1979 NCAA Division III football season

1979 NCAA Division III football season
Regular seasonAugust – November 1979
PlayoffsNovember – December 1979
Garrett-Harrison Stadium
Phenix City, AL
ChampionIthaca
← 1978 · NCAA Division III football seasons · 1980 →

The 1979 NCAA Division III football season, part of college football in the United States organized by the National Collegiate Athletic Association at the Division III level, began in August 1979, and concluded with the NCAA Division III Football Championship in December 1979 at Garrett-Harrison Stadium in Phenix City, Alabama. The Ithaca Bombers won their first Division III championship, defeating the Wittenberg Tigers by a final score of 14−10 in a re-match of the 1975 championship (won by Wittenberg).[1]

Conference changes and new programs

School 1978 conference 1979 conference
FDU–Florham D-III Independent Middle Atlantic
Central Florida New program D-III Independent
Duquesne Revived program D-III Independent

Conference standings

1979 College Athletic Conference football standings
Conf Overall
Team W   L   T W   L   T
Sewanee + 3 – 1 – 0 7 – 2 – 0
Rose–Hulman + 3 – 1 – 0 6 – 4 – 0
Southwestern (TN) + 3 – 1 – 0 4 – 6 – 0
Centre 1 – 3 – 0 1 – 8 – 0
Principia 0 – 4 – 0 1 – 8 – 0
  • + – Conference co-champions
1979 College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin football standings
Conf Overall
Team W   L   T W   L   T
Millikin $ 7 – 1 – 0 8 – 1 – 0
Elmhurst 6 – 2 – 0 7 – 2 – 0
No. 11 Illinois Wesleyan 6 – 2 – 0 7 – 2 – 0
Augustana (IL) 5 – 3 – 0 6 – 3 – 0
North Central (IL) 5 – 3 – 0 6 – 3 – 0
North Park 4 – 4 – 0 4 – 5 – 0
Carroll (WI) 2 – 6 – 0 2 – 7 – 0
Wheaton (IL) 1 – 7 – 0 1 – 8 – 0
Carthage 0 – 8 – 0 0 – 8 – 1
  • $ – Conference champion
Rankings from NAIA Division II poll
1979 Independent College Athletic Conference football standings
Conf Overall
Team W   L   T W   L   T
Ithaca $^ 2 – 0 – 0 11 – 2 – 0
Alfred 2 – 1 – 0 7 – 2 – 0
Hobart 2 – 1 – 0 4 – 5 – 0
St. Lawrence 1 – 3 – 0 3 – 6 – 0
RPI 0 – 2 – 0 3 – 4 – 1
  • $ – Conference champion
  • ^ – NCAA Division III playoff participant
1979 Iowa Conference football standings
Conf Overall
Team W   L   T W   L   T
Dubuque $^ 7 – 0 – 0 9 – 1 – 0
Buena Vista 6 – 1 – 0 7 – 2 – 0
Central (IA) 5 – 2 – 0 6 – 3 – 0
Wartburg 3 – 4 – 0 5 – 4 – 0
Luther 2 – 5 – 0 3 – 6 – 0
Simpson (IA) 2 – 5 – 0 3 – 6 – 0
William Penn 2 – 5 – 0 2 – 8 – 0
Upper Iowa 1 – 6 – 0 3 – 7 – 0
  • $ – Conference champion
  • ^ – NCAA Division III playoff participant
1979 Metropolitan Intercollegiate Conference football standings
Conf Overall
Team W   L   T W   L   T
Pace $ 5 – 0 – 0 7 – 1 – 1
St. John's 4 – 1 – 0 4 – 5 – 1
Iona 3 – 2 – 0 6 – 4 – 0
Marist 1 – 4 – 0 3 – 5 – 0
Saint Peter's 1 – 4 – 0 1 – 6 – 0
Brooklyn 1 – 4 – 0 1 – 8 – 0
  • $ – Conference champion
1979 Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association football standings
