# 1990 NCAA Division II football season

The 1990 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 August 1990, and concluded with the NCAA Division II Football Championship on December 8, 1990, at Braly Municipal Stadium in Florence, Alabama, hosted by the University of North Alabama. The North Dakota State Bison defeated IUP, 51–11, to win their fifth Division II national title.
The Harlon Hill Trophy was awarded to Chris Simdorn, quarterback from North Dakota State.

## Conference and program changes

* One program departed Division II for Division I-AA prior to the season.
* The Midwest Intercollegiate Football Conference (MIFC) was founded prior to the season by the football-playing members of the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (six teams) and the Heartland Collegiate Conference (five teams). The GLIAC abandoned its sponsorship of football and the Heartland disbanded.
| School | 1989 Conference | 1990 Conference |
| Ashland | Heartland | MIFC |
| Butler | Heartland | MIFC |
| Central Florida | D-II Independent | I-AA Independent |
| Ferris State | GLIAC | MIFC |
| Grand Valley State | GLIAC | MIFC |
| Hillsdale | GLIAC | MIFC |
| Indianapolis | Heartland | MIFC |
| Lincoln (MO) | MIAA | Dropped Program |
| Northern Michigan | GLIAC | MIFC |
| Saginaw Valley State | GLIAC | MIFC |
| Saint Joseph's (IN) | Heartland | MIFC |
| Troy State | Gulf South | D-II Independent |
| Valparaiso | Heartland | MIFC |
| Wayne State | GLIAC | MIFC |

