1973 NCAA Division II football season

1973 NCAA Division II football season
Regular season	September – November 1973
Playoffs	December 1–15
National Championship	Camellia Bowl Hughes Stadium Sacramento, California
Champion	Louisiana Tech

The 1973 NCAA Division II football season, part of college football in the United States organized by the National Collegiate Athletic Association at the Division II level. The season began in September and concluded with the Division II Championship on December 15 at Hughes Stadium in Sacramento, California. This was the first season for Division II (and Division III) football, which were formerly in the College Division in 1972 and prior.

Louisiana Tech won their first Division II championship, defeating Western Kentucky 34–0 in the Camellia Bowl championship game.

Conference realignment

Membership changes

School	1972 Conference	1973 Conference
Akron	Independent	D-II Independent
Eastern Michigan	Independent	D-II Independent
Illinois State	Independent	D-II Independent
Nevada–Reno	Independent	D-II Independent

Conference standings

1973 Big Sky Conference football standings Conf Overall Team W   L   T W   L   T No. 5 Boise State $^ 6 – 0 – 0 10 – 3 – 0 Montana State 5 – 1 – 0 7 – 4 – 0 Idaho 3 – 2 – 0 4 – 7 – 0 Northern Arizona 2 – 3 – 0 4 – 6 – 0 Montana 2 – 4 – 0 4 – 6 – 0 Weber State 2 – 4 – 0 3 – 8 – 0 Idaho State 0 – 6 – 0 2 – 9 – 0 $ – Conference champion ^ – NCAA Division II playoff participant Rankings from AP small college poll	1973 California Collegiate Athletic Association football standings Conf Overall Team W   L   T W   L   T No. 8/9 Cal Poly $ 4 – 0 – 0 9 – 1 – 0 UC Riverside 3 – 1 – 0 8 – 2 – 0 Cal State Fullerton 1 – 3 – 0 7 – 4 – 0 Cal Poly Pomona 1 – 3 – 0 4 – 6 – 1 Cal State Northridge 1 – 3 – 0 2 – 9 – 0 $ – Conference champion Rankings from AP/UPI small college polls	1973 Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association football standings Conf Overall Team W   L   T W   L   T Virginia Union $ 9 – 0 – 0 9 – 1 – 0 Livingstone 5 – 2 – 0 7 – 2 – 1 Norfolk State 5 – 3 – 0 5 – 5 – 0 Johnson C. Smith 3 – 2 – 0 7 – 4 – 0 Virginia State 3 – 2 – 0 5 – 5 – 0 Elizabeth City State 4 – 4 – 1 4 – 5 – 1 Fayetteville State 4 – 4 – 0 5 – 5 – 0 Winston-Salem State 2 – 5 – 1 3 – 7 – 1 Hampton 1 – 5 – 1 1 – 7 – 2 Shaw 1 – 5 – 1 1 – 6 – 1 Saint Paul's (VA) 1 – 6 – 0 1 – 9 – 0 $ – Conference champion
