1998 NCAA Division III football season

{{Infobox college football season

| type = NCAA Division III

| year = 1998

| image =

| image_caption =

| regular_season = August – November 1998

| playoffs = November – December 1998

| championship = Salem Football Stadium
Salem, VA

| champion = Mount Union (4)

| gagliardi = Scott Hvistendahl (WR, P), Augsburg

}}

The 1998 NCAA Division III football season, part of the college football season organized by the NCAA at the Division III level in the United States, began in August 1998, and concluded with the NCAA Division III Football Championship, also known as the Stagg Bowl, in December 1998 at Salem Football Stadium in Salem, Virginia. The Mount Union Purple Raiders won their fourth, and third consecutive, Division III championship by defeating the Rowan Profs, 44−24.

The Gagliardi Trophy, given to the most outstanding player in Division III football, was awarded to Scott Hvistendahl, wide receiver and punter from Augsburg.{{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 26, 2014|pages=4–15}}

Conference standings

cellpadding="5"

|valign="top" width=25em|{{1998 American Southwest Conference football standings}}

|valign="top" width=25em|{{1998 Atlantic Central Football Conference standings}}

|valign="top" width=25em|{{1998 Centennial Conference football standings}}

valign="top" width=25em|{{1998 College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin football standings}}

|valign="top" width=25em|{{1998 Freedom Football Conference standings}}

|valign="top" width=25em|{{1998 Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference football standings}}

valign="top" width=25em|{{1998 Illini–Badger Football Conference standings}}

|valign="top" width=25em|{{1998 Iowa Conference football standings}}

|valign="top" width=25em|{{1998 Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association football standings}}

valign="top" width=25em|{{1998 Middle Atlantic Conference football standings}}

|valign="top" width=25em|{{1998 Midwest Conference football standings}}

|valign="top" width=25em|{{1998 Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference football standings}}

valign="top" width=25em|{{1998 New England Football Conference standings}}

|valign="top" width=25em|{{1998 New England Small College Athletic Conference football standings}}

|valign="top" width=25em|{{1998 New Jersey Athletic Conference football standings}}

valign="top" width=25em|{{1998 North Coast Athletic Conference football standings}}

|valign="top" width=25em|{{1998 Northwest Conference football standings}}

|valign="top" width=25em|{{1998 Ohio Athletic Conference football standings}}

valign="top" width=25em|{{1998 Old Dominion Athletic Conference football standings}}

|valign="top" width=25em|{{1998 Presidents' Athletic Conference football standings}}

|valign="top" width=25em|{{1998 Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference football standings}}

valign="top" width=25em|{{1998 Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference football standings}}

|valign="top" width=25em|{{1998 St. Louis Intercollegiate Athletic Conference football standings}}

|valign="top" width=25em|{{1998 Upstate Collegiate Athletic Association football standings}}

valign="top" width=25em|{{1998 Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference football standings}}

|valign="top" width=25em|{{1998 NCAA Division III independents football records}}

Conference champions

class="wikitable"
Conference champions
American Southwest Conference – Hardin–Simmons Centennial Conference – Western Maryland College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin – Millikin Freedom Football Conference – Springfield Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference – Wabash Illini-Badger Football Conference – Aurora Iowa Intercollegiate Athletic Conference – Central (IA) Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association – Albion Middle Atlantic Conference – Lycoming Midwest Conference – Grinnell Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference – Saint John's (MN) New England Football Conference – Salve Regina (Blue Division), Bridgewater State (Red Division) New Jersey Athletic Conference – TCNJ North Coast Athletic Conference – Wittenberg Northwest Conference – Pacific Lutheran Ohio Athletic Conference – Mount Union* Old Dominion Athletic Conference – Emory & Henry Presidents' Athletic Conference – Grove City, Washington & Jefferson, and Waynesburg Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference – Whittier Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference – Trinity (TX) University Athletic Association – Chicago Upper Midwest Athletic Conference – Maranatha Baptist, Martin Luther, and Mount Senario Upstate Collegiate Athletic Conference – RPI Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference – Wisconsin–Eau Claire, Wisconsin–River Falls, Wisconsin–Stevens Point, and Wisconsin–Whitewater

class="wikitable"

