The 2021 NCAA Division III football season was the component of the 2021 college football season organized by the NCAA at the Division III level in the United States. The regular season began on September 4 and ended on November 13.

The season's playoffs were played between November 20 and December 17, and culminated in the national championship, also known as the Stagg Bowl, at the Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium in Canton, Ohio. The Mary Hardin–Baylor Crusaders beat the North Central Cardinals in the title game, 57–24.

Conference changes and new programs

Membership changes

TeamFormer conferenceNew conference
AustinSAAAmerican Southwest
BeckerCCC FootballCollege closed
Emory & HenryOld DominionNCAA Division II independent
FinlandiaMichiganUpper Midwest
Iowa WesleyanUpper MidwestNorth Star (NAIA)
KeystoneReturning program, last competed 1947ECFC
Louisiana CollegeAmerican SouthwestSooner (NAIA)
MacalesterMidwestMinnesota
Maine MaritimeNEWMAC[lower-alpha 1]Suspended program
OccidentalSouthern CaliforniaDropped program
St. Norbert[lower-alpha 2]MidwestNACC
St. ScholasticaUpper MidwestMinnesota
St. Thomas (MN)MinnesotaPioneer (NCAA Division I FCS)
WesleyNew JerseyCollege acquired by Delaware State
  1. ↑ Already did not play in 2020–21 but their football conference did not hold a football season in 2020–21.
  2. ↑ Already moved in 2020–21 but did not play during the spring 2020–21 season.

