American college football season
2003 NCAA Division II football season Regular season September 6 – November 15, 2003 Playoffs November 22 – December 13, 2003[1] National Championship Braly Municipal Stadium Florence, AL Champion Grand Valley State (2)Harlon Hill Trophy Will Hall , North Alabama
The 2003 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 on September 6, 2003, and concluded with the NCAA Division II Football Championship on December 13, 2003 at Braly Municipal Stadium in Florence, Alabama , hosted by the University of North Alabama . The Grand Valley State Lakers defeated the North Dakota Fighting Sioux , 10–3, to win their second Division II national title.[2]
The Harlon Hill Trophy was awarded to Will Hall , quarterback from North Alabama .
Conference changes and new programs [ ]
Conference changes [ ]
School
2002 Conference
2003 Conference
Minnesota Morris
Northern Sun
UMAC (D-III)
Morningside
North Central
GPAC (NAIA)
North Greenville
NAIA Independent
Independent
Northern Colorado
North Central
Independent
Quincy
Independent
Mid-States (NAIA)
Shaw
Program Revived
CIAA
Tiffin
Mid-States (NAIA)
Independent
Conference standings [ ]
2003 Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association football standings
Conf
Overall
Team
W
L
W
L
Eastern
Virginia Union xy
5
–
2
6
–
5
Bowie State
5
–
2
6
–
4
Shaw
4
–
3
7
–
3
Virginia State
3
–
4
5
–
5
Elizabeth City State
2
–
5
2
–
8
Western
Fayetteville State xy$
5
–
2
8
–
3
Winston-Salem State
5
–
2
7
–
3
Livingstone
3
–
4
3
–
7
North Carolina Central
2
–
5
4
–
6
Johnson C. Smith
1
–
6
1
–
9
St. Augustine's
0
–
4
0
–
5
Championship: Fayetteville State 23 , Virginia Union 19
$ – Conference champion x – Division champion/co-champions y – Championship game participant In 2008, St. Augustine's vacated 5 wins including 3 in conference play.
2003 Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference football standings
Conf
Overall
Team
W
L
W
L
No. 1 Saginaw Valley State $^
10
–
0
12
–
1
No. 4 Grand Valley State ^
9
–
1
14
–
1
Northwood
6
–
4
6
–
5
Ferris State
5
–
5
6
–
5
Findlay
5
–
5
6
–
5
Indianapolis
5
–
5
6
–
5
Michigan Tech
5
–
5
5
–
5
Mercyhurst
4
–
6
5
–
6
Hillsdale
4
–
6
4
–
7
Northern Michigan
3
–
7
3
–
8
Wayne State (MI)
2
–
8
3
–
8
Ashland
2
–
8
2
–
9
$ – Conference champion ^ – NCAA Division II playoff participant Rankings from AFCA poll
2003 Great Northwest Athletic Conference football standings
Conf
Overall
Team
W
L
W
L
Western Washington $
3
–
0
4
–
6
Central Washington
2
–
1
6
–
4
Western Oregon
1
–
2
4
–
6
Humboldt State
0
–
3
3
–
7
$ – Conference champion First Humboldt State vs. Western Oregon game (Sept. 6) did not count as a conference game
2003 Gulf South Conference football standings
Conf
Overall
Team
W
L
W
L
No. 2 North Alabama $^
9
–
0
13
–
1
No. 5 Valdosta State ^
8
–
1
10
–
2
No. 12 Southern Arkansas ^
7
–
2
9
–
3
No. 14 Delta State
7
–
2
9
–
2
Ouachita Baptist
4
–
5
5
–
5
Arkansas Tech
4
–
5
5
–
6
Central Arkansas
3
–
6
5
–
6
Harding
3
–
6
4
–
6
Arkansas–Monticello
3
–
6
4
–
7
Henderson State
3
–
6
4
–
7
West Georgia
2
–
7
3
–
8
West Alabama
1
–
8
2
–
9
$ – Conference champion ^ – NCAA Division II playoff participant Rankings from AFCA poll
2003 Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association football standings
Conf
Overall
Team
W
L
W
L
No. 15 Central Missouri State +
7
–
2
9
–
2
No. 16 Emporia State +^
7
–
2
9
–
3
Missouri Western +
7
–
2
9
–
3
No. 13 Pittsburg State +^
7
–
2
9
–
3
No. 25 NW Missouri State +
7
–
2
8
–
3
Truman
4
–
5
4
–
7
Washburn
3
–
6
5
–
6
Southwest Baptist
2
–
7
3
–
8
Missouri Southern
1
–
8
1
–
10
Missouri–Rolla
0
–
9
0
–
11
+ – Conference co-champions ^ – NCAA Division II playoff participant Rankings from AFCA Poll
2003 Northeast-10 Conference football standings
Conf
Overall
Team
W
L
W
L
No. 19 Bentley $^
9
–
0
10
–
1
C. W. Post
8
–
1
9
–
2
Southern Connecticut
7
–
2
9
–
2
Merrimack
6
–
3
6
–
3
American International
5
–
4
5
–
4
Bryant
3
–
6
3
–
7
Assumption
2
–
7
4
–
7
Saint Anselm
2
–
7
3
–
7
Pace
2
–
7
2
–
8
Stonehill
1
–
8
1
–
10
$ – Conference champion ^ – NCAA Division II playoff participant Rankings from AFCA poll
