2008 NCAA Division III football season

2008 NCAA Division III football season
Regular seasonAugust – November 2008
PlayoffsNovember – December 2008
Salem Football Stadium
Salem, VA
ChampionMount Union (10)
Gagliardi TrophyGreg Micheli (QB), Mount Union
← 2007 · NCAA Division III football seasons · 2009 →

The 2008 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 2008, and concluded with the NCAA Division III Football Championship, also known as the Stagg Bowl, in December 2008 at Salem Football Stadium in Salem, Virginia. The Mount Union Purple Raiders won their tenth Division III championship by defeating the Wisconsin–Whitewater Warhawks, 31−26. This was the fourth of seven straight championship games between Mount Union (3 wins) and Wisconsin–Whitewater (4 wins).

The Gagliardi Trophy, given to the most outstanding player in Division III football, was awarded to Greg Micheli, quarterback from Mount Union.[1]

Program changes

  • After Tri-State University changed its name to Trine University in 2008, the Tri-State Thunder became the Trine Thunder at the start of the 2008 season.

Conference standings

2008 American Southwest Conference football standings
Conf Overall
Team   W   L     W   L  
No. 3 Mary Hardin–Baylor $^   8 – 0     12 – 2  
No. 7 Hardin–Simmons ^   7 – 1     9 – 2  
Louisiana College   5 – 3     7 – 3  
East Texas Baptist   5 – 3     5 – 5  
Mississippi College   5 – 3     5 – 5  
Texas Lutheran   3 – 5     4 – 6  
Sul Ross   2 – 6     3 – 7  
Howard Payne   1 – 7     2 – 8  
McMurry   0 – 8     0 – 10  
  • $ – Conference champion
  • ^ – NCAA Division III playoff participant
Rankings from D3football.com
2008 Atlantic Central Football Conference standings
Conf Overall
Team   W   L     W   L  
No. 13 Wesley $^   3 – 0     9 – 2  
No. 24 Salisbury   2 – 1     9 – 2  
Frostburg State   1 – 2     3 – 6  
Apprentice §   0 – 3     2 – 7  
  • $ – Conference champion
  • ^ – NCAA Division III playoff participant
  • § – Not an NCAA member
Rankings from D3football.com
2008 Centennial Conference football standings
Conf Overall
Team   W   L     W   L  
No. 25 Muhlenberg $^   7 – 1     9 – 2  
Johns Hopkins   6 – 2     8 – 3  
Moravian   6 – 2     8 – 3  
Dickinson   5 – 3     6 – 4  
Gettysburg   5 – 3     5 – 5  
Franklin & Marshall   3 – 5     4 – 6  
Ursinus   2 – 6     3 – 7  
McDaniel   1 – 7     2 – 8  
Juniata   1 – 7     1 – 9  
  • $ – Conference champion
  • ^ – NCAA Division III playoff participant
Rankings from D3football.com
2008 College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin football standings
Conf Overall
Team   W   L     W   L  
No. 5 North Central (IL) $^   7 – 0     11 – 1  
No. 9 Wheaton (IL) ^   5 – 2     11 – 3  
Augustana (IL)   5 – 2     7 – 3  
Elmhurst   4 – 3     7 – 3  
Illinois Wesleyan   3 – 4     6 – 4  
Carthage   3 – 4     5 – 5  
Millikin   1 – 6     3 – 7  
North Park   0 – 7     1 – 9  
  • $ – Conference champion
  • ^ – NCAA Division III playoff participant
Rankings from D3football.com
2008 Empire 8 Athletic Conference football standings
Conf Overall
Team   W   L     W   L  
No. 23 Ithaca $^   5 – 1     9 – 2  
Hartwick   4 – 2     7 – 3  
Alfred   4 – 2     7 – 4  
St. John Fisher   4 – 2     7 – 4  
Springfield   2 – 4     4 – 6  
Utica   2 – 4     3 – 7  
Norwich   0 – 6     2 – 8  
  • $ – Conference champion
  • ^ – NCAA Division III playoff participant
Rankings from D3football.com
2008 Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference football standings
Conf Overall
Team   W   L     W   L  
No. 8 Franklin (IN) $^   7 – 0     11 – 2  
Rose-Hulman   5 – 2     7 – 3  
Anderson (IN)   4 – 3     5 – 5  
Defiance   4 – 3     4 – 6  
Manchester   3 – 4     5 – 5  
Mount St. Joseph   3 – 4     5 – 5  