Conf Overall
Team W   L   T W   L   T
Hope $ 4 – 0 – 1 7 – 1 – 1
Adrian 3 – 1 – 1 6 – 2 – 1
Albion 3 – 2 – 0 4 – 5 – 0
Kalamazoo 2 – 3 – 0 5 – 3 – 0
Olivet 1 – 4 – 0 4 – 5 – 0
Alma 1 – 4 – 0 3 – 6 – 0
  • $ – Conference champion
1979 Middle Atlantic Conference football standings
Conf Overall
Team W   L   T W   L   T
Northern Division
Lycoming x 6 – 0 – 1 8 – 1 – 1
Upsala 5 – 1 – 1 8 – 1 – 1
Juniata 4 – 3 – 0 5 – 4 – 0
Wilkes 4 – 3 – 0 4 – 4 – 0
Delaware Valley 3 – 4 – 0 5 – 4 – 0
Albright 3 – 4 – 0 3 – 6 – 0
Susquehanna 2 – 5 – 0 2 – 7 – 0
Fairleigh Dickinson–Florham 0 – 7 – 0 0 – 10 – 0
Southern Division
Widener x^ 8 – 0 – 0 10 – 1 – 0
Franklin & Marshall 6 – 2 – 0 7 – 2 – 0
Western Maryland 6 – 2 – 0 7 – 2 – 0
Muhlenberg 4 – 3 – 1 5 – 3 – 1
Swarthmore 4 – 3 – 1 4 – 4 – 1
Johns Hopkins 4 – 4 – 0 5 – 4 – 0
Lebanon Valley 4 – 4 – 0 5 – 4 – 0
Gettysburg 4 – 4 – 0 5 – 6 – 0
Ursinus 2 – 6 – 0 3 – 6 – 0
Dickinson 1 – 7 – 0 1 – 8 – 0
Moravian 0 – 8 – 0 0 – 9 – 0
  • x – Division champion/co-champions
  • ^ – NCAA Division III playoff participant
1979 Midwest Conference football standings
Conf Overall
Team W   L   T W   L   T
Red Division
Lawrence xy$ 5 – 0 – 0 9 – 1 – 0
Cornell (IA) 4 – 1 – 0 7 – 2 – 0
Knox 2 – 3 – 0 4 – 4 – 0
Monmouth (IL) 2 – 3 – 0 3 – 5 – 0
Coe 1 – 4 – 0 4 – 5 – 0
Ripon 1 – 4 – 0 4 – 5 – 0
Blue Division
Carleton xy 4 – 0 – 0 4 – 5 – 0
Beloit 2 – 2 – 0 4 – 4 – 0
Lake Forest 2 – 2 – 0 3 – 5 – 0
Grinnell 1 – 3 – 0 2 – 6 – 0
Chicago 1 – 3 – 0 1 – 7 – 0
Championship: Lawrence 52, Carleton 7
  • $ – Conference champion
  • x – Division champion/co-champions
  • y – Championship game participant
1979 Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference football standings
Conf Overall
Team W   L   T W   L   T
No. 13 Saint John's (MN) + 6 – 2 – 0 7 – 2 – 0
St. Olaf + 6 – 2 – 0 7 – 3 – 0
No. 15 Concordia–Moorhead + 6 – 2 – 0 6 – 3 – 0
No. 17 St. Thomas (MN) + 6 – 2 – 0 6 – 3 – 0
Gustavus Adolphus 5 – 3 – 0 7 – 3 – 0
Hamline 3 – 5 – 0 5 – 5 – 0
Augsburg 3 – 5 – 0 4 – 6 – 0
Bethel (MN) 1 – 7 – 0 2 – 8 – 0
Macalester 0 – 8 – 0 0 – 8 – 0
  • + – Conference co-champions
Rankings from NAIA Division II poll
1979 New England Football Conference standings
Conf Overall
Team W   L   T W   L   T
New Haven $ 8 – 0 – 1 8 – 0 – 1
Framingham State 6 – 3 – 0 6 – 3 – 0
Nichols 6 – 3 – 0 6 – 3 – 0
Massachusetts Maritime 5 – 4 – 0 5 – 4 – 0
Boston State 4 – 5 – 0 4 – 5 – 0
Maine Maritime 4 – 5 – 0 4 – 5 – 0
Plymouth State 4 – 5 – 0 4 – 6 – 0
Bridgewater State 3 – 5 – 1 3 – 5 – 1
Curry 2 – 7 – 0 2 – 7 – 0
Western Connecticut State 1 – 8 – 0 1 – 8 – 0
  • $ – Conference champion
1979 New Jersey State Athletic Conference football standings
Conf Overall
Team W   L   T W   L   T
Montclair State $ 4 – 0 – 1 8 – 1 – 1
Trenton State 4 – 1 – 0 7 – 3 – 0
William Paterson 3 – 1 – 1 5 – 4 – 1
Glassboro State 2 – 3 – 0 2 – 8 – 0
