1968 NCAA College Division football season
{{Short description|American college football season}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=August 2023}}
{{Infobox college football season
| type = NCAA College Division
| year = 1968
| image =
| image_caption =
| number_of_teams =
| preseason_ap =
| regular_season =
| number_of_bowls =
| bowl_start =
| bowl_end =
| champions = North Dakota State (AP)
San Diego State (UPI)
Alcorn A&M (black)
North Carolina A&T (black)
}}
The 1968 NCAA College Division football season was the 13th season of college football in the United States organized by the National Collegiate Athletic Association at the NCAA College Division level.
Conference standings
| cellpadding="5"
|valign="top" width=25em|{{1968 Big Sky Conference football standings}} |valign="top" width=25em|{{1968 California Collegiate Athletic Association football standings}} |valign="top" width=25em|{{1968 Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association football standings}} |
| valign="top" width=25em|{{1968 Central Intercollegiate Conference football standings}}
|valign="top" width=25em|{{1968 College Athletic Conference football standings}} |valign="top" width=25em|{{1968 College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin football standings}} |
| valign="top" width=25em|{{1968 Eastern Football Conference football standings}}
|valign="top" width=25em|{{1968 Far Western Conference football standings}} |valign="top" width=25em|{{1968 Gulf States Conference football standings}} |
| valign="top" width=25em|{{1968 Independent College Athletic Conference football standings}}
|valign="top" width=25em|{{1968 Indiana Collegiate Conference football standings}} |valign="top" width=25em|{{1968 Interstate Intercollegiate Athletic Conference football standings}} |
| valign="top" width=25em|{{1968 Iowa Conference football standings}}
|valign="top" width=25em|{{1968 Little Three Conference football standings}} |valign="top" width=25em|{{1968 Maine Intercollegiate Athletic Association football standings}} |
| valign="top" width=25em|{{1968 Mason–Dixon Conference football standings}}
|valign="top" width=25em|{{1968 Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association football standings}} |valign="top" width=25em|{{1968 Middle Atlantic Conference football standings}} |
| valign="top" width=25em|{{1968 Midwest Conference football standings}}
|valign="top" width=25em|{{1968 Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference football standings}} |valign="top" width=25em|{{1968 Missouri Intercollegiate Athletic Association football standings}} |
| valign="top" width=25em|{{1968 North Central Conference football standings}}
|valign="top" width=25em|{{1968 Northern Intercollegiate Conference football standings}} |valign="top" width=25em|{{1968 Ohio Athletic Conference football standings}} |
| valign="top" width=25em|{{1968 Ohio Valley Conference football standings}}
|valign="top" width=25em|{{1968 Pennsylvania State College Athletic Conference football standings}} |valign="top" width=25em|{{1968 Presidents' Athletic Conference football standings}} |
| valign="top" width=25em|{{1968 Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference football standings}}
|valign="top" width=25em|{{1968 Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference football standings}} |valign="top" width=25em|{{1968 Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference football standings}} |
| valign="top" width=25em|{{1968 Southland Conference football standings}}
|valign="top" width=25em|{{1968 Southwestern Athletic Conference football standings}} |valign="top" width=25em|{{1968 Yankee Conference football standings}} |
| valign="top" width=25em|{{1968 NCAA College Division independents football records}} |
Rankings
{{Main|1968 small college football rankings}}
College Division teams (also referred to as "small college") were ranked in polls by the AP (a panel of writers) and by UPI (coaches). The national champion(s) for each season were determined by the final poll rankings, published at or near the end of the regular season, before any bowl games were played.
=Small college final polls=
In 1968, the wire services disagreed as to the champion. UPI picked San Diego State (9–0–1) as number one, while the AP panel chose North Dakota State. San Diego State did not play in the postseason, while North Dakota State later won the Pecan Bowl to finish 10–0.{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=zMVeAAAAIBAJ&sjid=DjIMAAAAIBAJ&pg=3087%2C3150664 |newspaper=Lewiston Morning Tribune |location=Idaho|agency=Associated Press |title=Bisons triumph |date=December 15, 1968 |page=19}}
{{col-begin}}
{{col-break}}
United Press International (coaches) final poll
Published on November 27{{cite news |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/96838519/?terms=diego |title=San Diego Is Top Team |url-access=subscription |newspaper=The News-Herald |location=Franklin, Pennsylvania |agency=United Press International |via=newspapers.com |date=November 27, 1968 |access-date=February 21, 2017}}
| class="wikitable" | ||||
| Rank
!School !Record !No. 1 !Total | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | San Diego State | 8–0–1{{dagger}} | 21 | 312 |
| 2 | North Dakota State | 9–0 | 9 | 300 |
| 3 | Chattanooga | 9–1{{dagger}} | 236 | |
| 4 | New Mexico Highlands | 9–0 | 4 | 209 |
| 5 | Texas A&I | 9–1{{dagger}} | 184 | |
| 6 | {{cfb link|year=1968|team=Morgan State Bears|title=Morgan State}} | 8–1 | 129 | |
| 7 | Troy State | 9–1 | 80 | |
| 8 | {{cfb link|year=1968|team=Eastern Kentucky Colonels|title=Eastern Kentucky}} | 8–2 | 69 | |
| 9 | {{cfb link|year=1968|team=Adams State Grizzlies|title=Adams State}} | 8–1 | 52 | |
| 10 | Humboldt State | 9–1 | 47 |
{{dagger}}Denotes team won a game after UPI poll, hence record differs in AP poll
{{col-break}}
Associated Press (writers) final poll
Published on December 5{{cite news |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/52565923/?terms=bison |title=North Dakota '68 Champion |agency=Associated Press|url-access=subscription |newspaper=Odessa American |location=Odessa, Texas |via=newspapers.com |date=December 5, 1968 |access-date=February 21, 2017}}
| class="wikitable" | ||||
| Rank
!School !Record !No. 1 !Total | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | North Dakota State. | 9–0 | 6 | 220 |
| 2 | San Diego State | 9–0–1 | 3 | 204 |
| 3 | Chattanooga | 10–1 | 1 | 162 |
| 4 | New Mexico Highlands | 9–0 | 147 | |
| 5 | {{cfb link|year=1968|team=IUP Indians|title=IUP}} | 9–0 | 1 | 142 |
| 6 | Texas A&I | 10–1 | 1 | 125 |
| 7 | Eastern Michigan | 8–2 | 97 | |
| 8 | South Dakota | 9–1 | 77 | |
| 9 | {{cfb link|year=1968|team=Eastern Kentucky Colonels|title=Eastern Kentucky}} | 8–2 | 72 | |
| 10 | Southwestern Louisiana | 8–2 | 51 |
{{col-end}}
Bowl games
The postseason consisted of four bowl games as regional finals, all played on December 14. The Boardwalk Bowl succeeded the Tangerine Bowl, and the Pecan Bowl moved within Texas, from Abilene to Arlington. In 1969, the Grantland Rice Bowl moved from Murfreesboro, Tennessee to Baton Rouge, Louisiana.
| class="wikitable" |
| Bowl
!Region !Location ! colspan="2" | Winning team ! colspan="2" | Losing team ! Ref |
|---|
| Boardwalk
|East |31 |{{cfb link|year=1968|team=IUP Indians|title=IUP}} |24 | |
| Grantland Rice
|Mideast |33 |13 | |
| Pecan
|Midwest |23 |14 | |
| Camellia
|West |29 |14 | |