# 1974 NCAA Division II football season

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. CMU moved up to Division I in 1975.

## Conference standings

1974 Big Sky Conference football standings :
| 1974 Big Sky Conference football standings vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T No. 5 Boise State $^ 6 –0 –010 –2 –0 Montana State 4 –2 –07 –3 –0 Idaho 2 –2 –12 –8 –1 Montana 2 –3 –13 –6 –1 Northern Arizona 2 –3 –03 –6 –0 Idaho State 2 –4 –05 –5 –0 Weber State 1 –5 –04 –7 –0 $ – Conference champion^ – NCAA Division II playoff participantRankings from AP small college poll | 1974 California Collegiate Athletic Association football standings vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T UC Riverside $ 4 –0 –08 –3 –0 Cal Poly 2 –1 –15 –4 –1 Cal Poly Pomona 1 –1 –25 –3 –2 Cal State Northridge 1 –3 –02 –9 –0 Cal State Los Angeles 0 –3 –15 –4 –1 $ – Conference champion | 1974 Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association football standings vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T Norfolk State $ 8 –0 –08 –2 –0 Virginia Union 7 –1 –08 –2 –0 Livingstone 5 –1 –08 –3 –0 Johnson C. Smith 4 –2 –04 –7 –0 Hampton 3 –4 –03 –7 –0 Elizabeth City State 3 –5 –03 –7 –0 Winston-Salem State 3 –5 –04 –7 –0 Virginia State 2 –4 –03 –7 –0 Shaw 2 –5 –04 –6 –0 Fayetteville State 2 –6 –04 –7 –0 Saint Paul's (VA) 0 –6 –01 –8 –0 $ – Conference champion |
| 1974 Eastern Football Conference football standings vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T Central Connecticut State $ 3 –0 –04 –5 –1 Glassboro State 2 –1 –06 –3 –1 Montclair State 1 –2 –06 –3 –1 Southern Connecticut State 0 –3 –04 –5 –0 $ – Conference champion | 1974 Far Western Conference football standings vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T UC Davis $ 5 –0 –09 –1 –0 San Francisco State 2 –3 –05 –6 –0 Humboldt State 2 –3 –04 –6 –0 Chico State 2 –3 –04 –7 –0 Cal State Hayward 2 –3 –03 –6 –0 Sacramento State 2 –3 –02 –9 –0 $ – Conference champion | 1974 Gulf South Conference football standings vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T No. 7 Jacksonville State $ 7 –1 –07 –4 –0 Delta State 7 –2 –08 –3 –0 No. 8 Livingston 5 –3 –08 –3 –0 Southeastern Louisiana 5 –3 –06 –4 –0 Troy State 4 –4 –06 –4 –0 North Alabama 4 –4 –04 –6 –0 Nicholls State 4 –5 –05 –6 –0 Northwestern State 1 –6 –01 –10 –0 Tennessee–Martin 1 –7 –02 –9 –0 Mississippi College 0 –7 –02 –9 –0 $ – Conference championRankings from NAIA Division I poll |
| 1974 Indiana Collegiate Conference football standings vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T Butler $ 6 –0 –08 –2 –0 Evansville ^ 5 –1 –08 –2 –0 DePauw 4 –2 –07 –3 –0 Indiana Central 2 –4 –05 –5 –0 Wabash 2 –4 –05 –5 –0 Valparaiso 2 –4 –03 –6 –0 Saint Joseph's (IN) 0 –6 –00 –9 –0 $ – Conference champion^ – NCAA Division III playoff participant | 1974 Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference football standings vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T No. 11 South Carolina State $ 5 –1 –08 –4 –0 Howard 4 –1 –18 –2 –1 North Carolina Central 4 –1 –17 –2 –2 Morgan State 4 –2 –05 –5 –0 North Carolina A&T 2 –4 –05 –6 –0 Maryland Eastern Shore 1 –5 –02 –6 –0 Delaware State 0 –6 –03 –6 –0 $ – Conference championRankings from NAIA Division I poll | 1974 Missouri Intercollegiate Athletic Association football standings vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T NW Missouri State $ 5 –1 –08 –2 –0 Missouri–Rolla 4 –1 –16 –4 –1 SW Missouri State 4 –2 –07 –3 –0 SE Missouri State 4 –2 –07 –4 –0 NE Missouri State 2 –4 –04 –7 –0 Central Missouri State 1 –4 –13 –7 –1 Lincoln (MO) * 0 –6 –03 –8 –0 $ – Conference championLincoln's overall record includes a forfeit from Arkansas–Pine Bluff. |
| 1974 North Central Conference football standings vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T South Dakota + 5 –2 –08 –3 –0 North Dakota State + 5 –2 –07 –4 –0 North Dakota + 5 –2 –06 –4 –0 South Dakota State 4 –3 –06 –5 –0 Mankato State 3 –3 –15 –4 –1 Northern Iowa 3 –3 –15 –4 –1 Augustana (SD) 2 –5 –04 –6 –0 Morningside 0 –7 –00 –9 –0 + – Conference co-champions | 1974 Northern Intercollegiate Conference football standings vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T Michigan Tech $ 6 –0 –09 –0 –0 St. Cloud State 5 –1 –05 –5 –0 Winona State 3 –3 –05 –4 –0 Moorhead State 3 –3 –04 –5 –0 Southwest State (MN) 2 –4 –04 –5 –0 Minnesota Morris 2 –4 –03 –7 –0 Bemidji State 0 –6 –02 –7 –0 $ – Conference champion | 1974 Ohio Valley Conference football standings vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T Eastern Kentucky $ 6 –1 –08 –2 –0 Murray State 5 –2 –09 –2 –0 Western Kentucky 5 –2 –07 –3 –0 Tennessee Tech 4 –3 –06 –5 –0 East Tennessee State 3 –3 –14 –6 –1 Middle Tennessee 2 –5 –03 –8 –0 Austin Peay 1 –5 –13 –7 –1 Morehead State 1 –6 –03 –8 –0 $ – Conference champion |
| 1974 Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference football standings vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T East Division West Chester xy 5 –0 –08 –2 –0 No. 6 Millersville 5 –1 –08 –1 –0 East Stroudsburg 4 –2 –05 –5 –0 Kutztown 3 –3 –04 –5 –0 Cheyney 2 –4 –05 –4 –0 Mansfield 0 –4 –11 –7 –1 Bloomsburg 0 –5 –11 –7 –1 West Division No. 13 Slippery Rock xy$^ 5 –0 –19 –1 –1 Clarion 4 –1 –16 –2 –1 Indiana (PA) 4 –2 –06 –4 –0 Shippensburg 3 –3 –06 –4 –0 Edinboro 2 –2 –25 –2 –2 California (PA) 1 –5 –01 –7 –0 Lock Haven 0 –6 –01 –8 –0 Championship: Slippery Rock 20, West Chester 7 $ – Conference championx – Division champion/co-championsy – Championship game participant^ – NCAA Division III playoff participantRankings from AP small college poll for Slippery Rock and NAIA Division I poll for Millersville | 1974 Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference football standings vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T Division I Tuskegee x 5 –0 –010 –1 –0 Bethune–Cookman 4 –1 –08 –3 –1 Florida A&M 3 –2 –06 –5 –0 Alabama State 2 –3 –02 –8 –0 Alabama A&M 1 –4 –04 –7 –0 Albany State 1 –4 –03 –7 –0 Morris Brown 1 –4 –02 –8 –0 Division II Clark (GA) x 5 –0 –08 –1 –0 Fisk 4 –1 –05 –4 –0 Fort Valley State 3 –2 –05 –3 –0 Savannah State 3 –2 –03 –6 –1 Knoxville 2 –3 –07 –4 –0 Miles 2 –3 –03 –6 –0 Morehouse 1 –4 –02 –7 –0 Lane 0 –5 –00 –8 –0 x – Division champion/co-champions | 1974 Southland Conference football standings vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T No. 2 Louisiana Tech $^ 5 –0 –011 –1 –0 Lamar 4 –1 –08 –2 –0 Arkansas State 3 –2 –07 –3 –0 McNeese State 2 –3 –06 –4 –1 Texas–Arlington 1 –4 –01 –10 –0 SW Louisiana 0 –5 –02 –9 –0 $ – Conference champion^ – NCAA Division II playoff participantRankings from AP small college poll |
