2021 NCAA Division II football season | |
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Total No. of teams | 165 |
Regular season | August 28 – November 13, 2021 |
Playoffs | November 20 – December 18, 2021 |
National Championship | McKinney Independent School District Stadium McKinney, TX December 18, 2021 |
Champion | Ferris State |
Harlon Hill Trophy | Tyson Bagent, QB, Shepherd |
The 2021 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 28 and ended December 18 with the Division II championship at the McKinney Independent School District Stadium in McKinney, Texas. Ferris State defeated Valdosta State, 58–17, for the title.
September 3: Southern Connecticut 28, Central Connecticut 21
September 4: West Florida 42, McNeese State 36
School | Former conference | New conference |
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Ashland Eagles | GLIAC | G-MAC [1] |
Alderson Broaddus Battlers | G-MAC | Mountain East [2] |
Allen Yellow Jackets | Appalachian (NAIA) | Independent [3] |
Azusa Pacific Cougars | GNAC | Dropped program |
Barton Bulldogs | Returning program, last competed 1950 | Independent [4] |
Bluefield State Big Blues | Returning program, last competed 1980 | Independent [5] |
Dixie State Trailblazers | RMAC | WAC (FCS) |
Edward Waters Tigers | Independent (NAIA) | Southern Intercollegiate Athletic |
Emory and Henry Wasps | Old Dominion (DIII) | Independent [6] |
Erskine Flying Fleet | Returning program, last competed 1951 | Independent [7] |
Florida Tech Panthers | Gulf South | Dropped program [8] |
Minnesota Crookston Golden Eagles | Northern Sun | Dropped program [9] |
UNC Pembroke Braves | Independent | Mountain East |
St. Cloud State Huskies | Northern Sun | Dropped program [10] |
Tarleton Texans | Lone Star | WAC (FCS) |
Urbana Blue Knights | Mountain East | Shut down at end of 2019–20 academic year [11] |
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First Round November 20, 2021 Campus sites | Second Round November 27, 2021 Campus sites | Quarterfinals December 4, 2021 Campus sites | ||||||||||||
1 | Kutztown | 10 | ||||||||||||
4 | New Haven | 7 | ||||||||||||
4 | New Haven * | 38 | ||||||||||||
Bentley | 13 | |||||||||||||
1 | Kutztown | 28 | ||||||||||||
2 | Shepherd | 30 | ||||||||||||
2 | Shepherd * | 38 | ||||||||||||
Findlay | 31 | |||||||||||||
2 | Shepherd | 38 | ||||||||||||
3 | Notre Dame (OH) | 34 | ||||||||||||
3 | Notre Dame (OH) * | 33 | ||||||||||||
Slippery Rock | 25 |
First Round November 20, 2021 Campus sites | Second Round November 27, 2021 Campus sites | Quarterfinals December 4, 2021 Campus sites | ||||||||||||
1 | Valdosta State * | 66 | ||||||||||||
West Georgia | 35 | |||||||||||||
4 | Albany State* | 7 | ||||||||||||
West Georgia | 23 | |||||||||||||
1 | Valdosta State | 41 | ||||||||||||
2 | Bowie State | 17 | ||||||||||||
2 | Bowie State * | 31 | ||||||||||||
Lenoir–Rhyne | 10 | |||||||||||||
2 | Bowie State | 13 | ||||||||||||
Newberry | 10 | |||||||||||||
3 | West Florida* | 30 | ||||||||||||
Newberry | 33* |
First Round November 20, 2021 Campus sites | Second Round November 27, 2021 Campus sites | Quarterfinals December 4, 2021 Campus sites | ||||||||||||
1 | Ferris State | 54 | ||||||||||||
4 | Grand Valley State | 20 | ||||||||||||
4 | Grand Valley State * | 20 | ||||||||||||
Lindenwood | 3 | |||||||||||||
1 | Ferris State | 41 | ||||||||||||
3 | NW Missouri State | 20 | ||||||||||||
2 | Harding * | 30 | ||||||||||||
Washburn | 14 | |||||||||||||
2 | Harding | 9 | ||||||||||||
3 | NW Missouri State | 28 | ||||||||||||
3 | NW Missouri State * | 50 | ||||||||||||
Central Washington | 21 |
First Round November 20, 2021 Campus sites | Second Round November 27, 2021 Campus sites | Quarterfinals December 4, 2021 Campus sites | ||||||||||||
1 | Colorado Mines * | 55 | ||||||||||||
Bemidji State | 6 | |||||||||||||
4 | Augustana (SD)* | 24 | ||||||||||||
Bemidji State | 28 | |||||||||||||
1 | Colorado Mines | 34 | ||||||||||||
2 | Angelo State | 26 | ||||||||||||
2 | Angelo State * | 48 | ||||||||||||
Minnesota–Duluth | 14 | |||||||||||||
2 | Angelo State | 20 | ||||||||||||
Nebraska–Kearney | 7 | |||||||||||||
3 | Western Colorado* | 24 | ||||||||||||
Nebraska–Kearney | 31 |
Teams that advanced to the semifinals were re-seeded.
Semifinals December 11 Hosted by higher seeded team | National Championship December 18 McKinney ISD Stadium, McKinney, TX | ||||||||
1 | Ferris State | 55 | |||||||
4 | Shepherd | 7 | |||||||
1 | Ferris State | 58 | |||||||
2 | Valdosta State | 17 | |||||||
2 | Valdosta State | 34 | |||||||
3 | Colorado Mines | 31 |
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