2001 NCAA Division II football season

{{Infobox NCAA Division II season

| year = 2001

| image =

| image_caption =

| regular_season = August 30 – November 10, 2001

| playoffs = November 17 – December 8, 2001{{cite web|title=2000-2004 Grand Valley State Schedules|url=http://www.cfbdatawarehouse.com/data/div_ii/gliac/grand_valley_state/2000-2004_yearly_results.php|work=College Football Warehouse|publisher=cfbdatawarehouse.com|access-date=January 11, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140111174348/http://www.cfbdatawarehouse.com/data/div_ii/gliac/grand_valley_state/2000-2004_yearly_results.php|archive-date=January 11, 2014|url-status=dead|df=mdy-all}}

| nc_date = December 8, 2001

| championship = Braly Municipal Stadium
Florence, AL

| champion = North Dakota

| hill = Dusty Bonner, Valdosta State

}}

The 2001 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 on August 30, 2001, and concluded with the NCAA Division II Football Championship on December 8, 2001 at Braly Municipal Stadium in Florence, Alabama, hosted by the University of North Alabama.

North Dakota defeated Grand Valley State in the championship game, 17–14, to win their first Division II national title.{{cite web|title=2001 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 11, 2014|pages=14}}

The Harlon Hill Trophy was awarded to Dusty Bonner, quarterback from Valdosta State, his second consecutive Hill Trophy.

Conference and program changes

The Northeast-10 Conference began sponsorship of football this season with 10 member teams from the Northeast.
The Great Northwest Athletic Conference began its first sponsorship of football during the 2001 season (it was disbanded in 2006 and re-formed again in 2008).

School	2000 Conference	2001 Conference
class="wikitable sortable"
style="text-align:center;" \| American International	Eastern Football Conference	Northeast 10
style="text-align:center;" \| Assumption	Eastern Football Conference	Northeast 10
style="text-align:center;" \| Bentley	Eastern Football Conference	Northeast 10
style="text-align:center;" \| Bryant	Eastern Football Conference	Northeast 10
style="text-align:center;" \| Central Washington	Columbia Football Association (NAIA)	GNAC
style="text-align:center;" \| C.W. Post	Eastern Football Conference	Northeast 10
style="text-align:center;" \| Humboldt State	Columbia Football Association (NAIA)	GNAC
style="text-align:center;" \| Lincoln (MO)	Central States Football League (NAIA)	D-II Independent
style="text-align:center;" \| Pace	Eastern Football Conference	Northeast 10
style="text-align:center;" \| Saint Anselm	Eastern Football Conference	Northeast 10
style="text-align:center;" \| Southern Connecticut	Eastern Football Conference	Northeast 10
style="text-align:center;" \| Stonehill	Eastern Football Conference	Northeast 10
style="text-align:center;" \| UMass Lowell	Eastern Football Conference	Northeast 10
style="text-align:center;" \| Western Oregon	Columbia Football Association (NAIA)	GNAC
style="text-align:center;" \| Western Washington	Columbia Football Association (NAIA)	GNAC

Conference standings

cellpadding="5"

|valign="top" width=25em|{{2001 Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association football standings}}

|valign="top" width=25em|{{2001 Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference football standings}}

|valign="top" width=25em|{{2001 Great Northwest Athletic Conference standings}}

valign="top" width=25em|{{2001 Gulf South Conference football standings}}

|valign="top" width=25em|{{2001 Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association football standings}}

|valign="top" width=25em|{{2001 North Central Conference football standings}}

valign="top" width=25em|{{2001 Northeast-10 Conference football standings}}

|valign="top" width=25em|{{2001 Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference football standings}}

|valign="top" width=25em|{{2001 Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference football standings}}

valign="top" width=25em|{{2001 Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference football standings}}

|valign="top" width=25em|{{2001 South Atlantic Conference football standings}}

|valign="top" width=25em|{{2001 Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference football standings}}

valign="top" width=25em|{{2001 West Virginia Intercollegiate Athletic Conference football standings}}

|valign="top" width=25em|{{2001 NCAA Division II independents football records}}

Conference summaries

class="wikitable"
Conference Champions
Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association – Virginia Union Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference – Grand Valley State Great Northwest Athletic Conference – Western Washington Gulf South Conference – Valdosta State Lone Star Conference – Tarleton State and Texas A&M–Kingsville Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association – Pittsburg State North Central Conference – North Dakota Northeast-10 Conference – C.W. Post Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference – Winona State Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference – Bloomsburg (East), Indiana (PA) (West) Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference – Chadron State South Atlantic Conference – Catawba Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference – Fort Valley State, Morehouse and Tuskegee West Virginia Intercollegiate Athletic Conference – Glenville State

class="wikitable"

