2015 NCAA Division II football season

Last updated

2015 NCAA Division II football season
Regular seasonSeptember 4 – November 14, 2015
PlayoffsNovember 21 – December 19, 2015
National Championship Children's Mercy Park, Kansas City, KS December 19, 2015
Champion Northwest Missouri State
Harlon Hill Trophy Jason Vander Laan, Ferris State

The 2015 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 on September 4, 2015 and ended with the NCAA Division II Football Championship on December 19, 2015 at Children's Mercy Park in Kansas City, Kansas. Northwest Missouri State won its second national title in three seasons and fifth overall, defeating Shepherd, 34–7.

Contents

D-II wins over FCS teams

September 19, 2015 - Chowan 31, Delaware State 30

September 26, 2015 - Shorter 26, Southeast Missouri State 21

Conference changes and new programs

SchoolFormer conferenceNew conference
McMurry War Hawks Lone Star American Southwest (D-III)
Oklahoma Baptist Bison CSFL (NAIA) Great American
Paine Lions SIAC Dropped program

Northwestern Oklahoma State and Virginia–Wise completed their transitions to Division II and became eligible for the postseason.

Conference standings

Super Region 1

2015 Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association football standings
ConfOverall
Team W L  W L 
Northern
Bowie State xy^  7 0   9 3  
Virginia Union ^  6 1   8 2  
Chowan  4 3   6 4  
Virginia State  4 3   6 4  
Elizabeth City State  2 5   4 5  
Lincoln (PA)  1 6   3 7  
Southern
Winston-Salem St. xy$  5 2   6 5  
Livingstone  4 3   5 3  
Johnson C. Smith  3 4   4 6  
Fayetteville State  4 3   4 6  
Shaw  1 6   1 9  
St. Augustine's  1 6   1 9  
Championship: Winston–Salem St. 17, Bowie St. 14
  • $ Conference champion
  • x Division champion/co-champions
  • y Championship game participant
  • ^ NCAA Division II playoff participant
Rankings from AFCA Poll
2015 Mountain East Conference football standings
ConfOverall
Team W L  W L 
No. 2 Shepherd $^  10 0   13 1  
No. 20 Charleston (WV) ^  9 1   10 2  
Glenville State  6 4   7 4  
Fairmont State  6 4   6 4  
Concord  5 5   5 5  
Notre Dame (OH)  5 5   5 6  
West Liberty  5 5   5 6  
West Virginia State  5 5   5 6  
West Virginia Wesleyan  2 8   2 8  
Urbana  1 9   2 9  
Virginia–Wise  1 9   1 10  
  • $ Conference champion
  • ^ NCAA Division II playoff participant
Rankings from AFCA poll
2015 Northeast-10 Conference football standings
ConfOverall
Team W L  W L 
No. 17 Assumption y$^  8 1   11 2  
New Haven y  7 2   7 4  
Merrimack  6 3   6 5  
LIU Post  5 4   7 4  
Stonehill  5 4   7 4  
Bentley  5 4   5 6  
American International  4 5   4 7  
Southern Connecticut  3 6   4 7  
Saint Anselm  2 7   3 8  
Pace  0 9   1 10  
Championship: Assumption 17, New Haven 14
  • $ Conference champion
  • y Championship game participant
  • ^ NCAA Division II playoff participant
Rankings from AFCA poll
2015 Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference football standings
ConfOverall
Team W L  W L 
East
West Chester xy  6 1   7 4  
Shippensburg  5 2   8 3  
Bloomsburg  5 2   7 4  
Kutztown  5 2   7 4  
East Stroudsburg  4 3   6 5  
Lock Haven  2 5   2 9  
Millersville  1 6   2 9  
Cheyney  0 7   0 11  
West
No. 7 Slippery Rock xy$^  6 1   11 1  
No. 19 IUP x^  6 1   9 2  
California (PA)  5 2   8 3  
Clarion  4 3   7 4  
Gannon  3 4   6 5  
Mercyhurst  2 5   5 6  
Seton Hill  2 5   3 8  
Edinboro  0 7   0 11  
Championship: Slippery Rock 61, West Chester 12
  • $ Conference champion
  • x Division champion/co-champions
  • y Championship game participant
  • ^ NCAA Division II playoff participant
Rankings from AFCA poll