Conference standings

2021 American Rivers Conference football standings
ConfOverall
Team W L  W L 
No. 6 Central (IA) $^  8 –0   12 –1  
Coe  6 –2   8 –2  
Wartburg  6 –2   7 –3  
Dubuque  5 –3   6 –4  
Buena Vista  4 –4   5 –5  
Loras  4 –4   4 –6  
Nebraska Wesleyan  2 –6   4 –6  
Simpson  1 –7   1 –9  
Luther  0 –8   0 –10  
  • $ – Conference champion
  • ^ – NCAA Division III playoff participant
Rankings from AFCA Poll
2021 American Southwest Conference football standings
ConfOverall
Team W L  W L 
No. 1 Mary Hardin–Baylor $^  9 –0   15 –0  
No. 10 Hardin–Simmons  8 –1   9 –1  
Belhaven  6 –3   7 –3  
Howard Payne  6 –3   7 –3  
East Texas Baptist  4 –5   5 –5  
Southwestern (TX)  4 –5   4 –6  
Texas Lutheran  3 –6   3 –7  
McMurry  2 –7   2 –7  
Sul Ross  2 –7   2 –7  
Austin  1 –8   1 –8  
  • $ – Conference champion
  • ^ – NCAA Division III playoff participant
Rankings from AFCA Poll
2021 Centennial Conference football standings
ConfOverall
Team W L  W L 
No. 7 Muhlenberg +^  8 –1   11 –2  
No. 13 Johns Hopkins +^  8 –1   10 –2  
Susquehanna  7 –2   9 –2  
Ursinus  6 –3   7 –4  
Franklin & Marshall  5 –4   6 –5  
Dickinson  4 –5   4 –6  
Moravian  3 –6   3 –7  
McDaniel  2 –7   2 –8  
Gettysburg  1 –8   1 –9  
Juniata  1 –8   1 –9  
  • + – Conference co-champions
  • ^ – NCAA Division III playoff participant
Rankings from AFCA Poll
2021 College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin football standings
ConfOverall
Team W L  W L 
No. 2 North Central (IL) $^  9 –0   13 –1  
No. 9 Wheaton (IL) ^  8 –1   10 –2  
Washington University  7 –2   7 –4  
Carroll (WI)  5 –4   6 –4  
Augustana (IL)  4 –5   5 –5  
Carthage  3 –6   3 –7  
Illinois Wesleyan  3 –6   3 –7  
Millikin  3 –6   3 –7  
North Park  2 –7   2 –8  
Elmhurst  1 –8   1 –9  
  • $ – Conference champion
  • ^ – NCAA Division III playoff participant
Rankings from AFCA Poll
2021 Commonwealth Coast Football standings
ConfOverall
Team W L  W L 
Endicott +^  5 –1   8 –3  
Western New England +  5 –1   7 –4  
Salve Regina  4 –2   8 –2  
Husson  4 –2   7 –3  
New England  2 –4   4 –5  
Curry  1 –5   3 –6  
Nichols  0 –6   2 –8  
  • + – Conference co-champions
  • ^ – NCAA Division III playoff participant
2021 Eastern Collegiate Football Conference standings
ConfOverall
Team W L  W L 
Anna Maria +^  5 –1   7 –3  
Alfred State +  5 –1   6 –5  
Castleton  4 –2   6 –4  
Gallaudet  3 –3   5 –3  
SUNY Maritime  3 –3   3 –6  
Dean  1 –5   2 –8  
Keystone  0 –6   0 –10  
  • + – Conference co-champions
  • ^ – NCAA Division III playoff participant
2021 Empire 8 Athletic Conference football standings
ConfOverall
Team W L  W L 
No. 16 Cortland $^  6 –0   11 –1  
Brockport  4 –2   8 –3  
Alfred  4 –2   5 –5  
Utica  3 –3   6 –4  
St. John Fisher  2 –4   4 –6  
Hartwick  1 –5   2 –7  
Morrisville State  0 –5   2 –8  
  • $ – Conference champion
  • ^ – NCAA Division III playoff participant
Rankings from AFCA Poll
2021 Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference football standings
ConfOverall
Team W L  W L 
Rose–Hulman $^  7 –0   8 –3  
Mount St. Joseph  5 –2   6 –4  
Franklin (IN)  4 –3   6 –4  
Hanover  4 –3   5 –5  
Bluffton  3 –4   4 –6  
Manchester  3 –4   3 –7  
Anderson (IN)  1 –6   1 –9  
Defiance  1 –6   1 –9  
  • $ – Conference champion
  • ^ – NCAA Division III playoff participant
2021 Liberty League football standings
ConfOverall
Team W L  W L 
No. 14 RPI +^  5 –1   11 –2  
No. 24 Ithaca +  5 –1   8 –2  
Hobart  4 –2   9 –2  
Union (NY)  4 –2   8 –2  
St. Lawrence  2 –4   5 –5  
Rochester (NY)  1 –5   3 –7  
Buffalo State  0 –6   0 –10  
  • + – Conference co-champions
  • ^ – NCAA Division III playoff participant
Rankings from AFCA Poll
2021 Massachusetts State Collegiate Athletic Conference football standings
ConfOverall
Team W L  W L 
Framingham State $^  8 –0   8 –3  
UMass Dartmouth  6 –2   9 –2  
Bridgewater State  6 –2   6 –4  
Plymouth State  5 –3   5 –5  
Western Connecticut  4 –4   5 –5  