Conference Champions

Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association – Virginia Union

Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference – Grand Valley State

Great Northwest Athletic Conference – Western Washington

Gulf South Conference – Valdosta State

Lone Star Conference – Tarleton State and Texas A&M–Kingsville

Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association – Pittsburg State

North Central Conference – North Dakota

Northeast-10 Conference – C.W. Post

Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference – Winona State

Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference – Bloomsburg (East), Indiana (PA) (West)

Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference – Chadron State

South Atlantic Conference – Catawba

Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference – Fort Valley State, Morehouse and Tuskegee

West Virginia Intercollegiate Athletic Conference – Glenville State

Postseason

{{Infobox NCAA Football Tournament |

| Division=II

| Year=2001

| Image=

| ImageSize=

| Caption=

| Teams=16

| Stadium=Braly Municipal Stadium

| Location=Florence, AL

| Champions= North Dakota

| TitleCount=1st

| RunnerUp=Grand Valley State

| GameCount=1st

| Semifinal1=Catawba

| Semifinal2=UC Davis

| Attendance=

}}

The 2001 NCAA Division II Football Championship playoffs were the 28th single-elimination tournament to determine the national champion of men's NCAA Division II college football. The championship game was held at Braly Municipal Stadium in Florence, Alabama for the 15th time.

=Playoff bracket=

{{16TeamBracket-NoSeeds

| RD1=First round
Campus sites

| RD2=Quarterfinals
Campus sites

| RD3=Semifinals
Campus sites

| RD4=Championship
Braly Municipal Stadium
Florence, AL

| RD1-team01=North Dakota

| RD1-score01=42

| RD1-team02={{cfb link|year=2001|team=Winona State Warriors|title=Winona State}}

| RD1-score02= 28

| RD1-team03={{cfb link|year=2001|team=Pittsburg State Gorillas|title=Pittsburg State}}

| RD1-score03=20

| RD1-team04={{cfb link|year=2001|team=Nebraska–Omaha Mavericks|title=Nebraska–Omaha}}

| RD1-score04=7

| RD1-team05={{cfb link|year=2001|team=Tarleton State Texans|title=Tarleton State}}

| RD1-score05=28

| RD1-team06={{cfb link|year=2001|team=Chadron State Eagles|title=Chadron State}}

| RD1-score06=24

| RD1-team07=UC Davis

| RD1-score07=37

| RD1-team08={{cfb link|year=2001|team=Texas A&M–Kingsville Javelinas|title=Texas A&M–Kingsville}}

| RD1-score08=32

| RD1-team09={{cfb link|year=2001|team=Valdosta State Blazers|title=Valdosta State}}

| RD1-score09=40

| RD1-team10={{cfb link|year=2001|team=Fort Valley State Wildcats|title=Fort Valley State}}

| RD1-score10= 24

| RD1-team11={{cfb link|year=2001|team=Catawba Indians|title=Catawba}}

| RD1-score11=35

| RD1-team12={{cfb link|year=2001|team=Central Arkansas Bears|title=Central Arkansas}}

| RD1-score12=34

| RD1-team13=Grand Valley State

| RD1-score13=42

| RD1-team14={{cfb link|year=2001|team=Bloomsburg Huskies|title=Bloomsburg}}

| RD1-score14=14

| RD1-team15={{cfb link|year=2001|team=Saginaw Valley State Cardinals|title=Saginaw Valley State}}

| RD1-score15=33

| RD1-team16={{cfb link|year=2001|team=IUP Indians|title=IUP}}

| RD1-score16=32

| RD2-team01=North Dakota

| RD2-score01=38

| RD2-team02=Pittsburg State

| RD2-score02= 0

| RD2-team03=Tarleton State

| RD2-score03=25

| RD2-team04=UC Davis

| RD2-score04=42

| RD2-team05=Valdosta State

| RD2-score05=34

| RD2-team06=Catawba

| RD2-score06=37*

| RD2-team07=Grand Valley State

| RD2-score07=33

| RD2-team08=Saginaw Valley State

| RD2-score08=30

| RD3-team01=North Dakota

| RD3-score01=14

| RD3-team02=UC Davis

| RD3-score02=2

| RD3-team03=Catawba

| RD3-score03=16

| RD3-team04=Grand Valley State

| RD3-score04=34

| RD4-team01=North Dakota

| RD4-score01=17

| RD4-team02=Grand Valley State

| RD4-score02=14

}}