2006 NCAA Division II football season
{{Short description|American college football season}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=August 2023}}
{{Infobox NCAA Division II season
| year = 2006
| image =
| image_caption =
| regular_season = September 2 – November 11, 2006
| nc_date = December 16, 2006
| championship = Braly Municipal Stadium
Florence, AL
| champion = Grand Valley State
| hill = Danny Woodhead, Chadron State
}}
The 2006 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 September 2, 2006, and concluded with the NCAA Division II Football Championship on December 16, 2006, at Braly Municipal Stadium in Florence, Alabama, hosted by the University of North Alabama.
Grand Valley State defeated Northwest Missouri State in the championship game, 17–14, to win their fourth Division II national title.{{cite web|title=2006 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 23, 2014|pages=14}}
The Harlon Hill Trophy was awarded to Danny Woodhead, running back from Chadron State.
Conference changes and new programs
Upper Iowa completed their transition to Division II and became eligible for the postseason. West Georgia changed the name of its athletic teams from Braves to Wolves due to NCAA rules regarding Native American mascots.
Conference standings
=Northeast Region=
| cellpadding="5"
|valign="top" width=25em|{{2006 Northeast-10 Conference football standings}} |valign="top" width=25em|{{2006 Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference football standings}} |valign="top" width=25em|{{2006 West Virginia Intercollegiate Athletic Conference football standings}} |
=Southeast Region=
| cellpadding="5"
|valign="top" width=25em|{{2006 Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association football standings}} |valign="top" width=25em|{{2006 Gulf South Conference football standings}} |valign="top" width=25em|{{2006 South Atlantic Conference football standings}} |
| valign="top" width=25em|{{2006 Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference football standings}}
|valign="top" width=25em|{{2006 NCAA Division II Southeast Region independents football records}} |
=Northwest Region=
| cellpadding="5"
|valign="top" width=25em|{{2006 Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference football standings}} |valign="top" width=25em|{{2006 North Central Conference football standings}} |valign="top" width=25em|{{2006 Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference football standings}} |
| valign="top" width=25em|{{2006 Great Lakes Football Conference standings}}
|valign="top" width=25em|{{2006 NCAA Division II Northwest Region independents football records}} |
=Southwest Region=
| cellpadding="5"
|valign="top" width=25em|{{2006 Lone Star Conference football standings}} |valign="top" width=25em|{{2006 Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association football standings}} |valign="top" width=25em|{{2006 Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference football standings}} |
| valign="top" width=25em|{{2006 NCAA Division II Southwest Region independents football records}} |
Conference summaries
{{see also|List of NCAA Division II football seasons}}
| class="wikitable" |
| Conference Champions |
|---|
| Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association – North Carolina Central Great Lakes Football Conference – Saint Joseph's (IN) Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference – Grand Valley State Gulf South Conference – North Alabama Lone Star Conference – West Texas A&M Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletic Association – Northwest Missouri State North Central Conference – Nebraska–Omaha and North Dakota Northeast-10 Conference – Bryant, C.W. Post, Merrimack, and Southern Connecticut State Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference – Bemidji State Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference – Bloomsburg (East), California (PA) and Indiana (PA) (West) Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference – Chadron State South Atlantic Conference – Newberry Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference – Albany State and Tuskegee West Virginia Intercollegiate Athletic Conference – Shepherd |
Postseason
{{Infobox NCAA Football Tournament |
| Division=II
| Year=2006
| Image=
| ImageSize=
| Caption=
| Teams=24
| Stadium=Braly Municipal Stadium
| Location=Florence, AL
| Champions= Grand Valley State
| TitleCount=4th
| RunnerUp= Northwest Missouri State
| GameCount=4th
| Semifinal1=Delta State
| Semifinal2=Bloomsburg
| Attendance=
}}
The 2006 NCAA Division II Football Championship playoffs were the 33rd 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 19th time.
