2018 NCAA Division III football season

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The 2018 NCAA Division III football season is the component of the 2018 college football season organized by the NCAA at the Division III level in the United States. The regular season began on August 30 and culminated on November 17.

The season's playoffs ended with the NCAA Division III Football Championship, also known as the Stagg Bowl, at Woodforest Bank Stadium in Shenandoah, Texas. Hosted by the University of Mary Hardin–Baylor, this was the first Stagg Bowl since 1992 to be played away from the Salem Football Stadium in Salem, Virginia.

News[]

  • July 5 – Frostburg State University announced that it had accepted an offer to become an all-sports member of the Division II Mountain East Conference. Pending NCAA approval, the Bobcats will join the MEC for the 2019 season. Frostburg State is currently a football-only affiliate of the New Jersey Athletic Conference.[1]
  • August 9 – The Iowa Intercollegiate Athletic Conference, which had added its first member outside the state of Iowa (Nebraska Wesleyan) in 2016, announced a name change to American Rivers Conference.[2]
  • September 22 – After previously announcing that they would be joining the Division II Great Lakes Valley Conference for the 2019 season, Benedictine University reversed course and will instead remain at the Division III level. The Eagles are currently all-sports members of the Northern Athletics Collegiate Conference.[3]

Conference changes and new programs[]

School 2017 conference 2018 conference
Alvernia New program MAC
Dean D–III Independent ECFC
Eureka UMAC NACC
Ferrum USA South ODAC
Finlandia D–III Independent MIAA
Mount Ida ECFC University closed
New England New program CCC Football
Washington–St. Louis UAA CCIW

Conference standings[]