2003 Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference football standings
Conf
Overall
Team
W
L
W
L
Mesa State $^
8
–
0
10
–
2
Chadron State
6
–
2
8
–
2
Fort Hays State
5
–
3
6
–
5
Colorado Mines
4
–
4
6
–
5
Nebraska–Kearney
4
–
4
5
–
5
Western State (CO)
4
–
4
5
–
6
Adams State
3
–
5
4
–
7
Fort Lewis
2
–
6
3
–
8
New Mexico Highlands
0
–
8
0
–
11
$ – Conference champion ^ – NCAA Division II playoff participant
2003 South Atlantic Conference football standings
Conf
Overall
Team
W
L
W
L
No. 8 Carson–Newman +^
6
–
1
11
–
2
No. 11 Catawba +
6
–
1
9
–
2
No. 17 Tusculum +
6
–
1
9
–
2
Mars Hill
3
–
4
7
–
4
Wingate
2
–
5
5
–
6
Presbyterian
2
–
5
4
–
6
Newberry
2
–
5
3
–
7
Lenoir–Rhyne
1
–
6
3
–
8
$ – Conference champion ^ – NCAA Division II playoff participant Rankings from AFCA poll
2003 Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference football standings
Conf
Overall
Team
W
L
W
L
Albany State $
7
–
1
10
–
2
Miles
6
–
2
7
–
3
Kentucky State
6
–
2
7
–
4
Fort Valley State
5
–
3
7
–
4
Benedict
4
–
4
6
–
5
Tuskegee
4
–
4
5
–
6
Morehouse
3
–
5
4
–
7
Lane
1
–
7
2
–
9
Clark Atlanta
0
–
8
0
–
11
Rankings from AP Poll
2003 NCAA Division II independents football records
Conf
Overall
Team
W
L
W
L
UC Davis
–
6
–
4
Quincy
–
5
–
6
Saint Joseph's (IN)
–
2
–
9
New Haven
–
1
–
9
Conference summaries [ ]
See also: List of NCAA Division II football seasons
Conference Champions
Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association – Fayetteville State
Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference – Saginaw Valley State
Great Northwest Athletic Conference – Western Washington
Gulf South Conference – North Alabama
Lone Star Conference – Texas A&M–Kingsville
Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association – Central Missouri State , Emporia State , Missouri Western State , Northwest Missouri State , and Pittsburg State
North Central Conference – North Dakota
Northeast-10 Conference – Bentley
Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference – Concordia–Saint Paul and Winona State
Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference – Bloomsburg and East Stroudsburg (East), Edinboro and Indiana (PA) (West)
Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference – Mesa State
South Atlantic Conference – Carson-Newman , Catawba , and Tusculum
Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference – Albany State
West Virginia Intercollegiate Athletic Conference – West Virginia Wesleyan
Postseason [ ]
2003 NCAA Division II Football Championship Teams 16 Finals Site Braly Municipal Stadium Florence, AL Champion Grand Valley State (2nd title, title game) Runner-up North Dakota (2nd title game) Semifinalists Winning coach
The 2003 NCAA Division II Football Championship playoffs were the 30th single-elimination tournament to determine the national champion of men's NCAA Division II . This was the final year of the 16-team bracket before the field expanded to 24 teams in 2004.
Playoff bracket [ ]
First round Campus sites
Quarterfinals Campus sites
Semifinals Campus sites
Championship Braly Municipal Stadium Florence, AL
North Dakota
24
Pittsburg State
14
North Dakota
36
Winona State
29
Winona State
10
Emporia State
3
North Dakota
29
North Alabama
22
North Alabama
48
Southern Arkansas
24
North Alabama
41
Carson–Newman
9
Carson–Newman
35
Valdosta State
29
North Dakota
3
Grand Valley State
10
Saginaw Valley State
33
Edinboro
9
Saginaw Valley State
3
Grand Valley State
10
Grand Valley State
65
Bentley
36
Grand Valley State
31
Texas A&M–Kingsville
3
Central Oklahoma
20
Mesa State
15
Central Oklahoma
6
Texas A&M–Kingsville
49
Texas A&M–Kingsville
34
Tarleton State
10
See also [ ]
References [ ]
Seasons
Playoffs
1973
1974
1975
1976
1977
1978
1979
1980
1981
1982
1983
1984
1985
1986
1987
1988
1989
1990
1991
1992
1993
1994
1995
1996
1997
1998
1999
2000
2001
2002
2003
2004
2005
2006
2007
2008
2009
2010
2011
2012
2013
2014
2015
2016
2017
2018
2019
2020
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
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