Conference champions

*American Southwest Conference – Hardin–Simmons

Centennial Conference – Western Maryland
College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin – Millikin
Freedom Football Conference – Springfield
Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference – Wabash
Illini-Badger Football Conference – Aurora
Iowa Intercollegiate Athletic Conference – Central (IA)
Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association – Albion
Middle Atlantic Conference – Lycoming
Midwest Conference – Grinnell
Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference – Saint John's (MN)
New England Football Conference – Salve Regina (Blue Division), Bridgewater State (Red Division)
New Jersey Athletic Conference – TCNJ
North Coast Athletic Conference – Wittenberg
Northwest Conference – Pacific Lutheran
Ohio Athletic Conference – Mount Union
Old Dominion Athletic Conference – Emory & Henry
Presidents' Athletic Conference – Grove City, Washington & Jefferson, and Waynesburg
Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference – Whittier
Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference – Trinity (TX)
University Athletic Association – Chicago
Upper Midwest Athletic Conference – Maranatha Baptist, Martin Luther, and Mount Senario
Upstate Collegiate Athletic Conference – RPI
Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference – Wisconsin–Eau Claire, Wisconsin–River Falls, Wisconsin–Stevens Point, and Wisconsin–Whitewater

Postseason

The 1998 NCAA Division III Football Championship playoffs were the 26th annual single-elimination tournament to determine the national champion of men's NCAA Division III college football. The championship Stagg Bowl game was held at Salem Football Stadium in Salem, Virginia for the second time. As of 2014, Salem has remained the yearly host of the Stagg Bowl. This was the final bracket to feature sixteen teams before expanding to 28 teams in 1999.{{cite web|title=1998 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 26, 2014|pages=14}}

=Playoff bracket=

{{16TeamBracket | RD1=Regionals
Campus Sites

| RD2=Quarterfinals
Campus Sites

| RD3=Semifinals
Campus Sites

| RD4=National Championship Game
Salem Football Stadium
Salem, Virginia

| team-width=

| RD1-seed01=

| RD1-team01= Mount Union

| RD1-score01= 21

| RD1-seed02=

| RD1-team02= {{cfb link|year=1998|team=Albion Britons|title=Albion}}

| RD1-score02= 19

| RD1-seed03=

| RD1-team03= {{cfb link|year=1998|team=Wittenberg Tigers|title=Wittenberg}}

| RD1-score03= 13

| RD1-seed04=

| RD1-team04= {{cfb link|year=1998|team=Millikin Big Blue|title=Millikin}}

| RD1-score04= 10

| RD1-seed05=

| RD1-team05={{cfb link|year=1998|team=Lycoming Warriors|title=Lycoming}}

| RD1-score05= 49

| RD1-seed06=

| RD1-team06= {{cfb link|year=1998|team=Catholic University Cardinals|title=Catholic University}}

| RD1-score06= 14

| RD1-seed07=

| RD1-team07= {{cfb link|year=1998|team=Trinity Tigers|title=Trinity (TX)}}

| RD1-score07= 30

| RD1-seed08=

| RD1-team08= {{cfb link|year=1998|team=Western Maryland Green Terror|title=Western Maryland}}

| RD1-score08= 20

| RD1-seed09=

| RD1-team09= {{cfb link|year=1998|team=Wisconsin–Eau Claire Blugolds|title=Wisconsin–Eau Claire}}

| RD1-score09= 28

| RD1-seed10=

| RD1-team10= {{cfb link|year=1998|team=Central Dutch|title=Central (IA)}}

| RD1-score10= 21

| RD1-seed11=

| RD1-team11= {{cfb link|year=1998|team=Saint John's Johnnies|title=Saint John's (MN)}}

| RD1-score11= 33

| RD1-seed12=

| RD1-team12= {{cfb link|year=1998|team=Pacific Lutheran Lutes|title=Pacific Lutheran}}

| RD1-score12= 20

| RD1-seed13=

| RD1-team13= {{cfb link|year=1998|team=Buffalo State Bengals|title=Buffalo State}}

| RD1-score13= 38

| RD1-seed14=

| RD1-team14= {{cfb link|year=1998|team=Springfield Pride|title=Springfield}}

| RD1-score14= 35

| RD1-seed15=

| RD1-team15= {{cfb link|year=1998|team=Rowan Profs|title=Rowan}}

| RD1-score15= 26

| RD1-seed16=

| RD1-team16= {{cfb link|year=1998|team=TCNJ Lions|title=TCNJ}}

| RD1-score16= 2

| RD2-seed01=

| RD2-team01= Mount Union

| RD2-score01= 21

| RD2-seed02=

| RD2-team02= Wittenberg

| RD2-score02= 19

| RD2-seed03=

| RD2-team03= Lycoming

| RD2-score03= 21

| RD2-seed04=

| RD2-team04= Trinity (TX)

