American college football season
2004 NCAA Division I-AA season Duration August 28–November Payton Award QB Lang Campbell , William & Mary Buchanan Award LB Jordan Beck , Cal Poly Duration November 27–December 17 Championship date December 17, 2004 Championship site Finley Stadium Chattanooga, Tennessee Champion James Madison
The 2004 NCAA Division I-AA football season , part of college football in the United States organized by the National Collegiate Athletic Association at the Division I-AA level, began on August 28, 2004, and concluded with the 2004 NCAA Division I-AA Football Championship Game on December 17, 2004, at Finley Stadium in Chattanooga, Tennessee . James Madison won their first I-AA championship, defeating Montana by a final score of 31−21.
Conference changes and new programs [ ]
Prior to the season, the Great West Conference was formed as a football-only conference for six unaffiliated teams from California , Colorado , North Dakota , South Dakota , and Utah . A seventh member, St. Mary's (CA), dropped their football program before the start of the season.
I-AA team wins over I-A teams [ ]
September 4 – Florida Atlantic 35, Hawaii 28 OT
September 11 – Florida Atlantic 20, North Texas 13
September 11 – New Hampshire 35, Rutgers 24
September 18 – Florida Atlantic 27, Middle Tennessee 20
September 18 – Maine 9, Mississippi State 7
September 25 – Eastern Illinois 31, Eastern Michigan 28
Conference standings [ ]
2004 Atlantic 10 Conference football standings
Conf
Overall
Team
W
L
W
L
No. 1 James Madison $^
7
–
1
13
–
2
No. 3 William & Mary $^
7
–
1
11
–
3
No. 7 Delaware $^
7
–
1
9
–
4
No. 6 New Hampshire ^
7
–
2
11
–
3
Northeastern
4
–
4
5
–
6
Villanova
4
–
5
6
–
5
Maine
4
–
5
6
–
6
UMass
4
–
5
6
–
6
Hofstra
3
–
5
5
–
6
Rhode Island
2
–
6
4
–
7
Richmond
2
–
6
3
–
8
Towson
0
–
8
3
–
8
+ – Conference co-champions ^ – NCAA Division I-AA playoff participant Rankings from The Sports Network poll
2004 Big Sky Conference football standings
Conf
Overall
Team
W
L
W
L
No. 2 Montana $^
6
–
1
12
–
3
No. 8 E. Washington ^
6
–
1
9
–
4
Montana State
4
–
3
6
–
5
Portland State
4
–
3
7
–
4
Northern Arizona
3
–
4
4
–
7
Idaho State
2
–
5
3
–
8
Sacramento State
2
–
5
3
–
8
Weber State
1
–
6
1
–
10
$ – Conference champion ^ – NCAA Division I-AA playoff participant Rankings from The Sports Network poll
2004 Big South Conference football standings
Conf
Overall
Team
W
L
W
L
No. 24 Coastal Carolina $
4
–
0
10
–
1
Liberty
3
–
1
6
–
5
Gardner–Webb
2
–
2
5
–
6
Charleston Southern
1
–
3
5
–
5
VMI
0
–
4
0
–
11
Rankings from The Sports Network poll
2004 Gateway Football Conference standings
Conf
Overall
Team
W
L
W
L
No. 9 Southern Illinois $^
7
–
0
10
–
2
No. 11 Western Kentucky ^
6
–
1
9
–
3
No. 25 Northern Iowa
5
–
2
7
–
4
Southwest Missouri State
3
–
4
6
–
5
Western Illinois
2
–
5
4
–
7
Illinois State
2
–
5
4
–
7
Youngstown State
2
–
5
4
–
7
Indiana State
1
–
6
4
–
7
$ – Conference champion ^ – NCAA Division I-AA playoff participant Rankings from The Sports Network poll
2004 Great West Conference football standings
Conf
Overall
Team
W
L
W
L
No. 16 Cal Poly $
4
–
1
9
–
2
UC Davis
3
–
2
6
–
4
No. 23 North Dakota State
2
–
3
8
–
3
South Dakota State
2
–
3
6
–
5
Southern Utah
2
–
3
6
–
5
Northern Colorado
2
–
3
2
–
9
Rankings from The Sports Network poll
2004 Ivy League football standings
Conf
Overall
Team
W
L
W
L
No. 13 Harvard $
7
–
0
10
–
0
No. 21 Penn
6
–
1
8
–
2
Cornell
4
–
3
4
–
6
Brown
3
–
4
6
–
4
Princeton
3
–
4
5
–
5
Yale
3
–
4
5
–
5
Dartmouth
1
–
6
1
–
9
Columbia
1
–
6
1
–
9
Rankings from The Sports Network poll
2004 Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference football standings
Conf
Overall
Team
W
L
W
L
Duquesne $
4
–
0
7
–
3
Marist
3
–
1
3
–
6
La Salle
1
–
3
3
–
7
Saint Peter's
1
–
3
3
–
7
Iona
1
–
3
2
–
8
2004 Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference football standings
Conf
Overall
Team
W
L
W
L
No. 12 Hampton +^
6
–
1
10
–
2
No. 22 South Carolina State +
6
–
1
9
–
2
Bethune–Cookman
4
–
3
6
–
4
Delaware State
4
–
3
4
–
7
Howard
3
–
4
6
–
5
Morgan State
3
–
4
5
–
6
North Carolina A&T
1
–
6
3
–
8
Norfolk State
1
–
6
1
–
8
