The 2008 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, 2008, and concluded with the NCAA Division II Football Championship on December 15, 2008, at Braly Municipal Stadium in Florence, Alabama, hosted by the University of North Alabama. The Minnesota–Duluth Bulldogs defeated the Northwest Missouri State Bearcats, 21–14, to win their first Division II national title.
The Harlon Hill Trophy was awarded to Bernard Scott, running back from Abilene Christian.
Conference and program changes Following the demise of the North Central Conference, the nine NCC football members were dispersed as follows: four to the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference (NSIC), two to the Great Northwest Conference (GNAC), one to the Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletic Association (MIAA), and two to the Great West Conference in FCS. School Former conference New conference Augustana Vikings NCC NSIC Brevard Tornadoes Independent SAC Bryant Bulldogs NE10 Independent (FCS) Central Washington Wildcats NCC GNAC C. W. Post Pioneers NE10 PSAC Chowan Hawks Independent CIAA CSU Pueblo ThunderWolves New program RMAC Dixie State Trailblazers Independent GNAC Gannon Golden Knights GLIAC PSAC Humboldt State Lumberjacks Independent GNAC Lake Erie Storm New program Independent Lincoln Lions New program Independent Mercyhurst Lakers GLIAC PSAC Minnesota State Mavericks NCC NSIC Minnesota–Duluth Bulldogs NCC NSIC Nebraska–Omaha Mavericks NCC MIAA North Dakota Fighting Sioux NCC Great West (FCS) St. Cloud State Huskies NCC NSIC South Dakota Coyotes NCC Great West (FCS) Southwest Baptist Bearcats MIAA Independent Tiffin Dragons GLFC GLIAC Western Oregon Wolves Independent GNAC Western Washington Vikings NCC GNAC
Brevard, Central State, Dixie State, and Seton Hill completed their transitions to Division II and became eligible for the postseason.
Regional realignment The geographic names of the four super regions gave way to numerical names. The Northeast Region, with the addition of the CIAA, became Super Region 1; the Southeast Region minus the CIAA became Super Region 2. The Northwest Region, with the addition of the RMAC and loss of the defunct NCC, became Super Region 3, while the Southwest Region, minus the RMAC and with the addition of the GNAC (sponsoring football again after a two-year hiatus) became Super Region 4.
Conference standings
Super Region 1
Super Region 2
Super Region 3
Super Region 4
Conference summaries
Conference ChampionsCentral Intercollegiate Athletic Association – Shaw Great Lakes Football Conference – Missouri S&T Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference – Grand Valley State Great Northwest Athletic Conference – Central Washington Gulf South Conference – Delta State Lone Star Conference – Abilene Christian Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association – Northwest Missouri State Northeast-10 Conference – American International Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference – Minnesota–Duluth Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference – California (PA) Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference – Chadron State South Atlantic Conference – Carson-Newman, Newberry, and Tusculum Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference – Tuskegee West Virginia Intercollegiate Athletic Conference – Glenville State
Postseason
The 2008 NCAA Division II Football Championship playoffs involved 24 schools playing in a single-elimination tournament to determine the national champion of men's NCAA Division II college football.
The tournament began on November 15, 2008, and concluded on December 13, 2008, with the 2008 NCAA Division II National Football Championship game at Braly Municipal Stadium near the campus of the University of North Alabama in Florence, Alabama.
In the championship game the University of Minnesota Duluth Bulldogs defeated the Northwest Missouri State University Bearcats, 21–14.
Participants School Conference Season record Abilene Christian UniversityLone Star Conference10–0Albany State UniversitySouthern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference7–3American International CollegeNortheast Ten Conference9–1Ashland UniversityGreat Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference8–3Bloomsburg University of PennsylvaniaPennsylvania State Athletic Conference10–1California University of PennsylvaniaPennsylvania State Athletic Conference10–1Carson-Newman CollegeSouth Atlantic Conference7–3Central Washington UniversityGreat Northwest Athletic Conference10–1Chadron State CollegeRocky Mountain Athletic Conference10–1Delta State UniversityGulf South Conference9–1Grand Valley State UniversityGreat Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference10–0University of Minnesota DuluthNorthern Sun Intercollegiate Conference11–0Minnesota State University, MankatoNorthern Sun Intercollegiate Conference 9–2University of Nebraska at OmahaMid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association7–3University of North AlabamaGulf South Conference10–1Northwest Missouri State UniversityMid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association10–1Pittsburg State UniversityMid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association10–1Seton Hill UniversityWest Virginia Intercollegiate Athletic Conference9–2Southern Connecticut State UniversityNortheast Ten Conference8–2Tusculum CollegeSouth Atlantic Conference8–3Valdosta State UniversityGulf South Conference8–2Wayne State CollegeNorthern Sun Intercollegiate Conference9–2West Chester University of PennsylvaniaPennsylvania State Athletic Conference 8–3West Texas A&M UniversityLone Star Conference10–1
Bids by conference Conference TotalSchools Super Region Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference2 Ashland UniversityGrand Valley State University3 Great Northwest Athletic Conference 1 Central Washington University 4 Gulf South Conference3 Delta State UniversityUniversity of North AlabamaValdosta State University2 Lone Star Conference 2 Abilene Christian UniversityWest Texas A&M University4 Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association3 University of Nebraska at OmahaNorthwest Missouri State UniversityPittsburg State University4 Northeast Ten Conference2 Southern Connecticut State UniversityAmerican International College1 Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference3 Minnesota State University, MankatoWayne State CollegeUniversity of Minnesota Duluth 3 Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference3 Bloomsburg University of PennsylvaniaCalifornia University of PennsylvaniaWest Chester University of Pennsylvania1 Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference1 Chadron State College3 South Atlantic Conference2 Carson-Newman CollegeTusculum College2 Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference1 Albany State University2 West Virginia Intercollegiate Athletic Conference1 Seton Hill University1
Playoff format The first-round games were conducted on the campus of one of the competing institutions as determined by the NCAA Division II Football Committee. Two teams in each super regional earned first-round byes. The first-round winners advanced to face a bye team in their super regional. Second-round winners met in the quarterfinals and quarterfinal winners advanced to play in the semifinals.