Super Region 2

2015 Gulf South Conference football standings
ConfOverall
Team W L  W L 
No. 3 West Georgia +^  6 1   12 2  
No. 15 North Alabama +^  6 1   9 3  
No. 14 Valdosta State ^  5 2   9 3  
Florida Tech  5 2   7 4  
West Alabama  3 4   7 4  
Delta State  2 5   6 5  
Shorter  1 6   2 8  
Mississippi College #  0 7   2 8  
  • + Conference co-champions
  • ^ NCAA Division II playoff participant
  • # – Provisional Division II member
Rankings from AFCA Poll
2015 South Atlantic Conference football standings
ConfOverall
Team W L  W L 
No. 25 Catawba $^  6 1   9 3  
No. 21 Carson–Newman ^  5 2   9 3  
Mars Hill  5 2   6 5  
Newberry ^  4 3   7 5  
Wingate  3 4   6 5  
Lenoir–Rhyne  3 4   5 5  
Tusculum  2 5   4 7  
Brevard  0 7   0 11  
  • $ Conference champion
  • ^ NCAA Division II playoff participant
Rankings from AFCA Poll
2015 Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference football standings
ConfOverall
Team W L  W L 
East
Albany State xy  4 0   6 4  
Fort Valley State  3 1   5 4  
Morehouse  2 2   5 5  
Clark Atlanta  1 3   1 8  
Benedict  0 4   0 10  
West
Miles xy$  5 0   7 5  
No. 11 Tuskegee ^  4 1   10 3  
Central State (OH)  2 3   5 5  
Kentucky State  2 3   3 7  
Stillman  1 4   3 6  
Lane  1 4   3 7  
Championship: Miles 20, Albany State 7
  • $ Conference champion
  • x Division champion/co-champions
  • y Championship game participant
  • ^ NCAA Division II playoff participant
Rankings from AFCA Poll
2015 NCAA Division II Super Region 2 independents football records
ConfOverall
Team W L  W L 
North Greenville    7 3  
UNC Pembroke    6 4  
Limestone    2 8  
Rankings from AFCA Poll

Super Region 3

2015 Great American Conference football standings
ConfOverall
Team W L  W L 
No. 12 Henderson St. $^  10 1   11 2  
SW Oklahoma State #  8 3   8 4  
Arkansas Tech #  8 3   9 3  
Harding  7 4   7 4  
Ouachita Baptist  7 4   7 4  
Southern Arkansas  7 4   7 4  
SE Oklahoma State  6 5   6 5  
East Central  6 5   6 5  
NW Oklahoma State  3 8   3 8  
Oklahoma Baptist @  2 9   2 9  
Arkansas–Monticello  1 10   1 10  
Southern Nazarene  1 10   1 10  
Rankings from AFCA Poll
2015 Great Northwest Athletic Conference football standings
ConfOverall
Team W L  W L 
No. 16 Humboldt State $^  6 0   10 2  
Western Oregon  5 1   7 4  
Azusa Pacific  3 3   6 4  
Central Washington  3 3   5 5  
South Dakota Mines  2 4   6 5  
Dixie State  2 4   3 7  
Simon Fraser  0 6   0 9  
  • $ Conference champion
  • ^ NCAA Division II playoff participant
Rankings from AFCA Poll
2015 Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association football standings
ConfOverall
Team W L  W L 
No. 1 NW Missouri State $^  11 0   15 0  
No. 8 Emporia State ^  9 2   11 3  
Central Missouri  8 3   8 3  
Fort Hays State #  8 3   8 4  
Central Oklahoma #  6 5   7 5  
Missouri Western  6 5   6 5  
Pittsburg State  6 5   6 5  
Washburn  5 6   5 6  
Lindenwood  3 8   3 8  
Northeastern State  3 8   3 8  
Missouri Southern  1 10   1 10  
Nebraska–Kearney  0 11   0 11  
Rankings from AFCA Poll
2015 Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference football standings
ConfOverall
Team W L  W L 
North
Minnesota–Duluth #  8 3   9 3  
Bemidji State  7 4   7 4  
Northern State  6 5   6 5  
St. Cloud State  6 5   6 5  
MSU Moorhead  6 5   6 5  
Minot State  1 10   1 10  
Mary  1 10   1 10  
Minnesota–Crookston  1 10   1 10  
South
No. 13 Minnesota State $^  10 1   10 2  
No. 24 Augustana (SD) ^  9 2   9 3  
No. 22 Sioux Falls ^  9 2   9 3  
SW Minnesota State  8 3   8 3  
Upper Iowa  6 5   6 5  
Winona State  5 6   5 6  
Wayne State (NE)  4 7   4 7  
Concordia–St. Paul  1 10   1 10  
  • $ Conference champion
  • ^ NCAA Division II playoff participant
  • # – Mineral Water Bowl participant
Rankings from AFCA Poll

