1981 NCAA Division III football season

American college football season August 2023 NCAA Division III 1981 August – November 1981 November – December 1981 Garrett-Harrison StadiumPhenix City, AL Widener The 1981 NCAA Division III football season, part of college football in the United States organized by the National Collegiate Athletic Association at the Division III level, began in August 1981, and concluded with the NCAA Division III Football Championship in December 1981 at Garrett-Harrison Stadium in Phenix City, Alabama. The Widener Pioneers won their second Division III championship, defeating the defending national champion 1981 Dayton Flyers Dayton by a final score of 17−10.All-Time Division III Football Championship Records http://fs.ncaa.org/Docs/stats/football_champs_records/2013/d3/champ.pdf NCAA NCAA.org November 6, 2014 4–15 Conference changes and new programs Western New England College joined Division III this year after competing for 11 years as a club team.https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-post-star-western-new-england/184091272/ Western New England October 28, 1981 21 July 26, 2026 Newspapers.com Buffalo State also abandoned club status to join Division III this year. West Georgia revived their football program after last fielding a team in 1958. This was the first year that Mercyhurst fielded a football team, just 12 years after the school started admitting male students. They joined Division III as an independent.https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-pittsburgh-press-mercyhurst-joins/184103391/ Mercyhurst joins August 24, 1981 64 July 26, 2026 Newspapers.com School 1980 Conference 1981 Conference Buffalo State Club Team D-III Independent Iona MIC D-III independent Mercyhurst New program Independent (D-III) New Haven NEFC D-II Independent Saint Mary's D-III Independent D-II Independent West Georgia Revived Program D-III Independent Western New England Club Team NEFC Conference standings Conference champions Conference championsCollege Athletic Conference – Rose-Hulman College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin – Augustana (IL) Independent College Athletic Conference – Alfred Iowa Intercollegiate Athletic Conference – Central (IA) Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association – Hope Middle Atlantic Conference – Delaware Valley and Juniata (North), Widener (South) Midwest Collegiate Athletic Conference – Lawrence Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference – Concordia–Moorhead New England Football Conference – Plymouth State New Jersey State Athletic Conference – Montclair State Northwest Conference – Pacific Lutheran Ohio Athletic Conference – Baldwin Wallace (Red Division), Wittenberg (Blue Division) Old Dominion Athletic Conference – Washington & Lee Presidents' Athletic Conference – Carnegie Mellon Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference – Whittier Texas Intercollegiate Athletic Association – Austin and Sul Ross Twin Rivers Conference – Concordia–St. Paul and Northwestern–St. Paul Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference – Wisconsin–Eau Claire Postseason The 1981 NCAA Division III Football Championship playoffs were the ninth annual single-elimination tournament to determine the national champion of men's NCAA Division III college football. The championship game was held at Garrett-Harrison Stadium in Phenix City, Alabama for the ninth consecutive year. Like the previous six championships, eight teams competed in this edition.1981 NCAA Division III National Football Championship Bracket http://fs.ncaa.org/Docs/stats/football_champs_records/2013/d3/champ.pdf NCAA NCAA.org November 6, 2014 14 Playoff bracket QuarterfinalsCampus Sites SemifinalsCampus Sites National Championship GameGarrett-Harrison StadiumPhenix City, AL 1981 Dayton Flyers Dayton 19 1981 Augustana (Illinois) Vikings Augustana (IL) 7 1981 Lawrence Vikings Lawrence 21* 1981 Minnesota Morris Cougars Minnesota–Morris 14 1981 Montclair State Indians Montclair State 13 1981 Alfred Saxons Alfred 12 Widener 10 1981 West Georgia Braves West Georgia 3 Dayton 38 Lawrence 0 Montclair State 12 Widener 23 Dayton 10 Widener 17 See also 1981 NCAA Division I-A football season 1981 NCAA Division I-AA football season 1981 NCAA Division II football season 1981 NAIA Division I football season 1981 NAIA Division II football season References