The 2023 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 and ended on December 16 with the Division II championship at the McKinney Independent School District Stadium in McKinney, Texas. Harding won the title, defeating Colorado Mines, 38–7.
D-II team wins over FCS teams September 2: Bowie State 22, Delaware State 11 September 2: Virginia State 33, Norfolk State 24 September 2: Central State (OH) 24, Mississippi Valley State 21 September 8: Barton 33, Davidson 31 September 9: Colorado Mesa 28, San Diego 21 OT September 9: Miles 21, Alabama State 17 September 16: Delta State 35, Mississippi Valley State 7
Conference changes and new programs School Former conference New conference Alderson Broaddus Battlers Mountain East School closed Bluefield State Big Blue Independent (D-II) CIAA Chowan Hawks CIAA Gulf South Lincoln (MO) Blue Tigers MIAA GLVC Simon Fraser Red Leafs Lone Star Dropped program Thomas More Saints Mid-South (NAIA) G-MAC Upper Iowa Peacocks Northern Sun GLVC
Headlines January 14 – At the 2023 NCAA Convention, the D-II football membership approved a change to redshirt rules to allow freshmen to play in up to three games without losing a season of athletic eligibility. January 26 – Conference Carolinas announced that Shorter University would join from the Gulf South Conference in 2024. This gave the conference 6 football sponsoring members, and accordingly, it was announced that they would begin sponsoring football again effective for the 2025 season, a sport they had previously discontinued in 1975. Inaugural members of the new league would be Barton and Erskine, who currently play in the South Atlantic Conference; UNC Pembroke, who plays in the Mountain East Conference; and Chowan, North Greenville, and Shorter, who all play in the Gulf South Conference. December 14 – The NCAA Division II Championships Committee approved a restructuring of the football super regions effective for the 2025 season once Conference Carolinas begins sponsoring football. The new super region alignment is as follows: Super Region 1: Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association, Mountain East Conference, Northeast-10 Conference, Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference Super Region 2: Conference Carolinas, Gulf South Conference, South Atlantic Conference, Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Super Region 3: Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference, Great Lakes Valley Conference, Great Midwest Athletic Conference, Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference Super Region 4: Great American Conference, Lone Star Conference, Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association, Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference
Rankings
The top 25 from the AFCA Coaches' Poll.
Preseason Poll AFCARankingTeam 1 Ferris State (29) 2 Colorado Mines 3 Grand Valley State 4 Pittsburg State 5 Angelo State 6 NW Missouri State 7 West Florida 8 Ouachita Baptist 9 Minnesota State 10 Delta State 11 Bemidji State 12 Ashland 13 Shepherd 14 Harding 15 Slippery Rock 16 IUP 17 Benedict (1) 18 Virginia Union 19 Emporia State 20 Indianapolis 21 Wingate 22 West Georgia 23 Assumption 24 Newberry 25 Lenoir–Rhyne
Conference standings Super Region 1
Super Region 2
Super Region 3
Super Region 4
Postseason
Qualifiers Playoff teams Super Region School Conference Record Appearance Last bid Super Region 1 Tiffin G-MAC 11–0 2nd 2019 Charleston (WV) Mountain East 9–1 2nd 2015 Kutztown PSAC 9–2 6th 2021 Slippery Rock PSAC 10–1 11th 2022 East Stroudsburg PSAC 9–2 5th 2009 Virginia Union* CIAA 10–1 11th 2022 New Haven Northeast-10 8–2 9th 2022 Super Region 2 Benedict SIAC 11–0 2nd 2022 Delta State Gulf South 9–1 11th 2022 Valdosta State Gulf South 10–1 19th 2021 Lenoir–Rhyne SAC 10–1 7th 2021 Shepherd* PSAC 9–2 15th 2022 Limestone SAC 8–3 2nd 2022 West Florida Gulf South 8–3 5th 2022 Super Region 3 Harding GAC 11–0 6th 2021 Grand Valley State GLIAC 9–1 22nd 2022 Pittsburg State MIAA 10–1 20th 2022 Central Missouri MIAA 10–1 5th 2019 Henderson State GAC 9–2 4th 2015 Indianapolis GLVC 9–1 8th 2022 Ferris State GLIAC 8–2 14th 2022 Super Region 4 Colorado Mines RMAC 11–0 9th 2022 Western Colorado RMAC 10–1 5th 2021 Texas–Permian Basin Lone Star 10–1 1st — Augustana (SD) NSIC 10–1 7th 2021 Minnesota State NSIC 9–2 14th 2022 Bemidji State NSIC 8–2 3rd 2022 Central Washington Lone Star 7–3 7th 2021 * — Indicates a team playing outside of its assigned super region.
Bracket Super Region 1
Super Region 2
Super Region 3
Super Region 4
Semifinals & Championship Teams were re-seeded prior to semifinals.
Bowl games There were four bowl games, which featured teams that did not qualify for the Division II postseason tournament.
The schedule included the inaugural edition of the Florida Beach Bowl, contested between teams from the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SIAC) and Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association (CIAA), two conferences mostly consisting of historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs).