Massachusetts Maritime  3 –5   4 –6  
Worcester State  3 –5   3 –7  
Westfield State  1 –7   1 –9  
Fitchburg State  0 –8   0 –10  
  • $ – Conference champion
  • ^ – NCAA Division III playoff participant
2021 Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association football standings
ConfOverall
Team W L  W L 
No. 25 Albion +^  5 –1   9 –2  
Hope +  5 –1   8 –2  
Trine  4 –2   6 –4  
Olivet  3 –3   7 –3  
Adrian  3 –3   5 –5  
Alma  1 –5   5 –5  
Kalamazoo  0 –6   1 –9  
  • $ – Conference champion
  • ^ – NCAA Division III playoff participant
Rankings from AFCA Poll
2021 Middle Atlantic Conference football standings
ConfOverall
Team W L  W L 
No. 11 Delaware Valley $^  8 –0   11 –1  
Lycoming  6 –2   8 –3  
FDU Florham  5 –3   7 –4  
Widener  5 –3   7 –4  
Stevenson  5 –3   5 –6  
Wilkes  5 –3   6 –4  
Lebanon Valley  4 –4   5 –5  
King's (PA)  3 –5   5 –5  
Misericordia  2 –6   3 –6  
Albright  1 –7   2 –8  
Alvernia  0 –8   0 –10  
  • $ – Conference champion
  • ^ – NCAA Division III playoff participant
Rankings from AFCA Poll
2021 Midwest Conference football standings
ConfOverall
Team W L  W L 
No. 23 Lake Forest $^  9 –0   10 –1  
Monmouth (IL)  8 –1   8 –2  
Chicago  7 –2   8 –2  
Ripon  5 –3   6 –3  
Illinois College  5 –4   5 –5  
Cornell (IA)  4 –5   4 –6  
Knox  3 –6   3 –6  
Grinnell  2 –7   2 –8  
Lawrence  1 –7   2 –7  
Beloit  0 –9   0 –10  
  • $ – Conference champion
  • ^ – NCAA Division III playoff participant
Rankings from AFCA Poll
2021 Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference football standings
Div  ConfOverall
Team W L    W L  W L 
Northwoods Division
No. 8 Saint John's (MN) x$^  4 –0   8 –0   11 –1  
Gustavus Adolphus  3 –1   6 –2   8 –2  
St. Olaf  2 –2   4 –4   5 –5  
Carleton  1 –3   5 –3   7 –3  
St. Scholastica  0 –4   0 –8   0 –8  
Skyline Division
No. 18 Bethel (MN) x^  4 –0   6 –2   8 –3  
Concordia–Moorhead  3 –1   3 –5   4 –6  
Augsburg  2 –2   4 –4   4 –6  
Macalester  1 –3   2 –6   3 –7  
Hamline  0 –4   2 –6   4 –6  
Championship: Saint John's (MN) 29, Bethel (MN) 28
  • $ – Conference champion
  • x – Division champion/co-champions
  • ^ – NCAA Division III playoff participant
As of November 17, 2021
Rankings from AFCA Poll
2021 New England Small College Athletic Conference football standings
ConfOverall
Team W L  W L 
Williams $  9 –0   9 –0  
Trinity (CT)  8 –1   8 –1  
Wesleyan  6 –3   6 –3  
Amherst  5 –4   5 –4  
Colby  4 –5   4 –5  
Tufts  4 –5   4 –5  
Bates  3 –6   3 –6  
Middlebury  3 –6   3 –6  
Hamilton  2 –7   2 –7  
Bowdoin  1 –8   1 –8  
  • $ – Conference champion
2021 New England Women's and Men's Athletic Conference football standings
ConfOverall
Team W L  W L 
Springfield $^  6 –0   7 –4  
Merchant Marine  5 –1   9 –1  
Catholic University  4 –2   6 –4  
MIT  3 –3   5 –4  
WPI  2 –4   3 –7  
Norwich  1 –5   2 –8  
Coast Guard  0 –6   2 –8  
  • $ – Conference champion
  • ^ – NCAA Division III playoff participant
2021 New Jersey Athletic Conference football standings
ConfOverall
Team W L  W L 
No. 17 Salisbury $^  6 –0   8 –2  
Kean  4 –2   4 –5  
Christopher Newport  3 –3   5 –5  
William Paterson  2 –4   4 –6  
TCNJ  2 –4   3 –6  
Montclair State  2 –4   3 –7  
Rowan  2 –4   2 –7  
  • $ – Conference champion
  • ^ – NCAA Division III playoff participant
Rankings from AFCA Poll
2021 North Coast Athletic Conference football standings
ConfOverall
Team W L  W L 
DePauw $^  8 –1   9 –3  
Ohio Wesleyan  7 –2   8 –2  
Wittenberg  7 –2   7 –3  
Wabash  6 –3   7 –3  
Denison  6 –3   6 –4  
Wooster  5 –4   6 –4  
Kenyon  3 –6   4 –7  
Allegheny  2 –7   3 –7  
Oberlin  1 –8   1 –9  
Hiram  0 –9   1 –9  
  • $ – Conference champion
  • ^ – NCAA Division III playoff participant
2021 Northern Athletics Collegiate Conference football standings
ConfOverall
Team W L  W L 
Aurora $^  8 –0   8 –3  
Benedictine (IL)  7 –1   8 –2  
Lakeland  6 –2   8 –2  
Concordia (WI)  4 –4   6 –4  
St. Norbert  4 –4   6 –6  
