The 2021 NCAA Division III football season was the component of the 2021 college football season organized by the NCAA at the Division III level in the United States. The regular season began on September 4 and ended on November 13.
The season's playoffs were played between November 20 and December 17, and culminated in the national championship, also known as the Stagg Bowl, at the Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium in Canton, Ohio. The Mary Hardin–Baylor Crusaders beat the in the title game, 57–24.
Conference changes and new programs Membership changes Team Former conference New conference Austin SAA American Southwest Becker CCC Football College closed Emory & Henry Old Dominion NCAA Division II independent Finlandia Michigan Upper Midwest Iowa Wesleyan Upper Midwest North Star (NAIA) Keystone Returning program, last competed 1947 ECFC Louisiana College American Southwest Sooner (NAIA) Macalester Midwest Minnesota Maine Maritime NEWMAC Suspended program Occidental Southern California Dropped program St. Norbert Midwest NACC St. Scholastica Upper Midwest Minnesota St. Thomas (MN) Minnesota Pioneer (NCAA Division I FCS)Wesley New Jersey College acquired by Delaware State
Conference standings |
Postseason Qualification
Automatic bids (27) ConferenceTeamAppearanceLastAmerican Southwest Conference Mary Hardin–Baylor 17th 2019American Rivers Conference Central (IA) 22nd 2019Centennial Conference Muhlenberg 10th 2019College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin North Central (IL) 13th 2019Commonwealth Coast Football Endicott 3rd 2013Eastern Collegiate Football Conference Anna Maria 1st —Empire 8 Cortland 10th 2015Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference Rose–Hulman 2nd 2016Liberty League RPI 7th 2018Massachusetts State Collegiate Athletic Conference Framingham State 6th 2019Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association Albion 12th 2015Middle Atlantic Conference Delaware Valley 10th 2019Midwest Conference Lake Forest 2nd 2002Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Saint John's (MN) 27th 2019New England Women's and Men's Athletic Conference Springfield 7th 2017New Jersey Athletic Conference Salisbury 12th 2019North Coast Athletic Conference DePauw 3rd 2010Northern Athletics Collegiate Conference Aurora 6th 2019Northwest Conference Linfield 16th 2019Ohio Athletic Conference Mount Union 32nd 2019Old Dominion Athletic Conference Washington and Lee 6th 2017Presidents' Athletic Conference Carnegie Mellon 7th 2006Southern Athletic Association Trinity (TX) 13th 2011Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Redlands 10th 2019Upper Midwest Athletic Conference Greenville 1st —USA South Athletic Conference Huntingdon 6th 2019Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Wisconsin–Whitewater 18th 2019
At-large bids (5) TeamConferenceAppearanceLast Bethel (MN) Royals MIAC 10th 2018 Birmingham-Southern SAA 1st — Johns Hopkins Centennial 11th 2018 Wheaton (IL) CCIW 12th 2019 Wisconsin–La Crosse WIAC 12th 2006
Bracket
Coaching changes This list includes all head coaching changes announced during or after the season. School Outgoing coach Date Reason Replacement Previous positionCarnegie MellonRich LacknerBefore November 2022 (effective at season end)RetiredRyan LarsenColumbia quarterbacks coach (2019–2021)Christopher NewportArt LinkNovember 7, 2021FiredPaul CrowleyChristopher Newport offensive line coach (2019–2021)Merchant MarineMike ToopNovember 10, 2021RetiredJameson CroallMerchant Marine offensive coordinator and offensive line coach (2012–2021)LutherCaleb PadillaNovember 15, 2021FiredJoe TrocheSt. Olaf special teams coordinator and defensive backs coach (2019–2021)WittenbergJoe FinchamNovember 18, 2021RetiredJim CollinsDayton offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach (2020–2021)Wisconsin–PlattevilleMike MendorferNovember 22, 2021RetiredRyan MunzWisconsin–Platteville offensive