1976 NCAA Division III football season
Regular seasonAugust – November 1976
PlayoffsNovember – December 1976
Garrett-Harrison Stadium
Phenix City, AL
ChampionSaint John's (MN)
← 1975 · NCAA Division III football seasons · 1977 →

The 1976 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 1976, and concluded with the NCAA Division III Football Championship in December 1976 at Garrett-Harrison Stadium in Phenix City, Alabama. The Saint John's Johnnies won their first Division III championship, defeating the Towson State Tigers by a final score of 31−28.[1]

Conference and program changes

Conference standings

1976 College Athletic Conference football standings
Conf Overall
Team W   L   T W   L   T
Sewanee $ 4 – 0 – 0 5 – 4 – 0
Centre 3 – 1 – 0 5 – 4 – 0
Rose–Hulman 1 – 3 – 0 5 – 5 – 0
Southwestern (TN) 1 – 3 – 0 4 – 5 – 0
Principia 1 – 3 – 0 2 – 6 – 0
  • $ – Conference champion
1976 College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin football standings
Conf Overall
Team W   L   T W   L   T
Carroll (WI) $^ 7 – 0 – 1 8 – 1 – 1
Augustana (IL) ^ 6 – 2 – 0 7 – 3 – 0
No. 13 Illinois Wesleyan 5 – 3 – 0 6 – 3 – 0
Wheaton (IL) 5 – 3 – 0 6 – 3 – 0
North Central (IL) 4 – 3 – 1 5 – 3 – 1
Millikin 4 – 4 – 0 4 – 5 – 0
Carthage 3 – 5 – 0 3 – 6 – 0
Elmhurst 1 – 7 – 0 2 – 7 – 0
North Park 0 – 8 – 0 1 – 8 – 0
  • $ – Conference champion
  • ^ – NCAA Division III playoff participant
1976 Independent College Athletic Conference football standings
Conf Overall
Team W   L   T W   L   T
Alfred $ 3 – 0 – 1 4 – 2 – 2
St. Lawrence ^ 4 – 1 – 0 9 – 2 – 0
Ithaca 2 – 1 – 1 6 – 2 – 1
Hobart 2 – 3 – 0 5 – 4 – 0
RPI 1 – 2 – 0 4 – 5 – 0
RIT 0 – 5 – 0 3 – 6 – 0
  • $ – Conference champion
  • ^ – NCAA Division III playoff participant
1976 Indiana Collegiate Conference football standings
Conf Overall
Team W   L   T W   L   T
Saint Joseph's (IN) + 4 – 1 – 0 6 – 3 – 0
Evansville + 4 – 1 – 0 4 – 6 – 0
Indiana Central 3 – 2 – 0 6 – 4 – 0
Butler 2 – 3 – 0 6 – 4 – 0
Valparaiso 2 – 3 – 0 2 – 7 – 1
DePauw 0 – 5 – 0 2 – 8 – 0
  • + – Conference co-champions
1976 Iowa Conference football standings
Conf Overall
Team W   L   T W   L   T
William Penn $ 6 – 1 – 0 8 – 2 – 0
Buena Vista 5 – 1 – 1 7 – 1 – 1
Central (IA) 5 – 2 – 0 7 – 2 – 0
Luther 4 – 3 – 0 4 – 5 – 0
Wartburg 3 – 3 – 1 4 – 4 – 1
Simpson 3 – 4 – 0 4 – 5 – 0
Dubuque 1 – 6 – 0 1 – 9 – 0
Upper Iowa 0 – 7 – 0 2 – 8 – 0
  • $ – Conference champion
1976 Metropolitan Intercollegiate Conference football standings
Conf Overall
Team W   L   T W   L   T
C. W. Post $ 3 – 0 – 0 8 – 2 – 0
Merchant Marine 4 – 1 – 0 8 – 1 – 0
Hofstra 2 – 3 – 0 4 – 4 – 0
Seton Hall 1 – 2 – 1 3 – 5 – 2
Fordham 1 – 2 – 1 5 – 3 – 1
Wagner 1 – 4 – 0 2 – 7 – 1
  • $ – Conference champion
1976 Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association football standings
Conf Overall
Team W   L   T W   L   T
Albion $ 5 – 0 – 0 9 – 0 – 0
Hope 4 – 1 – 0 6 – 3 – 0
Alma 3 – 2 – 0 5 – 4 – 0
Kalamazoo 2 – 3 – 0 3 – 4 – 1
Adrian 1 – 4 – 0 3 – 6 – 0
Olivet 0 – 5 – 0 0 – 9 – 0
  • $ – Conference champion
1976 Middle Atlantic Conference football standings
Conf Overall
Team W   L   T W   L   T
Northern
Albright x^ 6 – 0 – 0 8 – 2 – 0
Lycoming 5 – 1 – 0 8 – 1 – 0
Juniata 3 – 3 – 0 6 – 3 – 0
Upsala 3 – 3 – 0 6 – 3 – 0
Wilkes 2 – 4 – 0 3 – 5 – 0
Susquehanna 2 – 4 – 0 3 – 6 – 0
