1974 NCAA Division II football season
{{Short description|American college football season}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=August 2023}}
{{Infobox NCAA Division II season
| year = 1974
| image =
| image_caption =
| regular_season = September – November 1974
| playoffs = November – December 1974
| nc_date = December 14, 1974
| championship = Hughes Stadium
Sacramento, CA
| champion = Central Michigan
}}
The 1974 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, began in September and concluded with the Division II Championship on December 14 at Hughes Stadium in Sacramento, California.
Central Michigan defeated Delaware 54–15 in the Camellia Bowl to win their only Division II national title.{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=0MdVAAAAIBAJ&sjid=PuADAAAAIBAJ&pg=6847%2C4078579|newspaper=Eugene Register-Guard |location=(Oregon)|agency=Associated Press |title=Central Michigan destroys Delaware|date=December 15, 1974 |page=6D}}{{cite web|title=1974 NCAA Division II National Football Championship Bracket |url=http://fs.ncaa.org/Docs/stats/football_champs_records/2012/d2/2012DIIfbchamp.pdf |work=NCAA|publisher=NCAA.org|access-date=January 2, 2014|pages=13}} CMU moved up to Division I in 1975.
Conference standings
| cellpadding="5"
|valign="top" width=25em|{{1974 Big Sky Conference football standings}} |valign="top" width=25em|{{1974 California Collegiate Athletic Association football standings}} |valign="top" width=25em|{{1974 Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association football standings}} |
| valign="top" width=25em|{{1974 Eastern Football Conference football standings}}
|valign="top" width=25em|{{1974 Far Western Conference football standings}} |valign="top" width=25em|{{1974 Gulf South Conference football standings}} |
| valign="top" width=25em|{{1974 Indiana Collegiate Conference football standings}}
|valign="top" width=25em|{{1974 Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference football standings}} |valign="top" width=25em|{{1974 Missouri Intercollegiate Athletic Association football standings}} |
| valign="top" width=25em|{{1974 North Central Conference football standings}}
|valign="top" width=25em|{{1974 Northern Intercollegiate Conference football standings}} |valign="top" width=25em|{{1974 Ohio Valley Conference football standings}} |
| valign="top" width=25em|{{1974 Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference football standings}}
|valign="top" width=25em|{{1974 Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference football standings}} |valign="top" width=25em|{{1974 Southland Conference football standings}} |
| valign="top" width=25em|{{1974 Southwestern Athletic Conference football standings}}
|valign="top" width=25em|{{1974 Virginia College Athletic Association football standings}} |valign="top" width=25em|{{1974 West Virginia Intercollegiate Athletic Conference football standings}} |
| valign="top" width=25em|{{1974 Yankee Conference football standings}}
|valign="top" width=25em|{{1974 NCAA Division II independents football records}} |
Conference summaries
{{see also|List of NCAA Division II football seasons}}
| class="wikitable" | |
| Conference || Champion(s) | |
|---|---|
| Big Sky Conference | Boise State |
| Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association | Norfolk State |
| Far Western Football Conference | UC Davis |
| Gulf South Conference | Jacksonville State |
| Indiana Collegiate Conference | Butler |
| Missouri Intercollegiate Athletic Association | Northwest Missouri State |
| North Central Conference | North Dakota State, North Dakota, and South Dakota |
| Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (Division II) | Tuskegee |
| Yankee Conference | Maine and Massachusetts |
Postseason
{{Infobox NCAA Football Tournament |
| Division=II
| Year=1974
| Image=
| ImageSize=
| Caption=
| Teams=8
| Stadium=Hughes Stadium
| Location=Sacramento, California
| Champions=Central Michigan
| TitleCount=1st
| ChampGameCount = 1st
| ChampCount = 1
| RunnerUp=Delaware
| GameCount=1st
| RunnerCount = 2
| Semifinal1=Louisiana Tech
| SemisCount = 2
| Semifinal2=UNLV
| SemisCount2 = 1
| Coach=Roy Kramer
| CoachCount = 1st
| Attendance=
}}
The 1974 NCAA Division II Football Championship playoffs were the second single-elimination tournament to determine the national champion of NCAA Division II college football.