2018 American Rivers Conference football standings
Conf Overall
Team   W   L     W   L  
Wartburg $^   7 1     8 3  
Central (IA)   6 2     8 2  
Dubuque   6 2     7 3  
Simpson   6 2     7 3  
Coe   5 3     6 4  
Loras   3 5     4 6  
Nebraska Wesleyan   2 6     3 7  
Luther   1 7     1 9  
Buena Vista   1 9     0 8  
  • $ – Conference champion
  • ^ – NCAA Division III playoff participant
2018 American Southwest Conference football standings
Conf Overall
Team   W   L     W   L  
No. 1 Mary Hardin–Baylor $^   9 0     15 0  
No. 7 Hardin–Simmons ^   8 1     9 2  
Texas Lutheran   6 3     7 3  
East Texas Baptist   6 3     6 4  
Southwestern (TX)   5 4     6 4  
Louisiana College   5 4     5 5  
Belhaven #   2 7     2 8  
McMurry   2 7     2 8  
Howard Payne   1 8     1 9  
Sul Ross   1 8     1 9  
  • $ – Conference champion
  • ^ – NCAA Division III playoff participant
  • # – Provisional NCAA Division III member
Rankings from D3football.com
2018 Centennial Conference football standings
Conf Overall
Team   W   L     W   L  
No. 5 Johns Hopkins +^   8 1     12 2  
No. 9 Muhlenberg +^   8 1     11 2  
Franklin & Marshall   6 3     7 3  
Susquehanna   6 3     7 3  
Ursinus   6 3     7 3  
Moravian   4 5     5 5  
Dickinson   4 5     4 6  
McDaniel   2 7     3 7  
Gettysburg   1 8     1 9  
Juniata   0 9     0 10  
  • + – Conference co-champions
  • ^ – NCAA Division III playoff participant
Rankings from D3football.com
2018 College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin football standings
Conf Overall
Team   W   L     W   L  
No. 8 North Central (IL) +^   8 1     10 2  
No. 19 Illinois Wesleyan +   8 1     8 2  
Washington University   7 2     8 2  
No. 23 Wheaton (IL)   7 2     8 2  
Millikin   5 4     6 4  
Carthage   4 5     4 6  
Augustana (IL)   3 6     4 6  
Carroll (WI)   2 7     3 7  
North Park   1 8     2 8  
Elmhurst   0 9     1 9  
  • + – Conference co-champions
  • ^ – NCAA Division III playoff participant
Rankings from D3football.com
2018 Commonwealth Coast Conference football standings
Conf Overall
Team   W   L     W   L  
Western New England +^   5 1     8 3  
Endicott +   5 1     7 4  
Salve Regina +   5 1     7 4  
Nichols   3 3     5 5  
Curry   1 5     3 7  
New England   1 5     2 7  
Becker   1 5     1 9  
  • + – Conference co-champions
  • ^ – NCAA Division III playoff participant
2018 Eastern Collegiate Football Conference standings
Conf Overall
Team   W   L     W   L  
Husson $^   6 0     8 3  
SUNY Maritime   5 1     7 4  
Dean #   4 2     5 5  
Gallaudet   3 3     3 5  
Castleton   1 5     2 8  
Alfred State   1 5     1 9  
Anna Maria   1 5     1 9  
  • $ – Conference champion
  • ^ – NCAA Division III playoff participant
  • # – Provisional Division III member
2018 Empire 8 Athletic Conference football standings
Conf Overall
Team   W   L     W   L  
No. 13 Brockport $^   7 0     11 1  
Cortland   5 2     7 3  
Alfred   4 3     7 4  
Utica   4 3     7 4  
Morrisville State   4 3     6 5  
St. John Fisher   3 4     3 6  
Buffalo State   1 6     1 9  
Hartwick   0 7     2 8  
  • $ – Conference champion
  • ^ – NCAA Division III playoff participant
Rankings from D3football.com
2018 Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference football standings
Conf Overall
Team   W   L     W   L  
Franklin (IN) +   7 1     8 2  
Mount St. Joseph +   7 1     8 2  
Hanover +^   7 1     7 4  
Rose-Hulman   5 3     5 5  
Manchester   4 4     4 6  
Bluffton   3 5     3 7  
Anderson (IN)   2 6     2 8  
Defiance   1 7     1 9  
Earlham   0 8     0 10  
  • + – Conference co-champions
  • ^ – NCAA Division III playoff participant
2018 Liberty League football standings
Conf Overall
Team   W   L     W   L  
No. 11 RPI +^   4 1     10 2  
Ithaca +   4 1     8 3  
Union (NY)   3 2     7 2  
Hobart   3 2     5 4  
St. Lawrence   1 4     2 8  
Rochester (NY)   0 5     1 9  
  • + – Conference co-champions
  • ^ – NCAA Division III playoff participant
Rankings from D3football.com
2018 Massachusetts State Collegiate Athletic Conference football standings
Conf Overall
Team   W   L     W   L  
Framingham State $^   7 1     8 3  
Western Connecticut   6 2     8 2  
Bridgewater State   6 2     8 3  
Plymouth State   5 3     6 4  
UMass Dartmouth   4 4     5 5  
Westfield State   4 4     5 5  
Fitchburg State   2 6     2 8  