| 1974 Southwestern Athletic Conference football standings vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T No. 7 Grambling State + 5 –1 –011 –1 –0 No. 14 Alcorn State +^ 5 –1 –09 –2 –0 No. 10 Jackson State 4 –2 –07 –3 –0 No. 12 Southern 3 –3 –08 –3 –0 Texas Southern 3 –3 –06 –4 –0 Mississippi Valley State 1 –5 –05 –5 –0 Prairie View A&M 0 –6 –00 –10 –0 + – Conference co-champions^ – NCAA Division II playoff participantRankings from AP small college poll for Grambling State and Alconrn State and NAIA Division I poll for Jackson State and Southern | 1974 Virginia College Athletic Association football standings vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T Virginia Union 2 –0 –08 –2 –0 Randolph–Macon 4 –0 –16 –2 –1 Hampden–Sydney 4 –1 –06 –4 –0 Virginia State 2 –1 –03 –7 –0 Madison 3 –2 –06 –4 –0 Hampton 1 –2 –03 –7 –0 Bridgewater 1 –3 –04 –5 –0 Washington and Lee 0 –2 –11 –8 –1 Emory & Henry 0 –3 –03 –8 –0 Saint Paul's (VA) 0 –3 –01 –8 –0 | 1974 West Virginia Intercollegiate Athletic Conference football standings vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T Northern Division Fairmont State xy$ 4 –0 –07 –4 –0 No. 15 Salem 3 –1 –07 –2 –0 West Liberty State 2 –2 –05 –4 –0 Shepherd 1 –2 –02 –9 –0 West Virginia Wesleyan 0 –4 –01 –8 –0 Southern Division Concord xy 3 –1 –06 –5 –0 Bluefield State 3 –1 –05 –4 –0 Glenville State 3 –1 –05 –4 –0 West Virginia Tech 1 –3 –05 –4 –0 West Virginia State 0 –4 –01 –8 –0 Championship: Fairmont State 30, Concord 6 $ – Conference championx – Division champion/co-championsy – Championship game participantConference standings based on power ratingsRankings from NAIA Division I poll |
| 1974 Yankee Conference football standings vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T UMass + 4 –2 –05 –6 –0 Maine + 4 –2 –04 –6 –0 New Hampshire 3 –3 –05 –4 –0 Rhode Island 3 –3 –05 –5 –0 Boston University 3 –3 –05 –4 –1 Connecticut 3 –3 –04 –6 –0 Vermont 1 –5 –04 –6 –0 + – Conference co-champions | 1974 NCAA Division II independents football records vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T No. 1 Central Michigan ^   –  12 –1 –0 No. 6 UNLV ^   –  12 –1 –0 No. 4 Delaware ^   –  12 –2 –0 No. 8 Western Carolina ^   –  9 –2 –0 No. 9 Tennessee State   –  8 –2 –0 No. 12 Youngstown State ^   –  8 –2 –0 Santa Clara   –  7 –3 –0 Wayne State (MI)   –  7 –3 –0 Kentucky State   –  6 –4 –0 Northeastern   –  6 –4 –0 Central State (OH)   –  6 –5 –0 Akron   –  5 –5 –0 Indiana State   –  5 –5 –0 Nevada   –  5 –6 –0 Portland State   –  5 –6 –0 American International   –  4 –5 –0 Eastern Michigan   –  4 –6 –1 Milwaukee   –  4 –6 –0 Northeast Louisiana   –  4 –6 –0 Eastern Illinois   –  3 –6 –1 Arkansas–Pine Bluff   –  3 –5 –0 Chattanooga   –  4 –7 –0 Nebraska–Omaha   –  3 –7 –0 Bucknell   –  2 –8 –0 Northern Michigan   –  0 –10 –0 ^ – NCAA Division II playoff participantRankings from AP small college poll |

