# 1974 NCAA Division III football season

The 1974 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 1974, and concluded with the NCAA Division III Football Championship in December 1974 at Garrett-Harrison Stadium in Phenix City, Alabama. The Central Dutch won their first Division III championship, defeating the Ithaca Bombers by a final score of 10−8.

## Conference standings

1974 College Athletic Conference football standings :
| 1974 College Athletic Conference football standings vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T Rose–Hulman $ 3 –0 –15 –3 –1 Southwestern (TN) 2 –1 –13 –3 –3 Centre 2 –2 –03 –6 –0 Sewanee 2 –2 –02 –6 –0 Principia 1 –3 –02 –7 –0 $ – Conference champion | 1974 College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin football standings vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T No. 9 Illinois Wesleyan + 7 –1 –08 –1 –0 No. 11 Millikin + 7 –1 –08 –2 –0 Carroll (WI) 5 –3 –06 –3 –0 Augustana (IL) 4 –3 –15 –3 –1 Carthage 4 –3 –15 –3 –1 Wheaton (IL) 4 –4 –04 –5 –0 North Park 2 –6 –03 –6 –0 Elmhurst 1 –7 –01 –8 –0 North Central (IL) 1 –7 –01 –8 –0 + – Conference co-championsRankings from NAIA Division II poll | 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 Independent College Athletic Conference football standings vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T Ithaca $^ 3 –0 –010 –1 –0 Hobart 3 –1 –08 –1 –0 St. Lawrence 3 –2 –07 –2 –0 Alfred 2 –2 –04 –4 –0 RIT 1 –4 –01 –7 –0 RPI 0 –3 –04 –6 –0 $ – Conference champion^ – NCAA Division III playoff participant | 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 Iowa Conference football standings vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T Central (IA) $^ 7 –0 –011 –0 –0 No. 8 William Penn 6 –1 –09 –2 –0 Buena Vista 4 –3 –05 –4 –0 Upper Iowa 4 –3 –04 –5 –0 Luther 3 –4 –03 –6 –0 Simpson (IA) 2 –5 –02 –6 –1 Dubuque 1 –6 –04 –7 –0 Wartburg 1 –6 –02 –8 –0 $ – Conference champion^ – NCAA Division III playoff participantRankings from NAIA Division II poll |
| 1974 Mason–Dixon Conference football standings vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T Towson State $ 4 –0 –010 –0 –0 Randolph–Macon 2 –1 –06 –2 –1 Hampden–Sydney 2 –2 –06 –4 –0 Salisbury State 1 –1 –04 –4 –1 Bridgewater 1 –2 –04 –5 –0 Western Maryland 1 –2 –02 –7 –0 Gallaudet 0 –1 –03 –6 –0 Johns Hopkins 0 –2 –03 –5 –1 $ – Conference champion | 1974 Metropolitan Intercollegiate Conference football standings vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T C. W. Post $ 4 –0 –06 –4 –0 Merchant Marine 3 –1 –06 –3 –0 Seton Hall 2 –1 –07 –2 –0 Wagner 2 –2 –05 –3 –1 Fordham 0 –3 –13 –5 –1 Hofstra 0 –4 –11 –9 –1 $ – Conference champion | 1974 Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association football standings vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T Olivet $ 5 –0 –07 –2 –0 Hope 4 –1 –08 –1 –0 Alma 3 –2 –04 –5 –0 Albion 2 –3 –03 –6 –0 Kalamazoo 1 –4 –02 –6 –0 Adrian 0 –5 –02 –7 –0 $ – Conference champion |
| 1974 Middle Atlantic Conference football standings vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T Northern Division Wilkes x 6 –0 –07 –2 –0 Juniata 5 –1 –07 –2 –0 Albright 4 –2 –06 –3 –0 Susquehanna 3 –3 –04 –5 –1 Delaware Valley 2 –4 –02 –6 –0 Lycoming 1 –5 –03 –6 –0 Upsala 0 –6 –00 –8 –0 Southern Division Franklin & Marshall x 8 –0 –09 –0 –0 Widener 7 –1 –08 –1 –0 Lebanon Valley 4 –4 –05 –4 –0 Moravian 4 –2 –05 –5 –0 Johns Hopkins 3 –2 –13 –5 –1 Dickinson 5 –4 –05 –4 –0 Muhlenberg 2 –6 –02 –7 –0 Ursinus 1 –5 –11 –6 –1 Western Maryland 1 –6 –02 –7 –0 Swarthmore 0 –7 –00 –7 –0 x – Division champion/co-champions | 1974 Midwest Conference football standings vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T Coe $ 7 –0 –08 –1 –0 Lawrence 5 –2 –07 –2 –0 Ripon 5 –2 –07 –2 –0 Cornell (IA) 4 –3 –05 –4 –0 Carleton 3 –4 –04 –5 –0 Grinnell 2 –5 –03 –6 –0 Beloit 1 –6 –02 –7 –0 Knox 1 –6 –01 –8 –0 Monmouth (IL)   –  7 –2 –0 Lake Forest   –  2 –6 –0 $ – Conference championGames against and Lake Forest Monmouth (IL) were not counted in the