The 1980 NCAA Division III football season, part of college football in the United States organized by the National Collegiate Athletic Association at the Division III level, began in August 1980, and concluded with the NCAA Division III Football Championship in December 1980 at Garrett-Harrison Stadium in Phenix City, Alabama. The Dayton Flyers won their first Division III championship, defeating the defending national champion Ithaca Bombers by a final score of 63−0.
Conference changes and new programs Miles College rejoined the SIAC after not fielding a team in 1979. Ramapo College, a club football powerhouse, fielded a varsity team for the first time and joined the NJSAC. The University of Lowell (now known as UMass Lowell) also transitioned from being a club team to Division III. School 1979 Conference 1980 Conference Illinois College Independent (NAIA) CAC Lowell Club Program D-III Independent Maryville (TN) D-III Independent ODAC Miles No Program SIAC Ramapo College Club Program NJSAC
Conference standings
Conference champions Conference championsCollege Athletic Conference – Centre College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin – Elmhurst and Illinois Wesleyan Independent College Athletic Conference – Ithaca Iowa Intercollegiate Athletic Conference – Dubuque Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association – Adrian Middle Atlantic Conference – Delaware Valley (North), Widener (South) Midwest Collegiate Athletic Conference – Cornell College and Lawrence Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference – Concordia–Moorhead New England Football Conference – Maine Maritime New Jersey State Athletic Conference – Trenton State Northwest Conference – Linfield Ohio Athletic Conference – Baldwin Wallace (Red Division), Wittenberg (Blue Division) Old Dominion Athletic Conference – Bridgewater Presidents' Athletic Conference – Bethany (WV) Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference – Redlands Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference - Fort Valley State Texas Intercollegiate Athletic Association – McMurry Twin Rivers Conference – Mount Senario Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference – Wisconsin–La Crosse, Wisconsin–Platteville, Wisconsin–River Falls, and Wisconsin–Whitewater
Final Regular Season AP Poll +RankTeamRecordPoints1Ithaca10-0-0602Widener10-0-0563Dayton11-0-0524Baldwin-Wallace10-0-0485Minnesota-Morris8-1-1446Dubuque8-1-1397Wagner8-1-0358Bethany9-0-0308(tie)Wabash8-0-13010Adrian9-0-025
Postseason The 1980 NCAA Division III Football Championship playoffs were the eighth annual single-elimination tournament to determine the national champion of men's NCAA Division III college football. The championship game was held at Garrett-Harrison Stadium in Phenix City, Alabama for the eighth consecutive year. Like the previous five championships, eight teams competed in this edition.
Playoff bracket
See also 1980 NCAA Division I-A football season 1980 NCAA Division I-AA football season 1980 NCAA Division II football season 1980 NAIA Division I football season 1980 NAIA Division II football season
References