Wisconsin Lutheran  3 –5   3 –7  
Eureka  2 –6   2 –8  
Concordia (IL)  1 –7   3 –7  
Rockford  1 –7   2 –8  
  • $ – Conference champion
  • ^ – NCAA Division III playoff participant
2021 Northwest Conference football standings
ConfOverall
Team W L  W L 
No. 5 Linfield $^  7 –0   11 –1  
George Fox  6 –1   6 –3  
Pacific (OR)  5 –2   6 –3  
Whitworth  4 –3   7 –3  
Pacific Lutheran  3 –4   4 –5  
Lewis & Clark  2 –5   3 –6  
Puget Sound  1 –6   1 –9  
Willamette  0 –7   1 –9  
  • $ – Conference champion
  • ^ – NCAA Division III playoff participant
Rankings from AFCA Poll
2021 Ohio Athletic Conference football standings
ConfOverall
Team W L  W L 
No. 4 Mount Union $^  9 –0   13 –1  
Baldwin Wallace  7 –2   8 –2  
Heidelberg  7 –2   8 –2  
John Carroll  7 –2   7 –3  
Muskingum  4 –5   5 –5  
Marietta  4 –5   4 –6  
Ohio Northern  3 –6   4 –6  
Wilmington (OH)  2 –7   2 –8  
Capital  1 –8   2 –8  
Otterbein  1 –8   1 –9  
  • $ – Conference champion
  • ^ – NCAA Division III playoff participant
Rankings from AFCA Poll
|
2021 Old Dominion Athletic Conference football standings
ConfOverall
Team W L  W L 
Washington and Lee +^  5 –1   8 –3  
No. 20 Randolph–Macon +  5 –1   9 –1  
Hampden–Sydney  4 –2   5 –5  
Shenandoah  3 –3   7 –4  
Ferrum  3 –3   6 –4  
Bridgewater  1 –5   4 –6  
Guilford  0 –6   1 –8  
  • + – Conference co-champions
  • ^ – NCAA Division III playoff participant
Rankings from AFCA Poll
2021 Presidents' Athletic Conference football standings
ConfOverall
Team W L  W L 
Carnegie Mellon +^  8 –1   8 –2  
Westminster (PA) +  8 –1   8 –3  
Washington & Jefferson  7 –2   8 –3  
Grove City  6 –3   8 –3  
Case Western Reserve  5 –4   6 –4  
Saint Vincent  4 –5   5 –5  
Geneva  4 –5   4 –6  
Waynesburg  2 –7   2 –8  
Bethany (WV)  1 –8   1 –9  
Thiel  0 –9   0 –10  
  • + – Conference co-champions
  • ^ – NCAA Division III playoff participant
2021 Southern Athletic Association football standings
ConfOverall
Team W L  W L 
No. 15 Trinity (TX) $^  7 –0   9 –1  
No. 19 Birmingham–Southern ^  6 –1   10 –2  
Centre  5 –2   8 –2  
Berry  4 –3   6 –4  
Rhodes  2 –5   3 –7  
Hendrix  2 –5   3 –7  
Millsaps  2 –5   2 –8  
Sewanee  0 –7   0 –10  
  • $ – Conference champion
  • ^ – NCAA Division III playoff participant
Rankings from AFCA Poll
2021 Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference football standings
ConfOverall
Team W L  W L 
No. 21 Redlands $^  6 –0   8 –2  
Claremont-Mudd-Scripps  4 –2   7 –3  
Chapman  4 –2   7 –3  
Cal Lutheran  3 –3   5 –3  
Pomona-Pitzer  2 –4   4 –5  
La Verne  2 –4   3 –6  
Whittier  0 –6   0 –9  
  • $ – Conference champion
  • ^ – NCAA Division III playoff participant
Rankings from AFCA Poll
2021 Upper Midwest Athletic Conference football standings
ConfOverall
Team W L  W L 
Greenville $^  6 –0   8 –3  
Martin Luther  5 –1   5 –4  
Minnesota–Morris  4 –2   5 –5  
Northwestern (MN)  2 –3   2 –7  
Westminster (MO)  2 –4   3 –5  
Crown  1 –4   1 –8  
Finlandia  0 –6   0 –9  
  • $ – Conference champion
  • ^ – NCAA Division III playoff participant
2021 USA South Athletic Conference football standings
ConfOverall
Team W L  W L 
Huntingdon $^  8 –0   8 –3  
Methodist  7 –1   7 –2  
Brevard  6 –2   6 –4  
Averett  4 –4   5 –5  
Maryville (TN)  4 –4   4 –6  
North Carolina Wesleyan  4 –4   4 –6  
LaGrange  2 –6   2 –8  
Southern Virginia  1 –7   2 –8  
Greensboro  0 –8   0 –10  
  • $ – Conference champion
  • ^ – NCAA Division III playoff participant
2021 Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference football standings
ConfOverall
Team W L  W L 
No. 3 Wisconsin–Whitewater $^  7 –0   13 –1  
No. 12 Wisconsin–La Crosse ^  6 –1   9 –3  
No. 22 Wisconsin–River Falls  5 –2   9 –2  
Wisconsin–Oshkosh  4 –3   6 –3  
Wisconsin–Platteville  3 –4   4 –6  
Wisconsin–Stout  2 –5   5 –5  
Wisconsin–Eau Claire  1 –6   3 –7  
Wisconsin–Stevens Point  0 –7   2 –8  
  • $ – Conference champion
  • ^ – NCAA Division III playoff participant
Rankings from AFCA Poll