Hanover   2 – 5     2 – 7  
Bluffton   0 – 7     1 – 9  
  • $ – Conference champion
  • ^ – NCAA Division III playoff participant
Rankings from D3football.com
2008 Iowa Intercollegiate Athletic Conference football standings
Conf Overall
Team   W   L     W   L  
No. 10 Wartburg $^   7 – 1     10 – 3  
Buena Vista   6 – 2     7 – 3  
Simpson (IA)   5 – 3     7 – 3  
Loras   5 – 3     6 – 4  
Central (IA)   4 – 4     6 – 4  
Luther   4 – 4     5 – 5  
Coe   4 – 4     4 – 6  
Dubuque   1 – 7     2 – 8  
Cornell (IA)   0 – 8     0 – 10  
  • $ – Conference champion
  • ^ – NCAA Division III playoff participant
Rankings from D3football.com
2008 Liberty League football standings
Conf Overall
Team   W   L     W   L  
No. 17 Hobart $^   6 – 1     9 – 2  
RPI   5 – 2     8 – 2  
WPI   4 – 3     7 – 3  
Union (NY)   4 – 3     5 – 4  
Susquehanna   3 – 4     4 – 6  
Rochester (NY)   3 – 4     3 – 7  
Merchant Marine   2 – 5     3 – 7  
St. Lawrence   1 – 6     1 – 9  
  • $ – Conference champion
  • ^ – NCAA Division III playoff participant
Rankings from D3football.com
2008 Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association football standings
Conf Overall
Team   W   L     W   L  
No. 20 Trine $^   6 – 0     10 – 1  
Adrian   5 – 1     8 – 2  
Alma   3 – 3     5 – 5  
Albion   3 – 3     4 – 6  
Hope   3 – 3     3 – 7  
Kalamazoo   1 – 5     2 – 8  
Olivet   0 – 6     1 – 9  
  • $ – Conference champion
  • ^ – NCAA Division III playoff participant
Rankings from D3football.com
2008 Middle Atlantic Conference football standings
Conf Overall
Team   W   L     W   L  
Albright +   5 – 2     8 – 3  
Delaware Valley +   5 – 2     8 – 3  
Lycoming +^   5 – 2     7 – 4  
Lebanon Valley   4 – 3     6 – 4  
Wilkes   4 – 3     4 – 6  
Widener   2 – 5     4 – 6  
King's   2 – 5     3 – 7  
FDU Florham   1 – 6     3 – 7  
  • + – Conference co-champions
  • ^ – NCAA Division III playoff participant
Rankings from D3football.com
2008 Midwest Conference football standings
Conf Overall
Team   W   L     W   L  
No. 16 Monmouth (IL) $^   9 – 0     11 – 1  
Ripon   8 – 1     8 – 2  
St. Norbert   7 – 2     7 – 3  
Carroll (WI)   6 – 3     7 – 3  
Beloit   4 – 5     5 – 5  
Illinois College   4 – 5     4 – 6  
Lake Forest   3 – 6     3 – 7  
Grinnell   2 – 7     3 – 7  
Knox   2 – 7     3 – 7  
Lawrence   0 – 9     1 – 9  
  • $ – Conference champion
  • ^ – NCAA Division III playoff participant
Rankings from D3football.com
2008 Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference football standings
Conf Overall
Team   W   L     W   L  
Saint John's (MN) $^   6 – 2     8 – 3  
Carleton   5 – 3     7 – 3  
St. Thomas (MN)   5 – 3     7 – 3  
Concordia–Moorhead   5 – 3     6 – 4  
Gustavus Adolphus   4 – 4     6 – 4  
St. Olaf   4 – 4     6 – 4  
Bethel (MN)   4 – 4     5 – 5  
Augsburg   3 – 5     5 – 5  
Hamline   0 – 8     2 – 8  
  • $ – Conference champion
  • ^ – NCAA Division III playoff participant
2008 New England Football Conference standings
Conf Overall
Team   W   L     W   L  
Bogan Division
Bridgewater State x   6 – 1     7 – 3  
Maine Maritime xy   6 – 1     7 – 4  
Westfield State   4 – 3     6 – 4  
Fitchburg State   4 – 3     4 – 6  
Framingham State   3 – 4     5 – 5  
Coast Guard   3 – 4     3 – 6  
Worcester State   2 – 5     2 – 8  
Massachusetts Maritime   0 – 7     0 – 10  
Boyd Division
Plymouth State xy$^   7 – 0     10 – 2  
No. 22 Curry ^   6 – 1     10 – 2  
UMass Dartmouth   4 – 3     6 – 4  
MIT   3 – 4     5 – 5  
Salve Regina   3 – 4     4 – 5  
Western New England   3 – 4     3 – 7  
Endicott   2 – 5     3 – 7  
Nichols   0 – 7     2 – 8  
Championship: Plymouth State 46, Maine Maritime 16
  • $ – Conference champion
