NCAA Division III Football Playoffs: A Comprehensive History and Format Guide

The NCAA Division III football championship is an annual American college football tournament that determines the champion at the NCAA Division III level. First held in 1973 as a single-elimination playoff with eight teams, it has expanded over the past 50 seasons to include 40 participants. The Division III championship game, known as the Amos Alonzo Stagg Bowl or Stagg Bowl, was held at Salem Football Stadium in Salem, Virginia, from 1993 to 2017, and again in 2023.

The Genesis of the Stagg Bowl

The Amos Alonzo Stagg Bowl was founded by the NCAA in October 1969. Along with its counterpart, the Knute Rockne Bowl, it was "created by the NCAA… The NCAA thus provided postseason opportunities for College Division teams too small to compete for spots in the four regional bowls it had established in 1964 (as of 1969, these were the Camellia Bowl for the West, the Pecan Bowl for the Midwest, the Grantland Rice Bowl for the Mideast, and the Boardwalk Bowl for the East). When the College Division was subdivided into the current Division II and Division III in 1973, the NCAA made the Amos Alonzo Stagg Bowl the Division III national championship game.

Evolution of the Playoff Format

For years, fans throughout all three NCAA Divisions have clamored for an improved playoff format and the inclusion of an actual playoff system in FBS. But FBS wasn’t the only college football division to see changes to its playoff format. The NCAA Division III playoffs underwent three significant changes during the offseason.

Expansion to 40 Teams

One of the most significant changes to the Division III playoffs is the expansion of the bracket from 32 to 40 teams. This expansion, implemented in 2024, allows for greater representation from across the division and increases the number of at-large bids from four to 12.

The NCAA Power Index (NPI)

In 2024, teams are to be divided into a new 40-team bracket. The playoff field is split into four regions, each consisting of 10 teams. First-round matchups are organized by seed. DIII teams are using the NCAA Power Index (NPI) to assist in selecting and seeding the teams. The first category calculates a team’s winning percentage and strength of schedule, with wins worth 40 percent and strength of schedule accounting for 60 percent. A team’s strength of schedule is an average of the opponent’s NPI. The next category adds a multiplier to road victories and home losses. Each road win is worth 1.1 points, road loss is 0.9 points. The third category is where the Quality Win Base is set. The committee set the number at 54, which means a victory over an opponent with an NPI of 54 or higher earns the team a bonus multiplier of .250 this season. This leads into the next category, where the Quality Win Bonus multiplier is applied. This is where only stat heads typically comprehend how this bonus is calculated. The national committee chose to count all wins in regulation and overtime equally without applying a bonus. The final category is the minimum number of wins a team must achieve before dropping wins against teams that hurt their NPI. That number is set at five, which means the team’s best five wins, at minimum, are used to calculate their NPI. More than five wins can count for teams if it improves their NPI.

According to Sims, “The thought process of the committee was to give coaches access to this information on a weekly basis rather than waiting for a regional ranking to come out without knowing the rhyme or reason for where they’re ranked."

The changes to the playoff format have led to changes in how teams are seeded and in which section of the bracket they will be located. All teams in the tournament will be seeded in their section of the bracket based on their NPI values, regardless of whether they earned an automatic bid or received an at-large bid. Only the top eight seeds will be protected, determined by the teams with the top eight NPI numbers. Teams with the top four NPI values will be the top seed in their section of the bracket and will be split using geographic proximity. The remaining 32 teams will be placed in the bracket according to “natural geographic proximity” and then paired according to geographic proximity.

Broadcast Rights

The final significant change to the DIII playoffs this year involves the broadcast of each playoff game. Since ESPN controls the broadcast rights to the DIII football playoff games, every game will be broadcast on ESPN+.

Qualification Process

Understanding the qualification process is crucial for both teams and fans. The NCAA Division III football playoffs are an exciting postseason tournament that ends in the Stagg Bowl, where the national champion is crowned. Only the top teams in the country make it into the playoffs after meeting automatic and at-large qualifications. In 2024, a total of 40 teams will make the Division III football playoffs.

