2015 NCAA Division III football season

American college football season August 2023 NCAA Division III 2015 September 5 – November 14, 2015 November 21 – December 18, 2015 December 18, 2015 Salem Football StadiumSalem, Virginia Mount Union (12) Joe Callahan, Wesley (DE) The 2015 NCAA Division III football season, part of the college football season organized by the NCAA at the Division III level in the United States, began on September 5, 2015, and concluded with the NCAA Division III Football Championship, also known as the Stagg Bowl, on December 18, 2015, at Salem Football Stadium in Salem, Virginia. Mount Union, which made its 11th consecutive appearance in the title game, defeated St. Thomas (Minnesota) 49–35 to claim its 19th national title. Conference changes and new programs One school added football at the Division III level and eight programs changed conference affiliations."NJAC goes big for 2015", D3football.com. Retrieved September 13, 2015. School 2014 conference 2015 conference Belhaven Mid-South (NAIA) Independent Christopher Newport USA South NJAC Finlandia No program Independent Frostburg State Empire 8 NJAC McMurry Lone Star (D-II) Independent Morrisville State NJAC Empire 8 Salisbury Empire 8 NJAC SUNY Cortland NJAC Empire 8 Wesley Independent NJAC A full list of Division III teams can be viewed on the D3football website."Division III Team Pages", D3football.com. Retrieved August 24, 2015. Conference standings Conference summaries Conferences highlighted in yellow do not receive automatic bids to the 2015 playoffs. Conference Champion Record Offensive Player of the Year Defensive Player of the Year Coach of the YearASCEast Texas BaptistHardin–SimmonsMary Hardin–Baylor7–39–210–1Jessie Ramos, HSUTeidrick Smith, UMHBJoshua Eargle, ETBUCentennialJohns Hopkins11–0Bradley Munday, Johns HopkinsKeith Corliss, Johns HopkinsJeff Pukszyn, MoravianCCIWWheaton (IL)11–0Sam Frasco, AugustanaAdam Dansdill, WheatonMike Swider, WheatonECFCNorwich6–5John Smith, HussonBryant Wade, HussonMike Lichten, BeckerEmpire 8SUNY Cortland9–2Dan Andrews, SUNY BrockportTarik Bennett, SUNY BrockportDaniel MacNiell, SUNY CortlandHCACFranklin8–3Chase Burton, FranklinRyan Aelker, BlufftonNick Johnson, EarlhamIIACDubuque8–3Logan Schrader, WartburgBlaine Snitker, DubuqueStan Zweifel, DubuqueLibertySt. Lawrence8–3Jeff Avery, RPIMike Lefflbine, St. LawrenceMax Nacewicz, SpringfieldMark Raymond, St. LawrenceMSCACFramingham State9–2Matt Silva, Framingham StateMatt Mangano, Framingham StateTom Kelley, Framingham StateMIAAAlbion9–2Dominic Bona, AlbionTerry Calagon, AlmaMACAlbright10–1Malik Pressley, FDU-FlorhamBrandon Jones, WidenerJohn Marzka, AlbrightMidwestSt. Norbert10–1Jacob Bunk, St. NorbertZach Hauser, MacalesterDan McCarty, St. NorbertChad Braun, MonmouthMIACSt. Thomas (MN)11–0Ayrton Scott, AugsburgRyan Winter, St. ThomasGlenn Caruso, St. ThomasPeter Haugen, Gustavus AdolphusNEFCWestern New England10–1Tyler Ward, Western New EnglandObi Etuka, Western New EnglandKeith Emery, Western New EnglandNESCACAmherst8–0Chance Brady, TuftsJimmy Fairfield-Sonn, AmherstE.J. Mills, AmherstNJACSalisbury7–3Joe Callahan, WesleyDarren Dungee, RowanSherman Wood, SalisburyNCACWabash11–0Mason Zurek, WabashTyler McCullen, WabashEric Raeburn, WabashNACCLakeland8–3Michael Whitley, LakelandLandon Deringer, LakelandTanner Behnke, Wisc. LutheranColin Bruton, LakelandNorthwestLinfield10–0Sam Riddle, LinfieldAlex Hoff, LinfieldJoseph Smith, LinfieldOACMount Union11–0Justin Magazine, Ohio NorthernAnthony Latina, John CarrollDevon Price, Ohio NorthernTom Lally, Mount UnionTre Jones, Mount UnionHank Spencer, Mount UnionDean Paul, Ohio NorthernODACWashington and Lee10–1Matt Pawlowski, GuilfordJake Payne, ShenandoahScott Abell, Washington and LeePACThomas More11–0Sam Benger, Carnegie MellonErick Butler, Thomas