# 1973 NCAA Division III football season

The 1973 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 1973, and concluded with the NCAA Division III Football Championship in December 1973 at Garrett–Harrison Stadium in Phenix City, Alabama. This was the first season for Division III (and Division II) football, which were formerly in the College Division in 1972 and prior.
Wittenberg won their first Division III championship, defeating Juniata in the championship game by a score of 41−0.

## Conference changes and new programs

| School | 1972 conference | 1973 conference |
| Albany | New program | NCAA Division III independent |
| Seton Hall | New program | Metropolitan Interscholastic Conference |
| Salisbury State | New program | NCAA Division III independent |

## Conference standings

1973 College Athletic Conference football standings :
| 1973 College Athletic Conference football standings vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T Southwestern (TN) $ 2 –0 –04 –3 –2 Sewanee 1 –1 –05 –3 –0 Centre 0 –2 –00 –9 –0 $ – Conference champion | 1973 College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin football standings vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T No. 4 Carthage $^ 8 –0 –08 –2 –0 No. 12 Millikin 6 –2 –08 –2 –0 No. 15 Augustana (IL) 6 –2 –07 –2 –0 Illinois Wesleyan 5 –3 –05 –4 –0 Carroll (WI) 3 –5 –04 –5 –0 Elmhurst 3 –5 –04 –5 –0 North Park 2 –6 –03 –6 –0 Wheaton (IL) 2 –6 –02 –7 –0 North Central (IL) 1 –7 –02 –7 –0 $ – Conference champion^ – NAIA Division II playoff participantRankings from NAIA Division II poll | 1973 Eastern Football Conference football standings vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T Central Connecticut State $ 3 –0 –09 –1 –0 Southern Connecticut State 2 –1 –06 –4 –0 Montclair State 1 –2 –06 –4 –0 Glassboro State 0 –3 –04 –6 –0 $ – Conference champion |
| 1973 Independent College Athletic Conference football standings vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T Ithaca $ 2 –0 –05 –4 –0 Hobart 3 –1 –17 –1 –1 Alfred 2 –1 –07 –2 –0 St. Lawrence 2 –2 –05 –3 –0 RIT 0 –2 –13 –5 –1 RPI 0 –3 –01 –9 –0 $ – Conference champion | 1973 Indiana Collegiate Conference football standings vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T Butler $ 5 –1 –05 –5 –0 DePauw 4 –2 –06 –3 –0 Evansville 3 –2 –05 –5 –0 Indiana Central 3 –3 –07 –3 –0 Valparaiso 3 –3 –06 –5 –0 Saint Joseph's (IN) 1 –4 –03 –7 –0 Wabash 0 –4 –05 –5 –0 $ – Conference champion | 1973 Iowa Conference football standings vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T No. 9 Buena Vista $ 7 –0 –08 –1 –0 Central (IA) 6 –1 –07 –2 –0 Wartburg 4 –3 –05 –4 –0 Dubuque 3 –3 –15 –4 –1 William Penn 3 –4 –06 –4 –0 Luther 2 –4 –12 –6 –1 Simpson (IA) 1 –5 –12 –6 –1 Upper Iowa 0 –6 –11 –7 –1 $ – Conference championRankings from NAIA Division II poll |