1973 Eastern Football Conference football standings Conf Overall Team W   L   T W   L   T Central Connecticut State $ 3 – 0 – 0 9 – 1 – 0 Southern Connecticut State 2 – 1 – 0 6 – 4 – 0 Montclair State 1 – 2 – 0 6 – 4 – 0 Glassboro State 0 – 3 – 0 4 – 6 – 0 $ – Conference champion	1973 Far Western Conference football standings Conf Overall Team W   L   T W   L   T UC Davis + 4 – 1 – 0 7 – 3 – 0 Chico State + 4 – 1 – 0 7 – 3 – 0 San Francisco State 3 – 2 – 0 7 – 2 – 1 Cal State Hayward 3 – 2 – 0 3 – 7 – 0 Humboldt State 1 – 4 – 0 2 – 6 – 2 Sacramento State 0 – 5 – 0 1 – 9 – 0 + – Conference co-champions	1973 Gulf South Conference football standings Conf Overall Team W   L   T W   L   T No. T–17 Troy State $ 6 – 1 – 0 7 – 2 – 1 No. 4 Jacksonville State 5 – 2 – 0 7 – 2 – 0 Delta State 6 – 3 – 0 8 – 3 – 0 Livingston 4 – 3 – 1 6 – 3 – 1 Northwestern State 3 – 4 – 0 5 – 6 – 0 Mississippi College 3 – 4 – 0 4 – 6 – 0 Southeastern Louisiana 3 – 4 – 0 4 – 6 – 0 Florence State 3 – 6 – 0 4 – 6 – 0 Nicholls State 2 – 7 – 0 2 – 9 – 0 Tennessee–Martin 1 – 5 – 1 2 – 8 – 1 $ – Conference champion Rankings from NAIA Division I poll
1973 Indiana Collegiate Conference football standings Conf Overall Team W   L   T W   L   T Butler $ 5 – 1 – 0 5 – 5 – 0 DePauw 4 – 2 – 0 6 – 3 – 0 Evansville 3 – 2 – 0 5 – 5 – 0 Indiana Central 3 – 3 – 0 7 – 3 – 0 Valparaiso 3 – 3 – 0 6 – 5 – 0 Saint Joseph's (IN) 1 – 4 – 0 3 – 7 – 0 Wabash 0 – 4 – 0 5 – 5 – 0 $ – Conference champion	1973 Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference football standings Conf Overall Team W   L   T W   L   T North Carolina Central $ 5 – 1 – 0 7 – 4 – 0 South Carolina State 4 – 1 – 1 7 – 3 – 1 Howard 4 – 2 – 0 8 – 2 – 0 Morgan State 4 – 2 – 0 6 – 3 – 0 Maryland Eastern Shore 2 – 4 – 0 4 – 5 – 0 North Carolina A&T 1 – 4 – 1 4 – 6 – 1 Delaware State 0 – 6 – 0 0 – 11 – 0 $ – Conference champion	1973 Missouri Intercollegiate Athletic Association football standings Conf Overall Team W   L   T W   L   T SE Missouri State $ 5 – 1 – 0 6 – 4 – 0 NW Missouri State 4 – 2 – 0 6 – 4 – 0 Lincoln (MO) 3 – 3 – 0 5 – 6 – 0 SW Missouri State 3 – 3 – 0 3 – 7 – 0 Missouri–Rolla 2 – 3 – 1 3 – 6 – 2 NE Missouri State 2 – 3 – 1 2 – 7 – 2 Central Missouri State 1 – 5 – 0 2 – 8 – 0 $ – Conference champion
1973 North Central Conference football standings Conf Overall Team W   L   T W   L   T North Dakota State + 6 – 1 – 0 8 – 2 – 0 South Dakota +^ 6 – 1 – 0 8 – 3 – 0 Mankato State 4 – 3 – 0 7 – 4 – 0 North Dakota 4 – 3 – 0 6 – 4 – 0 Augustana (SD) 3 – 3 – 1 6 – 3 – 1 South Dakota State 2 – 4 – 1 5 – 5 – 1 Northern Iowa 2 – 5 – 0 5 – 5 – 0 Morningside 0 – 7 – 0 0 – 9 – 0 + – Conference co-champions ^ – NCAA Division II playoff participant	1973 Northern Intercollegiate Conference football standings Conf Overall Team W   L   T W   L   T Moorhead State $ 5 – 1 – 0 7 – 3 – 0 Michigan Tech 4 – 2 – 0 5 – 4 – 1 St. Cloud State 4 – 2 – 0 4 – 6 – 0 Bemidji State 2 – 4 – 0 5 – 4 – 0 Southwest State (MN) 2 – 4 – 0 4 – 6 – 0 Minnesota Morris 2 – 4 – 0 3 – 6 – 0 Winona State 2 – 4 – 0 3 – 7 – 0 $ – Conference champion	1973 Ohio Valley Conference football standings Conf Overall Team W   L   T W   L   T No. 3 Western Kentucky $^ 7 – 0 – 0 12 – 1 – 0 Murray State 5 – 2 – 0 7 – 3 – 0 Eastern Kentucky 4 – 3 – 0 7 – 4 – 0 Morehead State 4 – 3 – 0 6 – 5 – 0 East Tennessee State 3 – 4 – 0 4 – 7 – 0 Middle Tennessee 3 – 4 – 0 4 – 7 – 0 Tennessee Tech 1 – 6 – 0 2 – 8 – 1 Austin Peay 1 – 6 – 0 2 – 8 – 0 $ – Conference champion ^ – NCAA Division II playoff participant Rankings from AP small college poll
1973 Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference football standings Conf Overall Team W   L   T W   L   T East Division West Chester xy 4 – 0 – 0 5 – 5 – 0 East Stroudsburg 5 – 1 – 0 6 – 1 – 1 Millersville 4 – 2 – 0 7 – 2 – 0 Cheyney 3 – 2 – 0 5 – 4 – 0 Bloomsburg 2 – 4 – 0 4 – 5 – 0 Kutztown 1 – 5 – 0 2 – 7 – 0 Mansfield 0 – 5 – 0 1 – 7 – 0 West Division No. T–20 Slippery Rock xy$ 5 – 0 – 0 8 – 2 – 0 Clarion 3 – 2 – 0 5 – 4 – 0 Edinboro 3 – 2 – 0 4 – 4 – 1 Lock Haven 2 – 3 – 0 2 – 7 – 0 California (PA) 1 – 4 – 0 3 – 6 – 0 Shippensburg 1 – 4 – 0 2 – 7 – 0 Indiana (PA) * 0 – 0 – 0 4 – 5 – 0 Championship: Slippery Rock 28, West Chester 14 $ – Conference champion x – Division champion/co-champions y – Championship game participant * – Ineligible for conference title Rankings from NAIA Division I poll	1973 Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference football standings Conf Overall Team W   L   T W   L   T Division I Bethune–Cookman x 5 – 0 – 0 9 – 2 – 0 Florida A&M 4 – 1 – 0 5 – 6 – 0 No. 16 Albany State 3 – 2 – 0 6 – 3 – 1 Alabama A&M 3 – 2 – 0 5 – 5 – 0 Tuskegee 2 – 3 – 0 7 – 4 – 0 Morris Brown 1 – 4 – 0 1 – 8 – 1 Alabama State 0 – 5 – 0 3 – 8 – 0 Division II No. 7 Fisk x 5 – 0 – 0 9 – 0 – 0 Fort Valley State 4 – 1 – 0 7 – 1 – 1 Clark (GA) 4 – 1 – 0 4 – 3 – 1 Morehouse 3 – 2 – 0 4 – 3 – 1 Savannah State 2 – 3 – 0 3 – 6 – 0 Lane 1 – 4 – 0 3 – 6 – 0 Miles 1 – 4 – 0 1 – 8 – 0 Knoxville 0 – 5 – 0 0 – 8 – 0 x – Division champion/co-champions Rankings from NAIA Division II poll	1973 Southland Conference football standings Conf Overall Team W   L   T W   L   T No. 2 Louisiana Tech $^ 5 – 0 – 0 12 – 1 – 0 Arkansas State 3 – 2 – 0 7 – 3 – 0 Lamar 3 – 2 – 0 5 – 5 – 0 McNeese State 2 – 3 – 0 7 – 3 – 1 UT Arlington 2 – 3 – 0 4 – 6 – 0 SW Louisiana 0 – 5 – 0 0 – 10 – 0 $ – Conference champion ^ – NCAA Division II playoff participant Rankings from AP small college poll
