1980 NCAA Division II football season

American college football season August 2023 1980 August – November 1980 December 1980 December 1980 Zia BowlUniversity StadiumAlbuquerque, NM Cal Poly The 1980 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 1980, and concluded with the NCAA Division II Football Championship in December 1980 at University Stadium in Albuquerque, NM. During the game's two-year stretch in New Mexico, it was referred to as the Zia Bowl. Cal Poly defeated Eastern Illinois in the championship game, 21–13, to win their first Division II national title.1980 NCAA Division II National Football Championship Bracket http://fs.ncaa.org/Docs/stats/football_champs_records/2012/d2/2012DIIfbchamp.pdf NCAA NCAA.org January 4, 2014 13 Conference changes and new programs Prior to the season, four Division II programs moved Division I-AA, and two Division I-AA programs moved to Division II. The Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference reclassified as a Division II conference; all 13 PSAC members made the transition. School 1979 Conference 1980 Conference Akron AMCU OVC (I-AA) Bethune-Cookman SIAC MEAC (I-AA) Delaware Independent I-AA Independent James Madison Independent I-AA Independent Michigan Tech NIC GLIAC Morgan State MEAC (I-AA) Independent Nicholls State Independent I-AA Independent North Carolina Central MEAC (I-AA) CIAA (II) Northern State Independent (NAIA) NIC Southeastern Louisiana Independent I-AA Independent United States International Independent Dropped Program Conference standings Conference summaries List of NCAA Division II football seasons Conference Champion(s)Association of Mid-Continent Universities Eastern IllinoisCalifornia Collegiate Athletic Association Cal PolyCentral Intercollegiate Athletic Association North Carolina CentralFar Western Football Conference UC DavisGreat Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference HillsdaleGulf South Conference North AlabamaHeartland Collegiate Conference Franklin and AshlandMissouri Intercollegiate Athletic Association Missouri–RollaNorth Central Conference Northern ColoradoSouthern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Morris Brown (Vacated) Alabama A&M Postseason II 1980 8 University Stadium Albuquerque, NM Cal Poly 1st 1st 2 Eastern Illinois 2nd 2 1980 North Alabama Lions North Alabama 1 1980 Santa Clara Broncos Santa Clara 1 Joe Harper 1st The 1980 NCAA Division II Football Championship playoffs were the eighth 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 second, and final, time. Playoff bracket First roundCampus sites SemifinalsCampus sites ChampionshipUniversity StadiumAlbuquerque, NM Eastern Illinois 21 1980 Northern Colorado Bears Northern Colorado 14 1980 North Alabama Lions North Alabama 17 1980 Virginia Union Panthers Virginia Union 8 1980 Santa Clara Broncos Santa Clara 27 1980 Northern Michigan Wildcats Northern Michigan 26 Cal Poly 15 Jacksonville State 0 Eastern Illinois 56 North Alabama 31 Santa Clara 14 Cal Poly 38 Eastern Illinois 13 Cal Poly 21 See also 1980 NCAA Division I-A football season 1980 NCAA Division I-AA football season 1980 NCAA Division III football season 1980 NAIA Division I football season 1980 NAIA Division II football season References