| 1973 Mason–Dixon Conference football standings vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T Hampden–Sydney $ 3 –1 –07 –3 –0 Johns Hopkins 2 –0 –06 –3 –0 Bridgewater 2 –1 –05 –4 –0 Randolph–Macon 2 –1 –05 –5 –0 Western Maryland 0 –3 –05 –4 –0 Towson State 0 –3 –04 –4 –0 Gallaudet 0 –0 –01 –8 –0 $ – Conference champion | 1973 Metropolitan Intercollegiate Conference football standings vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T C. W. Post $ 5 –0 –010 –1 –0 Hofstra 4 –1 –08 –3 –0 Fordham 2 –2 –06 –4 –0 Merchant Marine 1 –2 –05 –5 –0 Seton Hall 0 –2 –03 –4 –0 Saint Peter's 0 –2 –00 –9 –0 Wagner 0 –3 –04 –5 –0 $ – Conference champion | 1973 Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association football standings vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T Hope $ 5 –0 –07 –2 –0 Olivet 3 –2 –06 –3 –0 Albion 3 –2 –03 –6 –0 Alma 2 –3 –05 –4 –0 Kalamazoo 2 –3 –04 –4 –0 Adrian 0 –5 –01 –8 –0 $ – Conference champion |
| 1973 Middle Atlantic Conference football standings vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T Northern Division Juniata x^ 5 –1 –010 –2 –0 Wilkes 5 –1 –05 –3 –0 Albright 5 –3 –05 –5 –0 Delaware Valley 4 –3 –14 –3 –0 Lycoming 2 –5 –02 –6 –0 Susquehanna 1 –6 –02 –7 –0 Upsala 0 –7 –01 –8 –0 Wagner * 2 –1 –04 –5 –0 Southern Division Franklin & Marshall x 8 –1 –08 –1 –0 Widener 7 –1 –08 –1 –0 Muhlenberg 7 –1 –17 –1 –1 Johns Hopkins 4 –2 –06 –3 –0 Western Maryland 4 –2 –05 –4 –0 Moravian 3 –5 –13 –5 –1 Lebanon Valley 2 –5 –22 –5 –2 Dickinson 1 –5 –21 –5 –2 Ursinus 1 –5 –12 –5 –1 Swarthmore 0 –7 –00 –7 –0 x – Division champion/co-champions^ – NCAA Division III playoff participant * – Ineligible due to insufficient conference games Juniata won Northern Section on Hazlett point system | 1973 Midwest Conference football standings vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T Coe $ 7 –1 –08 –1 –0 Monmouth (IL) 6 –1 –16 –1 –1 Knox 5 –2 –16 –2 –1 Ripon 5 –2 –15 –3 –1 St. Olaf 5 –3 –05 –4 –0 Lawrence 4 –4 –04 –4 –0 Carleton 3 –4 –13 –4 –1 Cornell (IA) 2 –6 –03 –6 –0 Beloit 1 –7 –01 –8 –0 Grinnell 0 –8 –00 –9 –0 $ – Conference champion | 1973 Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference football standings vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T No. 11 St. Thomas (MN) + 6 –1 –09 –1 –0 No. 9 Minnesota–Duluth + 6 –1 –08 –1 –0 Augsburg 5 –2 –07 –2 –0 Gustavus Adolphus 4 –3 –05 –5 –0 Concordia–Moorhead 3 –4 –05 –5 –0 Saint John's (MN) 3 –4 –04 –4 –0 Hamline 1 –6 –03 –6 –0 Macalester 0 –7 –01 –9 –0 + – Conference co-championsRankings from NAIA Division I poll |
| 1973 New England Football Conference standings vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T Nichols $ 4 –0 –08 –1 –0 Plymouth State 3 –2 –06 –2 –0 Bridgewater State 2 –2 –05 –5 –0 Curry 2 –2 –13 –5 –1 Maine Maritime 2 –3 –04 –5 –0 Boston State 0 –4 –11 –6 –1 $ – Conference champion | 1973 New Jersey State Athletic Conference football standings vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T Montclair State $ 4 –0 –06 –4 –0 Jersey City State 4 –1 –09 –1 –0 Trenton State 3 –2 –07 –3 –0 Glassboro State 2 –3 –04 –6 –0 Kean 1 –3 –04 –5 –0 William Paterson 0 –5 –03 –7 –0 $ – Conference champion | 1973 Ohio Athletic Conference football standings vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T Blue Division Marietta xy 3 –1 –06 –4 –0 Muskingum 2 –1 –15 –3 –1 Ohio Wesleyan 2 –1 –13 –5 –1 Otterbein 1 –2 –14 –4 –1 Denison 0 –3 –13 –5 –1 Red Division No. 4 Wittenberg xy$^ 5 –0 –012 –0 –0 Baldwin–Wallace 4 –1 –06 –3 –0 Wooster 3 –2 –05 –3 –0 Heidelberg 2 –3 –06 –3 –0 Capital 1 –4 –04 –4 –0 Mount Union 0 –5 –03 –6 –0 Not competing for championship Kenyon   –  5 –4 –0 Oberlin   –  4 –5 –0 Championship: Wittenberg 35, Marietta 7 $ – Conference championx – Division champion/co-championsy – Championship game participant^ – NCAA Division III playoff participantRankings from AP small college poll |
