
2
3
–
3
–
2
Parsons
3
–
5
–
0
5
–
5
–
0
Upper Iowa
1
–
6
–
1
2
–
6
–
2
Wartburg
0
–
7
–
1
0
–
7
–
1
1956 Lone Star Conference football standings
Conf Overall
Team W
L
T W
L
T
Sam Houston State $
6
–
0
–
0
10
–
0
–
0
Texas A&I
5
–
1
–
0
7
–
3
–
0
Southwest Texas State
4
–
2
–
0
6
–
3
–
0
Stephen F. Austin
3
–
3
–
0
4
–
6
–
0
Lamar Tech
2
–
4
–
0
4
–
4
–
0
East Texas State
1
–
5
–
0
2
–
8
–
0
Sul Ross
0
–
6
–
0
1
–
9
–
0
1956 Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association football standings
Conf Overall
Team W
L
T W
L
T
Hillsdale $
6
–
0
–
0
9
–
0
–
0
Kalamazoo
5
–
1
–
0
5
–
3
–
0
Hope
4
–
2
–
0
4
–
4
–
0
Albion
3
–
3
–
0
3
–
5
–
0
Adrian
2
–
4
–
0
3
–
5
–
0
Alma
1
–
5
–
0
2
–
7
–
0
Olivet
0
–
6
–
0
0
–
8
–
0
1956 Mid-American Conference football standings
Conf Overall
Team W
L
T W
L
T
Bowling Green $
5
–
0
–
1
8
–
0
–
1
Miami
4
–
0
–
1
7
–
1
–
1
Kent State
4
–
2
–
0
7
–
2
–
0
Marshall
2
–
4
–
0
3
–
6
–
0
Ohio
2
–
4
–
0
2
–
7
–
0
Western Michigan
1
–
4
–
0
2
–
7
–
0
Toledo
1
–
5
–
0
1
–
7
–
1
1956 Mid-Ohio League football standings
Conf Overall
Team W
L
T W
L
T
Bluffton $
5
–
0
–
0
8
–
1
–
0
Findlay
4
–
1
–
0
7
–
2
–
0
Wilmington (OH)
3
–
2
–
0
3
–
4
–
0
Ashland
2
–
3
–
0
3
–
5
–
0
Ohio Northern
0
–
4
–
1
0
–
7
–
1
Defiance
0
–
4
–
1
0
–
8
–
1
1956 Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference football standings
Conf Overall
Team W
L
T W
L
T
St. Thomas (MN) $
7
–
0
–
0
7
–
0
–
0
Concordia (MN)
5
–
2
–
0
6
–
3
–
0
Macalester
4
–
3
–
0
5
–
3
–
0
Gustavus Adolphus
4
–
3
–
0
4
–
5
–
0
Minnesota–Duluth
3
–
4
–
0
3
–
4
–
0
Saint John's (MN)
2
–
4
–
1
3
–
4
–
1
Augsburg
2
–
4
–
1
2
–
5
–
1
Hamline
0
–
7
–
0
1
–
7
–
0
1956 Missouri Intercollegiate Athletic Association football standings
Conf Overall
Team W
L
T W
L
T
Central Missouri State +
4
–
1
–
0
7
–
2
–
0
Missouri–Rolla +
4
–
1
–
0
6
–
3
–
0
NE Missouri State
3
–
2
–
0
3
–
5
–
0
SW Missouri State
3
–
2
–
0
3
–
6
–
0
NW Missouri State
1
–
4
–
0
2
–
7
–
0
SE Missouri State
0
–
5
–
0
2
–
7
–
0
+ – Conference co-champions
1956 North Central Conference football standings
Conf Overall
Team W
L
T W
L
T
Morningside $
4
–
1
–
1
6
–
1
–
1
Augustana (SD)
4
–
2
–
0
6
–
3
–
0
South Dakota
4
–
2
–
0
4
–
4
–
0
North Dakota State
3
–
3
–
0
5
–
4
–
0
South Dakota State
3
–
3
–
0
4
–
5
–
0
North Dakota
2
–
4
–
0
2
–
6
–
0
Iowa State Teachers
0
–
5
–
1
2
–
5
–
1
1956 Ohio Athletic Conference football standings
Conf Overall
Team W
L
T W
L
T
Heidelberg $
5
–
1
–
0
8
–
1
–
0
Hiram
4
–
1
–
0
5
–
3
