1980 NCAA Division III football season
{{Short description|American college football season}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=August 2023}}
{{Infobox college football season
| type = NCAA Division III
| year = 1980
| image =
| image_caption =
| regular_season = August – November 1980
| playoffs = November – December 1980
| championship = Garrett-Harrison Stadium
Phenix City, AL
| champion = Dayton
}}
The 1980 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 1980, and concluded with the NCAA Division III Football Championship in December 1980 at Garrett-Harrison Stadium in Phenix City, Alabama. The Dayton Flyers won their first Division III championship, defeating the defending national champion Ithaca Bombers by a final score of 63−0.{{cite web|title=All-Time Division III Football Championship Records |url=http://fs.ncaa.org/Docs/stats/football_champs_records/2013/d3/champ.pdf|work=NCAA|publisher=NCAA.org|access-date=November 6, 2014|pages=4–15}}
Conference changes and new programs
| class="wikitable sortable" | ||
| School | 1979 Conference | 1980 Conference |
|---|---|---|
| style="text-align:center;" | D-III Independent | I-AA Independent |
Conference standings
| cellpadding="5"
|valign="top" width=25em|{{1980 College Athletic Conference football standings}} |valign="top" width=25em|{{1980 College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin football standings}} |valign="top" width=25em|{{1980 Independent College Athletic Conference football standings}} |
| valign="top" width=25em|{{1980 Iowa Conference football standings}}
|valign="top" width=25em|{{1980 Metropolitan Intercollegiate Conference football standings}} |valign="top" width=25em|{{1980 Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association football standings}} |
| valign="top" width=25em|{{1980 Middle Atlantic Conference football standings}}
|valign="top" width=25em|{{1980 Midwest Conference football standings}} |valign="top" width=25em|{{1980 Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference football standings}} |
| valign="top" width=25em|{{1980 New Jersey State Athletic Conference football standings}}
|valign="top" width=25em|{{1980 New England Football Conference standings}} |valign="top" width=25em|{{1980 Northern Intercollegiate Conference football standings}} |
| valign="top" width=25em|{{1980 Ohio Athletic Conference football standings}}
|valign="top" width=25em|{{1980 Old Dominion Athletic Conference football standings}} |valign="top" width=25em|{{1980 Presidents' Athletic Conference football standings}} |
| valign="top" width=25em|{{1980 Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference football standings}}
|valign="top" width=25em|{{1980 Wisconsin State University Conference football standings}} |valign="top" width=25em|{{1980 NCAA Division III independents football records}} |
Conference champions
| class="wikitable" |
| Conference champions |
|---|
*College Athletic Conference – Centre
|
Postseason
The 1980 NCAA Division III Football Championship playoffs were the eighth 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 eighth consecutive year. Like the previous five championships, eight teams competed in this edition.{{cite web|title=1980 NCAA Division III National Football Championship Bracket|url=http://fs.ncaa.org/Docs/stats/football_champs_records/2013/d3/champ.pdf|work=NCAA|publisher=NCAA.org|access-date=November 6, 2014|pages=14}}
=Playoff bracket=
{{8TeamBracket
| RD1=Quarterfinals
Campus Sites
| RD2=Semifinals
Campus Sites
| RD3=National Championship Game
Garrett-Harrison Stadium
Phenix City, AL
| RD1-seed1=
| RD1-team1= {{cfb link|year=1980|team=Ithaca Bombers|title=Ithaca}}
| RD1-score1= 41
| RD1-seed2=
| RD1-team2= {{cfb link|year=1980|team=Wagner Seahawks|title=Wagner}}
| RD1-score2= 13
| RD1-seed3=
| RD1-team3= {{cfb link|year=1980|team=Minnesota Morris Cougars|title=Minnesota–Morris}}
| RD1-score3= 41
| RD1-seed4=
| RD1-team4= {{cfb link|year=1980|team=Dubuque Spartans|title=Dubuque}}
| RD1-score4= 35
| RD1-seed5=
| RD1-team5= Dayton
| RD1-score5= 34
| RD1-seed6=
| RD1-team6= {{cfb link|year=1980|team=Baldwin Wallace Yellow Jackets|title=Baldwin Wallace}}
| RD1-score6= 0
| RD1-seed7=
| RD1-team7= {{cfb link|year=1980|team=Widener Pride|title=Widener}}
| RD1-score7= 43
| RD1-seed8=
| RD1-team8= {{cfb link|year=1980|team=Bethany Bison|title=Bethany (WV)}}
| RD1-score8= 12
| RD2-seed1=
| RD2-team1= Ithaca
| RD2-score1= 36
| RD2-seed2=
| RD2-team2= Minnesota–Morris
| RD2-score2= 0
| RD2-seed3=
| RD2-team3= Dayton
| RD2-score3= 28
| RD2-seed4=
| RD2-team4= Widener
| RD2-score4= 24
| RD3-seed1=
| RD3-team1= Ithaca
| RD3-score1= 0
| RD3-seed2=
| RD3-team2= Dayton
| RD3-score2= 63
}}