Automatic Bids (Pool A)

The vast majority of teams, specifically 28, earn automatic bids by winning their respective conferences. All Division III conferences are considered except for the New England Small College Athletic Conference, which chooses not to participate in the Division 3 football playoffs. Division III conference champions are considered as part “Pool A.”

Read also: Crafting Your NCAA Profile

At-Large Bids (Pool C)

In addition to the automatic bids, 12 teams receive at-large invitations. These are granted to teams that did not win their conference but still have strong records and resumes. Criteria like winning percentage, strength of schedule, and quality wins are considered. Most other teams in the division that have elected to participate in the playoffs and are not conference champions are considered “Pool C” teams, with the bids determined by a variety of factors used by the NCAA’s selection committee, including win-loss record, strength of schedule and results against common Division III opponents, among various other criteria.

Independent and Non-Automatic Bid Conferences (Pool B)

However, where the at-large bid process is thrown for a loop is when “Pool B” schools come into play - that is, teams that are independents or are playing in leagues without automatic bids, yet they wish to participate in the postseason, too. Pool B only comes into play when the number of schools fitting that bill is more than the average number of schools per Pool A conference. For example, in 2018, the nine Pool B schools exceeded the Pool A average of 8.8 per league, giving the Pool B schools one auto-bid for that year. The number of bids given to those schools (if they’re given at all) varies each year and depends on the number of schools that fit the criteria. As many as four Pool B schools have been awarded bids in the 32-team era, but since 2019 - and including for this upcoming season - there have been no Pool B bids awarded, as only two independent Division III teams are slated to play in 2023. Division III football’s two independent teams for 2023 are New York’s Hilbert College, which began football in 2022, and Lyon College out of Arkansas, which is playing its first season at the Division III level, after previously playing in the NAIA.

NESCAC's Unique Stance

And, of the 29 football-sponsoring conferences in Division III, only one - the New England Small Collegiate Athletic Conference - does not opt to participate in the postseason. So, while there are some strong programs in the NESCAC, such as Trinity, which has had seven perfect seasons since 2000, including last season, you won’t be seeing the league’s teams competing in the Division III playoffs.

Key Dates for the 2024 Playoffs

Here are the important dates for the 2024 NCAA Division 3 Football Playoffs:

Selection Show: Sunday, Nov. ET on NCAA.com
First Round: Saturday, Nov. 23
Second Round: Saturday, Nov. 30
Quarterfinals: Saturday, Dec. 7
Semifinals: Saturday, Dec. 14
National Championship: Sunday, Jan. 5

This year, the national title game will be held on January 5 at Shell Energy Stadium in Houston. Next year, it will move to the Hall of Fame Stadium in Canton, Ohio, where it will be held on Jan. The first round of the playoffs remains on the next to last Saturday in November, with the 16 lowest seeds meeting to determine who will advance to meet the top seed in their section of the bracket in the second round.

Historical Perspective and Dominant Teams

In the playoff era, no team has more postseason appearances than the most successful program in the division’s history, Mount Union (Ohio). The Purple Raiders have 33 playoff appearances in their storied history and are the only Division III program to reach 100 postseason wins, many of which were achieved during its record-setting 13 runs to the national championship - more than double the next-winningest team. Saint John’s (Minnesota) is second in playoff trips with 28, most of which were under the tutelage of hall-of-fame coach John Gagliardi, the winningest coach at any level (489 victories) in the history of college football. Three other programs have hit the 20-appearance mark - Washington & Jefferson (Pennsylvania), Central (Iowa) and Ithaca (New York).

NCAA Division 3 Football Championship History

View the past NCAA Division III football champions since 1973.

