1973 NCAA Division II football season

The 1973 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 1973, and concluded with the NCAA Division II Football Championship on December 16, 1978, at Hughes Stadium in Sacramento, California. In the first ever season of Division II football after these teams split away from the Division I Small College Division after the 1972 season.

Louisiana Tech won their first Division II championship, defeating Western Kentucky in the championship game by a final score of 34−0.[1]

Conference changes and new programs

School 1972 Conference 1973 Conference
Akron Independent D-II Independent
Eastern Michigan Independent D-II Independent
Illinois State Independent D-II Independent
Nevada–Reno Independent D-II Independent

Conference standings

1973 Missouri Intercollegiate Athletic Association football standings
Conf     Overall
Team W   L   T     W   L   T
SE Missouri State $ 5 1 0     6 4 0
NW Missouri State 4 2 0     6 5 0
Lincoln (MO) 3 3 0     5 6 0
SW Missouri State 3 3 0     3 7 0
Missouri-Rolla 2 3 1     3 6 2
NE Missouri State 2 3 1     2 7 2
Central Missouri State 1 5 0     2 8 0
  • $ Conference champion
  • ^ Division II playoff participant
1973 Southland Conference football standings
Conf     Overall
Team W   L   T     W   L   T
Louisiana Tech $^ 5 0 0     12 1 0
Arkansas State 3 2 0     7 3 0
Lamar 3 2 0     5 5 0
McNeese State 2 3 0     7 3 0
Texas–Arlington 2 3 0     4 6 0
SW Louisiana 0 5 0     0 10 0
  • $ Conference champion
  • ^ Division II playoff participant
1973 Yankee Conference football standings
Conf     Overall
Team W   L   T     W   L   T
Connecticut $ 5 0 1     8 2 1
Rhode Island 4 2 0     6 2 2
UMass 4 2 0     6 5 0
New Hampshire 2 3 0     4 5 0
Boston University 2 3 0     3 7 0
Maine 2 4 0     3 7 0
Vermont 1 5 0     3 6 0
  • $ Conference champion
  • ^ Division II playoff participant
Rankings from AP Poll

Conference summaries

Conference Champions

Big Sky ConferenceBoise State
Far Western Football ConferenceUC Davis and Cal State Chico
Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic ConferenceNorthwood
Gulf South ConferenceTroy State
Lone Star ConferenceAbilene Christian
Mid-Eastern Athletic ConferenceNorth Carolina Central
Missouri Intercollegiate Athletic AssociationSoutheast Missouri State
North Central ConferenceNorth Dakota State and South Dakota
Ohio Valley ConferenceWestern Kentucky
Northern Intercollegiate ConferenceMinnesota State–Moorhead
Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (Division II) – Bethune-Cookman
Southland ConferenceLouisiana Tech
Southwestern Athletic ConferenceGrambling State and Jackson State
Yankee ConferenceConnecticut

Postseason

The 1973 NCAA Division II Football Championship playoffs were the first single-elimination tournament to determine the national champion of men's NCAA Division II college football. The inaugural edition had only eight teams. The championship game was held at Hughes Stadium in Sacramento, California. The Louisiana Tech Bulldogs defeated the Western Kentucky Hilltoppers, 34-0, to win their first national title.[2]

First round Semifinals Championship
         
Grambling State 17
Delaware 8
Grambling State 20
Western Kentucky 28
Western Kentucky 25
Lehigh 16
Western Kentucky 0
Louisiana Tech 34
Louisiana Tech 18
Western Illinois 13
Louisiana Tech 38
Boise State 34
Boise State 53
South Dakota 10

See also

References

  1. "All-Time Conference Champions" (PDF). NCAA. NCAA.org. pp. 15–28. Retrieved December 23, 2013.
  2. "1973 NCAA Division II National Football Championship Bracket" (PDF). NCAA. NCAA.org. p. 13. Retrieved December 17, 2013.
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