conference standings. | 1974 Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference football standings vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T Concordia–Moorhead + 5 –2 –07 –2 –0 No. 20 Saint John's (MN) + 5 –2 –07 –2 –0 Minnesota–Duluth 4 –2 –17 –2 –1 Hamline 4 –2 –14 –5 –1 St. Thomas (MN) 4 –3 –05 –4 –0 Gustavus Adolphus 4 –3 –04 –6 –0 Augsburg 3 –4 –05 –5 –0 St. Olaf 1 –6 –03 –6 –0 Macalester 1 –6 –02 –8 –0 + – Conference co-championsMacalester's win over Gustavus Adolphus counted in the conference standings for Macalester, but not for Gustavus Adolphus.Rankings from NAIA Division I poll |
| 1974 New England Football Conference standings vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T Nichols $ 6 –0 –17 –1 –1 Plymouth State 5 –1 –17 –1 –1 Boston State 5 –2 –15 –3 –1 Curry 5 –2 –15 –3 –1 Framingham State 4 –3 –05 –3 –0 Bridgewater State 4 –3 –06 –4 –0 Massachusetts Maritime 2 –6 –03 –6 –0 Maine Maritime 1 –7 –01 –8 –0 New Haven 0 –8 –00 –9 –0 $ – Conference champion | 1974 New Jersey State Athletic Conference football standings vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T Glassboro State $ 4 –0 –16 –3 –1 Kean 3 –1 –08 –2 –0 Trenton State 3 –1 –15 –4 –1 Montclair State 2 –2 –06 –3 –1 William Paterson 1 –4 –03 –7 –0 Jersey City State 0 –5 –00 –9 –0 $ – Conference champion | 1974 Ohio Athletic Conference football standings vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T Blue Division Wittenberg xy$ 3 –0 –17 –1 –2 Mount Union 3 –1 –07 –2 –0 Capital 2 –2 –05 –4 –0 Ohio Wesleyan 1 –3 –04 –5 –0 Denison 0 –3 –13 –5 –1 Red Division Baldwin–Wallace xy 5 –0 –08 –2 –0 Otterbein 4 –1 –06 –3 –0 Marietta 3 –2 –06 –3 –0 Muskingum 2 –3 –04 –5 –0 Heidelberg 1 –4 –02 –6 –0 Wooster 0 –5 –02 –6 –0 Not competing for championship Oberlin   –  5 –4 –0 Kenyon   –  2 –6 –1 Ohio Northern   –  2 –7 –0 Championship: Wittenberg 17, Baldwin–Wallace 0 $ – Conference championx – Division champion/co-championsy – Championship game participant |
| 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 Presidents' Athletic Conference football standings vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T Allegheny + 6 –1 –07 –1 –0 John Carroll + 6 –1 –07 –2 –0 Bethany (WV) 4 –3 –05 –3 –1 Hiram 3 –3 –14 –4 –1 Thiel 3 –3 –14 –4 –1 Carnegie Mellon 2 –5 –03 –5 –0 Case Western Reserve 2 –5 –02 –7 –0 Washington & Jefferson 1 –6 –01 –7 –0 + – Conference co-champions | 1974 Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference football standings vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T No. 13 Redlands $ 5 –0 –07 –2 –0 No. T–17 Whittier 4 –1 –07 –2 –0 La Verne 3 –2 –05 –5 –0 Claremont-Mudd 1 –4 –02 –6 –0 Occidental 1 –4 –01 –7 –0 Pomona-Pitzer 1 –4 –01 –8 –0 $ – Conference championRankings from NAIA Division II poll |
| 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 Wisconsin State University Conference football standings vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T No. 17 Wisconsin–Platteville + 7 –1 –08 –2 –0 No. 18 Wisconsin–Whitewater + 7 –1 –08 –3 –0 No. 16 Wisconsin–La Crosse + 7 –1 –07 –3 –0 Wisconsin–River Falls 5 –3 –07 –3 –0 Wisconsin–Eau Claire 4 –4 –06 –4 –0 Wisconsin–Oshkosh 2 –6 –03 –7 –0 Wisconsin–Stevens Point 2 –6 –03 –7 –0 Wisconsin–Stout 1 –7 –02 –8 –0 Wisconsin–Superior 1 –7 –01 –9 –0 + – Conference co-championsWisconsin–La Crosse forfeited one non-conference game.Rankings from NAIA Division I poll | 1974 NCAA Division III independents football records vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T Albany   –  9 –0 –0 Colorado College   –  8 –1 –0 St. Norbert   –  8 –2 –0 Georgetown   –  6 –2 –0 Norwich   –  6 –3 –0 Millsaps   –  5 –3 –0 Grove City   –  5 –3 –1 Bridgeport   –  6 –4 –0 Ashland   –  5 –5 –0 Salisbury State   –  4 –4 –1 Trinity (TX)   –  5 –5 –1 Rochester (NY)   –  3 –6 –0 Saint Mary's   –  3 –6 –0 Saint Peter's   –  3 –6 –0 Cortland   –  2 –6 –1 Maryville (TN)   –  2 –6 –1 San Diego   –  3 –8 –0 Brockport   –  2 –6 –0 Fairleigh Dickinson–Florham   –  0 –5 –0 Chicago   –  0 –8 –0 |