| RD2-score04= 37

| RD2-seed05=

| RD2-team05= Wisconsin–Eau Claire

| RD2-score05= 10

| RD2-seed06=

| RD2-team06= Saint John's (MN)

| RD2-score06= 3

| RD2-seed07=

| RD2-team07= Buffalo State

| RD2-score07= 17

| RD2-seed08=

| RD2-team08= Rowan

| RD2-score08= 19

| RD3-seed01=

| RD3-team01= Mount Union

| RD3-score01= 34

| RD3-seed02=

| RD3-team02= Trinity (TX)

| RD3-score02= 29

| RD3-seed03=

| RD3-team03= Wisconsin–Eau Claire

| RD3-score03= 19

| RD3-seed04=

| RD3-team04= Rowan

| RD3-score04= 22

| RD4-seed01=

| RD4-team01= Mount Union

| RD4-score01= 44

| RD4-seed02=

| RD4-team02= Rowan

| RD4-score02= 24

}}

Final NCAA Regional Poll

= East Region =

Team \|\| Record
1. Springfield(Mass.)	9–0
2. Ithaca	8–1
3. New Jersey	7–2
4. Rowan	6–2
5. Buffalo State	7–2
6. Montclair State	7–2

Others receiving votes (listed alphabetically): Hartwick, Hobart, Rensselaer Polytechnic, and Salve Regina.

= South Region =

Team \|\| Record
1. Lycoming	9–0
2. Trinity(TX)	9–0
3. Western Maryland	9–0
4. Catholic \| 9–0
5. Emory and Henry \| 9–0
6. Hardin-Simmons \| 8–1

Others receiving votes: McMurry, Pomona-Pitzer, Westminster, and Widener.

= North Region =

Team \|\| Record
1. Mt. Union \| 9–0
2. Wittenberg \| 9–0
3. Wabash	9–0
4. Baldwin-Wallace	8–1
5. Albion	8–1
6. Millikin	7–1

Others receiving votes: Allegheny, Hanover, John Carroll, and MacMurray.

= West Region =

Team \|\| Record
1. Central(IA)	9–0
2. St. John's	9–0
3. Pacific Lutheran	7–1
4. Wisconsin-Eau Claire	7–2
5. Gustavus Adolphus	8–1
6. Wisconsin-Stevens Point	6–2

Others receiving votes: Grinnell, Linfield, Wartburg, and Wisconsin-Whitewater.{{Cite web|date=1999-02-20|title=Football Polls|url=http://www.ncaa.org/polls/football.html|access-date=2021-09-23|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/19990220005738/http://www.ncaa.org/polls/football.html|archive-date=1999-02-20}}

*This was the final time the NCAA conducted a regional poll for Division III, starting with the 1999 season, American Football Coaches Association conducted a top 25 coaches poll.{{Cite web|date=2000-01-20|title=- AFCA to Publish Division III Coaches' Poll in 1999|url=http://afca.com/lev3.cfm/565|access-date=2021-09-23|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20000120052248/http://afca.com/lev3.cfm/565|archive-date=2000-01-20}}

Awards

Gagliardi Trophy: Scott Hvistendahl, Augsburg

AFCA Coach of the Year: Larry Kehres, Mount Union

AFCA Regional Coach of the Year: Region 1: Mike DeLong, Springfield Region 2: Frank Girardi, Lycoming Region 3: Steve Mohr, Trinity(TX) Region 4: Joe Fincham, Wittenberg Region 5: Rich Kacmarynski, Central(IA){{Cite web|date=2016-12-02|title=Past AFCA Regional Coaches of the Year|url=http://afca.com/article/article.php?id=2189|access-date=2021-09-23|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161202214016/http://afca.com/article/article.php?id=2189|archive-date=2016-12-02}}

1998 NCAA Division III football season

Conference standings

Conference champions

Postseason

=Playoff bracket=

Final NCAA Regional Poll

= East Region =

= South Region =

= North Region =

= West Region =

Awards

See also

References