coordinator (2007–2021)DeanSteve TirrellNovember 23, 2021ResignedAndrae MurphyColumbia defensive backs coach (2018–2021)MillikinDan GrittiNovember 29, 2021ResignedCarlton HallMillikin defensive coordinator (2020–2021)Wisconsin–OshkoshPat CerroniNovember 30, 2021RetiredPeter JenningsWisconsin–Whitewater offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach (2018–2021)Sul RossJohn PearceDecember 1, 2021ResignedBarry DericksonSul Ross offensive coordinator (2021)KenyonJames RosenburyDecember 3, 2021ResignedIan GoodKenyon defensive coordinator and linebackers coach (2019–2021)WaynesburgChris SmithleyDecember 7, 2021Moved to administrative positionCornelius ColemanDuquesne defensive line coach (2020–2021)RockfordJ. T. ZimmermanDecember 9, 2021ResignedCalvin ToliverRockford offensive coordinator (2021)Franklin & MarshallJohn TroxellDecember 14, 2021Hired as head coach for LafayetteTom BlumenauerWilliams offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach (2021)Wisconsin–Stevens PointGreg BreitbachDecember 30, 2021ResignedLuke VenneWisconsin–Oshkosh offensive coordinator (2017–2021)AlbrightJohn MarzkaDecember 2021ResignedIsaac CollinsBucknell defensive coordinator and defensive backs coach (2021)ThielMike WinslowDecember 2021FiredSam BaumanWooster defensive coordinator and linebackers coach (2015–2021)Mary Hardin–BaylorPete FredenburgJanuary 7, 2022RetiredLarry HarmonMary Hardin–Baylor defensive coordinator (2002–2021)Idaho StateChristian Ozolins (interim head coach)January 21, 2022Permanent replacement hiredLazarus MorganCortland defensive coordinator and safeties coach (2020–2021)IthacaDan SwanstromJanuary 24, 2022Hired as offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach for PennMichael ToerperHoly Cross safeties coach (2020–2021)ChicagoChris WilkersonJanuary 25, 2022Hired as head coach by Eastern IllinoisTodd Gilcrist Jr.Holy Cross wide receivers coach (2019–2021)North Central (IL)Jeff ThorneJanuary 26, 2022Hired as offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach for Western MichiganBrad SpencerNorth Central (IL) offensive coordinator (2015–2021)FDU–FlorhamJimmy RobertsonJanuary 27, 2022Hired as quarterbacks coach for MonmouthAnthony Van CurenFDU–Florham defensive coordinator (2019–2021)Bethany (WV)Bill GarveyJanuary 28, 2022FiredBrandon RobinsonBaldwin Wallace offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach (2020–2021)Anna MariaDan MulrooneyJanuary 31, 2022Hired as the head coach for Lock HavenSteve CroceAnna Maria offensive coordinator and running backs coach (2019–2021)AlverniaRalph ClarkBefore January 2022FiredSteve AzzanesiDelaware State offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach (2020–2021)Lewis & ClarkJay LoceyFebruary 4, 2022RetiredJoe BushmanLewis & Clark offensive coordinator (2019–2021)BatesEd Argast (interim)February 8, 2022Permanent replacement hiredMatt CoyneWesleyan defensive coordinator, special teams coordinator, and linebackers coach (2021)John CarrollRick FinottiMarch 14, 2022ResignedDrew Nystrom (full season interim)John Carroll offensive coordinator and offensive line coach (2020–2021)MacalesterKiJuan Ware (interim)March 18, 2022Permanent replacement hiredPhil NicolaidesRandolph–Macon defensive coordinator (2016–2021)Martin LutherMark SteinBefore April 25, 2022Hired as athletic director for Fox Valley Lutheran HS (WI)Paul HuebnerShoreland Lutheran HS (WI) head coach (2011–2021)CurrySkip BandiniBefore April 2022RetiredTodd ParsonsEndicott assistant head coach and offensive coordinator (2020–2021)William PatersonDustin JohnsonBefore May 2022Hired as cornerbacks coach for VillanovaShaun WilliamsWilliam Paterson defensive coordinator and safeties coach (2013–2021)
See also 2021 NCAA Division I FBS football season 2021 NCAA Division I FCS football season 2021 NCAA Division II football season 2021 NAIA football season 2021 U Sports football season
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