The 1987 NCAA Division III football season, part of the college football season organized by the NCAA at the Division III level in the United States, began in August 1987, and concluded with the NCAA Division III Football Championship, also known as the Stagg Bowl, in December 1987 at Garrett-Harrison Stadium in Phenix City, Alabama.
Wagner won their first Division III championship by defeating Dayton in the championship game, 19−3. Due to NCAA rule changes in 1991, both schools are now members Football Championship Subdivision (formerly I-AA).
Conference changes and new programs This was the final season that the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference sponsored Division III football. Beginning in 1988, their three remaining Division III members (Miles, Lane, and Knoxville) were classified Division II along with the rest of the SIAC. Quincy College, which had played an abbreviated schedule featuring mainly junior varsity teams in 1986, played a full schedule for the first time since 1953. School 1986 Conference 1987 Conference Bishop D-III Independent Dropped program Chicago Midwest D-III Independent Kentucky Wesleyan D-III Independent Mid-South (NAIA) Lowell D-III Independent NEFC Maritime Revived Program D-III Independent St. John Fisher Club program D-III Independent Quincy Revived Program D-III Independent
Conference standings
Conference champions Conference championsCentennial Conference – Franklin & Marshall College Athletic Conference – Rhodes College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin – Augustana (IL) Independent College Athletic Conference‡ – Ithaca Iowa Intercollegiate Athletic Conference – Central (IA) Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association – Hope Middle Atlantic Conference – Susquehanna and Widener Midwest Collegiate Athletic Conference – St. Norbert Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference – Gustavus Adolphus New England Football Conference – Plymouth State New Jersey State Athletic Conference – Kean North Coast Athletic Conference – Allegheny Ohio Athletic Conference – Capital Old Dominion Athletic Conference – Hampden–Sydney Presidents' Athletic Conference – Washington & Jefferson Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference – Claremont–Mudd–Scripps and Occidental Texas Intercollegiate Athletic Association – Tarleton State Upper Midwest Athletic Conference – Mount Senario Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference – Wisconsin–River Falls and Wisconsin–Whitewater
Postseason The 1987 NCAA Division III Football Championship playoffs were the 15th annual single-elimination tournament to determine the national champion of men's NCAA Division III college football. The championship Stagg Bowl game was held at Garrett-Harrison Stadium in Phenix City, Alabama for the 13th time and for the third consecutive year. Like the previous two tournaments, this year's bracket featured sixteen teams.
Playoff bracket
See also 1987 NCAA Division I-A football season 1987 NCAA Division I-AA football season 1987 NCAA Division II football season
References