2018 NCAA Division III football season

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.

2018 NCAA Division III football season
Regular season	August 30 – November 10, 2018
Playoffs	November 17 – December 14, 2018
National championship	Woodforest Bank Stadium Shenandoah, TX
Champion	Mary Hardin–Baylor
Gagliardi Trophy	Jackson Erdmann (QB), Saint John's (MN)
← 2017 · NCAA Division III football seasons · 2019 →

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 v t e 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 v t e 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 v t e 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 v t e 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 v t e 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 v t e 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 v t e 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 v t e 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 v t e 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 v t e 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 v t e 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 v t e 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 v t e 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 v t e 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 v t e 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 v t e 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 v t e 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 v t e 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 v t e 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 v t e 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 v t e 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 v t e 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 v t e 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 v t e 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 v t e 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 v t e 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 v t e 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 v t e 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 v t e 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

See also: NCAA Division III Football Championship

	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

• 2018 NCAA Division I FBS football season
• 2018 NCAA Division I FCS football season
• 2018 NCAA Division II football season
• 2018 NAIA football season

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.