Postseason

Qualification

Automatic bids (27)

Conference Team Appearance Last
American Southwest ConferenceMary Hardin-Baylor17th2019
American Rivers ConferenceCentral (IA)22nd2019
Centennial ConferenceMuhlenberg10th2019
College Conference of Illinois and WisconsinNorth Central (IL)13th2019
Commonwealth Coast FootballEndicott3rd2013
Eastern Collegiate Football ConferenceAnna Maria1st—
Empire 8SUNY Cortland10th2015
Heartland Collegiate Athletic ConferenceRose–Hulman2nd2016
Liberty LeagueRPI7th2018
Massachusetts State Collegiate Athletic ConferenceFramingham State6th2019
Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic AssociationAlbion12th2015
Middle Atlantic ConferenceDelaware Valley10th2019
Midwest ConferenceLake Forest2nd2002
Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic ConferenceSaint John's (MN)27th2019
New England Women's and Men's Athletic ConferenceSpringfield7th2017
New Jersey Athletic ConferenceSalisbury12th2019
North Coast Athletic ConferenceDePauw3rd2010
Northern Athletics Collegiate ConferenceAurora6th2019
Northwest ConferenceLinfield16th2019
Ohio Athletic ConferenceMount Union32nd2019
Old Dominion Athletic ConferenceWashington and Lee6th2017
Presidents' Athletic ConferenceCarnegie Mellon7th2006
Southern Athletic AssociationTrinity (TX)13th2011
Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic ConferenceRedlands10th2019
Upper Midwest Athletic ConferenceGreenville1st—
USA South Athletic ConferenceHuntingdon6th2019
Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic ConferenceWisconsin–Whitewater18th2019

At-large bids (5)

Team Conference Appearance Last
Bethel (MN) RoyalsMIAC10th2018
Birmingham-SouthernSAA1st—
Johns HopkinsCentennial11th2018
Wheaton (IL)CCIW12th2019
Wisconsin–La CrosseWIAC12th2006

Bracket

First round
November 20 		Second round
November 27 		Quarterfinals
December 4 		Semifinals
December 11 		Championship
Stagg Bowl
December 17
Canton, Ohio
               
* Saint John's (MN) 41
Lake Forest 14
* Saint John's (MN) 28
Linfield 31
* Linfield 44
Redlands 10
Linfield 24
Mary Hardin–Baylor 49
* Mary Hardin–Baylor 13
Trinity (TX) 3
* Mary Hardin–Baylor 42
Birmingham–Southern 7
* Birmingham–Southern 24
Huntingdon 14
Mary Hardin–Baylor 24
Wisconsin–Whitewater 7
* Wisconsin–Whitewater 69
Greenville 7
* Wisconsin–Whitewater 45
DePauw 0
* DePauw 26
Rose–Hulman 21
Wisconsin–Whitewater 51
Central (IA) 21
* Central (IA) 61
Bethel (MN) 35
* Central (IA) 30
Wheaton (IL) 28
* Wheaton (IL) 63
Aurora 31
Mary Hardin–Baylor 57
North Central (IL) 24
* North Central (IL) w/o
Carnegie Mellon [lower-alpha 1]
* North Central (IL) 34
Wisconsin–La Crosse 20
* Albion 23
Wisconsin–La Crosse 58
North Central (IL) 55
RPI 6
* Cortland 26
Springfield 21
* Cortland 14
RPI 21
* Endicott 14
RPI 20
North Central (IL) 26
Mount Union 13
* Mount Union 52
Washington and Lee 0
* Mount Union 45
Johns Hopkins 35
* Salisbury 20
Johns Hopkins 45
Mount Union 35
Muhlenberg 29
* Delaware Valley 62
Anna Maria 10
* Delaware Valley 0
Muhlenberg 14
* Muhlenberg 45
Framingham State 0

See also

Notes

  1. ↑ The day before the game was scheduled to be played, Carnegie Mellon announced that it would withdraw from the tournament due to a number of positive COVID-19 tests among members of the team and the game was declared as a no contest.[1]

References

  1. ↑ "Carnegie Mellon's NCAA First Round Football Game at North Central Declared No Contest". Carnegie Mellon University Athletics. November 19, 2021. Retrieved November 20, 2021.
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