Florida A&M
0
–
0
3
–
8
+ – Conference co-champions ^ – NCAA Division I-AA playoff participant Florida A&M games did not count as conference games. Rankings from The Sports Network poll
2004 Northeast Conference football standings
Conf
Overall
Team
W
L
W
L
Monmouth +
6
–
1
10
–
1
Central Connecticut +
6
–
1
8
–
2
Albany
4
–
3
4
–
7
Sacred Heart
3
–
4
6
–
4
Robert Morris
3
–
4
6
–
5
Wagner
3
–
4
6
–
5
Stony Brook
2
–
5
3
–
7
Saint Francis (PA)
1
–
6
3
–
8
+ – Conference co-champions
2004 Ohio Valley Conference football standings
Conf
Overall
Team
W
L
W
L
No. 14 Jacksonville State $^
7
–
1
9
–
2
Murray State
6
–
2
7
–
4
Eastern Kentucky
6
–
2
6
–
5
Eastern Illinois
4
–
4
5
–
6
Tennessee Tech
3
–
4
6
–
5
Samford
3
–
5
4
–
7
Southeast Missouri State
3
–
5
3
–
8
Tennessee State
2
–
5
4
–
7
Tennessee–Martin
1
–
7
2
–
9
$ – Conference champion ^ – NCAA Division I-AA playoff participant Rankings from The Sports Network poll
2004 Patriot League football standings
Conf
Overall
Team
W
L
W
L
No. 15 Lehigh +^
5
–
1
9
–
3
No. 19 Lafayette +^
5
–
1
8
–
4
Bucknell
4
–
2
7
–
4
Colgate
4
–
2
7
–
4
Fordham
2
–
4
5
–
6
Holy Cross
1
–
5
3
–
8
Georgetown
0
–
6
3
–
8
+ – Conference co-champions ^ – NCAA Division I-AA playoff participant Rankings from The Sports Network poll
2004 Pioneer Football League standings
Conf
Overall
Team
W
L
W
L
North Division
Drake xy$
4
–
0
10
–
2
San Diego
3
–
1
7
–
4
Dayton
2
–
2
7
–
3
Valparaiso
1
–
3
5
–
6
Butler
0
–
4
1
–
10
South Division
Morehead State xy
2
–
1
6
–
6
Jacksonville x
2
–
1
3
–
7
Davidson
1
–
2
2
–
7
Austin Peay
1
–
2
2
–
9
Championship: Drake 20 , Morehead State 17
$ – Conference champion x – Division champion/co-champions y – Championship game participant
2004 Southern Conference football standings
Conf
Overall
Team
W
L
W
L
No. 5 Furman $^
6
–
1
10
–
3
No. 10 Georgia Southern ^
6
–
1
9
–
3
No. 18 Wofford
4
–
3
8
–
3
Appalachian State
4
–
3
6
–
5
Western Carolina
2
–
5
4
–
7
The Citadel
2
–
5
3
–
7
Elon
2
–
5
3
–
8
Chattanooga
2
–
5
2
–
9
$ – Conference champion ^ – NCAA Division I-AA playoff participant Rankings from The Sports Network I-AA Poll
2004 Southland Conference football standings
Conf
Overall
Team
W
L
W
L
No. 4 Sam Houston State +^
4
–
1
11
–
3
No. 17 Northwestern State +^
4
–
1
8
–
4
Texas State
3
–
2
5
–
6
Nicholls State
2
–
3
5
–
5
Stephen F. Austin
1
–
4
6
–
4
McNeese State
1
–
4
4
–
7
+ – Conference co-champions ^ – NCAA Division I-AA playoff participant Rankings from The Sports Network poll
2004 Southwestern Athletic Conference football standings
Conf
Overall
Team
W
L
W
L
East
No. 20 Alabama State x$
6
–
1
10
–
2
Alabama A&M
5
–
2
7
–
4
Alcorn State
4
–
3
7
–
4
Jackson State
3
–
4
4
–
7
Mississippi Valley State
1
–
6
3
–
8
West
Southern x
6
–
1
8
–
4
Arkansas–Pine Bluff
5
–
2
6
–
3
Grambling State
3
–
4
6
–
5
Prairie View A&M
1
–
6
3
–
8
Texas Southern
0
–
7
0
–
11
Championship: Alabama State 40, Southern 35 December 11, 2004
$ – Conference champion x – Division champion/co-champions
Postseason [ ]
NCAA Division I-AA playoff bracket [ ]
First Round November 27 Campus sites
Quarterfinals December 4 Campus sites
Semifinals December 10 and December 11 Campus sites
National Championship Game
December 17Finley Stadium Chattanooga, Tennessee
1
Southern Illinois * (10–1)
31
Eastern Washington (8–3)
35
Eastern Washington*
34
Sam Houston State
35
Sam Houston State * (9–2)
54
Western Kentucky (9–2)
24
Sam Houston State
13
Montana*
34
Montana * (9–2)
56
Northwestern State (8–3)
7
Montana*
47
New Hampshire
17
New Hampshire (9–2)
27
4
Georgia Southern * (9–2)
3
Montana
21
James Madison
31
3
William & Mary * (9–2)
42
Hampton (10–1)
35
3
William & Mary*
44
Delaware
38
Delaware * (8–3)
28
Lafayette (8–3)
14
3
William & Mary*
34
James Madison
48
James Madison (9–2)
14
Lehigh * (9–2)
13
James Madison
14
2
Furman*
13
Jacksonville State (9–1)
7
2
Furman * (9–2)
49
* Denotes host institution
References [ ]
Champion – James Madison Dukes
Pre-NCAA
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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
2004–05 NCAA Division I championships
† Not an officially sanctioned NCAA championship