  • x – Division champion/co-champions
  • y – Championship game participant
  • ^ – NCAA Division III playoff participant
Rankings from D3football.com
2008 New England Small College Athletic Conference football standings
Conf Overall
Team   W   L     W   L  
Trinity (CT) $   8 – 0     8 – 0  
Williams   6 – 2     6 – 2  
Amherst   5 – 3     5 – 3  
Middlebury   5 – 3     5 – 3  
Bowdoin   4 – 4     4 – 4  
Tufts   4 – 4     4 – 4  
Colby   3 – 5     3 – 5  
Bates   2 – 6     2 – 6  
Hamilton   2 – 6     2 – 6  
Wesleyan   1 – 7     1 – 7  
  • $ – Conference champion
2008 New Jersey Athletic Conference football standings
Conf Overall
Team   W   L     W   L  
No. 6 Cortland $^   9 – 0     11 – 2  
Rowan   7 – 2     8 – 2  
Montclair State   7 – 2     8 – 3  
Brockport   6 – 3     7 – 4  
Kean   6 – 3     7 – 4  
TCNJ   4 – 5     4 – 6  
William Paterson   3 – 6     4 – 6  
Western Connecticut   2 – 7     2 – 8  
Buffalo State   1 – 8     1 – 9  
Morrisville State #   0 – 9     1 – 9  
  • $ – Conference champion
  • ^ – NCAA Division III playoff participant
  • # – Provisional NCAA Division III member
Rankings from D3football.com
2008 North Coast Athletic Conference football standings
Conf Overall
Team   W   L     W   L  
No. 18 Wabash $^   7 – 0     10 – 2  
Wooster   6 – 1     8 – 2  
Denison   4 – 3     6 – 4  
Wittenberg   4 – 3     6 – 4  
Allegheny   4 – 3     5 – 5  
Earlham   4 – 3     4 – 6  
Hiram   2 – 5     3 – 7  
Oberlin   2 – 5     2 – 8  
Ohio Wesleyan   2 – 5     2 – 8  
Kenyon   0 – 7     1 – 9  
  • $ – Conference champion
  • ^ – NCAA Division III playoff participant
Rankings from D3football.com
2008 Northern Athletics Conference football standings
Conf Overall
Team   W   L     W   L  
Aurora $^   7 – 0     9 – 2  
Concordia (WI)   5 – 2     5 – 5  
Lakeland   5 – 2     5 – 5  
Benedictine (IL)   4 – 3     4 – 6  
Wisconsin Lutheran   3 – 4     4 – 6  
Concordia (IL)   2 – 5     3 – 7  
Rockford   2 – 5     2 – 8  
Maranatha Baptist   0 – 7     0 – 10  
  • $ – Conference champion
  • ^ – NCAA Division III playoff participant
2008 Northwest Conference football standings
Conf Overall
Team   W   L     W   L  
No. 4 Willamette $^   6 – 0     11 – 1  
Linfield   5 – 1     6 – 3  
Whitworth   4 – 2     6 – 3  
Pacific Lutheran   3 – 3     3 – 6  
Menlo   2 – 4     3 – 7  
Puget Sound   1 – 5     3 – 6  
Lewis & Clark   0 – 6     1 – 8  
  • $ – Conference champion
  • ^ – NCAA Division III playoff participant
Rankings from D3football.com
2008 Ohio Athletic Conference football standings
Conf Overall
Team   W   L     W   L  
No. 1 Mount Union $^   9 – 0     15 – 0  
No. 19 Otterbein ^   8 – 1     9 – 2  
Baldwin–Wallace   5 – 4     5 – 5  
Ohio Northern   5 – 4     5 – 5  
Capital   4 – 5     5 – 5  
John Carroll   4 – 5     5 – 5  
Wilmington (OH)   4 – 5     4 – 6  
Heidelberg   3 – 6     4 – 6  
Muskingum   2 – 7     3 – 7  
Marietta   1 – 8     2 – 8  
  • $ – Conference champion
  • ^ – NCAA Division III playoff participant
Rankings from D3football.com
2008 Old Dominion Athletic Conference football standings
Conf Overall
Team   W   L     W   L  
Catholic University +   4 – 2     9 – 2  
Hampden–Sydney +   4 – 2     8 – 2  
Emory & Henry +   4 – 2     6 – 4  
Randolph–Macon +^   4 – 2     6 – 5  
Bridgewater   3 – 3     4 – 6  
Guilford   1 – 5     4 – 6  
Washington and Lee   1 – 5     4 – 6  
  • + – Conference co-champions
  • ^ – NCAA Division III playoff participant
2008 Presidents' Athletic Conference football standings
Conf Overall
Team   W   L     W   L  
Thomas More $^   6 – 0     8 – 3  
No. 11 Washington & Jefferson ^   5 – 1     11 – 2  
Grove City   3 – 3     6 – 4  
Westminster (PA)   3 – 3     5 – 5  
Waynesburg   2 – 4     5 – 5  
Bethany (WV)   1 – 5     3 – 7  