Kean 1 – 4 – 0 4 – 5 – 1
Jersey City State 0 – 5 – 0 3 – 6 – 0
  • $ – Conference champion
1979 Northern Intercollegiate Conference football standings
Conf Overall
Team W   L   T W   L   T
Minnesota Duluth + 7 – 1 – 0 8 – 2 – 0
Moorhead State + 7 – 1 – 0 8 – 3 – 0
Minnesota Morris ^ 6 – 2 – 0 9 – 2 – 0
St. Cloud State 5 – 3 – 0 5 – 6 – 0
Mankato State 4 – 4 – 0 5 – 5 – 0
Michigan Tech 4 – 4 – 0 4 – 6 – 0
Southwest State (MN) 2 – 6 – 0 4 – 7 – 0
Bemidji State 1 – 7 – 0 1 – 8 – 1
Winona State 0 – 8 – 0 0 – 11 – 0
  • + – Conference co-champions
  • ^ – NCAA Division III playoff participant
1979 Ohio Athletic Conference football standings
Conf Overall
Team W   L   T W   L   T
Blue Division
Wittenberg xy$^ 5 – 0 – 0 11 – 1 – 0
Otterbein 4 – 1 – 0 6 – 3 – 0
Wooster 3 – 2 – 0 6 – 3 – 0
Capital 2 – 3 – 0 5 – 4 – 0
Muskingum 1 – 4 – 0 2 – 7 – 0
Marietta 0 – 5 – 0 2 – 7 – 0
Red Division
Baldwin–Wallace ^ 4 – 1 – 0 8 – 2 – 0
Denison xy 4 – 1 – 0 7 – 2 – 0
Mount Union 3 – 2 – 0 7 – 2 – 0
Ohio Northern 3 – 2 – 0 5 – 3 – 1
Ohio Wesleyan 1 – 4 – 0 1 – 8 – 0
Heidelberg 0 – 5 – 0 1 – 8 – 0
Not competing for championship
Oberlin   –   3 – 6 – 0
Kenyon   –   2 – 7 – 0
Championship: Wittenberg 56, Denison 6
  • $ – Conference champion
  • x – Division champion/co-champions
  • y – Championship game participant
  • ^ – NCAA Division III playoff participant
1979 Old Dominion Athletic Conference football standings
Conf Overall
Team W   L   T W   L   T
Randolph–Macon $ 4 – 0 – 0 5 – 5 – 0
Emory & Henry 2 – 2 – 0 4 – 6 – 0
Hampden–Sydney 2 – 2 – 0 4 – 6 – 0
Bridgewater 1 – 3 – 0 4 – 5 – 0
Washington and Lee 1 – 3 – 0 4 – 6 – 0
  • $ – Conference champion
1979 Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference football standings
Conf Overall
Team W   L   T W   L   T
East Division
Cheyney xy 4 – 1 – 0 9 – 2 – 0
Millersville x^ 4 – 1 – 0 8 – 2 – 0
East Stroudsburg 3 – 2 – 0 7 – 3 – 0
Kutztown 3 – 2 – 0 6 – 3 – 0
Bloomsburg 1 – 4 – 0 2 – 8 – 0
Mansfield 0 – 5 – 0 0 – 9 – 0
West Division
Lock Haven xy$ 6 – 0 – 0 9 – 2 – 0
Clarion 5 – 1 – 0 9 – 1 – 0
Indiana (PA) 3 – 3 – 0 7 – 3 – 0
Slippery Rock 2 – 4 – 0 3 – 6 – 0
Edinboro 2 – 4 – 0 4 – 6 – 0
Shippensburg 2 – 4 – 0 4 – 6 – 0
California (PA) 1 – 5 – 0 3 – 7 – 0
Championship: Lock Haven 48, Cheyney 14
  • $ – Conference champion
  • x – Division champion/co-champions
  • y – Championship game participant
  • ^ – NCAA Division III playoff participant
1979 Presidents' Athletic Conference football standings
Conf Overall
Team W   L   T W   L   T
Carnegie Mellon $^ 7 – 0 – 0 10 – 1 – 0
Bethany (WV) 5 – 2 – 0 6 – 2 – 0
Thiel 5 – 2 – 0 6 – 3 – 0
Allegheny 3 – 4 – 0 3 – 5 – 0
Hiram 3 – 4 – 0 3 – 5 – 0
John Carroll 3 – 4 – 0 3 – 6 – 0
Case Western Reserve 1 – 6 – 0 3 – 6 – 0
Washington & Jefferson 1 – 6 – 0 1 – 8 – 0
  • $ – Conference champion
  • ^ – NCAA Division III playoff participant