Delaware Valley 0 – 6 – 0 0 – 8 – 0
Southern
Franklin & Marshall x 8 – 1 – 0 8 – 1 – 0
Widener 6 – 1 – 0 8 – 1 – 0
Moravian 6 – 2 – 0 7 – 2 – 0
Muhlenberg 5 – 3 – 1 5 – 3 – 1
Western Maryland 3 – 3 – 1 4 – 4 – 1
Dickinson 4 – 5 – 0 4 – 5 – 0
Lebanon Valley 3 – 5 – 0 3 – 6 – 0
Johns Hopkins 2 – 4 – 1 3 – 5 – 1
Swarthmore 1 – 5 – 1 1 – 7 – 1
Ursinus 0 – 9 – 0 0 – 9 – 0
Gettysburg * 1 – 1 – 0 3 – 7 – 0
  • x – Division champion/co-champions
  • ^ – NCAA Division III playoff participant
  • * – Ineligible due to insufficient conference games
1976 Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference football standings
Conf Overall
Team W   L   T W   L   T
Saint John's (MN) $^ 7 – 0 – 0 10 – 0 – 1
St. Olaf 5 – 2 – 0 7 – 3 – 0
St. Thomas (MN) 5 – 2 – 0 7 – 3 – 0
Concordia–Moorhead 5 – 2 – 0 6 – 3 – 0
Gustavus Adolphus 3 – 4 – 0 5 – 5 – 0
Hamline 2 – 5 – 0 4 – 5 – 0
Augsburg 1 – 6 – 0 1 – 8 – 0
Macalester 0 – 7 – 0 0 – 8 – 0
  • $ – Conference champion
  • ^ – NCAA Division III playoff participant
  • St. Thomas (MN) received a non-conference forfeit win from St. Cloud State.
1976 New England Football Conference standings
Conf Overall
Team W   L   T W   L   T
Nichols $ 7 – 1 – 0 8 – 1 – 0
Bridgewater State 5 – 3 – 0 6 – 3 – 0
Massachusetts Maritime 5 – 3 – 0 5 – 3 – 0
Plymouth State 5 – 3 – 0 5 – 4 – 0
Curry 4 – 4 – 0 5 – 4 – 0
Framingham State 4 – 4 – 0 5 – 4 – 0
Maine Maritime 4 – 4 – 0 4 – 4 – 0
New Haven 1 – 7 – 0 1 – 7 – 0
Boston State 1 – 7 – 0 1 – 7 – 0
  • $ – Conference champion
1976 New Jersey State Athletic Conference football standings
Conf Overall
Team W   L   T W   L   T
Glassboro State $ 4 – 1 – 0 5 – 5 – 0
Montclair State 4 – 1 – 0 4 – 5 – 1
Kean 2 – 2 – 1 5 – 4 – 1
Trenton State 2 – 2 – 1 3 – 4 – 1
William Paterson 2 – 3 – 0 4 – 4 – 0
Jersey City State 0 – 5 – 0 1 – 8 – 0
  • $ – Conference champion
1976 Ohio Athletic Conference football standings
Conf Overall
Team W   L   T W   L   T
Blue Division
Baldwin–Wallace xy 5 – 0 – 0 7 – 2 – 0
Otterbein 4 – 1 – 0 6 – 2 – 1
Marietta 3 – 2 – 0 5 – 4 – 0
Ohio Wesleyan 2 – 3 – 0 3 – 5 – 0
Mount Union 1 – 4 – 0 3 – 6 – 0
Denison 0 – 5 – 0 1 – 7 – 1
Red Division
Wittenberg xy$ 5 – 0 – 0 8 – 2 – 0
Ohio Northern 4 – 1 – 0 7 – 2 – 0
Muskingum 3 – 2 – 0 6 – 3 – 0
Capital 2 – 3 – 0 5 – 3 – 1
Wooster 1 – 4 – 0 4 – 5 – 0
Heidelberg 0 – 5 – 0 0 – 8 – 0
Not competing for championship
Kenyon   –   6 – 3 – 0
Oberlin   –   1 – 6 – 0
Championship: Wittenberg 16, Baldwin–Wallace 14
  • $ – Conference champion
  • x – Division champion/co-champions
  • y – Championship game participant
1976 Old Dominion Athletic Conference football standings
Conf Overall
Team W   L   T W   L   T
Randolph–Macon $ 3 – 1 – 0 5 – 3 – 1
Hampden–Sydney 3 – 1 – 0 7 – 4 – 0
Washington and Lee 2 – 2 – 0 5 – 5 – 0
Emory & Henry 2 – 2 – 0 4 – 6 – 0
Bridgewater 0 – 4 – 0 1 – 8 – 0
  • $ – Conference champion
  • Randolph–Macon was voted champion by conference coaches on November 23.
1976 Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference football standings
Conf Overall
Team W   L   T W   L   T
East Division
East Stroudsburg xy+ 6 – 0 – 0 9 – 0 – 1
West Chester 4 – 1 – 0 5 – 4 – 0
Millersville 4 – 2 – 0 6 – 3 – 0
Kutztown 3 – 3 – 0 5 – 5 – 0
Bloomsburg 2 – 4 – 0 2 – 7 – 0
Cheyney 1 – 5 – 0 1 – 7 – 0
Mansfield 0 – 5 – 0 2 – 7 – 1
West Division