Thiel   1 – 5     2 – 8  
Geneva #   –     5 – 5  
St. Vincent #   –     1 – 9  
  • $ – Conference champion
  • ^ – NCAA Division III playoff participant
  • # – Provisional NCAA Divisional III member; games not counted in standings
Rankings from D3football.com
2008 St. Louis Intercollegiate Athletic Conference football standings
Conf Overall
Team   W   L     W   L  
LaGrange $^   7 – 0     9 – 2  
Huntingdon   6 – 1     8 – 2  
Greenville   5 – 2     6 – 4  
Westminster (MO)   4 – 3     4 – 5  
Eureka *   2 – 5     3 – 6  
Blackburn   2 – 5     3 – 7  
MacMurray *   1 – 6     1 – 9  
Principia   1 – 6     1 – 9  
  • $ – Conference champion
  • ^ – NCAA Division III playoff participant
  • * – MacMurray later forfeited a win over Eureka.
2008 Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference football standings
Conf Overall
Team   W   L     W   L  
No. 15 Occidental $^   6 – 0     9 – 1  
Cal Lutheran   5 – 1     7 – 2  
Redlands   4 – 2     7 – 2  
Claremont–Mudd–Scripps   3 – 3     4 – 5  
La Verne   2 – 4     2 – 7  
Pomona–Pitzer   1 – 5     2 – 7  
Whittier   0 – 6     1 – 8  
  • $ – Conference champion
  • ^ – NCAA Division III playoff participant
Rankings from D3football.com
2008 Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference football standings
Conf Overall
Team   W   L     W   L  
No. 12 Millsaps $^   7 – 0     11 – 1  
DePauw   5 – 2     8 – 2  
Trinity (TX)   5 – 2     8 – 2  
Centre   5 – 2     7 – 3  
Austin   3 – 4     5 – 5  
Rhodes   2 – 5     4 – 6  
Sewanee   1 – 6     2 – 8  
Colorado College   0 – 7     0 – 9  
Birmingham–Southern #   –     3 – 7  
  • $ – Conference champion
  • ^ – NCAA Division III playoff participant
  • # – Provisional Division III member; games not counted in standings
Rankings from D3football.com
2008 University Athletic Association football standings
Conf Overall
Team   W   L     W   L  
No. 21 Case Western Reserve $^   3 – 0     10 – 1  
Carnegie Mellon   1 – 2     5 – 5  
Washington University   1 – 2     5 – 5  
Chicago   1 – 2     3 – 6  
  • $ – Conference champion
  • ^ – Division III playoff participant
Rankings from D3football.com
2008 Upper Midwest Athletic Conference football standings
Conf Overall
Team   W   L     W   L  
Northwestern (MN) $   4 – 0     9 – 2  
Crown   3 – 1     5 – 4  
Martin Luther   2 – 2     7 – 3  
Minnesota–Morris   1 – 3     3 – 6  
St. Scholastica   0 – 4     1 – 7  
  • $ – Conference champion
2008 USA South Athletic Conference football standings
Conf Overall
Team   W   L     W   L  
Christopher Newport $^   7 – 0     8 – 2  
Ferrum   5 – 2     7 – 3  
North Carolina Wesleyan   5 – 2     6 – 4  
Averett   4 – 3     5 – 5  
Maryville (TN)   4 – 3     5 – 5  
Shenandoah   2 – 5     3 – 7  
Methodist   1 – 6     2 – 8  
Greensboro   0 – 7     2 – 8  
  • $ – Conference champion
  • ^ – NCAA Division III playoff participant
2008 Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference football standings
Conf Overall
Team   W   L     W   L  
No. 2 Wisconsin–Whitewater +^   6 – 1     13 – 2  
No. 14 Wisconsin–Stevens Point +^   6 – 1     9 – 2  
Wisconsin–Eau Claire   4 – 3     6 – 4  
Wisconsin–Stout   3 – 4     5 – 5  
Wisconsin–La Crosse   3 – 4     3 – 7  
Wisconsin–Oshkosh   2 – 5     4 – 5  
Wisconsin–Platteville   2 – 5     4 – 6  
Wisconsin–River Falls   2 – 5     3 – 7  
  • + – Conference co-champions
  • ^ – NCAA Division III playoff participant
Rankings from D3football.com
2008 NCAA Division III independents football records
Conf Overall
Team   W   L     W   L  
Husson   –     7 – 3  
Chapman   –     5 – 4  
SUNY Maritime   –     4 – 5  
Macalester   –     4 – 6  
Mount Ida   –     4 – 6  
Becker   –     2 – 7  
Gallaudet   –     2 – 8  