MoreRegis Scafe, Thomas MoreSAAHendrix8–3Dayton Winn, HendrixMichael Shield, RhodesBuck Buchanan, HendrixSCIACLa Verne8–2Kwame Do, OccidentalPaul Slaats, Claremont-Mudd-ScrippsChris Krich, La VerneSCACTexas Lutheran8–2Trenton White, Texas LutheranJulian Turner, TrinityDanny Padron, Texas LutheranUMACSt. Scholastica9–2Latif Adams, Westminster (MO)Alex Mangan, St. ScholasticaChris Douglas, MacMurrayUSA SouthHuntingdon10–1Malik Adams, NC WesleyanAnthony White, HuntingdonMike Turk, HuntingdonWIACUW–Oshkosh10–1Brett Kasper, UW-OshkoshAndrew Robinson, UW-PlattevillePat Cerroni, UW-Oshkosh Postseason NCAA Division III Football Championship Twenty-five conferences met the requirements for an automatic ("Pool A") bid to the playoffs. Besides the NESCAC, which does not participate in the playoffs, two conferences had no Pool A bid. The American Southwest, which had fallen below the required seven members in 2013, lost its Pool A bid after the two-year grace period; the SCAC had only four members. The MASCAC and SAA gained Pool A bids for the first time, having passed through the two-year waiting period. Schools not in Pool A conferences were eligible for Pool B. The number of Pool B bids was determined by calculating the ratio of Pool A conferences to schools in those conferences and applying that ratio to the number of Pool B schools. The 25 Pool A conferences contained 220 schools, an average of 8.8 teams per conference. Twelve schools were in Pool B, enough for one bid. The remaining six playoff spots were at-large ("Pool C") teams. Playoff bracket yes no 14em First roundNovember 21, 2015 Second roundNovember 28, 2015 QuarterfinalsDecember 5, 2015 SemifinalsDecember 12, 2015 ChampionshipDecember 18, 2015Salem Football StadiumSalem, Virginia St. Thomas (MN)* 57 La Verne 14 St. John's (MN)* 51 Dubuque 7 Thomas More* 51 Washington and Lee 21 Wabash* 35 Albion 14 Linfield* 48 Whitworth 10 SUNY Cortland* 45 Salisbury 21 Huntingdon* 38 Hendrix 27 Hardin–Simmons* 19 Mary Hardin–Baylor 37 Mount Union* 55 St. Lawrence 23 Albright* 49 Norwich 0 Wesley* 42 Framingham State 22 Johns Hopkins* 52 Western New England 20 Wisconsin–Oshkosh* 48 St. Scholastica 0 Franklin* 22 Ohio Northern 27 Wisconsin–Whitewater* 48 St. Norbert 0 Wheaton (IL)* 55 Lakeland 6 St. Thomas (MN)* 38 St. John's (MN) 19 Thomas More 27 Wabash* † 33 Linfield* 38 SUNY Cortland 22 Huntingdon 23 Mary Hardin–Baylor* 43 Mount Union* 66 Albright 7 Wesley 42 Johns Hopkins* 37 Wisconsin–Oshkosh* 42 Ohio Northern 7 Wisconsin-Whitewater 31 Wheaton (IL)* 17 St. Thomas (MN)* 38 Wabash 7 Linfield* 38 Mary Hardin–Baylor 35 Mount Union* 56 Wesley 35 Wisconsin–Oshkosh* 29 Wisconsin–Whitewater 31 St. Thomas (MN)* 38 Linfield 17 Mount Union* 36 Wisconsin–Whitewater 6 St. Thomas (MN) 35 Mount Union 49 * Home team    † Overtime    Winner Bowl games DateBowlLocationHome teamAway teamScoreNov. 20, 2015ECAC Chapman BowlArute FieldNew Britain, ConnecticutHussonSalve Regina42–39Nov. 20, 2015ECAC President's BowlArute FieldNew Britain, ConnecticutWPIKean24–6Nov. 21, 2015Centennial–MAC Bowl SeriesScotty Wood StadiumAllentown, PennsylvaniaMuhlenbergStevenson14–9Nov. 21, 2015Centennial-MAC Bowl SeriesJames Work Memorial StadiumDoylestown, PennsylvaniaDelaware ValleyMoravian20–16Nov. 21, 2015ECAC Lynah BowlArute FieldNew Britain, ConnecticutSt. John FisherWestminster (PA)42–21Nov. 21, 2015ECAC Bushnell BowlArute FieldNew Britain, ConnecticutBuffalo StateRPI20–13Nov. 22, 2015ECAC Legacy BowlArute FieldNew Britain, ConnecticutBridgewater StateCarnegie Mellon48–13Nov. 22, 2015ECAC Whitelaw BowlArute FieldNew Britain, ConnecticutAlfredFitchburg State11–10 See also 2015 NCAA Division III football rankings 2015 NCAA Division I FBS football season 2015 NCAA Division I FCS football season 2015 NCAA Division II football season References