–
0
Denison
5
–
2
–
0
7
–
2
–
0
Muskingum
5
–
2
–
1
5
–
2
–
1
Wittenberg
5
–
2
–
1
5
–
2
–
1
Capital
4
–
2
–
1
5
–
2
–
1
Wooster
4
–
3
–
1
5
–
3
–
1
Otterbein
3
–
4
–
0
4
–
5
–
0
Akron
3
–
5
–
1
3
–
5
–
1
Kenyon
1
–
3
–
1
1
–
5
–
1
Mount Union
2
–
5
–
0
2
–
6
–
0
Oberlin
1
–
4
–
1
1
–
6
–
1
Ohio Wesleyan
1
–
4
–
1
1
–
7
–
1
Marietta
0
–
5
–
0
0
–
7
–
0
1956 Ohio Valley Conference football standings
Conf Overall
Team W
L
T W
L
T
Middle Tennessee $
5
–
0
–
0
7
–
2
–
0
Murray State
4
–
1
–
0
6
–
4
–
0
Western Kentucky
2
–
3
–
0
5
–
4
–
0
Tennessee Tech
2
–
3
–
0
5
–
4
–
1
Eastern Kentucky
2
–
3
–
0
4
–
5
–
0
Morehead State
0
–
5
–
0
2
–
6
–
0
1956 Rocky Mountain Conference football standings
Conf Overall
Team W
L
T W
L
T
Montana State $^
5
–
0
–
0
9
–
0
–
1
Idaho State
3
–
2
–
0
6
–
3
–
0
Colorado State–Greeley
3
–
2
–
0
5
–
4
–
0
Western State (CO)
2
–
3
–
0
4
–
6
–
0
Colorado Mines
1
–
4
–
0
3
–
6
–
0
Colorado College
1
–
4
–
0
2
–
7
–
0
$ – Conference champion ^ – NAIA playoff participant
1956 Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference football standings
Conf Overall
Team W
L
T W
L
T
Redlands $
4
–
0
–
0
9
–
0
–
0
Pomona-Claremont
2
–
1
–
1
4
–
3
–
1
Whittier
2
–
1
–
1
4
–
3
–
3
Occidental
1
–
3
–
0
3
–
6
–
0
Caltech
0
–
4
–
0
3
–
5
–
0
1956 Southwestern Athletic Conference football standings
Conf Overall
Team W
L
T W
L
T
Texas Southern +
5
–
1
–
0
9
–
2
–
0
Wiley +
5
–
1
–
0
6
–
3
–
1
Southern
4
–
2
–
0
5
–
5
–
0
Prairie View A&M
4
–
2
–
0
5
–
5
–
0
Langston
2
–
4
–
0
2
–
7
–
0
Arkansas AM&N
0
–
5
–
1
2
–
6
–
1
Texas College
0
–
5
–
1
2
–
6
–
1
+ – Conference co-champions
1956 Wisconsin State College Conference football standings
Conf Overall
Team W
L
T W
L
T
Eau Claire State +
7
–
0
–
0
7
–
1
–
0
Platteville State +
5
–
0
–
0
5
–
1
–
0
River Falls State
4
–
1
–
0
6
–
2
–
0
Stevens Point State
3
–
3
–
0
4
–
4
–
0
Whitewater State
2
–
3
–
0
4
–
4
–
0
Superior State
2
–
3
–
0
4
–
5
–
0
La Crosse State
2
–
3
–
0
3
–
6
–
0
Oshkosh State
2
–
4
–
0
3
–
4
–
0
Stout State
0
–
5
–
0
1
–
7
–
0
Milwaukee
0
–
5
–
0
0
–
8
–
0
+ – Conference co-champions
1956 Yankee Conference football standings
Conf Overall
Team W
L
T W
L
T
Connecticut $
3
–
0
–
1
6
–
2
–
1
Maine
3
–
1
–
0
5
–
2
–
0
New Hampshire
2
–
1
–
1
3
–
4
–
1
Vermont
1
–
2
–
0
2
–
5
–
0
UMass
1
–
3
–
0
2
–
5
–
1
Rhode Island
1
–
4
–
0
2
–
6
–
0
1956 NCAA College Division independents football records
Conf Overall
Team W
L
T W
L
T
Northern Michigan
–
7
–
0
–
1
Carthage
–
8
–
2
–
0
Tampa
–
7