Massachusetts Maritime   1 7     2 8  
Worcester State   1 7     2 8  
  • $ – Conference champion
  • ^ – NCAA Division III playoff participant
2018 Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association football standings
Conf Overall
Team   W   L     W   L  
No. 24 Trine $^   7 0     10 1  
Hope   6 1     8 2  
Albion   4 3     7 3  
Kalamazoo   4 3     7 3  
Olivet   4 3     6 4  
Adrian   2 5     4 6  
Alma   1 6     2 8  
Finlandia   0 7     0 10  
  • $ – Conference champion
  • ^ – NCAA Division III playoff participant
Rankings from D3football.com
2018 Middle Atlantic Conference football standings
Conf Overall
Team   W   L     W   L  
No. 16 Delaware Valley $^   8 0     9 2  
Misericordia   7 1     8 3  
Stevenson   7 1     8 3  
FDU Florham   4 4     6 4  
King's   4 4     5 5  
Wilkes   4 4     5 5  
Lycoming   4 4     5 6  
Widener   4 4     4 6  
Lebanon Valley   2 6     2 8  
Alvernia   0 8     1 9  
Albright   0 8     0 10  
  • $ – Conference champion
  • ^ – NCAA Division III playoff participant
Rankings from D3football.com
2018 Midwest Conference football standings
Conf Overall
Team   W   L     W   L  
North
No. 21 St. Norbert xy$^   5 0     10 2  
Chicago   4 1     7 3  
Ripon   3 2     7 3  
Macalester   2 3     5 5  
Lawrence   1 4     2 8  
Beloit   0 5     1 9  
South
Monmouth (IL) xy   5 0     8 2  
Lake Forest   4 1     6 4  
Cornell (IA)   2 3     5 5  
Illinois College   2 3     4 6  
Knox   2 3     2 8  
Grinnell   0 5     2 8  
Championship: St. Norbert 10, Monmouth 7
  • $ – Conference champion
  • x – Division champion/co-champions
  • y – Championship game participant
  • ^ – NCAA Division III playoff participant
Rankings from D3football.com
2018 Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference football standings
Conf Overall
Team   W   L     W   L  
No. 3 Saint John's (MN) $^   8 0     12 1  
No. 7 Bethel (MN) ^   7 1     11 2  
No. 15 St. Thomas (MN)   6 2     8 2  
Gustavus Adolphus   5 3     6 4  
Concordia–Moorhead   4 4     5 5  
St. Olaf   3 5     5 5  
Carleton   2 6     3 7  
Hamline   1 7     1 9  
Augsburg   0 8     2 8  
  • $ – Conference champion
  • ^ – NCAA Division III playoff participant
Rankings from D3football.com
2018 New England Small College Athletic Conference football standings
Conf Overall
Team   W   L     W   L  
Amherst +   8 1     8 1  
Trinity (CT) +   8 1     8 1  
Tufts   7 2     7 2  
Middlebury   5 4     5 4  
Wesleyan   5 4     5 4  
Williams   5 4     5 4  
Colby   2 7     2 7  
Hamilton   2 7     2 7  
Bowdoin   1 8     1 8  
Bates   0 9     0 9  
  • + – Conference co-champions
2018 New England Women's and Men's Athletic Conference football standings
Conf Overall
Team   W   L     W   L  
MIT $^   6 1     9 2  
Merchant Marine   5 2     8 2  
Springfield   5 2     8 3  
Coast Guard   5 2     7 3  
WPI   4 3     6 4  
Norwich   2 5     3 7  
Catholic University   1 6     1 9  
Maine Maritime   0 7     0 9  
  • $ – Conference champion
  • ^ – NCAA Division III playoff participant
2018 New Jersey Athletic Conference football standings
Conf Overall
Team   W   L     W   L  
No. 12 Frostburg State $^   8 0     10 1  
Montclair State   7 2     8 2  
Salisbury   7 2     8 3  
Christopher Newport   6 2     7 2  
Wesley   5 4     7 4  
Rowan   5 4     6 4  
TCNJ   3 6     3 7  
Southern Virginia   2 7     3 7  
Kean   1 8     1 9  
William Paterson   0 9     0 10  
  • $ – Conference champion
  • ^ – NCAA Division III playoff participant
Rankings from D3football.com
2018 North Coast Athletic Conference football standings
Conf Overall
Team   W   L     W   L  
No. 25 Wabash +   8 1     9 1  
Wittenberg +   8 1     9 1  
Denison +^   8 1     8 3  
Allegheny   6 3     6 4  
Wooster   4 5     5 5  
DePauw   4 5     4 6  
Ohio Wesleyan   4 5     4 6  
Oberlin   2 7     2 8  
Hiram   1 8     2 8  
Kenyon   0 9     0 10  
  • + – Conference co-champions
  • ^ – NCAA Division III playoff participant
Rankings from D3football.com
2018 Northern Athletics Collegiate Conference football standings
Conf Overall
Team   W   L     W   L  
Eureka $^   6 1     9 2  
Concordia (WI)   5 2     7 3  
Aurora   5 2     5 5  
Lakeland   4 3     4 6  
Benedictine (IL)   3 4     3 7  
Rockford   2 5     3 7  
Wisconsin Lutheran   2 5     2 8  
Concordia (IL)   1 6     2 8  