Shippensburg xy+ 5 – 1 – 0 8 – 2 – 1
Slippery Rock x 5 – 1 – 0 7 – 3 – 0
Edinboro 4 – 2 – 0 6 – 4 – 0
Clarion 3 – 3 – 0 7 – 3 – 0
Indiana (PA) 3 – 3 – 0 4 – 5 – 0
California (PA) 1 – 5 – 0 2 – 7 – 0
Lock Haven 0 – 6 – 0 2 – 8 – 0
Championship: East Stroudsburg 14, Shippensburg 14
  • + – Conference co-champions
  • x – Division champion/co-champions
  • y – Championship game participant
1976 Presidents' Athletic Conference football standings
Conf Overall
Team W   L   T W   L   T
Allegheny $ 6 – 1 – 0 6 – 2 – 0
Carnegie Mellon 5 – 1 – 1 6 – 1 – 1
Washington & Jefferson 5 – 2 – 0 6 – 3 – 0
Bethany (WV) 4 – 3 – 0 4 – 5 – 0
Case Western Reserve 2 – 5 – 0 3 – 6 – 0
Hiram 2 – 5 – 0 3 – 6 – 0
John Carroll 2 – 5 – 0 3 – 6 – 0
Thiel 1 – 5 – 1 1 – 6 – 1
  • $ – Conference champion
1976 Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference football standings
Conf Overall
Team W   L   T W   L   T
No. 2 Redlands $^ 5 – 0 – 0 10 – 2 – 0
Occidental 3 – 2 – 0 5 – 3 – 0
La Verne 3 – 2 – 0 5 – 4 – 0
Whittier 2 – 3 – 0 6 – 4 – 0
Claremont-Mudd 2 – 3 – 0 2 – 6 – 0
Pomona-Pitzer 0 – 5 – 0 2 – 7 – 0
  • $ – Conference champion
  • ^ – NAIA Division II playoff participant
Rankings from NAIA Division II poll
1976 Wisconsin State University Conference football standings
Conf Overall
Team W   L   T W   L   T
No. 15 Wisconsin–Oshkosh + 6 – 2 – 0 8 – 2 – 0
No. 13 Wisconsin–Platteville + 6 – 2 – 0 8 – 2 – 0
Wisconsin–River Falls + 6 – 2 – 0 7 – 3 – 0
Wisconsin–La Crosse 5 – 3 – 0 7 – 3 – 0
Wisconsin–Stevens Point 5 – 3 – 0 7 – 3 – 0
Wisconsin–Eau Claire 4 – 4 – 0 5 – 5 – 0
Wisconsin–Stout 2 – 6 – 0 3 – 6 – 0
Wisconsin–Whitewater 2 – 6 – 0 2 – 9 – 0
Wisconsin–Superior 0 – 8 – 0 0 – 10 – 0
  • + – Conference co-champions
Rankings from NAIA Division I poll
1976 NCAA Division III independents football records
Conf Overall
Team W   L   T W   L   T
Colorado College   –   7 – 1 – 1
Maryville (TN)   –   7 – 2 – 0
Millsaps   –   7 – 2 – 0
Saint Peter's   –   5 – 2 – 0
Wabash   –   7 – 3 – 0
Canisius   –   6 – 3 – 0
Grove City   –   6 – 3 – 0
Norwich   –   6 – 3 – 0
Rochester (NY)   –   4 – 4 – 1
Albany   –   4 – 5 – 0
Cortland   –   4 – 5 – 0
Brockport   –   3 – 5 – 1
Dayton   –   4 – 7 – 0
Saint Mary's   –   3 – 6 – 0
San Diego   –   1 – 7 – 1
Fairleigh Dickinson–Florham   –   1 – 6 – 0
Bowie State   –   1 – 6 – 0
Georgetown   –   1 – 7 – 0

Conference champions

Conference champions

Postseason

The 1976 NCAA Division III Football Championship playoffs were the fourth 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 fourth consecutive year. Like the previous championship, eight teams competed in this edition.[2]

Playoff bracket

Quarterfinals
Campus Sites 		Semifinals
Campus Sites 		National Championship Game
Garrett-Harrison Stadium
Phenix City, AL
         
Saint John's (MN) 46
Augustana (IL) 7
St. John's (MN) 61
Buena Vista 0
Buena Vista (OT) 20
Carroll (WI) 14
St. John's (MN) 31
Towson State 28
St. Lawrence 26
Albright 7
St. Lawrence 36
Towson State 38
Towson State 14
C.W. Post 10

See also

References

  1. ^ "All-Time Division III Football Championship Records" (PDF). NCAA. NCAA.org. pp. 4–15. Retrieved October 31, 2014.
  2. ^ "1976 NCAA Division III National Football Championship Bracket" (PDF). NCAA. NCAA.org. p. 14. Retrieved October 31, 2014.
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