First-round, second-round, quarterfinal and semifinal games were played on the campus of one of the competing institutions as determined by the NCAA Division II Football Committee. The home team at the championship was determined by the Division II Football Committee and the Shoals National Championship Committee.
National television coverage The championship game was played at Braly Municipal Stadium in Florence, Alabama and broadcast live on ESPN2 on December 16.
The semifinal games were broadcast on ESPN2 (North Alabama vs. Northwest Mo., 4pm EST) and ESPN Classic (California (PA) vs. Minnesota-Duluth, 12pm EST) on December 6.
The Superregional championship (quarterfinal) games were broadcast on ESPN2 and ESPN Classic on November 29.
Tournament Notes
Final standings Place School 1st University of Minnesota-Duluth 2nd Northwest Missouri State University 3rd California University of Pennsylvania University of North Alabama 5th Abilene Christian UniversityBloomsburg University of Pennsylvania Delta State UniversityGrand Valley State University 9thAshland UniversityChadron State CollegePittsburg State UniversitySeton Hill UniversityTusculum CollegeValdosta State UniversityWest Chester University of PennsylvaniaWest Texas A&M University 17thAlbany State UniversityAmerican International CollegeCarson-Newman CollegeCentral Washington University Minnesota State University, MankatoSouthern Connecticut State UniversityUniversity of Nebraska at OmahaWayne State College
Bracket and standings
Super Regional 1
Super Regional 3
Super Regional 2
Super Regional 4
Semifinals and championship
Individual game results
Round 1
Seton Hill vs. American International The Seton Hill Griffins' defensive end Mychal Butler intercepted a deflected pass thrown by the American International quarterback Rob Parent with 5:45 left and scored with 5:02 remaining for a 14–7 win over the Yellow Jackets' in the first-ever NCAA playoff game for both programs.
S. Connecticut vs. West Chester West Chester defeated Southern Connecticut State, 52–32, as Jackson Fagan rushed for 172 yards and three touchdowns. Fagan scored on runs of 61, 7 and 4 yards. QB Joe Wright threw for 250 yards and two touchdowns and the Golden Rams also scored on a 22-yard interception return by defensive tackle Scott Schiavo.
Wayne State vs. Chadron State
Wayne State quarterback Silas Fluellen completed 17 of 40 passes for 236 yards and a touchdown, but could not overcome the 243 yards and three touchdowns by Chadron State quarterback Joe McLain who left the game with an injury as the Eagles defeated the Wildcats, 23–17. Wayne State had four turnovers inside the 10-yard line in the game.
Minnesota State vs. Ashland
In its first ever home playoff game the Ashland University Eagles defeated the Minnesota State-Mankato Mavericks, 27–16. Quarterback Billy Cundiff threw a 66-yard scoring completion to Joe Horn with 11:56 remaining in the fourth quarter as the Eagles took the lead for good. Previously, Ashland was 0–3 in the school's playoff history.
Carson-Newman vs. Valdosta State The Valdosta State Blazers fell behind early, but rallied in the second half to defeat Carson-Newman Eagles, 24–20. Ronnye Nelson ran for 83 rushing yards and 59 receiving yards for the Blazers. The win was the fifth straight playoff win for the Blazers, the defending NCAA Division II Champions.
Albany State vs. Tusculum
The Tusculum College Pioneers only led the final 3:31 of the game against the Albany State Rams, but scored on three fourth quarter drives to win 34–22. Senior quarterback Corey Russell finished the game with 87 yards rushing and two touchdowns on 15 carries and was 23-of-38 passing for 274 yards and three touchdowns for the Pioneers. Tusculum maintained its streak of no games lost at home in two seasons.
Nebraska-Omaha vs Pittsburg State Quarterback Mark Smith scored a rushing touchdown that put the Pittsburg State Gorillas out of range of the late-surging University of Nebraska-Omaha Mavericks in a 33–21 win. The 24th-ranked Mavericks took the lead in game, 21–20, with 13:05 left in the game, but the Gorillas took back the lead, 26–21 with 5:27 left in the game. Smith scored on a 32-yard touchdown with 2:10 left in the game to seal the win. Smith finished with 365 yards of total offensive, including 212 rushing yards for the Gorillas.
C. Washington vs. West Texas Keith Flemming put the West Texas A&M Buffaloes ahead for good with a 6-yard run late in the second quarter in a 49–42 victory over Central Washington Wildcats. Flemming ran for four touchdowns and Keith Null threw three touchdown passes (35 of 49 passes for 463 yards and one interception).
Round 2
West Chester vs. Bloomsburg