1979 NCAA Division II football season

The 1979 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 1979, and concluded with the NCAA Division II Football Championship in December 1979 at University Stadium in Albuquerque, NM. During the game's two-year stretch in New Mexico, it was referred to as the Zia Bowl. The Delaware Fightin' Blue Hens defeated the Youngstown State Penguins, 38–21, to win their first Division II national title.[1]

Conference changes and new programs

School 1978 Conference 1979 Conference
Bethune-Cookman SIAC (II) MEAC (I-AA)
Morgan State MEAC (I-AA) D-II Independent

Conference standings

1979 Mid-Continent football standings
Conf     Overall
Team W   L   T     W   L   T
Youngstown State $^ 5 0 0     11 2 0
Northern Iowa 4 1 0     6 5 0
Akron 3 2 0     6 5 0
Eastern Illinois 1 4 0     7 4 0
Northern Michigan 1 4 0     4 6 0
Western Illinois 1 4 0     3 8 0
  • $ Conference champion
  • ^ Division II playoff participant
1979 Missouri Intercollegiate Athletic Association football standings
Conf     Overall
Team W   L   T     W   L   T
NW Missouri State $ 5 1 0     6 5 0
SE Missouri State 5 1 0     6 4 1
Missouri-Rolla 3 3 0     7 3 1
SW Missouri State 3 3 0     7 4 0
NE Missouri State 3 3 0     4 7 0
Central Missouri State 1 5 0     2 8 0
Lincoln (MO) 1 5 0     4 7 0
  • $ Conference champion
  • ^ Division II playoff participant

Conference summaries

Conference Champions

Association of Mid-Continent Universities – Youngstown State
Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association – Virginia Union
Far Western Football Conference – UC Davis
Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference – Saginaw Valley State
Gulf South Conference – Mississippi College
Lone Star Conference – Texas A&I
Missouri Intercollegiate Athletic Association – Northwest Missouri State
North Central Conference – North Dakota
Northern Intercollegiate Conference – Minnesota–Duluth and Minnesota State–Moorhead
Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference – Lock Haven
Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference – Western State
South Atlantic Conference – Presbyterian
Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference – Alabama A&M

Postseason

1979 NCAA Division II National
Football Championship playoffs
Teams 8
Finals Site University Stadium
Albuquerque, NM
Champions Delaware (1st title)
Runner-Up Youngstown State (1st championship game)
Semifinalists Mississippi College
Alabama A&M

The 1979 NCAA Division II Football Championship playoffs were the sixth single-elimination tournament to determine the national champion of men's NCAA Division II college football. The championship game was held at University Stadium in Albuquerque, NM for the first time. With the game being played in New Mexico for the next two years, it was deemed the Zia Bowl.

Playoff bracket

First round
Campus sites
Semifinals
Campus sites
Championship
University Stadium
Albuquerque, NM
         
Delaware 58
Virginia Union 28
Delaware 60
Mississippi College 10
Mississippi College 35
North Dakota 15
Delaware 38
Youngstown State 21
Youngstown State 51
South Dakota State 7
Youngstown State 52
Alabama A&M 0
Alabama A&M 27
Morgan State 7

See also

References

  1. "1979 NCAA Division II National Football Championship Bracket" (PDF). NCAA. NCAA.org. p. 13. Retrieved January 3, 2014.
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