NCAA Division II Football Championship


The NCAA Division II Football Championship is an American college football tournament played annually to determine a champion at the NCAA Division II level. It was first held in 1973, as a single-elimination tournament with eight teams. The tournament field has subsequently been expanded three times; in 1988 it became 16 teams, in 2004 it became 24 teams, and in 2016 it became 28 teams.
The National Championship game has been held in seven different cities; Sacramento, California, Wichita Falls, Texas, Longview, Texas, Albuquerque, New Mexico, McAllen, Texas, Florence, Alabama, and Kansas City, Kansas. The 2018 and 2019 games were played at the McKinney ISD Stadium and Community Event Center in McKinney, Texas. Since 1994, the games have been broadcast on ESPN.
Prior to 1973, for what was then called the "NCAA College Division," champions were selected by polls conducted at the end of each regular season by two major wire services; in some years the two polls named different number one teams.

NCAA College Division wire service national champions

Polls were conducted by the Associated Press and United Press International at the end of each regular season. The AP would poll a panel of writers, while UPI would poll a panel of coaches.
National champions by polling
While the NCAA started Division II playoffs in 1973, AP and UPI still conducted their polls these years.

NCAA Division II champions

Since 1973, a post-season tournament has been held to determine the Division II Champion. The current format, in use since 2016, features 28 teams. The 28 teams are organized into 4 super-regions of 7 teams each, the top-seeded team in each super-region gets a bye during the first round. The champions of the four super-regions meet in the semi-final round, and the winners of the two semi-final games meet in a neutral-site championship game. Prior to the championship game, the semi-final games are held at the home stadiums of the two highest-seeded remaining teams. The championship game has been played at several sites through history, starting in 2018 it was held at the McKinney Independent School District Stadium, a 12,000 seat facility that opened in August, 2018.
YearChampionRunner-upScoreVenueLocationAttendanceWinning head coach
1973Louisiana Tech Western Kentucky34–0Hughes StadiumSacramento, California12,016
1974Central Michigan Delaware54–14Hughes StadiumSacramento, California14,137
1975Northern Michigan Western Kentucky16–14Hughes StadiumSacramento California12,017
1976Montana State Akron24–13Memorial StadiumWichita Falls, Texas13,200
1977Lehigh 33–0Memorial StadiumWichita Falls, Texas14,114
1978Eastern Illinois Delaware10–9Lobo StadiumLongview, Texas5,500
1979Delaware 38–21University StadiumAlbuquerque, New Mexico4,000
1980Cal Poly 21–13University StadiumAlbuquerque, New Mexico2,056
1981Southwest Texas State 42–13Veterans Memorial StadiumMcAllen, Texas9,415
1982Southwest Texas State UC Davis34–9Veterans Memorial StadiumMcAllen, Texas8,000
1983North Dakota State 41–21Veterans Memorial StadiumMcAllen, Texas5,275
1984Troy State 18–17Veterans Memorial StadiumMcAllen, Texas4,500
1985North Dakota State 35–7Veterans Memorial StadiumMcAllen, Texas6,000
1986North Dakota State 27–7Braly Municipal StadiumFlorence, Alabama11,506
1987Troy State 31–17Braly Municipal StadiumFlorence, Alabama10,600
1988North Dakota State 35–21Braly Municipal StadiumFlorence, Alabama6,763
1989†3–0Braly Municipal StadiumFlorence, Alabama6,763
1990North Dakota State 51–11Braly Municipal StadiumFlorence, Alabama10,080
1991Pittsburg State 23–6Braly Municipal StadiumFlorence, Alabama11,500
1992 17–13Braly Municipal StadiumFlorence, Alabama11,733
1993North Alabama 41–34Braly Municipal StadiumFlorence, Alabama15,361
1994North Alabama 16–10Braly Municipal StadiumFlorence, Alabama13,526
1995North Alabama 27–7Braly Municipal StadiumFlorence, Alabama15,241
1996 23–14Braly Municipal StadiumFlorence, Alabama5,745
1997 51–0Braly Municipal StadiumFlorence, Alabama3,352
1998Northwest Missouri State 24–6Braly Municipal StadiumFlorence, Alabama6,149
1999 58–52 Braly Municipal StadiumFlorence, Alabama8,451
2000 63–34Braly Municipal StadiumFlorence, Alabama7,123
2001North Dakota 17–14Braly Municipal StadiumFlorence, Alabama6,113
2002 31–24Braly Municipal StadiumFlorence, Alabama9,783
2003 North Dakota10–3Braly Municipal StadiumFlorence, Alabama7,236
2004 36–31Braly Municipal StadiumFlorence, Alabama8,604
2005 21–17Braly Municipal StadiumFlorence, Alabama6,837
2006 17–14Braly Municipal StadiumFlorence, Alabama7,437
2007 25–20Braly Municipal StadiumFlorence, Alabama7,532
2008 21–14Braly Municipal StadiumFlorence, Alabama6,215
2009 30–23Braly Municipal StadiumFlorence, Alabama6,211
2010 20–17Braly Municipal StadiumFlorence, Alabama4,027
2011Pittsburg State Wayne State 35–21Braly Municipal StadiumFlorence, Alabama7,276
2012Valdosta State 35–7Braly Municipal StadiumFlorence, Alabama7,525
2013Northwest Missouri State Lenoir–Rhyne43–28Braly Municipal StadiumFlorence, Alabama6,543
2014CSU–Pueblo 13–0Children's Mercy ParkKansas City, Kansas6,762
2015Northwest Missouri State 34–7Children's Mercy ParkKansas City, Kansas16,181
2016Northwest Missouri State North Alabama29–3Children's Mercy ParkKansas City, Kansas9,576
2017Texas A&M–Commerce West Florida37–27Children's Mercy ParkKansas City, Kansas4,259
2018Valdosta State 49–47McKinney ISD StadiumMcKinney, Texas4,306
2019West Florida 48–40McKinney ISD StadiumMcKinney, Texas3,415

† Mississippi College's 1989 tournament participation, along with its championship, were vacated by the NCAA Committee on Infractions.

Teams that moved to Division I

Most of the participants in early national championship games have moved into Division I, the main catalyst for their moves being the creation of Division I-AA, now the Division I Football Championship Subdivision, in 1978. The following Division II title game participants later moved to Division I:
;Division I FBS
;Division I FCS

Regional bowls

From 1964 to 1972, four regional bowl games were played in order to provide postseason action, however these games took place after the AP and UPI polls were completed, therefore these games did not factor in selecting a national champion for the College Division. The bowl games were:
Winners of regional bowls
YearWestMidwestMideastEast
1964Montana StateState College Middle Tennessee StateEast Carolina
1965Cal State Los AngelesNorth Dakota StateBall State / Tennessee State East Carolina
1966San Diego StateNorth DakotaTennessee StateMorgan State
1967San Diego StateTexas-ArlingtonEastern KentuckyTennessee-Martin
1968Humboldt StateNorth Dakota StateLouisiana TechDelaware
1969North Dakota StateArkansas StateEast Tennessee StateDelaware
1970North Dakota StateArkansas StateTennessee StateDelaware
1971Boise StateLouisiana TechTennessee StateDelaware
1972North DakotaTennessee StateLouisiana TechMassachusetts

Playoff bowls

From 1973 to 1977, some of the tournament games were also known by bowl names;