Super Region 4

2015 Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference football standings
ConfOverall
Team W L  W L 
No. 6 Ferris State +^  10 0   11 1  
No. 10 Ashland +^  10 0   10 1  
No. 4 Grand Valley State ^  8 2   12 3  
Ohio Dominican  7 3   8 3  
Michigan Tech  7 3   7 3  
Findlay  5 5   6 5  
Wayne State (MI)  5 5   6 5  
Hillsdale  5 5   5 6  
Northwood  5 5   5 6  
Northern Michigan  4 6   5 6  
Tiffin  4 6   5 6  
Walsh  2 8   2 8  
Lake Erie  2 8   2 9  
Saginaw Valley State  1 9   1 10  
Malone  0 10   0 10  
  • $ Conference champion
  • ^ NCAA Division II playoff participant
Rankings from AFCA poll
2015 Great Lakes Valley Conference football standings
ConfOverall
Team W L  W L 
No. 18 Indianapolis $^  8 0   10 2  
McKendree  6 2   8 2  
Missouri S&T  5 3   5 5  
Truman State  4 4   5 6  
William Jewell  4 4   4 7  
Saint Joseph's (IN)  3 5   4 6  
Southwest Baptist  3 5   4 6  
Quincy  3 5   3 7  
Lincoln (MO)  0 8   1 10  
  • $ Conference champion
  • ^ NCAA Division II playoff participant
Rankings from AFCA Poll
2015 Lone Star Conference football standings
ConfOverall
Team W L  W L 
No. 23 Texas A&M–Commerce $^  6 0   8 4  
No. 9 Midwestern State ^  5 1   10 2  
Angelo State  3 3   7 4  
West Texas A&M  3 3   6 4  
Eastern New Mexico #  3 3   6 6  
Tarleton State  1 5   3 7  
Texas A&M–Kingsville  0 6   2 9  
Rankings from AFCA poll
2015 Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference football standings
ConfOverall
Team W L  W L 
No. 5 CSU Pueblo $^  9 0   12 2  
Colorado Mesa  8 1   9 2  
Colorado Mines  6 3   8 3  
Fort Lewis  6 3   7 4  
Chadron State  4 5   5 6  
Western State  4 5   4 7  
Western New Mexico  3 6   4 7  
Adams State  3 6   3 8  
New Mexico Highlands  2 7   2 9  
Black Hills State  0 9   0 11  
  • $ Conference champion
  • ^ NCAA Division II playoff participant
Rankings from AFCA Poll
2015 NCAA Division II Super Region 4 independents football records
ConfOverall
Team W L  W L 
Alderson Broaddus    7 4  
OK Panhandle State    5 5  
Kentucky Wesleyan    5 6  
Rankings from AFCA Poll

Postseason

The 2015 NCAA Division II Football Championship Postseason involved 28 schools playing in a single-elimination tournament to determine the national champion of men's NCAA Division II college football. [1] Miles College, the SIAC champion, was not eligible to postseason due to its participation to the 2015 Turkey Day Classic against Alabama State (FCS).