The four quarterfinal games were played on campus and all four host teams advanced. The semifinals were the Pioneer Bowl in Wichita Falls, Texas, and the Grantland Rice Bowl in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. The championship game was the Camellia Bowl, held at Hughes Stadium in Sacramento, California for the second consecutive year. The Central Michigan Chippewas defeated the Delaware Fightin' Blue Hens 54–14 to win their first national title.{{cite web|title=1974 NCAA Division II Football Championship Bracket|url=http://fs.ncaa.org/Docs/stats/football_champs_records/2012/d2/2012DIIfbchamp.pdf |work=NCAA|publisher=NCAA.org|access-date=December 18, 2013|pages=13}} After opening with a home loss to Division I Kent State, CMU won twelve straight to finish as D-II champions.
=Playoff bracket=
{{8TeamBracket
| RD1=First round
Campus sites
November 30
| RD2=Semifinals
Pioneer Bowl
Grantland Rice Bowl
December 7
| RD3=Championship
Camellia Bowl
Hughes Stadium
Sacramento, CA
December 14
| RD1-seed1=
| RD1-team1=Central Michigan *
| RD1-score1=20
| RD1-seed2=
| RD1-team2=Boise State
| RD1-score2= 6
| RD1-seed3=
| RD1-team3=Louisiana Tech *
| RD1-score3=10
| RD1-seed4=
| RD1-team4={{cfb link|year=1974|team=Western Carolina Catamounts|title=Western Carolina}}
| RD1-score4=7
| RD1-seed5=
| RD1-team5=UNLV *
| RD1-score5=35
| RD1-seed6=
| RD1-team6=Alcorn State
| RD1-score6= 22
| RD1-seed7=
| RD1-team7=Delaware *
| RD1-score7=35
| RD1-seed8=
| RD1-team8={{cfb link|year=1974|team=Youngstown State Penguins|title=Youngstown State}}
| RD1-score8=14
| RD2-seed1=
| RD2-team1=Central Michigan
| RD2-score1=35
| RD2-seed2=
| RD2-team2=Louisiana Tech
| RD2-score2=14
| RD2-seed3=
| RD2-team3=UNLV
| RD2-score3=11
| RD2-seed4=
| RD2-team4=Delaware
| RD2-score4=49
| RD3-seed1=
| RD3-team1=Central Michigan
| RD3-score1=54
| RD3-seed2=
| RD3-team2=Delaware
| RD3-score2=14
}}
Rankings
{{Main|1974 small college football rankings}}
In 1974, United Press International (UPI) and the Associated Press (AP) ranked teams in their College Division or "small college" polls – which had started in 1958 and 1960, respectively – for the final time. UPI published their final poll at the end of the regular season, while the AP waited until postseason games had been completed. UPI's number one selection was the Louisiana Tech Bulldogs, who during the regular season were 10–0 while outscoring opponents 294–103. The Bulldogs later lost in the playoffs to the Central Michigan Chippewas, winners of the tournament. AP's number one selection was the Chippewas, who were 9–1 during the regular season and finished with an overall record of 12–1 while outscoring opponents 450–127.
