The 1996 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 1996, and concluded with the NCAA Division III Football Championship, also known as the Stagg Bowl, in December 1996 at Salem Football Stadium in Salem, Virginia. The Mount Union Purple Raiders won their second Division III championship by defeating the Rowan Profs, 56−24. The Gagliardi Trophy, given to the most outstanding player in Division III football, was awarded to Lon Erickson, quarterback from Illinois Wesleyan.
Conference and program changes
Conference changes The American Southwest Conference began its first season of play in 1996. The Northwest Conference transitioned its entire membership from the NAIA to Division III prior to the season. The Texas Intercollegiate Athletic Association dissolved after the 1996 season when most of members joined the American Southwest.
School 1995 Conference 1996 Conference Austin College TIAA American Southwest Hardin–Simmons TIAA American Southwest Howard Payne TIAA American Southwest McMurry TIAA American Southwest Mississippi College Independent American Southwest Sul Ross TIAA American Southwest Thomas More AMC Independent
Program changes After Trenton State College changed its name to The College of New Jersey in 1996, the Trenton State Lions became the College of New Jersey (TCNJ) Lions at the start of the 1996 season.
Conference standings
Conference champions Conference championsAmerican Southwest Conference – Hardin–Simmons and Sul Ross Centennial Conference – Ursinus College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin – Illinois Wesleyan Freedom Football Conference – Coast Guard and Springfield (MA) Illini-Badger Football Conference – Lakeland Indiana Collegiate Athletic Conference – DePauw Iowa Intercollegiate Athletic Conference – Simpson Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association – Albion Middle Atlantic Conference – Lycoming Midwest Conference – Ripon Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference – Saint John's (MN) New England Football Conference – Worcester State New Jersey Athletic Conference – TCNJ North Coast Athletic Conference – Allegheny Northwest Conference – Willamette Ohio Athletic Conference – Mount Union Old Dominion Athletic Conference – Emory & Henry Presidents' Athletic Conference – Washington & Jefferson Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference – Redlands Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference – Millsaps and Trinity (TX) University Athletic Association – Carnegie Mellon, Case Western, and Washington–Saint Louis Upper Midwest Athletic Conference – Maranatha Baptist and Martin Luther Upstate Collegiate Athletic Conference – Union (NY) Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference – Wisconsin–La Crosse
Postseason The 1996 NCAA Division III Football Championship playoffs were the 24th 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 Salem Football Stadium in Salem, Virginia for the second time. As of 2014, Salem has remained the yearly host of the Stagg Bowl. Like the previous eleven tournaments, this year's bracket featured sixteen teams.
Playoff bracket
See also 1996 NCAA Division I-A football season 1996 NCAA Division I-AA football season 1996 NCAA Division II football season 1996 NAIA Division I football season 1996 NAIA Division II football season
References