American college football season
1996 NCAA Division III football season Regular season August – November 1996 Playoffs November – December 1996 Salem Football Stadium Salem, VA Champion Mount Union (2)Gagliardi Trophy (QB), Illinois Wesleyan
← 1995 ·
NCAA Division III football seasons
· 1997 →
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 , 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
Thomas More
AMC
Independent
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 standings [ ]
1996 Centennial Conference football standings
Conf
Overall
Team
W
L
W
L
Ursinus $^
7
–
0
9
–
2
Franklin & Marshall
6
–
1
9
–
2
Johns Hopkins
5
–
2
7
–
3
Dickinson
3
–
4
5
–
5
Western Maryland
3
–
4
4
–
6
Gettysburg
3
–
4
3
–
7
Muhlenberg
1
–
6
1
–
9
Swarthmore
0
–
7
0
–
10
$ – Conference champion ^ – NCAA Division III playoff participant
1996 College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin football standings
Conf
Overall
Team
W
L
W
L
Illinois Wesleyan $^
7
–
0
10
–
1
Wheaton (IL)
6
–
1
8
–
1
Augustana (IL)
4
–
3
5
–
4
North Central (IL)
4
–
3
5
–
4
Millikin
3
–
4
3
–
6
Carthage
3
–
4
3
–
6
Elmhurst
1
–
6
2
–
7
North Park
0
–
7
0
–
9
$ – Conference champion ^ – NCAA Division III playoff participant
1996 Eastern Collegiate Football Conference standings
Conf
Overall
Team
W
L
W
L
Salve Regina $
8
–
0
9
–
0
Bentley
7
–
1
7
–
3
Stonehill
7
–
2
8
–
2
Sacred Heart
4
–
3
4
–
6
Merrimack
5
–
4
5
–
4
UMass Lowell
4
–
4
6
–
4
MIT
3
–
5
4
–
5
Nichols
2
–
5
2
–
8
Western New England
2
–
6
2
–
7
Curry
1
–
7
3
–
7
Assumption
1
–
8
1
–
9
1996 Freedom Football Conference standings
Conf
Overall
Team
W
L
W
L
Coast Guard +^
5
–
1
8
–
3
Springfield (MA) +
5
–
1
6
–
4
Merchant Marine
4
–
2
6
–
3
Western Connecticut
3
–
3
6
–
4
Plymouth State
3
–
3
5
–
4
Norwich
1
–
5
2
–
8
WPI
0
–
6
2
–
8
+ – Conference co-champions ^ – NCAA Division III playoff participant
1997 Indiana Collegiate Athletic Conference football standings
Conf
Overall
Team
W
L
W
L
DePauw $
6
–
0
9
–
1
Wabash
4
–
2
7
–
3
Anderson (IN)
3
–
3
7
–
3
Hanover
3
–
3
6
–
4
Rose–Hulman
3
–
3
3
–
7
Manchester
2
–
4
4
–
6
Franklin (IN)
0
–
6
3
–
7
$ – Conference champion ^ – NCAA Division III playoff participant
1996 Iowa Conference football standings
Conf
Overall
Team
W
L
W
L
Simpson $^
8
–
0
10
–
1
Central (IA)
7
–
1
7
–
3
Loras
5
–
3
7
–
3
Wartburg
5
–
3
7
–
3
Buena Vista
4
–
4
5
–
5
Upper Iowa
3
–
5
3
–
7
Luther
2
–
6
3
–
7
William Penn *
2
–
6
1
–
9
Dubuque
0
–
8
1
–
9
$ – Conference champion ^ – NCAA Division III playoff participant * – William Penn was awarded a conference forfeit win over Buena Vista, but the NCAA did not award an overall win.
1996 Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association football standings
Conf
Overall
Team
W
L
W
L
Albion $^
5
–
0
9
–
1
Hope
3
–
2
4
–
5
Alma
2
–
3
4
–
5
Kalamazoo
2
–
3
3
–
6
Olivet
2
–
3
2
–
7
Adrian
1
–
4
3
–
6
$ – Conference champion ^ – NCAA Division III playoff participant
1996 Middle Atlantic Conference football standings
Conf
Overall
Team
W
L
W
L
Commonwealth
Albright x^
5
–
0
10
–
2
Widener
4
–
1
7
–
3
Susquehanna
3
–
2
5
–
5
Moravian
2
–
3
6
–
4
Juniata
1
–
4
5
–
5
Lebanon Valley
0
–
5
1
–
9
Freedom
Lycoming x^
4
–
0
11
–
1
Wilkes
3
–
1
8
–
3
Fairleigh Dickinson–Florham
1
–
3
2
–
8
King's (PA)
1
–
3
2
–
8
Delaware Valley
1
–
3
1
–
8
x – Division champion/co-champions ^ – NCAA Division III playoff participant
1996 Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference football standings
Conf
Overall
Team
W
L
T
W
L
T
Saint John's (MN) $^
9
–
0
–
0
11
–
1
–
0
Bethel (MN)
8
–
1
–
0
9
–
1
–
0
St. Thomas (MN)
7
–
2
–
0
8
–
2
–
0
Concordia–Moorhead
6
–
3
–
0
6
–
4
–
0
Carleton
4
–
5
–
0
5
–
5
–
0
Hamline
4
–
5
–
0
5
–
5
–
0
Augsburg
2
–
7
–
0
3
–
7
–
0
Macalester
2
–
7
–
0
3
–
7
–
0
Gustavus Adolphus
2
–
7
