The 2000 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 2000, and concluded with the NCAA Division III Football Championship, also known as the Stagg Bowl, in December 2000 at Salem Football Stadium in Salem, Virginia. The Mount Union Purple Raiders won their fifth Division III championship by defeating the Saint John's (MN) Johnnies, 10−7.
The Gagliardi Trophy, given to the most outstanding player in Division III football, was awarded to Chad Johnson, quarterback from Pacific Lutheran.
Conference standings
Conference champions Conference championsAmerican Southwest Conference – Hardin–Simmons Atlantic Central Football Conference – Wesley Centennial Conference – Western Maryland College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin – Illinois Wesleyan, Millikin, and Wheaton (IL) Dixie Intercollegiate Football Conference – No Champion Named Freedom Football Conference – Springfield Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference – Bluffton and Hanover Illini-Badger Football Conference – Aurora Iowa Intercollegiate Athletic Conference – Central (IA) Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association – Hope Middle Atlantic Conference – Widener Midwest Conference – St. Norbert Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference – Bethel (MN) New England Football Conference – Nichols and Salve Regina (Blue Division), Bridgewater State (Red Division) Championship Game: Bridgewater State 27, Salve Regina 24 New England Small College Athletic Conference – Amherst, Colby, and Middlebury New Jersey Athletic Conference – Montclair State North Coast Athletic Conference – Wittenberg Northwest Conference – Linfield 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 – DePauw, Sewanee, and Trinity (TX) University Athletic Association – Chicago Upper Midwest Athletic Conference – Mount Senario Upstate Collegiate Athletic Conference – Hobart, Rochester, and Union (NY) Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference – Wisconsin–Stout
Postseason The 2000 NCAA Division III Football Championship playoffs were the 28th 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 eighth time. This was the second bracket to feature 28 teams since last expanding in 1999.
Playoff bracket
* Overtime
Final AFCA Top 25 Poll Team Final Record Points 1. Mount Union 14-0 1,150 2. St. John's 13–2 1,104 3. Hardin-Simmons 12–1 991 4. Central(IA) 12–1 983 5. Wittenberg 12–1 974 6. Widener 12–2 876 7. Pacific Lutheran 9–2 821 8. Linfield 9–1 795 9. Wisconsin-Stout 10–1 673 10. Springfield 11–2 603 11. Western Maryland 10–2 572 12. Brockport State 8–1 564 13. Trinity(TX) 10–3 537 14. Bethel 10–1 481 15. Bridgewater 10–2 428 16. Washington & Jefferson 9–2 406 17. St. Norbert 10–1 387 18. Wartburg 9–1 362 19. Ohio Northern 9–3 354 20. Western Connecticut State 10–1 282 21. Millikin 9–2 274 22. Union 9–2 265 23. Illinois Wesleyan 9–1 251 24. Mary Hardin-Baylor 9–1 152 25. Hanover 8–4 120 Others receiving votes: Wesley, 86; Hobart, 78; Thomas More, 76; Montclair St., 74; Hope, 65; Rowan, 44; Aurora, 34; Ripon, 20; Emory & Henry, 20; Middlebury, 14; Amherst, 11; Bridgewater St., 9; Wheaton, 8; Lycoming, 4; Augustana, 2.
Awards Gagliardi Trophy: Chad Johnson, Pacific Lutheran
AFCA Coach of the Year: Larry Kehres, Mount Union
AFCA Regional Coach of the Year: Region 1: Mike DeLong, Springfield Region 2: Bill Zwaan, Widener Region 3: Pete Fredenburg, Mary Hardin-Baylor Region 4: Larry Kehres, Mount Union Region 5: Ed Meierkort, Wisconsin-Stout
See also 2000 NCAA Division I-A football season 2000 NCAA Division I-AA football season 2000 NCAA Division II football season
References