–
2
–
0
Cal Poly San Dimas
–
6
–
2
–
0
Mississippi Southern
–
7
–
2
–
1
Wabash
–
6
–
2
–
1
Hawaii
–
7
–
3
–
0
Hofstra
–
7
–
3
–
0
Xavier
–
7
–
3
–
0
Franklin & Marshall
–
5
–
2
–
1
Louisville
–
6
–
3
–
0
Pepperdine
–
6
–
3
–
0
Washington University
–
6
–
3
–
0
La Verne
–
6
–
4
–
0
Buffalo
–
5
–
3
–
0
Drexel
–
5
–
3
–
0
Long Beach State
–
5
–
3
–
0
Delaware
–
5
–
3
–
1
Memphis State
–
5
–
4
–
1
Arkansas State
–
5
–
4
–
0
Chattanooga
–
5
–
4
–
0
Baldwin–Wallace
–
4
–
5
–
0
Washington & Jefferson
–
3
–
4
–
1
Rose Poly
–
3
–
4
–
0
Bucknell
–
3
–
5
–
0
Carnegie Tech
–
3
–
5
–
0
Temple
–
3
–
5
–
0
Howard (AL)
–
2
–
5
–
2
Sewanee
–
1
–
6
–
1
UC Riverside
–
1
–
6
–
0
Postseason [ ] Burley Bowl [ ] The Memphis State Tigers faced off against the East Tennessee State Buccaneers in the Burley Bowl in Johnson City, Tennessee .
Refrigerator Bowl [ ] The Refrigerator Bowl in Evansville, Indiana featured the Ohio Valley Conference champion Middle Tennessee State against the undefeated Lone Star Conference champion Sam Houston State .
Tangerine Bowl [ ] The 1957 Tangerine Bowl featured College Division Independent Mississippi Southern (later known as Southern Miss) against the West Texas State Buffaloes from the University-division Border Conference .
Undefeated teams [ ] Other schools that finished their seasons unbeaten and untied were Lenoir Rhyne College , New Haven Teachers College , Hillsdale College , Central Michigan University , Kearney State College , Redlands College , Westminster College (Pennsylvania) , St. Thomas (Minn.) College , Alfred University and Milton College (Wisconsin).[3]
See also [ ] 1956 NCAA University Division football season 1956 NAIA football season References [ ]
^ "Negro Teams Clash For Title," The Bee (Danville, VA), Nov. 28, 1956, pD-3
^ "Tennessee State Tigers Edge Rattlers 41-39 in Orange Blossom Classic," Fort Pierce News-Tribune , Dec. 9, 1956, p9-C
^ "17 College Teams Still Unbeaten, Untied", UP report, Las Vegas Daily Optic , Nov. 26, 1956, p3
Pre-NCAA
1869 1870 1871 1872 1873 1874 1875 1876 1877 1878 1879 1880 1881 1882 1883 1884 1885 1886 1887 1888 1889 1890 1891 1892 1893 1894 1895 1896 1897 1898 1899 1900 1901 1902 1903 1904 1905 NCAA pre-divisional NCAA University Division
1956 1957 1958 1959 1960 1961 1962 1963 1964 1965 1966 1967 1968 1969 1970 1971 1972 NCAA Division I NCAA Division I-A/FBS NCAA Division I-AA/FCS NCAA College Division NCAA Division II NCAA Division III
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