–
0
2
–
8
–
0
St. Olaf
1
–
8
–
0
2
–
8
–
0
$ – Conference champion ^ – NCAA Division III playoff participant
1996 New England Football Conference standings
Conf
Overall
Team
W
L
W
L
Worcester State $
8
–
0
10
–
1
UMass Dartmouth
7
–
1
8
–
2
Massachusetts Maritime
5
–
3
6
–
4
Maine Maritime
5
–
3
5
–
5
Bridgewater State
4
–
4
5
–
5
Westfield State
4
–
4
4
–
6
UMass–Boston
2
–
6
2
–
7
Framingham State
1
–
7
1
–
8
Fitchburg State
0
–
8
0
–
9
1996 New Jersey Athletic Conference football standings
Conf
Overall
Team
W
L
W
L
TCNJ $^
5
–
0
8
–
3
Rowan ^
4
–
1
10
–
3
Jersey City State
3
–
2
5
–
5
Montclair State
2
–
3
4
–
6
Kean
1
–
4
2
–
7
William Paterson
0
–
5
1
–
9
$ – Conference champion ^ – NCAA Division III playoff participant
1996 North Coast Athletic Conference football standings
Conf
Overall
Team
W
L
W
L
Allegheny $^
8
–
0
10
–
1
Wittenberg
7
–
1
9
–
1
Wooster
6
–
2
7
–
3
Denison
3
–
4
4
–
6
Ohio Wesleyan
3
–
4
4
–
6
Kenyon
3
–
5
4
–
6
Case Western Reserve
2
–
4
5
–
5
Earlham
2
–
6
3
–
7
Oberlin
0
–
8
0
–
10
$ – Conference champion ^ – NCAA Division III playoff participant
1996 Ohio Athletic Conference football standings
Conf
Overall
Team
W
L
W
L
Mount Union $^
9
–
0
14
–
0
John Carroll
8
–
1
9
–
1
Marietta
6
–
3
7
–
3
Ohio Northern
6
–
3
7
–
3
Baldwin–Wallace
6
–
3
6
–
4
Muskingum
4
–
5
5
–
5
Heidelberg
2
–
7
3
–
7
Hiram
2
–
7
3
–
7
Otterbein
2
–
7
2
–
8
Capital
0
–
9
1
–
9
$ – Conference champion ^ – NCAA Division III playoff participant
1996 Old Dominion Athletic Conference football standings
Conf
Overall
Team
W
L
W
L
Emory & Henry $
4
–
1
8
–
2
Randolph–Macon
3
–
2
7
–
3
Bridgewater
3
–
2
5
–
5
Washington and Lee
2
–
3
5
–
5
Guilford
2
–
3
3
–
6
Hampden–Sydney
1
–
4
3
–
7
1996 Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference football standings
Conf
Overall
Team
W
L
W
L
Redlands $
5
–
0
6
–
3
La Verne
4
–
1
7
–
2
Cal Lutheran
2
–
3
3
–
6
Claremont-Mudd
2
–
3
2
–
7
Occidental
1
–
4
1
–
8
Whittier
1
–
4
1
–
8
1996 Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference football standings
Conf
Overall
Team
W
L
W
L
Trinity (TX) +
3
–
1
9
–
1
Millsaps +
3
–
1
8
–
2
Sewanee
2
–
2
4
–
4
Centre
1
–
3
5
–
5
Rhodes
1
–
3
3
–
7
+ – Conference co-champions
1996 St. Louis Intercollegiate Athletic Conference football standings
Conf
Overall
Team
W
L
W
L
MacMurray +
3
–
1
7
–
3
Westminster (MO) +
3
–
1
5
–
4
Blackburn +
3
–
1
3
–
6
Greenville
1
–
3
2
–
7
Principia
0
–
4
0
–
8
+ – Conference co-champions
1996 Upstate Collegiate Athletic Association football standings
Conf
Overall
Team
W
L
W
L
Union (NY) $
4
–
0
9
–
1
Hobart
3
–
1
5
–
5
RPI
2
–
2
5
–
4
St. Lawrence
1
–
3
2
–
7
Rochester (NY)
0
–
4
0
–
9
1996 NCAA Division III independents football records
Conf
Overall
Team
W
L
W
L
Frostburg State
–
9
–
2
Buffalo State ^
–
8
–
2
Catholic University
–
7
–
2
Chapman
–
7
–
2
Wesley
–
7
–
2
Pomona-Pitzer
–
6
–
2
Ithaca
–
6
–
3
Brockport
–
6
–
4
Cortland
–
6
–
4
Hartwick
–
6
–
4
Methodist
–
6
–
4
Thomas More
–
6
–
4
Aurora
–
5
–
4
Menlo
–
5
–
4
Wilmington (OH)
–
5
–
5
Salisbury State
–
4
–
5
Colorado College
–
3
–
6
Defiance
–
3
–
6
Maryville (TN)
–
3
–
6
Chowan
–
3
–
7
Bluffton
–
2
–
8
Ferrum
–
1
–
8
^ – NCAA Division III playoff participant
Conference champions [ ]
Conference champions
American Southwest Conference – Hardin–Simmons and Sul Ross State
Centennial Conference – Ursinus
College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin – Illinois Wesleyan
Freedom Football Conference – Coast Guard and Springfield (MA)
Illini-Badger Football Conference – Lakeland
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 Conference – Willamette
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 [ ]
Pre-NCAA
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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