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.
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
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
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
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