## Conference standings

1990 Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association football standings :
| 1990 Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association football standings vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T Northern No. 5 Virginia Union xy^ 7 –0 –010 –2 –0 Norfolk State 5 –1 –07 –3 –0 Hampton 3 –3 –05 –5 –0 Virginia State 3 –3 –05 –5 –0 Elizabeth City State 2 –4 –03 –6 –1 Bowie State 2 –4 –03 –6 –0 Southern Winston-Salem State xy$^ 4 –1 –07 –4 –1 Fayetteville State 2 –4 –03 –6 –0 Livingstone 2 –4 –03 –6 –0 North Carolina Central 2 –4 –03 –7 –0 Johnson C. Smith 0 –6 –00 –9 –0 Championship: Winston-Salem State 34, Virginia Union 21 $ – Conference championx – Division champion/co-championsy – Championship game participant^ – NCAA Division II playoff participantRankings from NCAA Division II Football Committee poll | 1990 Gulf South Conference football standings vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T No. 2 Mississippi College $^ 8 –0 –011 –2 –0 No. 10 Jacksonville State ^ 6 –2 –09 –3 –0 No. 15 North Alabama ^ 6 –2 –08 –3 –0 Valdosta State 5 –3 –05 –5 –0 Delta State 4 –4 –05 –5 –0 Troy State 4 –4 –05 –5 –0 Tennessee–Martin 2 –6 –00 –4 –7 Livingston 1 –7 –00 –3 –9 West Georgia 0 –8 –01 –10 –0 $ – Conference champion^ – NCAA Division II playoff participantRankings from NCAA Division II Football Committee poll | 1990 Lone Star Conference football standings vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T No. 7 East Texas State $^ 7 –0 –010 –3 –0 Angelo State 5 –2 –07 –3 –0 Eastern New Mexico 5 –2 –06 –4 –0 Texas A&I 5 –2 –06 –4 –0 Central State (OK) 3 –4 –04 –6 –0 Cameron 1 –6 –02 –8 –0 Abilene Christian 1 –6 –01 –9 –0 West Texas State 1 –6 –01 –10 –0 $ – Conference champion^ – NCAA Division II playoff participantRankings from NCAA Division II Football Committee poll |
| 1990 Midwest Intercollegiate Football Conference standings vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T Grand Valley State $^ 9 –1 –010 –2 –0 Ashland 7 –3 –07 –3 –1 Hillsdale 7 –3 –07 –4 –0 Ferris State 5 –4 –16 –4 –1 Butler 5 –4 –15 –5 –1 Northern Michigan 5 –4 –15 –5 –1 Saginaw Valley State 5 –5 –06 –5 –0 Indianapolis 3 –6 –13 –6 –1 Wayne State (MI) 3 –7 –03 –7 –0 Saint Joseph's (IN) 3 –7 –03 –7 –0 Valparaiso 1 –9 –01 –9 –0 $ – Conference champion^ – NCAA Division II playoff participant | 1990 Missouri Intercollegiate Athletic Association football standings vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T No. 3 Pittsburg State $^ 9 –0 –012 –1 –0 No. 9 NE Missouri State ^ 8 –1 –09 –2 –0 SE Missouri State 7 –2 –07 –3 –0 Central Missouri State 5 –4 –05 –5 –0 Missouri Southern State 4 –5 –04 –5 –0 Washburn 4 –5 –04 –6 –0 Southwest Baptist 4 –5 –04 –6 –0 NW Missouri State 2 –7 –02 –8 –1 Missouri Western State 2 –7 –02 –8 –0 Missouri–Rolla 1 –8 –01 –10 –0 $ – Conference champion^ – NCAA Division II playoff participantRankings from NCAA Division II Football Committee poll | 1990 North Central Conference football standings vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T No. 1 North Dakota State $^ 9 –0 –014 –0 –0 No. 12 North Dakota 7 –2 –07 –3 –0 No. T–20 Northern Colorado ^ 6 –3 –07 –4 –0 Augustana (SD) 5 –4 –05 –5 –0 Morningside 5 –4 –07 –4 –0 Mankato State 4 –5 –05 –6 –0 South Dakota 3 –6 –04 –7 –0 St. Cloud State 3 –6 –04 –7 –0 South Dakota State 2 –7 –03 –8 –0 Nebraska–Omaha 1 –8 –02 –9 –0 $ – Conference champion^ – NCAA Division II playoff participantRankings from NCAA Division II Football Committee poll |
| 1990 Northern California Athletic Conference football standings vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T UC Davis $ 5 –0 –07 –3 –0 Sonoma State 4 –1 –07 –3 –0 Chico State 3 –2 –04 –6 –0 San Francisco State 1 –4 –04 –7 –0 Humboldt State 1 –4 –02 –8 –1 Cal State Hayward 1 –4 –02 –9 –0 $ – Conference championThe first Humboldt State vs. Cal State Hayward game did not count as a conference game. | 1990 Northern Intercollegiate Conference football standings vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T Minnesota Duluth + 5 –1 –09 –1 –1 No. 5 Southwest State (MN) +^ 5 –1 –08 –3 –0 No. 9 Northern State + 5 –1 –07 –4 –0 No. 19 Moorhead State 3 –3 –05 –5 –0 Minnesota Morris 2 –4 –04 –7 –0 Winona State 1 –5 –02 –9 –0 Bemidji State 0 –6 –01 –10 –0 + – Conference co-champions^ – NAIA Division I playoff participantRankings from NAIA Division I poll | 1990 Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference football standings vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T East Division Millersville x 5 –0 –07 –3 –0 East Stroudsburg 3 –2 –06 –4 –0 Bloomsburg 3 –2 –04 –7 –0 Kutztown 2 –3 –05 –6 –0 Mansfield 2 –3 –04 –5 –1 Cheyney 0 –5 –00 –11 –0 West Chester * 0 –0 –06 –4 –0 West Division No. 4 IUP x^ 6 –0 –012 –2 –0 No. 11 Edinboro ^ 5 –1 –09 –3 –0 Slippery Rock 4 –2 –04 –6 –1 California (PA) 3 –3 –04 –5 –1 Shippensburg 2 –4 –05 –6 –0 Clarion 1 –5 –02 –8 –0 Lock Haven 0 –6 –01 –10 –0 x – Division champion/co-champions^ – NCAA Division II playoff participant * – West Chester was suspended from conference play because the team scheduled a game against Delaware instead of Mansfield on the date mandated by the PSAC. Rankings from NCAA Division II Football Committee poll |
| 1990 Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference football standings vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T Alabama A&M $ 6 –1 –06 –5 –0 No. 14 Tuskegee 6 –1 –08 –3 –0 Albany State 5 –3 –06 –4 –0 Savannah State 5 –2 –07 –4 –0 Morris Brown 3 –3 –04 –6 –0 Clark Atlanta 2 –5 –04 –6 –0 Fort Valley State 2 –6 –04 –7 –0 Morehouse 1 –4 –01 –7 –1 Miles 0 –4 –01 –9 –0 $ – Conference championRankings from NCAA Division II Football Committee poll | 1990 West Virginia Intercollegiate Athletic Conference football standings vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T No. T–12 Concord $ 5 –1 –06 –4 –0 No. 11 Shepherd 4 –1 –16 –3 –1 No. 20 Fairmont State 4 –1 –15 –4 –1 West Virginia State 3 –3 –04 –6 –0 West Virginia Tech 2 –4 –03 –7 –0 West Liberty State 1 –5 –04 –6 –0 Glenville State 1 –5 –01 –7 –1 $ – Conference championRankings from NAIA Division I poll } | 1990 Western Football Conference standings vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T No. 8 Cal Poly +^ 4 –1 –010 –2 –0 No. 13 Cal State Northridge +^ 4 –1 –07 –4 –0 Portland State 2 –3 –06 –5 –0 Santa Clara 2 –3 –06 –5 –0 Southern Utah State 2 –3 –06 –5 –0 Sacramento State 1 –4 –04 –6 –0 + – Conference co-champions^ – NCAA Division II playoff participantRankings from NCAA Division II Football Committee poll |
| 1990 NCAA Division II independents football records vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T No. 18 Wofford ^   –  9 –3 –0 No. 17 American International   –  7 –3 –0 No. 19 New Haven   –  7 –3 –0 Saint Mary's   –  7 –3 –0 Wayne State (NE)   –  7 –4 –0 Michigan Tech   –  6 –4 –0 Springfield   –  6 –4 –0 Southern Connecticut State   –  5 –5 –0 Central Connecticut   –  2 –7 –0 Cal Lutheran   –  2 –8 –0 Kentucky State   –  2 –9 –0 ^ – NCAA Division II playoff participantRankings from NCAA Division II Football Committee poll |