  • $ – Conference champion
  • ^ – NCAA Division III playoff participant
2018 Northwest Conference football standings
Conf Overall
Team   W   L     W   L  
No. 10 Whitworth $^   7 0     10 1  
No. 22 Linfield   6 1     7 2  
George Fox   4 3     6 4  
Pacific (OR)   4 3     5 5  
Puget Sound   3 4     5 5  
Pacific Lutheran   3 4     4 5  
Lewis & Clark   1 6     2 7  
Willamette   0 7     1 8  
  • $ – Conference champion
  • ^ – NCAA Division III playoff participant
Rankings from D3football.com
2018 Ohio Athletic Conference football standings
Conf Overall
Team   W   L     W   L  
No. 2 Mount Union $^   9 0     14 1  
No. 20 John Carroll ^   8 1     9 2  
Baldwin Wallace   7 2     8 2  
Marietta   6 3     7 3  
Heidelberg   4 5     5 5  
Ohio Northern   4 5     5 5  
Muskingum   3 6     4 6  
Capital   3 6     3 7  
Otterbein   1 8     2 8  
Wilmington (OH)   0 9     1 9  
  • $ – Conference champion
  • ^ – NCAA Division III playoff participant
Rankings from D3football.com
2018 Old Dominion Athletic Conference football standings
Conf Overall
Team   W   L     W   L  
No. 18 Randolph–Macon $^   6 1     9 3  
Bridgewater   4 3     6 4  
Hampden–Sydney   4 3     4 5  
Washington and Lee   3 4     5 4  
Ferrum   3 4     5 5  
Shenandoah   3 4     5 5  
Emory & Henry   3 4     4 5  
Guilford   2 5     3 6  
  • $ – Conference champion
  • ^ – NCAA Division III playoff participant
Rankings from D3football.com
2018 Presidents' Athletic Conference football standings
Conf Overall
Team   W   L     W   L  
Washington & Jefferson $^   8 1     9 2  
Case Western Reserve   7 2     8 2  
Westminster (PA)   7 2     7 4  
Grove City   6 3     8 3  
Carnegie Mellon   5 4     6 4  
Bethany (WV)   5 4     5 5  
Waynesburg   4 5     4 6  
Geneva   2 7     2 8  
Saint Vincent   1 8     1 9  
Thiel   0 9     0 10  
  • $ – Conference champion
  • ^ – NCAA Division III playoff participant
2018 Southern Athletic Association football standings
Conf Overall
Team   W   L     W   L  
No. 17 Berry +^   7 1     10 2  
No. 14 Centre +^   7 1     10 2  
Trinity (TX)   6 2     7 3  
Birmingham–Southern   4 4     6 4  
Millsaps   3 5     5 5  
Rhodes   3 5     5 5  
Sewanee   3 5     4 6  
Austin   2 6     2 8  
Hendrix   1 7     2 8  
  • + – Conference co-champions
  • ^ – NCAA Division III playoff participant
Rankings from D3football.com
2018 Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference football standings
Conf Overall
Team   W   L     W   L  
Redlands +   6 1     8 2  
Claremont–Mudd–Scripps +^   6 1     7 4  
Pomona–Pitzer   5 2     6 3  
Chapman   4 3     5 4  
Cal Lutheran   3 4     4 6  
La Verne   3 4     3 6  
Whittier   1 6     1 8  
Occidental   0 7     0 8  
  • + – Conference co-champions
  • ^ – NCAA Division III playoff participant
Rankings from D3football.com
2018 Upper Midwest Athletic Conference football standings
Conf Overall
Team   W   L     W   L  
Martin Luther $^   8 0     9 2  
MacMurray   7 1     7 2  
St. Scholastica   6 2     6 4  
Northwestern (MN)   5 3     5 5  
Westminster (MO)   3 5     3 6  
Greenville   3 5     3 7  
Minnesota–Morris   3 5     3 7  
Iowa Wesleyan   1 7     1 9  
Crown   0 8     0 10  
  • $ – Conference champion
  • ^ – NCAA Division III playoff participant
2018 USA South Athletic Conference football standings
Conf Overall
Team   W   L     W   L  
Maryville (TN) $^   7 0     7 3  
Averett   6 1     8 2  
North Carolina Wesleyan   4 3     5 5  
Huntingdon   4 3     4 5  
Brevard #   3 4     4 6  
LaGrange   2 5     3 7  
Methodist   2 5     2 7  
Greensboro   0 7     1 9  
  • $ – Conference champion
  • ^ – NCAA Division III playoff participant
  • # – Provisional Division III member
2018 Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference football standings
Conf Overall
Team   W   L     W   L  
No. 4 Wisconsin–Whitewater $^   7 0     12 1  
Wisconsin–La Crosse   5 2     7 3  
Wisconsin–Oshkosh   4 3     6 4  
Wisconsin–Stout   3 4     5 5  
Wisconsin–Stevens Point   3 4     4 6  
Wisconsin–Eau Claire   2 5     4 6  
Wisconsin–Platteville   2 5     4 6  
Wisconsin–River Falls   2 5     3 7  
  • $ – Conference champion
  • ^ – NCAA Division III playoff participant
Rankings from D3football.com
2018 NCAA Division III independents football records
Conf Overall
Team   W   L     W   L  
Thomas More       7 3  