Conference champions

Conference champions

Postseason

The 2008 NCAA Division III Football Championship playoffs were the 36th 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 16th time.[2]

Qualification

Twenty-three conferences met the requirements for an automatic ("Pool A") bid to the playoffs. Besides the NESCAC, which does not participate in the playoffs, four conferences had no Pool A bid. The SLIAC was in the first year of the two-year waiting period, while the ACFC, UAA, and UMAC failed to meet the seven-member requirement. The NWC received a Pool A bid for the first time, having attained seven members and passed through the waiting period.

Schools not in Pool A conferences were eligible for Pool B. The number of Pool B bids was determined by calculating the ratio of Pool A conferences to schools in those conferences and applying that ratio to the number of Pool B schools. The 23 Pool A conferences contained 197 schools, an average of 8.6 teams per conference. Twenty-seven schools were in Pool B, enough for three bids.

The remaining six playoff spots were at-large ("Pool C") teams.

Playoff bracket

First Round
Campus Sites 		Second Round
Campus Sites 		Quarterfinals
Campus Sites 		Semifinals
Campus Sites 		National Championship Game
Salem Football Stadium
Salem, Virginia
Mount Union 56
Randolph–Macon 0 Mount Union 42
Hobart 33 Hobart 7
Lycoming 15 Mount Union 41
Cortland 31 Cortland 14
Plymouth State 14 Cortland 42
Curry 26 Curry 0
Ithaca 21 Mount Union 45
North Central (IL) 44 Wheaton (IL) 24
Thomas More 23 North Central (IL) 28
Franklin 62 Franklin 38
Otterbein 45 Franklin 28
Wabash 20 Wheaton (IL) 45
Case Western Reserve 17 Wabash 28
Wheaton (IL) 14 Wheaton (IL) 59
Trine 0 Mount Union 31
Willamette 48 Wisconsin–Whitewater 26
Occidental 33 Willamette 27
Wisconsin–Whitewater 37 Wisconsin–Whitewater 30
Saint John's 7 Wisconsin–Whitewater 34
Wartburg 26 Wartburg 17
Wisconsin–Stevens Point 21 Wartburg 30
Monmouth (IL) 42 Monmouth (IL) 28
Aurora 13 Wisconsin–Whitewater 39
Millsaps 51 Mary Hardin–Baylor 13
LaGrange 26 Washington & Jefferson 35
Washington & Jefferson 35 Millsaps 20
Christopher Newport 29 Washington & Jefferson 7
Wesley 20 Mary Hardin–Baylor 63
Muhlenberg 0 Wesley 14
Mary Hardin–Baylor 38 Mary Hardin–Baylor 46
Hardin–Simmons 35

* Overtime

See also

References

  1. ^ "All-Time Division III Football Championship Records" (PDF). NCAA. NCAA.org. pp. 4–15. Retrieved December 3, 2014.
  2. ^ "2008 NCAA Division III National Football Championship Bracket" (PDF). NCAA. NCAA.org. p. 15. Retrieved December 3, 2014.