1973 NCAA Division II football season

The 1973 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. The season began in September and concluded with the Division II Championship on December 15 at Hughes Stadium in Sacramento, California. This was the first season for Division II (and Division III) football, which were formerly in the College Division in 1972 and prior.

Louisiana Tech won their first Division II championship, defeating Western Kentucky 34–0 in the Camellia Bowl championship game.[1][2]

Conference changes and new programs

School 1972 Conference 1973 Conference
Akron Independent D-II Independent
Eastern Michigan Independent D-II Independent
Illinois State Independent D-II Independent
Nevada–Reno Independent D-II Independent

Conference standings

1973 Big Sky football standings
Conf     Overall
Team W   L   T     W   L   T
Boise State $^ 6 0 0     10 3 0
Montana State 5 1 0     7 4 0
Idaho 3 2 0     4 7 0
Northern Arizona 2 3 0     4 6 0
Montana 2 4 0     4 6 0
Weber State 2 4 0     3 8 0
Idaho State 0 6 0     2 9 0
  • $ Conference champion
  • ^ Division II playoff participant
1973 Missouri Intercollegiate Athletic Association football standings
Conf     Overall
Team W   L   T     W   L   T
SE Missouri State $ 5 1 0     6 4 0
NW Missouri State 4 2 0     6 5 0
Lincoln (MO) 3 3 0     5 6 0
SW Missouri State 3 3 0     3 7 0
Missouri-Rolla 2 3 1     3 6 2
NE Missouri State 2 3 1     2 7 2
Central Missouri State 1 5 0     2 8 0
  • $ Conference champion
  • ^ Division II playoff participant
1973 OVC football standings
Conf     Overall
Team W   L   T     W   L   T
Western Kentucky $^ 7 0 0     12 1 0
Murray State 5 2 0     7 3 0
Eastern Kentucky 4 3 0     7 4 0
Morehead State 4 3 0     6 5 0
East Tennessee State 3 4 0     4 7 0
Middle Tennessee 3 4 0     4 6 0
Tennessee Tech 1 6 0     2 8 1
Austin Peay 1 6 0     2 8 0
  • $ Conference champion
  • ^ Division II playoff participant
1973 Southland Conference football standings
Conf     Overall
Team W   L   T     W   L   T
Louisiana Tech $^ 5 0 0     12 1 0
Arkansas State 3 2 0     7 3 0
Lamar 3 2 0     5 5 0
McNeese State 2 3 0     7 3 0
Texas–Arlington 2 3 0     4 6 0
SW Louisiana 0 5 0     0 10 0
  • $ Conference champion
  • ^ Division II playoff participant
1973 Yankee Conference football standings
Conf     Overall
Team W   L   T     W   L   T
Connecticut $ 5 0 1     8 2 1
Rhode Island 4 2 0     6 2 2
UMass 4 2 0     6 5 0
New Hampshire 2 3 0     4 5 0
Boston University 2 3 0     3 7 0
Maine 2 4 0     3 7 0
Vermont 1 5 0     3 6 0
  • $ Conference champion
  • ^ Division II playoff participant
Rankings from AP Poll

Conference summaries

Conference Champions

Big Sky ConferenceBoise State
Far Western Football ConferenceUC Davis and Cal State Chico
Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic ConferenceNorthwood
Gulf South ConferenceTroy State
Lone Star ConferenceAbilene Christian
Mid-Eastern Athletic ConferenceNorth Carolina Central
Missouri Intercollegiate Athletic AssociationSoutheast Missouri State
North Central ConferenceNorth Dakota State and South Dakota
Ohio Valley ConferenceWestern Kentucky
Northern Intercollegiate ConferenceMinnesota State–Moorhead
Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (Division II) – Bethune-Cookman
Southland ConferenceLouisiana Tech
Southwestern Athletic ConferenceGrambling State and Jackson State
Yankee ConferenceConnecticut

Postseason

The 1973 NCAA Division II Football Championship playoffs were the first single-elimination tournament to determine the national champion of men's NCAA Division II college football. The inaugural edition had only eight teams; of the four quarterfinal games, three were played on campus and a fourth was in Atlantic City, New Jersey.[3] The semifinals were held at the Grantland Rice Bowl in Baton Rouge, Louisiana,[4] and the Pioneer Bowl in Wichita Falls, Texas.[5][6]

The championship game was the Camellia Bowl, held at Hughes Stadium in Sacramento, California. The Louisiana Tech Bulldogs defeated the Western Kentucky Hilltoppers 34–0 to win their first national title.[2][7]

First round
Atlantic City, NJ
& 3 campus sites


December 1
Semifinals
Grantland Rice Bowl
Pioneer Bowl

December 8
Championship
Camellia Bowl
Hughes Stadium
Sacramento, CA
December 15
         
Grambling State 17
Delaware 8
Grambling State 20
Western Kentucky 28
Western Kentucky * 25
Lehigh 16
Western Kentucky 0
Louisiana Tech 34
Louisiana Tech * 18
Western Illinois 13
Louisiana Tech 38
Boise State 34
Boise State * 53
South Dakota 10

* Denotes host institution

See also

References

  1. "All-Time Conference Champions" (PDF). NCAA. NCAA.org. pp. 15–28. Retrieved December 23, 2013.
  2. 1 2 "Western Kentucky (Louisiana Tech) champs after 34-0 romp". Lewiston Morning Tribune. (Idaho). Associated Press. December 16, 1973. p. 20.
  3. "Boise St. smears South Dakota". Lewiston Morning Tribune. (Idaho). Associated Press. December 2, 1973. p. 19.
  4. "Western Kentucky triumphs". Lewiston Morning Tribune. (Idaho). Associated Press. December 9, 1973. p. 19.
  5. "Boise in semis". Lewiston Morning Tribune. (Idaho). Associated Press. December 8, 1973. p. 17.
  6. "Late TD tops Boise". Lewiston Morning Tribune. (Idaho). Associated Press. December 9, 1973. p. 19.
  7. "1973 NCAA Division II National Football Championship Bracket" (PDF). NCAA. NCAA.org. p. 13. Retrieved December 17, 2013.
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