## Conference summaries

| 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

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. After opening with a home loss to Division I Kent State, CMU won twelve straight to finish as D-II champions.

### Playoff bracket

| First round Campus sites November 30 | First round Campus sites November 30 | First round Campus sites November 30 | Semifinals Pioneer Bowl Grantland Rice Bowl December 7 | Semifinals Pioneer Bowl Grantland Rice Bowl December 7 | Semifinals Pioneer Bowl Grantland Rice Bowl December 7 | Championship Camellia Bowl Hughes Stadium Sacramento, CA December 14 | Championship Camellia Bowl Hughes Stadium Sacramento, CA December 14 | Championship Camellia Bowl Hughes Stadium Sacramento, CA December 14 |
| Central Michigan * | Central Michigan * | 20 | | | | | | |
| Boise State | Boise State | 6 | | | | | | |
| Boise State | Boise State | 6 | Central Michigan | Central Michigan | 35 | | | |
| | | | Louisiana Tech | Louisiana Tech | 14 | | | |
| Louisiana Tech * | Louisiana Tech * | 10 | Louisiana Tech | Louisiana Tech | 14 | | | |
| Western Carolina | Western Carolina | 7 | | | | | | |
| Western Carolina | Western Carolina | 7 | | | | Central Michigan | Central Michigan | 54 |
| | | | | | | Delaware | Delaware | 14 |
| UNLV * | UNLV * | 35 | | | | | | | Delaware | Delaware | 14 |
| Alcorn State | Alcorn State | 22 | | | | | | |
| Alcorn State | Alcorn State | 22 | UNLV | UNLV | 11 | | | |
| | | | Delaware | Delaware | 49 | | | |
| Delaware * | Delaware * | 35 | Delaware | Delaware | 49 | | | |
| Youngstown State | Youngstown State | 14 | | | | | | |
* Denotes host institution

## 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.
| Rank | School | Record | No. 1 votes | Total points |
| 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 | Youngstown State | 8–1 | | 40 |
| 9 | Tennessee State | 8–2 | | 38 |
| 10 | Western Carolina | 9–1 | | 34 |
| 11 | Stephen F. Austin | 9–2 | | 34 |
| 12 | Slippery Rock | 9–0–1 | | 19 |
| 13 | Alcorn State | 9–1 | | 17 |
| 14 | Elon | 10–1 | | 10 |
| 15 | South Dakota | 8–3 | | 9 |
| Rank | School | Record | No. 1 votes | Total points |
| 1 | Central Michigan | 12–1 | 32 | 658 |
| 2 | Louisiana Tech | 10–1 | | 477 |
| 3 | Texas A&I | 13–0 | 2 | 461 |
| 4 | Delaware | 12–2 | | 460 |
| 5 | Boise State | 10–2 | | 401 |
| 6 | UNLV | 12–1 | | 381 |
| 7 | Grambling State | 11–1 | | 322 |
| 8 | Western Carolina | 9–1 | | 241 |
| 9 | Tennessee State | 8–2 | | 180 |
| 10 | Texas Lutheran | 11–0 | | 171 |
| 11 | Henderson State | 11–2 | | 135 |
| 12 | Youngstown State | 8–2 | | 118 |
| 13 | Slippery Rock | 9–1–1 | | 90 |
| 14 | Alcorn State | 9–2 | | 87 |
| 15 | Elon | 10–2 | | 85 |