DateTime (EST)GameSiteTelevisionTeamsAffiliationsResultsDec. 17:00 p.m.America's Crossroads BowlHammond Central High SchoolHammond, IndianaNo broadcastMcKendree (5–5)Ashland (8–3)GLVCGMACAshland 23McKendree 20Dec. 21:00 p.m.Live United BowlArkansas High SchoolTexarkana, ArkansasSouthern Arkansas (9–2)Missouri Western (8–3)GACMIAASouthern Arkansas 43Missouri Western 27Dec. 21:00 p.m.Heritage BowlTiger StadiumCorsicana, TexasSouthern Nazarene (6–5)Emporia State (8–3)GACMIAAEmporia State 55Southern Nazarene 24Dec. 137:30 p.m.Florida Beach BowlDRV PNK StadiumFort Lauderdale, FloridaHBCU GoJohnson C. Smith (7–3)Fort Valley State (7–3)CIAASIACFort Valley State 23Johnson C. Smith 10
Coaching changes Preseason and in-season This is restricted to coaching changes that took place on or after May 1, 2023, and will include any changes announced after a team's last regularly scheduled games but before its playoff games. School Outgoing coach Date Reason Replacement Previous positionClark AtlantaWillie SlaterOctober 2, 2023FiredRichard MoncriefClark Atlanta offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach (2022–2023)St. Augustine'sHoward FegginsOctober 13, 2023FiredJody OwensSt. Augustine's defensive coordinator (2023)
End of season This list includes coaching changes announced during the season that did not take effect until the end of the season. School Outgoing coach Date Reason Replacement Previous positionMorehouseGerard WilcherNovember 6, 2023FiredTerance MathisFellowship Christian (GA) assistant coach (2021)West ChesterBill ZwaanNovember 6, 2023RetiredDuke GrecoDelaware Valley head coach (2014–2023)Northeastern StateJ. J. EckertNovember 13, 2023Contract expiredDarrin ChiaveriniChaffey College head coach (2023) Mississippi College John Bland November 13, 2023 ResignedMike KershawRice wide receivers coach (2019–2023)West GeorgiaDavid DeanNovember 13, 2023ResignedJoel TaylorMercer defensive coordinator (2020–2023) Wingate Joe Reich November 14, 2023 Resigned (became school's athletic director)Rashaan JordanWingate defensive coordinator and linebackers coach (2013–2023)HillsdaleKeith OtterbeinNovember 14, 2023RetiredNate ShrefflerHillsdale offensive coordinator (2011–2023)UVA WiseDane DamronNovember 14, 2023ResignedGary BassQuincy head coach (2017–2023)Southwestern Oklahoma StateRuzell McCoy (interim)November 16, 2023Permanent replacementAndrew RiceSouthern Arkansas offensive coordinator (2022–2023)Lake ErieDJ BoldinNovember 21, 2023ResignedDavid PriceTiffin assistant head coach, defensive coordinator, and defensive line coach (2023)Clark AtlantaRichard Moncrief (interim)November 27, 2023Permanent replacementTeddy KeatonAllen head coach (2018–2023)AllenTeddy KeatonNovember 27, 2023Hired by Clark AtlantaCedric PearlAlabama A&M defensive line coach (2022–2023)William JewellNeil Linhart (interim)November 28, 2023Permanent replacementJason AmbrosonSmithville HS (MO) head coach (2015–2023)Carson–NewmanMike ClowneyNovember 29, 2023FiredAshley IngramNavy assistant head coach and offensive line coach (2023)Pittsburg StateBrian WrightDecember 3, 2023Hired by Northern ArizonaTom AnthonyPittsburg State assistant head coach and defensive coordinator (2022)BenedictChennis BerryDecember 7, 2023Hired by South Carolina StateRon Dickerson Jr.West Florida offensive coordinator and wide receivers coach (2023)TusculumJerry OdomDecember 8, 2023ResignedBilly TaylorEast Tennessee State associate head coach and defensive coordinator (2013–2023)Midwestern StateBill MaskillDecember 10, 2023RetiredRich RennerMidwestern State defensive coordinator (2008–2023)Lincoln (MO)Jermaine GalesDecember 11, 2023Hired as offensive coordinator by Alcorn StateMoses HarperNebraska–Kearney wide receivers coach (2023)TiffinCris ReisertDecember 12, 2023Hired by Gardner–WebbBrett EkkensSaginaw Valley State offensive coordinator and offensive line coach (2022–2023)QuincyGary BassDecember 13, 2023Hired by UVA WiseJason KilldayTruman assistant head coach, offensive coordinator, and quarterbacks coach (2016–2023)Fairmont StateJason WoodmanDecember 19, 2023Hired by Morehead StateLuke BarkerCharleston (WV) associate head coach and offensive coordinator (2021–2023)Bluefield StateTony CoaxumJanuary 10, 2024FiredDavon MorganFlorida A&M defensive coordinator and defensive backs coach (2022–2023)Lenoir–RhyneMike JacobsJanuary 18, 2024Hired as head coach by MercerDoug SochaKeiser head coach (2017–2023)TrumanGregg NesbittFebruary 9, 2024RetiredKellen Nesbitt (full-season interim; named full-time on December 30, 2024)Truman assistant head coach, defensive coordinator, and special teams coordinator (2016–2023)LimestoneMike FurreyFebruary 29, 2024Hired as wide receivers coach for South CarolinaJerricho CotcheryLimestone assistant head coach and wide receivers coach (2022–2023)
See also 2023 NCAA Division I FBS football season 2023 NCAA Division I FCS football season 2023 NCAA Division III football season 2023 NAIA football season 2023 U Sports football season 2023 junior college football season
References