The 1998 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 1998, and concluded with the NCAA Division III Football Championship, also known as the Stagg Bowl, in December 1998 at Salem Football Stadium in Salem, Virginia. The Mount Union Purple Raiders won their fourth, and third consecutive, Division III championship by defeating the Rowan Profs, 44−24.
The Gagliardi Trophy, given to the most outstanding player in Division III football, was awarded to Scott Hvistendahl, wide receiver and punter from Augsburg.
Conference standings
Conference champions Conference championsAmerican Southwest Conference – Hardin–Simmons Centennial Conference – Western Maryland College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin – Millikin Freedom Football Conference – Springfield Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference – Wabash Illini-Badger Football Conference – Aurora Iowa Intercollegiate Athletic Conference – Central (IA) Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association – Albion Middle Atlantic Conference – Lycoming Midwest Conference – Grinnell Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference – Saint John's (MN) New England Football Conference – Salve Regina (Blue Division), Bridgewater State (Red Division) New Jersey Athletic Conference – TCNJ North Coast Athletic Conference – Wittenberg Northwest Conference – Pacific Lutheran Ohio Athletic Conference – Mount Union Old Dominion Athletic Conference – Emory & Henry Presidents' Athletic Conference – Grove City, Washington & Jefferson, and Waynesburg Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference – Whittier Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference – Trinity (TX) University Athletic Association – Chicago Upper Midwest Athletic Conference – Maranatha Baptist, Martin Luther, and Mount Senario Upstate Collegiate Athletic Conference – RPI Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference – Wisconsin–Eau Claire, Wisconsin–River Falls, Wisconsin–Stevens Point, and Wisconsin–Whitewater
Postseason The 1998 NCAA Division III Football Championship playoffs were the 26th 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. This was the final bracket to feature sixteen teams before expanding to 28 teams in 1999.
Playoff bracket
Final NCAA Regional Poll
East Region Team Record 1. Springfield(Mass.) 9–0 2. Ithaca 8–1 3. New Jersey 7–2 4. Rowan 6–2 5. Buffalo State 7–2 6. Montclair State 7–2
Others receiving votes (listed alphabetically): Hartwick, Hobart, Rensselaer Polytechnic, and Salve Regina.
South Region Team Record 1. Lycoming 9–0 2. Trinity(TX) 9–0 3. Western Maryland 9–0 4. Catholic 9–0 5. Emory and Henry 9–0 6. Hardin-Simmons 8–1
Others receiving votes: McMurry, Pomona-Pitzer, Westminster, and Widener.
North Region Team Record 1. Mt. Union 9–0 2. Wittenberg 9–0 3. Wabash 9–0 4. Baldwin-Wallace 8–1 5. Albion 8–1 6. Millikin 7–1
Others receiving votes: Allegheny, Hanover, John Carroll, and MacMurray.
West Region Team Record 1. Central(IA) 9–0 2. St. John's 9–0 3. Pacific Lutheran 7–1 4. Wisconsin-Eau Claire 7–2 5. Gustavus Adolphus 8–1 6. Wisconsin-Stevens Point 6–2
Others receiving votes: Grinnell, Linfield, Wartburg, and Wisconsin-Whitewater.
*This was the final time the NCAA conducted a regional poll for Division III, starting with the 1999 season, American Football Coaches Association conducted a top 25 coaches poll.
Awards Gagliardi Trophy: Scott Hvistendahl, Augsburg
AFCA Coach of the Year: Larry Kehres, Mount Union
AFCA Regional Coach of the Year: Region 1: Mike DeLong, Springfield Region 2: Frank Girardi, Lycoming Region 3: Steve Mohr, Trinity(TX) Region 4: Joe Fincham, Wittenberg Region 5: Rich Kacmarynski, Central(IA)
See also 1998 NCAA Division I-A football season 1998 NCAA Division I-AA football season 1998 NCAA Division II football season
References