1973 NCAA Division III football season

The 1973 NCAA Division III football season, part of college football in the United States organized by the National Collegiate Athletic Association at the Division III level, began in August 1973, and concluded with the NCAA Division III Football Championship in December 1973 at Garrett-Harrison Stadium in Phenix City, Alabama. In the first ever season of Division III football after these teams split away from the Division I Small College Division after the 1972 season.

Wittenberg won their first Division III championship, defeating Juniata in the championship game by a final score of 41−0.[1]

Conference changes and new programs

School 1972 Conference 1973 Conference
Albany New Program D-III Independent

Conference champions

Conference Champion(s)
College Athletic Conference Southwestern at Memphis
College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin Carthage
Independent College Athletic Conference Champion Unknown
Iowa Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Buena Vista
Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association Hope
Middle Atlantic Conference North: Juniata
South: Franklin & Marshall (South)
Midwest Collegiate Athletic Conference Coe
Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Minnesota–Duluth
St. Thomas (MN)
New England Football Conference Nichols
New Jersey State Athletic Conference Montclair State
Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (Division III) Fisk
Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Redlands

Postseason

The 1973 NCAA Division III Football Championship playoffs were the first single-elimination tournament to determine the national champion of men's NCAA Division III college football. The inaugural edition had only four teams (in comparison with the 32 teams competing as of 2014). The championship game was held at Garrett-Harrison Stadium in Phenix City, Alabama. The Wittenberg Tigers defeated the Juniata College Eagles, 41-0, to win their first national title.[2]

NCAA Division III Playoff bracket

Semifinals
Campus Sites
National Championship Game
Garrett-Harrison Stadium
Phenix City, AL
      
Juniata 35
Bridgeport 14
Juniata 0
Wittenberg 41
Wittenberg 21
San Diego 14

See also

References

  1. "All-Time Division III Football Championship Records" (PDF). NCAA. NCAA.org. pp. 4–15. Retrieved October 23, 2014.
  2. "1973 NCAA Division III National Football Championship Bracket" (PDF). NCAA. NCAA.org. p. 14. Retrieved October 23, 2014.
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