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United Press International (coaches) final poll
Published on November 27{{cite news |author= |title=Louisiana Tech Wins UPI Football Title |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/82501355/the-minneapolis-star/ |newspaper=The Minneapolis Star |location=Minneapolis, MN |date=November 27, 1974 |page=2D |access-date=July 30, 2021 |via=Newspapers.com {{Open access}} }}
| class="wikitable" | ||||
| Rank
!School !Record !No. 1 !Total | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Louisiana Tech | 10–0 | 27 | 322 |
| 2 | UNLV | 11–0 | 5 | 254 |
| 3 | Boise State | 10–1 | 1 | 188 |
| 4 | Delaware | 10–1 | 168 | |
| 5 | Texas A&I | 11–0 | 132 | |
| 6 | Grambling State | 10–1 | 124 | |
| 7 | Central Michigan | 9–1 | 101 | |
| 8 | {{cfb link|year=1974|team=Youngstown State Penguins|title=Youngstown State}} | 8–1 | 40 | |
| 9 | Tennessee State | 8–2 | 38 | |
| 10 | {{cfb link|year=1974|team=Western Carolina Catamounts|title=Western Carolina}} | 9–1 | 34 | |
| 11 | {{cfb link|year=1974|team=Stephen F. Austin Lumberjacks|title=Stephen F. Austin}} | 9–2 | 34 | |
| 12 | {{cfb link|year=1974|team=Slippery Rock|title=Slippery Rock}} | 9–0–1 | 19 | |
| 13 | Alcorn State | 9–1 | 17 | |
| 14 | {{cfb link|year=1974|team=Elon Fightin' Christians|title=Elon}} | 10–1 | 10 | |
| 15 | {{cfb link|year=1974|team=South Dakota Coyotes|title=South Dakota}} | 8–3 | 9 |
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Associated Press (writers) final poll
Published on December 24{{cite news |author= |title=A.P. final small college football ranking |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/82502351/great-bend-tribune/ |newspaper=Great Bend Tribune |location=Great Bend, Kansas |agency=Associated Press |date=December 24, 1974 |page=3 |access-date=July 30, 2021 |via=Newspapers.com {{Open access}} }}
| class="wikitable" | ||||
| Rank
!School !Record !No. 1 !Total | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Central Michigan | 12–1{{ref|D2|D2}} | 32 | 658 |
| 2 | Louisiana Tech | 10–1{{ref|E1|E1}}{{ref|D2|D2}} | 477 | |
| 3 | Texas A&I | 13–0{{ref|N1|N1}} | 2 | 461 |
| 4 | Delaware | 12–2{{ref|D2|D2}} | 460 | |
| 5 | Boise State | 10–2{{ref|D2|D2}} | 401 | |
| 6 | UNLV | 12–1{{ref|D2|D2}} | 381 | |
| 7 | Grambling State | 11–1{{ref|P|P}} | 322 | |
| 8 | {{cfb link|year=1974|team=Western Carolina Catamounts|title=Western Carolina}} | 9–1{{ref|E2|E2}}{{ref|D2|D2}} | 241 | |
| 9 | Tennessee State | 8–2 | 180 | |
| 10 | Texas Lutheran | 11–0{{ref|N2|N2}} | 171 | |
| 11 | {{cfb link|year=1974|team=Henderson State Reddies|title=Henderson State}} | 11–2{{ref|N1|N1}} | 135 | |
| 12 | {{cfb link|year=1974|team=Youngstown State Penguins|title=Youngstown State}} | 8–2{{ref|D2|D2}} | 118 | |
| 13 | {{cfb link|year=1974|team=Slippery Rock|title=Slippery Rock}} | 9–1–1{{ref|D3|D3}} | 90 | |
| 14 | Alcorn State | 9–2{{ref|D2|D2}} | 87 | |
| 15 | {{cfb link|year=1974|team=Elon Fightin' Christians|title=Elon}} | 10–2{{ref|N1|N1}} | 85 |
{{note|D2|D2}}Record includes NCAA Division II playoff games
{{note|D3|D3}}Record includes NCAA Division III playoff games
{{note|E1|E1}}Louisiana Tech final record actually 11–1
{{note|E2|E2}}Western Carolina final record actually 9–2
{{note|N1|N1}}Record includes NAIA Division I playoff games
{{note|N2|N2}}Record includes NAIA Division II playoff games
{{note|P|P}}Record includes Pelican Bowl win
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