## Conference summaries

* Conference Champions
* Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association – Winston-Salem State
* Gulf South Conference – Mississippi College
* Lone Star Conference – East Texas State
* Midwest Intercollegiate Football Conference – Grand Valley State
* Missouri Intercollegiate Athletic Association – Pittsburg State
* North Central Conference – North Dakota State
* Northern California Athletic Conference – UC Davis
* Northern Intercollegiate Conference – Minnesota–Duluth, Northern State, and Southwest Minnesota State
* Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference – Millersville (East), Indiana (PA) (West)
* Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference – Colorado Mesa
* South Atlantic Conference – Carson-Newman
* Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference – Alabama A&M
* Western Football League – Cal Poly–SLO and Cal State Northridge

## Postseason

The 1990 NCAA Division II Football Championship playoffs were the 18th 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 fifth time.

### Playoff bracket

| First round Campus sites | First round Campus sites | Quarterfinals Campus sites | Quarterfinals Campus sites | Semifinals Campus sites | Semifinals Campus sites | | Championship Braly Municipal Stadium Florence, AL | Championship Braly Municipal Stadium Florence, AL |
| Mississippi College | 70 | | | | | | | |
| Wofford | 19 | | | | | | | |
| Wofford | 19 | Mississippi College | 14 | | | | | |
| | | Jacksonville State | 7 | | | | | |
| Jacksonville State | 38 | Jacksonville State | 7 | | | | | |
| North Alabama | 14 | | | | | | | |
| North Alabama | 14 | | | Mississippi College | 8 | | | |
| | | | | IUP | 27 | | | |
| IUP | 48 | | | | | IUP | 27 | | | |
| Winston-Salem State | 0 | | | | | | | |
| Winston-Salem State | 0 | IUP | 14 | | | | | |
| | | Edinboro | 7 | | | | | |
| Edinboro | 38 | Edinboro | 7 | | | | | |
| Virginia Union | 14 | | | | | | | |
| Virginia Union | 14 | | | | | | IUP | 11 |
| | | | | | | | North Dakota State | 51 |
| North Dakota State | 17 | | | | | | | | North Dakota State | 51 |
| Northern Colorado | 7 | | | | | | | |
| Northern Colorado | 7 | North Dakota State | 47 | | | | | |
| | | Cal Poly | 0 | | | | | |
| Cal Poly | 14 | Cal Poly | 0 | | | | | |
| Cal State Northridge | 7 | | | | | | | |
| Cal State Northridge | 7 | | | North Dakota State | 39 | | | |
| | | | | Pittsburg State | 29 | | | |
| Pittsburg State | 59 | | | | | Pittsburg State | 29 | | | |
| Northeast Missouri State | 3 | | | | | | | |
| Northeast Missouri State | 3 | Pittsburg State | 60 | | | | | |
| | | East Texas State | 28 | | | | | |
| East Texas State | 20 | East Texas State | 28 | | | | | |
| Grand Valley State | 14 | | | | | | | |