2015 NCAA Division II football season | |
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Regular season | September 4 – November 14, 2015 |
Playoffs | November 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.
School | Former conference | New conference |
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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.
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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).
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 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
1 | Shepherd* | 28 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
2 | Slippery Rock | 16 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
2 | Slippery Rock * | 40 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
7 | Virginia Union | 21 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
2 | Slippery Rock* | 41 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
3 | Assumption | 39 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
3 | Assumption * | 51 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
6 | Bowie State | 29 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
1 | Shepherd* | 34 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
6 | Grand Valley State | 32 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
1 | Midwestern State* | 17 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
4 | CSU Pueblo | 26 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
4 | CSU Pueblo * | 27 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
5 | Indianapolis | 14 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
4 | CSU Pueblo* | 7 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
6 | Grand Valley State | 31 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
2 | Ferris State * | 48 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
7 | Texas A&M–Commerce | 30 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
2 | Ferris State* | 34 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
6 | Grand Valley State | 38 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
3 | Ashland* | 28 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
6 | Grand Valley State | 45 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
1 | Shepherd | 7 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
1 | NW Missouri State | 34 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
1 | West Georgia * | 27 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
4 | Valdosta State | 20 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
4 | Valdosta State * | 61 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
5 | Carson–Newman | 59 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
1 | West Georgia* | 35 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
6 | Tuskegee | 6 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
2 | North Alabama * | 50 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
7 | Newberry | 7 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
2 | North Alabama* | 31 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
6 | Tuskegee | 35 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
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 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
1 | NW Missouri State* | 38 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
7 | Emporia State | 17 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
2 | Minnesota State* | 49 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
7 | Emporia State | 51 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
7 | Emporia State | 29 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
3 | Henderson State* | 3 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
3 | Henderson State* | 23 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
6 | Sioux Falls | 16 |
* Home team † Overtime Winner
The Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) is a collegiate athletic conference headquartered in Birmingham, Alabama, which is made up of historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs) in the Southern United States. It participates in the NCAA's Division I for most sports; in football, it participates in the Football Championship Subdivision (FCS), formerly referred to as Division I-AA.
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Bowl eligibility in college football at the NCAA Division I FBS level is the standard through which teams become available for selection to participate in postseason bowl games. When a team achieves this state, it is described as "bowl-eligible".
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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.
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 2011 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 1, 2011, and concluded with the NCAA Division II Football Championship on December 17, 2011 at Braly Municipal Stadium in Florence, Alabama, hosted by the University of North Alabama. The Pittsburg State Gorillas defeated the Wayne State Warriors, 35–21, to win their second Division II national title.
The 2012 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 1, 2012, and concluded with the NCAA Division II Football Championship on December 15, 2012 at Braly Municipal Stadium in Florence, Alabama, hosted by the University of North Alabama. The Valdosta State Blazers defeated the Winston-Salem State Rams, 35–7, to win their third 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.