Postseason[]

Twenty-six conferences met the requirements for an automatic ("Pool A") bid to the playoffs. Other than the NESCAC, which does not participate in the playoffs, the NEWMAC was the only conference with no Pool A bid, being in the second year of the two-year waiting period after beginning football sponsorship in 2017. With the loss of Mount Ida, the ECFC fell one below the required seven members – not counting second-year provisional member Dean – and entered the first year of the two-year grace period, while the Liberty League was in the second year of the grace period. The American Southwest, which had fallen below seven members in 2013 and lost its Pool A bid after the grace period, regained it, having attained seven members in 2016 and passed through the waiting period.

Schools not in Pool A conferences were eligible for Pool B. The number of Pool B bids was determined by calculating the ratio of Pool A conferences to schools in those conferences and applying that ratio to the number of Pool B schools. The 26 Pool A conferences contained 228 schools, an average of 8.8 teams per conference. Nine schools were in Pool B, enough for one bid.

The remaining five playoff spots were at-large ("Pool C") teams.

Playoff bracket[]

First round
November 17
Second round
November 24
Quarterfinals
December 1
Semifinals
December 8
Championship
Stagg Bowl
December 14
Shenandoah, Texas
Mary Hardin–Baylor* 27
Hardin–Simmons 6 Mary Hardin–Baylor* 75
Berry* 31 Berry 9
Maryville (TN) 0 Mary Hardin–Baylor 21
Saint John's (MN) 84 Saint John's (MN) 18
Martin Luther 6 Saint John's (MN) 45
Whitworth* 48 Whitworth 24
Claremont–Mudd–Scripts 6 Mary Hardin–Baylor 31
Wisconsin–Whitewater 67 Wisconsin–Whitewater 14
Eureka 14 Wisconsin–Whitewater 54
Trine 7 St. Norbert 21
St. Norbert 31 Wisconsin–Whitewater 26
North Central (IL) 52 Bethel (MN) 12
Hanover 0 North Central (IL) 24
Bethel 41 Bethel (MN) 27
Wartburg 14 Mary Hardin–Baylor 24
Mount Union 60 Mount Union 16
Denison 0 Mount Union 51
Centre 54 Centre 23
Washington & Jefferson 13 Mount Union 38
John Carroll 20 Muhlenberg 10
Randolph–Macon 23 Randolph–Macon 6
Delaware Valley 13 Muhlenberg 35
Muhlenberg 20 Mount Union 28
Brockport 40 Johns Hopkins 20
Framingham State 27 Brockport 13
RPI 38 RPI 21
Husson 14 RPI 14
Frostburg State 42 Johns Hopkins 37
Western New England 24 Frostburg State 27
Johns Hopkins 49 Johns Hopkins 58
MIT 0

See also[]

References[]

  1. ^ "Frostburg State set to join D-II conference". D3 Sports. d3sports.com. July 5, 2018. Retrieved November 3, 2018.
  2. ^ "#RiversRise; Iowa Conference Now American Rivers Conference" (Press release). American Rivers Conference. August 9, 2018. Retrieved November 5, 2018.
  3. ^ "Benedictine pulls 180, will return to D-III". D3 Sports. d3sports.com. September 22, 2018. Retrieved November 3, 2018.
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