1973 Southwestern Athletic Conference football standings Conf Overall Team W   L   T W   L   T No. 5/7 Grambling +^ 5 – 1 – 0 10 – 3 – 0 No. 10 Jackson State + 5 – 1 – 0 9 – 2 – 0 No. T–20 Alcorn A&M 3 – 2 – 1 7 – 2 – 1 Southern 3 – 3 – 0 6 – 4 – 0 Texas Southern 2 – 3 – 1 5 – 5 – 1 Mississippi Valley State 2 – 4 – 0 3 – 5 – 0 Prairie View A&M 0 – 6 – 0 2 – 6 – 1 + – Conference co-champions ^ – NCAA Division II playoff participant Rankings from NAIA Division I poll and AP small college poll	1973 West Virginia Intercollegiate Athletic Conference football standings Conf Overall Team W   L   T W   L   T Northern Division Fairmont State xy$ 3 – 0 – 0 6 – 3 – 1 West Liberty State 2 – 1 – 1 3 – 5 – 1 Salem 2 – 2 – 0 6 – 4 – 0 Shepherd 1 – 2 – 0 6 – 4 – 0 West Virginia Wesleyan 0 – 3 – 1 2 – 6 – 1 Southern Division No. 2 Glenville State xy^ 4 – 0 – 0 10 – 2 – 0 Bluefield State 3 – 1 – 0 4 – 5 – 0 West Virginia State 2 – 2 – 0 5 – 5 – 0 West Virginia Tech 1 – 3 – 0 4 – 5 – 0 Concord 0 – 4 – 0 0 – 9 – 0 Championship: Fairmont State 21, Glenville State 7 $ – Conference champion x – Division champion/co-champions y – Championship game participant ^ – NAIA Division II playoff participant Conference standings based on power ratings Rankings from NAIA Division II poll	1973 Yankee Conference football standings Conf Overall Team W   L   T W   L   T Connecticut $ 5 – 0 – 1 8 – 2 – 1 Rhode Island 4 – 1 – 1 6 – 2 – 2 UMass 4 – 2 – 0 6 – 5 – 0 New Hampshire 2 – 3 – 0 4 – 5 – 0 Boston University 2 – 3 – 0 3 – 7 – 0 Maine 2 – 4 – 0 3 – 7 – 0 Vermont 1 – 5 – 0 3 – 6 – 0 $ – Conference champion
1973 NCAA Division II independents football records Conf Overall Team W   L   T W   L   T No. 1 Tennessee State   –   10 – 0 – 0 No. 9 Hawaii   –   9 – 2 – 0 Nebraska–Omaha   –   7 – 2 – 1 Trinity (TX)   –   8 – 3 – 0 UNLV   –   8 – 3 – 0 No. 13 Delaware ^   –   8 – 4 – 0 Western Carolina   –   6 – 3 – 1 Central Michigan   –   7 – 4 – 0 Nevada   –   7 – 4 – 0 Western Illinois   –   7 – 4 – 0 Milwaukee   –   6 – 4 – 1 Eastern Michigan   –   6 – 4 – 0 American International   –   5 – 4 – 0 Akron   –   6 – 5 – 0 Central State (OH)   –   6 – 5 – 0 Wayne State (MI)   –   5 – 5 – 0 Drexel   –   4 – 4 – 0 Bucknell   –   3 – 4 – 2 Northeast Louisiana   –   3 – 5 – 2 Santa Clara   –   4 – 6 – 0 Youngstown State   –   4 – 6 – 0 Arkansas–Pine Bluff   –   3 – 5 – 1 Chattanooga   –   4 – 7 – 0 Indiana State   –   4 – 7 – 0 Northeastern   –   3 – 6 – 0 Kentucky State   –   3 – 8 – 0 Northern Michigan   –   2 – 7 – 1 Eastern Illinois   –   2 – 9 – 0 Portland State   –   1 – 10 – 0 ^ – NCAA Division II playoff participant Rankings from AP small college poll

