The 2017 NCAA Division II football season, part of college football in the United States organized by the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) at the Division II level, began on August 31, 2017 and ended with the Division II championship on December 16, 2017 at Children's Mercy Park in Kansas City, Kansas. Northwest Missouri State were the defending champions from the previous season. Texas A&M–Commerce won the school's first Division II National Championship and second overall, defeating West Florida, 37–27.
Coverage of the Division 2 Playoffs was on ESPN's streaming service, ESPN 3, up until the championship, which was broadcast on ESPN 2.
D-II wins over FCS teams
September 2, 2017 - Virginia State 14, Norfolk State 10 September 2, 2017 - Tuskegee 14, Alabama State 6 September 9, 2017 - Catawba 27, VMI 20 October 14, 2017 - Central State 40, Arkansas-Pine Bluff 35 October 14, 2017 - Tuskegee 33, Jackson State 7
Conference changes and new programs Membership changes School Former conference New conference Brevard Tornadoes South Atlantic Independent (D-III) Davenport Panthers Independent (NAIA) GLIAC Findlay Oilers GLIAC G-MAC Hillsdale Chargers GLIAC G-MAC Lake Erie Storm GLIAC G-MAC Limestone Saints Independent South Atlantic Ohio Dominican Panthers GLIAC G-MAC Oklahoma Panhandle State Aggies Lone Star CSFL (NAIA) Saint Joseph's Pumas GLVC School closed Walsh Cavaliers GLIAC G-MAC
Oklahoma Baptist completed their transition to Division II and became eligible for the postseason.
Regional realignment
The GNAC and NSIC moved from Super Region 3 to Super Region 4, while the GLIAC and GLVC moved in the opposite direction. The newly-expanded G-MAC joined Super Region 1, replacing the CIAA, which moved to Super Region 2.
Conference standings
Super Region 1
Super Region 2
Super Region 3
Super Region 4
Postseason
The 2017 NCAA Division II Football Championship was the 45th edition of the Division II playoffs. The playoffs began on November 18 and concluded with the championship game on December 16.
The field consisted of 28 teams, seven from each of the four super regions. The participants in each region were determined by the regional rankings; if a conference's highest-ranked team was ranked in the top eight, that team qualified via the "earned access" provision, and all other participants were selected directly from the rankings. The top seed in each region received a first-round bye. After the quarterfinals, the regional winners were reseeded one through four, with No. 1 meeting No. 4 in the semifinals and No. 2 meeting No. 3.
Bracket
Bowl games
DateGameSiteTeamsAffiliationsResultsDec 2Corsicana BowlTiger StadiumCorsicana, Texas (7–4) Tarleton State Texans (6–5)MIAA Lone StarCentral Oklahoma 38Tarleton State 31C.H.A.M.P.S. Heart of Texas BowlBulldawg StadiumCopperas Cove, Texas (6–5) (6–5)MIAA Lone StarWashburn 41Angelo State 25Live United Texarkana BowlRazorback StadiumTexarkana, Arkansas (7–4) (8–3)MIAAGACPittsburg State 41Arkansas Tech 31Mineral Water BowlTiger StadiumExcelsior Springs, Missouri (8–3) (9–2)MIAANSICCentral Missouri 38Minnesota–Duluth 28
See also 2017 NCAA Division II football rankings 2017 NCAA Division I FBS football season 2017 NCAA Division I FCS football season 2017 NCAA Division III football season 2017 NAIA football season
References