Playoff bracket

First round
November 21, 2015
Second round
November 28, 2015
Quarterfinals
December 5, 2015
Semifinals
December 12, 2015
Championship
December 19, 2015
               
1 Shepherd * 17
5 IUP 13
4 Charleston (WV)* 21
5 IUP 47
1Shepherd*28
2 Slippery Rock 16
2 Slippery Rock * 40
7 Virginia Union 21
2Slippery Rock* 41
3 Assumption 39
3 Assumption * 51
6 Bowie State 29
1 Shepherd*34
6 Grand Valley State 32
1 Midwestern State* 17
4CSU Pueblo26
4 CSU Pueblo * 27
5 Indianapolis 14
4 CSU Pueblo* 7
6Grand Valley State31
2 Ferris State * 48
7 Texas A&M–Commerce 30
2 Ferris State* 34
6Grand Valley State38
3 Ashland* 28
6 Grand Valley State 45
1 Shepherd 7
1 NW Missouri State34
1 West Georgia * 27
4 Valdosta State 20
4 Valdosta State * 61
5 Carson–Newman 59
1West Georgia*35
6 Tuskegee 6
2 North Alabama * 50
7 Newberry 7
2 North Alabama* 31
6Tuskegee35
3 Catawba* 16
6 Tuskegee 26
1 West Georgia 23
1 NW Missouri State*38
1 NW Missouri State * 54
4 Humboldt State 7
4 Humboldt State*45
5 Augustana (SD) 31
1NW Missouri State*38
7 Emporia State 17
2 Minnesota State* 49
7 Emporia State 51
7Emporia State29
3 Henderson State* 3
3 Henderson State*23
6 Sioux Falls 16

* Home team    Overtime   Winner

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pioneer Football League</span> Football-only athletic conference

The Pioneer Football League (PFL) is a collegiate athletic conference which operates in the United States. The conference participates in the NCAA's Division I Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) as a football-only conference. It has member schools that range from New York, North Carolina, and Florida in the east to California in the west. It is headquartered in St. Louis, in the same complex that also contains the offices of the Missouri Valley Conference and Missouri Valley Football Conference. Unlike most other Division I FCS conferences, the Pioneer League consists of institutions that choose not to award athletic scholarships ("grants-in-aid") to football players.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference</span> American collegiate athletic conference

The Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference is a collegiate athletic conference whose full members are historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs) in the Southeastern and the Mid-Atlantic United States. It participates in the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I, and in football, in the Football Championship Subdivision (FCS).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">NCAA Division II football championship</span> American college football tournament

The NCAA Division II football championship is an American college football tournament played annually to determine a champion at the NCAA Division II level. It was first held in 1973, as a single-elimination playoff with eight teams. The tournament field has subsequently been expanded three times: to 16 teams in 1988, 24 teams in 2004, and 28 teams in 2016.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">NCAA Division I Football Championship</span> Annual post-season college football game

The NCAA Division I Football Championship is an annual post-season college football game, played since 2006, used to determine a national champion of the NCAA Division I Football Championship Subdivision (FCS). From 1978 to 2005, the game was called the NCAA Division I-AA Football Championship, during the period when the FCS was known as NCAA Division I-AA.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">NCAA Division I</span> Highest division of the National Collegiate Athletic Association

NCAA Division I (D-I) is the highest level of intercollegiate athletics sanctioned by the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) in the United States, which accepts players globally. D-I schools include the major collegiate athletic powers, with large budgets, more elaborate facilities and more athletic scholarships than Division II and Division III as well as many smaller schools committed to the highest level of intercollegiate competition.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">NCAA Division II</span> Intermediate-level division of competition in college sports

NCAA Division II (D-II) is an intermediate-level division of competition in the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA). It offers an alternative to both the larger and better-funded Division I and to the scholarship-free environment offered in Division III.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">North Dakota State Bison football</span> College Football team of North Dakota State University

The North Dakota State Bison football program represents North Dakota State University in college football at the NCAA Division I Football Championship Subdivision level and competes in the Missouri Valley Football Conference. The Bison play in the 19,000-seat Fargodome located in Fargo. The Bison have won 17 national championships and 37 conference championships. They have won nine NCAA Division I AA FCS National Championships between 2011 and 2021. The Bison hold the record for most overall NCAA national championships and the record for the most consecutive championships with five titles between 2011 and 2015 for Division I FCS.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">North Dakota State Bison</span> College sports team

The North Dakota State Bison are the athletic teams of North Dakota State University (NDSU), which is located in the city of Fargo, North Dakota. The teams are often called the "Thundering Herd". The current logo is a bison.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision</span> Top level of college football in the U.S.

The NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS), formerly known as Division I-A, is the highest level of college football in the United States. The FBS consists of the largest schools in the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA). As of the 2024 season, there are 10 conferences and 134 schools in FBS.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2010 NCAA Division I FCS football season</span> American college football season

The 2010 NCAA Division I FCS football season, the 2010 season of college football for teams in the Football Championship Subdivision (FCS), began in September 2010 and concluded with the 2011 NCAA Division I Football Championship Game on January 7, 2011. In the title game, Eastern Washington defeated Delaware, 20–19, to claim their first Division I national title in any team sport.

The 2009 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 on August 29, 2009, and concluded with the NCAA Division II Football Championship on December 12, 2009 at Braly Municipal Stadium in Florence, Alabama, hosted by the University of North Alabama. The Northwest Missouri State Bearcats defeated the Grand Valley State, 30–23, to win their third Division II national title.

The 2007 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 on August 30, 2007, and concluded with the NCAA Division II Football Championship on December 15, 2007 at Braly Municipal Stadium in Florence, Alabama, hosted by the University of North Alabama. The Valdosta State Blazers defeated the Northwest Missouri State Bearcats, 25–20, to win their second Division II national title.

The 2006 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 on September 2, 2006, and concluded with the NCAA Division II Football Championship on December 16, 2006, at Braly Municipal Stadium in Florence, Alabama, hosted by the University of North Alabama.

The 2010 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 on September 4, 2010, and concluded with the NCAA Division II Football Championship on December 18, 2010 at Braly Municipal Stadium in Florence, Alabama, hosted by the University of North Alabama. The Minnesota–Duluth Bulldogs defeated the Delta State Statesmen, 20–17, to win their second Division II national title.

The 2013 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 on August 31, 2013, and concluded with the National Championship Game of the NCAA Division II Football Championship on December 21, 2013, at Braly Municipal Stadium in Florence, Alabama. This was the final championship played in Florence, after twenty-eight straight finals, before the game moves to Sporting Park in Kansas City, Kansas. The Northwest Missouri State Bearcats defeated the Lenoir–Rhyne Bears, 43–28, to win their fourth national title.

The 2014 NCAA Division II football season, play of college football in the United States organized by the National Collegiate Athletic Association at the Division II level, began on September 4, 2014 and concluded with the National Championship Game of the NCAA Division II Football Championship on December 20, 2014 at Sporting Park in Kansas City, Kansas. CSU Pueblo won the national title with a 13–0 win over Minnesota State. This was CSU Pueblo's first national title.

The 2016 NCAA Division II football season, part of college football in the United States organized by the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) at the Division II level, began on September 1, 2016 and ended with the NCAA Division II Football Championship on December 17, 2016 at Children's Mercy Park in Kansas City, Kansas. Northwest Missouri State successfully defended its national title from the previous season by defeating North Alabama, 29–3.

The 2017 NCAA Division II football season, part of college football in the United States organized by the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) at the Division II level, began on August 31, 2017 and ended with the Division II championship on December 16, 2017 at Children's Mercy Park in Kansas City, Kansas. Northwest Missouri State were the defending champions from the previous season. Texas A&M–Commerce won the school's first Division II National Championship and second overall, defeating West Florida, 37–27.

The 2019 NCAA Division II football season, part of college football in the United States organized by the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) at the Division II level, began on August 31 and ended on December 21 with the Division II championship at the McKinney Independent School District Stadium in McKinney, Texas, hosted by the Lone Star Conference. West Florida won the title, defeating Minnesota State, 48–40.

References

  1. "2015 Division II Football Tournament". NCAA.com. Retrieved August 30, 2024.