=Seeded teams=
=Playoff bracket=
{{32TeamBracket-Byes
| RD1=First round
November 18
Campus Sites
| RD2=Second round
November 25
Campus Sites
| RD3=Quarterfinals
December 2
Campus Sites
| RD4=Semifinals
December 9 and 10
Campus Sites
| RD5=National Championship Game
December 16
Braly Municipal Stadium,
Florence, Alabama
| RD2-group1=Super Region 3
| RD2-group2=Super Region 2
| RD2-group3=Super Region 1
| RD2-group4=Super Region 4
| RD1-seed03= 5
| RD1-team03= {{cfb link|year=2006|team=South Dakota Coyotes|title=South Dakota}}
| RD1-score03= 31
| RD1-seed04= 4
| RD1-team04={{cfb link|year=2006|team=Northwood Timberwolves|title=Northwood}}*
| RD1-score04= 28
| RD1-seed07= 3
| RD1-team07= {{cfb link|year=2006|team=North Dakota Fighting Sioux|title=North Dakota}}*
| RD1-score07= 42
| RD1-seed08= 6
| RD1-team08= {{cfb link|year=2006|team=Winona State Warriors|title=Winona State}}
| RD1-score08= 0
| RD1-seed11= 5
| RD1-team11= {{cfb link|year=2006|team=Delta State Statesmen|title=Delta State}}
| RD1-score11= 17
| RD1-seed12= 4
| RD1-team12= {{cfb link|year=2006|team=Elizabeth City State Vikings|title=Elizabeth City State}}*
| RD1-score12= 10
| RD1-seed15= 3
| RD1-team15= {{cfb link|year=2006|team=Newberry Wolves|title=Newberry}}*
| RD1-score15= 34
| RD1-seed16= 6
| RD1-team16={{cfb link|year=2006|team=Albany State Golden Rams|title=Albany State}}
| RD1-score16= 28
| RD1-seed19= 4
| RD1-team19= {{cfb link|year=2006|team=Merrimack Warriors|title=Merrimack}}*
| RD1-score19= 28
| RD1-seed20= 5
| RD1-team20={{cfb link|year=2006|team=Southern Connecticut State Owls|title=S. Connecticut}}
| RD1-score20= 26
| RD1-seed23= 6
| RD1-team23= {{cfb link|year=2006|team=West Chester Golden Rams|title=West Chester}}
| RD1-score23= 31
| RD1-seed24= 3
| RD1-team24= Bryant*
| RD1-score24= 29
| RD1-seed27= 4
| RD1-team27= {{cfb link|year=2006|team=Midwestern State Mustangs|title=Midwestern State}}*
| RD1-score27= 28
| RD1-seed28= 5
| RD1-team28={{cfb link|year=2006|team=Missouri Western Griffons|title=Missouri Western}}
| RD1-score28= 26
| RD1-seed31= 3
| RD1-team31= West Texas A&M*†
| RD1-score31= 30
| RD1-seed32= 6
| RD1-team32=Abilene Christian
| RD1-score32= 27
| RD2-seed01= 1
| RD2-team01= Grand Valley State*
| RD2-score01= 35
| RD2-seed02= 5
| RD2-team02= South Dakota
| RD2-score02= 17
| RD2-seed03= 2
| RD2-team03={{cfb link|year=2006|team=Nebraska–Omaha Mavericks|title=Nebraska–Omaha}}*
| RD2-score03= 35
| RD2-seed04= 3
| RD2-team04= North Dakota
| RD2-score04= 38
| RD2-seed05= 1
| RD2-team05= North Carolina Central*
| RD2-score05= 17
| RD2-seed06= 5
| RD2-team06= Delta State
| RD2-score06= 24
| RD2-seed07= 2
| RD2-team07= North Alabama*
| RD2-score07= 38
| RD2-seed08= 3
| RD2-team08= Newberry
| RD2-score08= 20
| RD2-seed09= 1
| RD2-team09= Shepherd*
| RD2-score09= 31
| RD2-seed10= 4
| RD2-team10= Merrimack
| RD2-score10= 7
| RD2-seed11= 2
| RD2-team11= {{cfb link|year=2006|team=Bloomsburg Huskies|title=Bloomsburg}}*
| RD2-score11=21
| RD2-seed12= 6
| RD2-team12= West Chester
| RD2-score12= 20
| RD2-seed13= 1
| RD2-team13= {{cfb link|year=2006|team=Northwest Missouri State Bearcats|title=NW Missouri State}}*
| RD2-score13= 27
| RD2-seed14= 4
| RD2-team14= Midwestern State
| RD2-score14= 0
| RD2-seed15= 2
| RD2-team15= {{cfb link|year=2006|team=Chadron State Eagles|title=Chadron State}}*
| RD2-score15= 43
| RD2-seed16= 3
| RD2-team16= West Texas A&M
| RD2-score16= 17
| RD3-seed01= 1
| RD3-team01= Grand Valley State*
| RD3-score01= 30
| RD3-seed02= 3
| RD3-team02= North Dakota
| RD3-score02= 20
| RD3-seed03= 5
| RD3-team03= Delta State
| RD3-score03= 27
| RD3-seed04= 2
| RD3-team04= North Alabama*
| RD3-score04= 10
| RD3-seed05= 1
| RD3-team05= Shepherd*
| RD3-score05= 21
| RD3-seed06= 2
| RD3-team06= Bloomsburg
| RD3-score06= 24
| RD3-seed07= 1
| RD3-team07= NW Missouri State*
| RD3-score07= 28
| RD3-seed08= 2
| RD3-team08= Chadron State
| RD3-score08= 21
| RD4-seed01= 1
| RD4-team01= Grand Valley State*
| RD4-score01= 49
| RD4-seed02= 5
| RD4-team02= Delta State
| RD4-score02= 30
| RD4-seed03= 2
| RD4-team03= Bloomsburg
| RD4-score03= 3
| RD4-seed04= 1
| RD4-team04= NW Missouri State*
| RD4-score04= 33
| RD5-seed01= 1
| RD5-team01= Grand Valley State
| RD5-score01= 17
| RD5-seed02= 1
| RD5-team02= NW Missouri State
| RD5-score02= 14
}}