Conference summaries

See also: List of NCAA Division II football seasons

Conference	Champion
Big Sky Conference	Boise State
California Collegiate Athletic Association	Cal Poly
Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association	Virginia Union
Eastern Football Conference	Central Connecticut State
Far Western Football Conference	UC Davis and Cal State Chico
Gulf South Conference	Troy State
Indiana Collegiate Conference	Butler
Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference	North Carolina Central
Missouri Intercollegiate Athletic Association	Southeast Missouri State
North Central Conference	North Dakota State and South Dakota
Ohio Valley Conference	Western Kentucky
Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference	Bethune-Cookman
Southland Conference	Louisiana Tech
Southwestern Athletic Conference	Grambling and Jackson State
Yankee Conference	Connecticut

Postseason

1973 NCAA Division II Football Championship
Teams	8
Finals Site	Hughes Stadium Sacramento, California
Champion	Louisiana Tech (1st title, 1st title game)
Runner-up	Western Kentucky (1st title game)
Semifinalists	Grambling Boise State
Winning coach	Maxie Lambright 1st championship

The 1973 NCAA Division II Football Championship playoffs were the first single-elimination tournament to determine the national champion of men's NCAA Division II college football. The inaugural edition had only eight teams; of the four quarterfinal games, three were played on campus and a fourth was in Atlantic City, New Jersey, the final edition of the Boardwalk Bowl. The semifinals were held at the Grantland Rice Bowl in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, and the Pioneer Bowl in Wichita Falls, Texas.

The championship game was the Camellia Bowl, held at Hughes Stadium in Sacramento, California. The Louisiana Tech Bulldogs defeated the Western Kentucky Hilltoppers 34–0 to win their first national title.

Playoff bracket

	First round Atlantic City, NJ & 3 campus sites December 1					Semifinals Grantland Rice Bowl Pioneer Bowl December 8					Championship Camellia Bowl Hughes Stadium Sacramento, CA December 15
	Grambling		17
	Delaware		8
						Grambling		20
						Western Kentucky		28
	Western Kentucky *		25
	Lehigh		16
											Western Kentucky		0
											Louisiana Tech		34
	Louisiana Tech *		18
	Western Illinois		13
						Louisiana Tech		38
						Boise State		34
	Boise State *		53
	South Dakota		10

* Denotes host institution

Rankings

Main article: 1973 small college football rankings

United Press International (UPI) and the Associated Press (AP) continued to rank teams in their College Division or "small college" polls, which had started in 1958 and 1960, respectively. In 1973, UPI published their final poll at the end of the regular season, while the AP waited until postseason games had been completed. Both wire services named the Tennessee State Tigers as the number one team; Tennessee State did not compete in the playoffs "because five of its starters would not be eligible to play." The players in question had sat out their freshmen year ("redshirt") and then played four seasons; under NCAA rules at the time, such players were not eligible for postseason play as fifth-year seniors. During the regular season, the Tigers were undefeated (10–0) and had outscored their opponents 333–87.

United Press International (coaches) final poll
Published on November 28

Rank	School	Record	No. 1 votes	Total points
1	Tennessee State	10–0	27	314
2	Western Kentucky	10–0	3	275
3	Louisiana Tech	9–1	1	224
4	Abilene Christian	9–1		176
5	Wittenberg	9–0		169
6	Elon	11–0		151
7	Grambling State	9–2		96
8	Boise State	9–2		91
9	Cal Poly	9–1		90
10	Delaware	8–3		41
11	Jacksonville State	7–2		32
12	Langston	10–0		24
13	Hawaii	8–2		23
14	C.W. Post	10–1		15
15	South Dakota	8–2		11

Associated Press (writers) final poll
Published on December 19

Rank	School	Record	No. 1 votes	Total points
1	Tennessee State	10–0	17	708
2	Louisiana Tech	12–1D2	21	706
3	Western Kentucky	12–1D2		459
4	Wittenberg	12–0D3	1	407
T5	Boise State	10–3D2		390
T5	Abilene Christian	11–1N1		390
7	Grambling State	10–3D2		372
8	Cal Poly	9–1		264
9	Hawaii	8–2		233
10	Elon	12–1N1		223
11	South Dakota	8–3D2		221
12	Jacksonville State	7–2		220
13	Delaware	8–3		152
14	North Dakota State	8–2		111
15	Langston	11–1N1		95

^N1 Record includes NAIA Division I playoff games
^D2 Record includes NCAA Division II playoff games
^D3 Record includes NCAA Division III playoff games

See also

• 1973 NCAA Division I football season
• 1973 NCAA Division III football season
• 1973 NAIA Division I football season
• 1973 NAIA Division II football season