1979 Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference football standings
Conf Overall
Team W   L   T W   L   T
Claremont-Mudd $ 4 – 1 – 0 6 – 3 – 0
Whittier 3 – 2 – 0 5 – 4 – 0
Redlands 3 – 2 – 0 3 – 6 – 0
La Verne 2 – 3 – 0 4 – 5 – 0
Pomona-Pitzer 2 – 3 – 0 3 – 5 – 0
Occidental 1 – 4 – 0 2 – 6 – 1
  • $ – Conference champion
1979 Wisconsin State University Conference football standings
Conf Overall
Team W   L   T W   L   T
No. 4 Wisconsin–River Falls $^ 7 – 1 – 0 9 – 2 – 0
No. 20 Wisconsin–La Crosse 6 – 2 – 0 7 – 2 – 0
Wisconsin–Whitewater 6 – 2 – 0 7 – 4 – 0
Wisconsin–Stout 4 – 4 – 0 6 – 4 – 0
Wisconsin–Stevens Point 4 – 4 – 0 5 – 5 – 0
Wisconsin–Oshkosh 3 – 5 – 0 5 – 5 – 0
Wisconsin–Platteville 3 – 5 – 0 5 – 5 – 0
Wisconsin–Eau Claire 3 – 5 – 0 3 – 7 – 0
Wisconsin–Superior 0 – 8 – 0 1 – 10 – 0
  • $ – Conference champion
  • ^ – NAIA Division I playoff participant
    Wisconsin–Eau Claire forfeited two non-conference games.
Rankings from NAIA Division I poll
1979 NCAA Division III independents football records
Conf Overall
Team W   L   T W   L   T
Wabash   –   8 – 1 – 0
Norwich   –   8 – 2 – 0
Maryville (TN)   –   7 – 2 – 0
Dayton   –   8 – 2 – 1
UCF   –   6 – 2 – 0
Millsaps   –   7 – 3 – 0
Albany   –   6 – 3 – 0
Catholic University   –   6 – 3 – 0
Salisbury State   –   6 – 3 – 0
Georgetown   –   5 – 3 – 0
Hofstra   –   5 – 3 – 1
Frostburg State   –   6 – 4 – 0
Saint Mary's   –   6 – 4 – 0
Brockport   –   5 – 4 – 0
Canisius   –   5 – 4 – 0
Duquesne   –   5 – 4 – 0
Rochester (NY)   –   5 – 4 – 0
Wagner   –   5 – 5 – 0
San Diego   –   5 – 6 – 0
Buffalo   –   4 – 5 – 0
Colorado College   –   4 – 5 – 0
Union (NY)   –   3 – 5 – 0
Grove City   –   3 – 6 – 0
Saint Francis (PA)   –   2 – 6 – 0
DePauw   –   2 – 7 – 0
Cortland   –   1 – 9 – 0
St. Norbert   –   1 – 9 – 0
Fordham   –   0 – 9 – 0

Conference champions

Conference champions

Postseason

The 1979 NCAA Division III Football Championship playoffs were the seventh annual single-elimination tournament to determine the national champion of men's NCAA Division III college football. The championship game was held at Garrett-Harrison Stadium in Phenix City, Alabama for the seventh consecutive year. Like the previous four championships, eight teams competed in this edition.[2]

Playoff bracket

Quarterfinals
Campus Sites 		Semifinals
Campus Sites 		National Championship Game
Garrett-Harrison Stadium
Phenix City, AL
         
Wittenberg 21
Millersville 14
Wittenberg 17
Widener 14
Widener 29
Baldwin Wallace 8
Wittenberg 10
Ithaca 14
Carnegie Mellon 31
Minnesota–Morris 25
Carnegie Mellon 6
Ithaca 15
Ithaca 27
Dubuque 7

See also

References

  1. ^ "All-Time Division III Football Championship Records" (PDF). NCAA. NCAA.org. pp. 4–15. Retrieved November 1, 2014.
  2. ^ "1979 NCAA Division III National Football Championship Bracket" (PDF). NCAA. NCAA.org. p. 14. Retrieved November 1, 2014.