1978 NCAA Division II football season
The 1978 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 1978, and concluded with the NCAA Division II Football Championship in December 1978 at Lobo Stadium in Longview, Texas. The Eastern Illinois Panthers defeated the Delaware Fightin' Blue Hens, 10–9, to win their first Division II national title.
Conference changes and new programs
- Five conferences and five other programs departed Division II for the newly formed Division I-AA.
- The Mid-Continent Conference was established as a Division II football conference with six teams from Illinois, Iowa, Michigan, and Ohio.
| School | 1977 Conference | 1978 Conference |
| Akron | D-II Independent | Mid-Continent |
| Bucknell | D-II Independent | I-AA Independent |
| Cal State Los Angeles | D-II Independent | Dropped program |
| Eastern Illinois | D-II Independent | Mid-Continent |
| Lafayette | D-II Independent | I-AA Independent |
| Lehigh | D-II Independent | I-AA Independent |
| Nevada | D-II Independent | I-AA Independent |
| Northern Colorado | GPAC | North Central |
| Northern Iowa | North Central | Mid-Continent |
| Portland State | D-II Independent | I-AA Independent |
| UNLV | D-II Independent | I-A Independent |
Conference standings
Conference summaries
While the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference was a Division II conference, Florida A&M had successfully petitioned the NCAA for Division I classification, which took effect on September 1, 1978. FAMU subsequently competed in the 1978 Division I-AA postseason, winning the Division I-AA championship.