American college football season
1980 NCAA Division II football season Regular season August – November 1980 Playoffs December 1980 National Championship Zia Bowl University Stadium Albuquerque, NM Champion Cal Poly
The 1980 NCAA Division II football season , part of college football in the United States organized by the National Collegiate Athletic Association at the Division II level, began in August 1980, and concluded with the NCAA Division II Football Championship in December 1980 at University Stadium in Albuquerque, NM . During the game's two-year stretch in New Mexico , it was referred to as the Zia Bowl .
Cal Poly defeated Eastern Illinois in the championship game, 21–13, to win their first Division II national title.[1]
Conference changes and new programs [ ]
Three Division II programs upgraded to Division I-AA prior to the season.
The Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference reclassified as a Division II conference; all 14 members made the transition.
Conference standings [ ]
1980 Association of Mid-Continent Universities football standings
Conf
Overall
Team
W
L
T
W
L
T
Eastern Illinois $^
4
–
0
–
0
11
–
3
–
0
Northern Michigan ^
3
–
1
–
0
9
–
2
–
0
Northern Iowa
2
–
2
–
0
7
–
4
–
0
Youngstown State
1
–
3
–
0
2
–
8
–
1
Western Illinois
0
–
4
–
0
4
–
6
–
0
$ – Conference champion ^ – NCAA Division II playoff participant
1980 California Collegiate Athletic Association football standings
Conf
Overall
Team
W
L
T
W
L
T
No. 3 Cal Poly $^
2
–
0
–
0
10
–
3
–
0
Cal State Northridge
1
–
1
–
0
5
–
6
–
0
Cal Poly Pomona
0
–
2
–
0
3
–
7
–
0
$ – Conference champion ^ – NCAA Division II playoff participant Rankings from Associated Press poll
1980 Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association football standings
Conf
Overall
Team
W
L
T
W
L
T
North Carolina Central $
7
–
0
–
0
7
–
5
–
0
No. 6 Virginia Union ^
5
–
1
–
1
9
–
2
–
1
Elizabeth City State
5
–
2
–
0
7
–
2
–
1
Winston-Salem State
5
–
2
–
0
5
–
5
–
0
Saint Paul's (VA)
4
–
3
–
0
4
–
6
–
0
Norfolk State
3
–
3
–
1
5
–
4
–
1
Hampton
3
–
4
–
0
5
–
6
–
0
Johnson C. Smith
3
–
5
–
0
3
–
7
–
0
Fayetteville State
2
–
5
–
0
4
–
5
–
0
Virginia State
2
–
5
–
0
3
–
8
–
0
Bowie State
1
–
5
–
0
2
–
8
–
1
Livingstone
0
–
7
–
0
0
–
10
–
0
$ – Conference champion ^ – NCAA Division II playoff participant Rankings from NCAA Division II AP Poll
1980 Far Western Conference football standings
Conf
Overall
Team
W
L
T
W
L
T
UC Davis $
5
–
0
–
0
7
–
2
–
1
Cal State Hayward
3
–
2
–
0
6
–
4
–
0
Chico State
3
–
2
–
0
5
–
5
–
0
San Francisco State
2
–
3
–
0
3
–
6
–
1
Sacramento State
1
–
4
–
0
3
–
7
–
0
Humboldt State
1
–
4
–
0
2
–
8
–
0
Rankings from Associated Press poll
1980 Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference football standings
Conf
Overall
Team
W
L
T
W
L
T
Hillsdale $
5
–
1
–
0
7
–
4
–
0
Northwood
4
–
2
–
0
6
–
2
–
1
Grand Valley State
4
–
2
–
0
7
–
3
–
0
Wayne State (MI)
3
–
3
–
0
5
–
4
–
0
Ferris State
2
–
3
–
1
4
–
4
–
2
Saginaw Valley State
2
–
4
–
0
5
–
6
–
0
Michigan Tech
0
–
5
–
1
2
–
6
–
1
1980 Heartland Collegiate Conference standings
Conf
Overall
Team
W
L
T
W
L
T
Franklin (IN) +
5
–
2
–
0
8
–
2
–
0
Ashland +
5
–
2
–
0
6
–
3
–
1
Saint Joseph's (IN)
4
–
3
–
0
6
–
4
–
0
Indiana Central
3
–
3
–
1
5
–
4
–
2
Georgetown (KY)
3
–
4
–
0
4
–
5
–
0
Butler
3
–
4
–
0
4
–
6
–
0
Evansville
3
–
4
–
0
3
–
7
–
0
Valparaiso
1
–
5
–
1
3
–
6
–
1
+ – Conference co-champions
1980 Lone Star Conference football standings
Conf
Overall
Team
W
L
T
W
L
T
Southwest Texas State $
6
–
1
–
0
8
–
3
–
0
Angelo State ^
5
–
1
–
1
8
–
2
–
1
Texas A&I
5
–
2
–
0
7
–
4
–
0
East Texas State ^
4
–
2
–
1
8
–
3
–
1
Stephen F. Austin
4
–
3
–
0
4
–
6
–
0
Sam Houston State
2
–
5
–
0
3
–
7
–
0
Abilene Christian
1
–
6
–
0
2
–
8
–
0
Howard Payne
0
–
7
–
0
1
–
8
–
1
$ – Conference champion ^ – NAIA Division I playoff participant