2023 - Cortland - 38-37 - North Central (IL) - Salem, Virginia
2022 - North Central (IL) - 28-21 - Mount Union - Annapolis, Maryland
2021 - Mary Hardin-Baylor - 57-24 - North Central (IL) - Canton, Ohio
2020 - Canceled due to Covid-19
2019 - North Central (IL) - 41-14 - Wisconsin-Whitewater - Shenandoah, Texas
2018 - Mary Hardin-Baylor - 24-16 - Mount Union - Shenandoah, Texas
2017 - Mount Union - 12-0 - Mary Hardin-Baylor - Salem, Virginia
2016 - Mary Hardin-Baylor - 10-7 - Wisconsin-Oshkosh - Salem, Virginia
2015 - Mount Union - 49-35 - St. Thomas (Minn.) - Salem, Virginia
2014 - Wisconsin-Whitewater - 43-34 - Mount Union - Salem, Virginia
2013 - Wisconsin-Whitewater - 52-14 - Mount Union - Salem, Virginia
2012 - Mount Union - 28-10 - St. Thomas (Minn.) - Salem, Virginia
2011 - Wisconsin-Whitewater - 13-10 - Mount Union - Salem, Virginia
2010 - Wisconsin-Whitewater - 31-21 - Mount Union - Salem, Virginia
2009 - Wisconsin-Whitewater - 38-28 - Mount Union - Salem, Virginia
2008 - Mount Union - 31-26 - Wisconsin-Whitewater - Salem, Virginia
2007 - Wisconsin-Whitewater - 31-21 - Mount Union - Salem, Virginia
2006 - Mount Union - 35-16 - Wisconsin-Whitewater - Salem, Virginia
2005 - Mount Union - 35-28 - Wisconsin-Whitewater - Salem, Virginia
2004 - Linfield - 28-21 - Mary Hardin-Baylor - Salem, Virginia
2003 - St. John's (Minn.) - 24-6 - Mount Union - Salem, Virginia
2002 - Mount Union - 48-7 - Trinity (Texas) - Salem, Virginia
2001 - Mount Union - 30-27 - Bridgewater (Va.) - Salem, Virginia
2000 - Mount Union - 10-7 - St. John's (Minn.) - Salem, Virginia
1999 - Pacific Lutheran - 42-13 - Rowan - Salem, Virginia
1998 - Mount Union - 44-24 - Rowan - Salem, Virginia
1997 - Mount Union - 61-12 - Lycoming - Salem, Virginia
1996 - Mount Union - 56-24 - Rowan - Salem, Virginia
1995 - Wisconsin-La Crosse - 36-7 - Rowan - Salem, Virginia
1994 - Albion - 38-15 - Washington & Jefferson - Salem, Virginia
1993 - Mount Union - 34-24 - Rowan - Salem, Virginia
1992 - Wisconsin-La Crosse - 16-12 - Washington & Jefferson - Bradenton, Florida
1991 - Ithaca - 34-20 - Dayton - Bradenton, Florida
1990 - Allegheny - 21-14 - Lycoming - Bradenton, Florida
1989 - Dayton - 17-7 - Union (N.Y.) - Phenix City, Alabama
1988 - Ithaca - 39-24 - Central (Iowa) - Phenix City, Alabama
1987 - Wagner - 19-3 - Dayton - Phenix City, Alabama
1986 - Augustana (Ill.) - 31-3 - Salisbury - Phenix City, Alabama
1985 - Augustana (Ill.) - 20-7 - Ithaca - Phenix City, Alabama
1984 - Augustana (Ill.) - 21-12 - Central (Iowa) - Kings Island, Ohio
1983 - Augustana (Ill.) - 21-17 - Union (N.Y.) - Kings Island, Ohio
1982 - West Georgia - 14-0 - Augustana (N.Y.) - Phenix City, Alabama
1981 - Widener - 24-10 - Dayton - Phenix City, Alabama
1980 - Dayton - 63-0 - Ithaca - Phenix City, Alabama
1979 - Ithaca - 14-10 - Wittenberg - Phenix City, Alabama
1978 - Baldwin-Wallace - 24-10 - Wittenberg - Phenix City, Alabama
1977 - Widener - 39-36 - Wabash - Phenix City, Alabama
1976 - St.

Vacated Championship

It's important to note that on October 10, 2019, the NCAA vacated the 2016 championship due to violations self-reported by Mary Hardin-Baylor. The appeal was unsuccessful, therefore there was no champion declared for the 2016 season.

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