| 1973 Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference football standings vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T East Division West Chester xy 4 –0 –05 –5 –0 East Stroudsburg 5 –1 –06 –1 –1 Millersville 4 –2 –07 –2 –0 Cheyney 3 –2 –05 –4 –0 Bloomsburg 2 –4 –04 –5 –0 Kutztown 1 –5 –02 –7 –0 Mansfield 0 –5 –01 –7 –0 West Division No. T–20 Slippery Rock xy$ 5 –0 –08 –2 –0 Clarion 3 –2 –05 –4 –0 Edinboro 3 –2 –04 –4 –1 Lock Haven 2 –3 –02 –7 –0 California (PA) 1 –4 –03 –6 –0 Shippensburg 1 –4 –02 –7 –0 Indiana (PA) * 0 –0 –04 –5 –0 Championship: Slippery Rock 28, West Chester 14 $ – Conference championx – Division champion/co-championsy – Championship game participant * – Ineligible for conference title Rankings from NAIA Division I poll | 1973 Presidents' Athletic Conference football standings vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T John Carroll $ 5 –0 –27 –1 –2 Allegheny 5 –1 –15 –3 –1 Thiel 4 –2 –16 –2 –1 Hiram 4 –3 –05 –4 –0 Carnegie Mellon 4 –3 –05 –3 –0 Bethany (WV) 2 –5 –03 –5 –1 Washington & Jefferson 2 –5 –02 –7 –0 Case Western Reserve 0 –7 –00 –9 –0 $ – Conference champion | 1973 Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference football standings vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T No. 10 Redlands $ 5 –0 –08 –1 –0 Whittier 3 –2 –06 –3 –0 La Verne 3 –2 –04 –5 –0 Claremont-Mudd 2 –3 –03 –5 –0 Occidental 2 –3 –02 –6 –0 Pomona-Pitzer 0 –5 –01 –7 –1 $ – Conference championRankings from NAIA Division II poll |
| 1973 Wisconsin State University Conference football standings vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T No. 6 Wisconsin–La Crosse $^ 7 –1 –09 –2 –0 No. 14 Wisconsin–Platteville 6 –1 –18 –1 –1 Wisconsin–Whitewater 4 –2 –26 –2 –2 Wisconsin–Eau Claire 4 –4 –05 –5 –0 Wisconsin–Oshkosh 4 –4 –04 –6 –0 Wisconsin–River Falls 3 –4 –14 –5 –1 Wisconsin–Stevens Point 3 –5 –04 –6 –0 Wisconsin–Superior 2 –6 –02 –8 –0 Wisconsin–Stout 1 –7 –01 –9 –0 $ – Conference champion^ – NAIA Division I playoff participantRankings from NAIA Division I poll | 1973 NCAA Division III independents football records vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T Colorado College   –  9 –1 –0 Bridgeport ^   –  9 –2 –0 San Diego ^   –  9 –2 –1 Albany   –  7 –2 –0 Salisbury State   –  7 –2 –0 Ashland   –  7 –3 –0 Norwich   –  6 –3 –0 Rochester (NY)   –  6 –3 –0 Brockport   –  5 –3 –0 Maryville (TN)   –  5 –4 –0 Millsaps   –  5 –4 –0 Madison   –  4 –5 –0 St. Norbert   –  4 –5 –0 Lake Forest   –  3 –4 –1 Saint Mary's   –  3 –4 –1 Georgetown   –  3 –5 –0 Grove City   –  2 –6 –1 Cortland   –  1 –7 –1 Chicago   –  0 –6 –1 ^ – NCAA Division III playoff participant |