1980 Missouri Intercollegiate Athletic Association football standings
Conf
Overall
Team
W
L
T
W
L
T
Missouri–Rolla $
6
–
0
–
0
10
–
0
–
0
SW Missouri State
5
–
1
–
0
6
–
5
–
0
Central Missouri
3
–
3
–
0
6
–
3
–
1
NE Missouri State
3
–
3
–
0
5
–
6
–
0
SE Missouri State
3
–
3
–
0
4
–
7
–
0
NW Missouri State
1
–
5
–
0
2
–
8
–
0
Lincoln (MO)
0
–
6
–
0
2
–
9
–
0
1980 North Central Conference football standings
Conf
Overall
Team
W
L
T
W
L
T
No. 10 Northern Colorado $^
6
–
1
–
0
7
–
4
–
0
Nebraska–Omaha
5
–
2
–
0
7
–
3
–
0
North Dakota
5
–
2
–
0
6
–
4
–
0
North Dakota State
5
–
2
–
0
6
–
4
–
0
South Dakota *
3
–
3
–
1
5
–
6
–
0
Augustana (SD)
2
–
5
–
0
2
–
7
–
1
South Dakota State *
1
–
5
–
1
3
–
8
–
0
Morningside
0
–
7
–
0
2
–
8
–
0
+ – Conference co-champions ^ – NCAA Division II playoff participant * – South Dakota and South Dakota State split two head-to-head games, which counted as a tie for each team in the conference standings.
Rankings from AP Poll
1980 NCAA Division II independents football records
Conf
Overall
Team
W
L
T
W
L
T
No. 9 American International
–
8
–
2
–
0
No. 7 Santa Clara ^
–
9
–
3
–
0
Eastern Washington
–
6
–
4
–
0
Sonoma State
–
6
–
4
–
0
Towson State
–
5
–
5
–
0
Arkansas–Pine Bluff
–
5
–
6
–
0
Morgan State
–
4
–
7
–
0
Central Connecticut
–
3
–
7
–
0
^ – NCAA Division II playoff participant Rankings from Associated Press poll
Conference summaries [ ]
See also: List of NCAA Division II football seasons
Conference
Champion(s)
Association of Mid-Continent Universities
Eastern Illinois
California Collegiate Athletic Association
Cal Poly
Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association
North Carolina Central
Far Western Football Conference
UC Davis
Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference
Hillsdale
Gulf South Conference
North Alabama
Lone Star Conference
Southwest Texas State
Missouri Intercollegiate Athletic Association
Missouri–Rolla
North Central Conference
Northern Colorado
Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference
Alabama A&M
Postseason [ ]
1980 NCAA Division II Football Championship Teams 8 Finals Site Champion Cal Poly (1st title, 1st title game) Runner-up Eastern Illinois (2nd title game) Semifinalists Winning coach Joe Harper 1st championship
The 1980 NCAA Division II Football Championship playoffs were the eighth single-elimination tournament to determine the national champion of men's NCAA Division II college football. The championship game was held at University Stadium in Albuquerque, NM for the second, and final, time.
Playoff bracket [ ]
First round Campus sites
Semifinals Campus sites
Championship University Stadium Albuquerque, NM
Eastern Illinois
21
Northern Colorado
14
Eastern Illinois
56
North Alabama
31
North Alabama
17
Virginia Union
8
Eastern Illinois
13
Cal Poly
21
Santa Clara
27
Northern Michigan
26
Santa Clara
14
Cal Poly
38
Cal Poly
15
Jacksonville State
0
See also [ ]
References [ ]
Seasons
Playoffs
1973
1974
1975
1976
1977
1978
1979
1980
1981
1982
1983
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1985
1986
1987
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1989
1990
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2018
2019
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2021
Championship games
Bowl era
East: Tangerine Bowl (1964–1967), Boardwalk Bowl (1968–1972)
Mideast: Grantland Rice Bowl (1964–1972)
Midwest: Pecan Bowl (1964–1970), Pioneer Bowl (1971–1972)
West: Camellia Bowl (1964–1967)
Playoff era
1973
2008
2009
2013
2014
2015
2016
2017
2018
2019
2020
2021
Records & statistics
Pre-NCAA
1869
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NCAA pre-divisional NCAA University Division
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NCAA Division I NCAA Division I-A/FBS NCAA Division I-AA/FCS NCAA College Division NCAA Division II NCAA Division III