## Conference champions

| Conference | Champion(s) |
| College Athletic Conference | Rose–Hulman |
| College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin | Illinois Wesleyan Millikin |
| Independent College Athletic Conference | Ithaca |
| Iowa Intercollegiate Athletic Conference | Central (IA) |
| Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association | Olivet |
| Middle Atlantic Conference | Wilkes (North) Franklin & Marshall (South) |
| Midwest Collegiate Athletic Conference | Coe |
| Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference | Concordia–Moorhead Saint John's (MN) |
| New England Football Conference | Boston State Nichols |
| New Jersey State Athletic Conference | Glassboro State |
| Northwest Conference | Linfield |
| Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference | Clark Atlanta |
| Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference | Redlands |
| Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference | Wisconsin–La Crosse Wisconsin–Platteville Wisconsin–Whitewater |

## Postseason

The 1974 NCAA Division III Football Championship playoffs were the second 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. Like the 1973 championship, this year's bracket featured only four teams.

### Playoff bracket

| Semifinals Campus Sites | Semifinals Campus Sites | Semifinals Campus Sites | National Championship Game Garrett-Harrison Stadium Phenix City, AL | National Championship Game Garrett-Harrison Stadium Phenix City, AL | National Championship Game Garrett-Harrison Stadium Phenix City, AL |
| Central (IA) | Central (IA) | 17 | | | |
| Evansville | Evansville | 16 | | | |
| Evansville | Evansville | 16 | Central (IA) | Central (IA) | 10 |
| | | | Ithaca | Ithaca | 8 |
| Ithaca | Ithaca | 27 | Ithaca | Ithaca | 8 |
| Slippery Rock | Slippery Rock | 14 | | | |

## Coaching changes

This list includes all head coaching changes announced during or after the season.
| School | Outgoing coach | Reason | Replacement | Previous position |
| Boston State | Lary Kuharich | Hired as defensive coordinator for Rhode Island | Mac Singleton | Boston State director of intramural athletics (1974) |
| Dubuque | Maury Waugh | Resigned | Larry Pohlman | Crown Point HS (IN) head coach (1972–1974) |
| Fordham | Dean Loucks | Fired | Dave Rice | Western Connecticut head coach (1972–1974) |
| Franklin & Marshall | Bob Curtis | Hired as head coach for Bucknell | Tom Gilburg | Lehigh linebackers coach (1971–1974) |
| Hofstra | Howdy Myers | Retired | Bill Leete | Hofstra defensive coordinator (1969–1974) |
| Kean | Ron SanFillipo | Hired as athletic director for Caldwell HS (NJ) | John Allen | Kean backfield coach (1973–1974) |
| North Central (IL) | N/A | Hired co-head coach | Ron Guenther | Boston College offensive line coach (1971–1974) |
| North Park | Mike Watson | Hired as athletic director for Minnehaha Academy (MN) | Gene Mitz | Drake offensive line coach (1973–1974) |
| Norwich | Joseph G. Sabol | Hired as head coach for Gettysburg | Barry Mynter | Norwich defensive coordinator (1965–1974) |
| Otterbein | Bob Agler | Retired | Rich Seils | Otterbein backfield coach (1973–1974) |
| Simpson | Larry Johnson (full-season interim) | Permanent replacement hired | Maury Waugh | Dubuque head coach (1969–1974) |
| Swarthmore | Lew Elverson | Retired | Tom Lapinski | Mount Pleasant HS (DE) head coach (1972–1974) |
| Trenton State | Dick Curl | Hired as wide receivers coach and tight ends coach for Rutgers | Carmen Piccone | Cornell offensive coordinator (1967–1974) |
| William Paterson | Bob Trocolor | Resigned | Jack Stephans | William Paterson assistant coach (1974) |
| Wisconsin–Superior | Ed Bender | Resigned | Mertz Mortorelli | Wisconsin–Superior head coach (1954–1969) |
| Wooster | Pat O'Brien | Fired | Don Hunsinger | Capital defensive coordinator (1973–1974) |
* ↑ Initially announced his resignation on October 17, 1974, but did not take effect until the end of the season. He was subsequently hired as the head coach for Simpson in January 1975.
* ↑ Forced to retire due to Hofstra's mandatory retirement age of 65, but he continued to coach elsewhere.
* ↑ Also served as Wisconsin–Superior athletic director since 1954.