## Conference champions

| Conference | Champion(s) |
| College Athletic Conference | Southwestern at Memphis |
| College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin | Carthage |
| Independent College Athletic Conference | Champion unknown |
| Iowa Intercollegiate Athletic Conference | Buena Vista |
| Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association | Hope |
| Middle Atlantic Conference | North: Juniata South: Franklin & Marshall |
| Midwest Collegiate Athletic Conference | Coe |
| Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference | Minnesota–Duluth St. Thomas (MN) |
| New England Football Conference | Nichols |
| New Jersey State Athletic Conference | Montclair State |
| Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (Division III) | Fisk |
| Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference | Redlands |

## Postseason

The 1973 NCAA Division III Football Championship playoffs were the first single-elimination tournament to determine the national champion of men's NCAA Division III college football. The inaugural edition had only four teams (in comparison with the 40 teams competing as of 2024). The championship game was held at Garrett-Harrison Stadium in Phenix City, Alabama. The Wittenberg Tigers defeated the Juniata College Eagles, 41−0, to win their first national title.

### 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 |
| Juniata | Juniata | 35 | | | |
| Bridgeport | Bridgeport | 14 | | | |
| Bridgeport | Bridgeport | 14 | Juniata | Juniata | 0 |
| | | | Wittenberg | Wittenberg | 41 |
| Wittenberg | Wittenberg | 21 | Wittenberg | Wittenberg | 41 |
| San Diego | San Diego | 14 | | | |

## Coaching changes
### In-season

This is restricted to coaching changes that took place during the season.
| School | Outgoing coach | Reason | Replacement | Previous position |
| Ripon | John Storzer | Died | Bill Connor (interim, named full-time in December 1973) | Ripon defensive coordinator (1967–1973) |

### End of season

This list includes all head coaching changes announced during or after the season.
| School | Outgoing coach | Reason | Replacement | Previous position |
| Bridgeport | Ed Farrell | Hired as head coach for Davidson | Ray Murphy | East Stroudsburg offensive coordinator (1973) |
| Brockport | Gerry D'Agostino | Resigned | Dave Hutter | Brockport assistant coach (1971–1973) |
| East Stroudsburg | Charles Reese | Leave of absence | Dennis Douds (full-season interim, hired full-time on January 29, 1975) | East Stroudsburg defensive coordinator (1968–1973) |
| Elmhurst | Wendell Harris | Resigned | Al Hanke | Lake Forest assistant coach (1954–1973) |
| Hamline | Dick Mulkern | Resigned | Jim Sessions | Marietta assistant coach (1973) |
| Jersey City State | Jack Stephans | Resigned | Bill McKeown | Northeastern offensive coordinator (1972–1973) |
| Maryville (TN) | Boydson Baird (full-season interim) | Permanent replacement hired | Jim Jordan | Carson–Newman defensive backs coach (1973) |
| RIT | Tom Coughlin | Hired as quarterbacks coach for Syracuse | Lou Spiotti | Rochester defensive backs coach (1972–1973) |
| Saint Mary's (CA) | Leo McKillip | Hired as defensive coordinator for the Edmonton Eskimos | Jim McDonald | Saint Mary's (CA) offensive line coach (1971–1973) |
| Saint Peter's | Vinnie Carlesimo | Resigned | Joe Coviello | North Bergen HS (NJ) (1960–1972) |
| San Diego | Andy Vinci | Hired as head coach by Cal Poly Pomona | Dick Logan | San Francisco State offensive coordinator (1970–1973) |
| Simpson | Al Paone | Resigned | Larry Johnson (full-season interim) | Simpson head baseball coach (1970–1974) |
| Swarthmore | Millard Robinson (full-season interim) | Not retained | Lew Elverson | Swarthmore head coach (1946–1972) |
| Trenton State | Pete Carmichael | Hired as defensive coordinator for Columbia | Dick Curl | Trenton State offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach (1973) |
| Wabash | Dick Bowman | Hired as defensive line coach for Army | Frank Navarro | Columbia head coach (1968–1973) |
| William Paterson | Phil Zofrea | Resigned | Bob Trocolor | New York Giants scout (1970ish–1973) |
| Wisconsin–Platteville | Gil Krueger | Hired as head coach for Northern Michigan | Bob Seamans | Wisconsin–Platteville defensive coordinator (1969–1973) |
* ↑ Resigned to devote more time as Hamline's athletic director.
* ↑ Cortland defensive coordinator Dick Wheaton from 1971 to 1973 was originally hired, but resigned after three weeks.
* ↑ Saint Peter's canceled their football season with five games remaining.
* ↑ Villanova offensive coordinator Fred O'Connor was initially hired but was replaced by Curl due to backlash from the football players.