The 2004 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 2004, and concluded with the NCAA Division III Football Championship, also known as the Stagg Bowl, in December 2004 at Salem Football Stadium in Salem, Virginia. The Linfield Wildcats won their first Division III championship by defeating the Mary Hardin–Baylor Crusaders, 28−21.
The Gagliardi Trophy, given to the most outstanding player in Division III football, was awarded to Rocky Myers, safety from Wesley (DE).
Conference changes and new programs School 2003 conference 2004 conference Eastern Oregon Mountaineers Independent Cascade (NAIA) Stillman Tigers Independent Independent (Division II)
Conference standings
Conference champions Conference championsAmerican Southwest Conference – Hardin–Simmons Atlantic Central Football Conference – Salisbury Centennial Conference – Dickinson, Franklin & Marshall, Johns Hopkins, McDaniel, and Muhlenberg College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin – Carthage and Wheaton (IL) Empire 8 Conference – Ithaca and St. John Fisher Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference – Mount St. Joseph Illini-Badger Football Conference – Aurora, Concordia (WI), and Lakeland Iowa Intercollegiate Athletic Conference – Coe and Wartburg Liberty League – Hobart Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association – Alma Middle Atlantic Conference – Delaware Valley Midwest Conference – St. Norbert Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference – Concordia–Moorhead New England Football Conference – Fitchburg State (Bogan Division), Curry and Endicott (Boyd Division) Championship Game: Curry 17, Fitchburg State 7 New England Small College Athletic Conference – Trinity (CT) New Jersey Athletic Conference – Rowan North Coast Athletic Conference – Wooster Northwest Conference – Linfield Ohio Athletic Conference – Mount Union Old Dominion Athletic Conference – Bridgewater Presidents' Athletic Conference – Washington & Jefferson Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference – Occidental Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference – DePauw and Trinity (TX) University Athletic Association – Washington–Saint Louis Upper Midwest Athletic Conference – Westminster (MO) USA South Athletic Conference – Christopher Newport and Shenandoah Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference – Wisconsin–La Crosse
Postseason The 2004 NCAA Division III Football Championship playoffs were the 32nd 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 12th time. This was the last bracket to feature 28 teams before expanding to 32 teams in 2005.
Playoff bracket
* Overtime
Final D3football.com Poll Team Final Record Points 1. Linfield (25) 13–0 625 2. Mary Hardin–Baylor 13–2 600 3. Mount Union 12–1 571 4. Hardin–Simmons 10–1 501 5. Carthage 11–2 491 6. Rowan 10–3 488 7. Occidental 10–2 463 8. Washington & Jefferson 12–1 447 9. Concordia–Moorhead 11–1 429 10. Wooster 11–1 397 11. Delaware Valley 12–1 363 12. Wheaton (Ill.) 10–2 339 13. Wisconsin–La Crosse 7–4 320 14. Trinity (TX) 9–2 281 15. St. John Fisher 10–2 262 16. Christopher Newport 9–3 248 17. Bridgewater (Va.) 8–3 200 18. Salisbury 10–1 195 19. Ohio Northern 8–2 165 20. Ithaca 9–2 163 21. Hobart 9–2 95 22. St. Norbert 9–2 80 23. Willamette 7–4 71 24. Wartburg 8–3 53 25. Wisconsin–Whitewater 7–3 48
Others receiving votes: Mount St. Joseph 39, Trinity (CT) 33, Alma 31, Wisconsin–Eau Claire 30, Whitworth 17, Texas Lutheran 17, Aurora 16, Augustana (Ill.) 16, Muhlenberg 14, Johns Hopkins 12, Springfield 9, Shenandoah 9, Hampden–Sydney 9, Moravian 8, Albright 3, Capital 2, Waynesburg 1, TCNJ 1, Curry 1, McDaniel 1.
Awards Gagliardi Trophy: Rocky Myers, Wesley (DE)
AFCA Coach of the Year: Jay Locey, Linfield
AFCA Regional Coach of the Year: Region 1: Chuck Priore, Trinity College (CT) Region 2: G. A. Mangus, Delaware Valley College Region 3: Jimmie Keeling, Hardin–Simmons University Region 4: Tim Rucks, Carthage College Region 5: Terry Horan, Concordia–Moorhead College
See also 2004 NCAA Division I-A football season 2004 NCAA Division I-AA football season 2004 NCAA Division II football season
References