# 1973 NCAA Division II football season

The 1973 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. The season began in September and concluded with the Division II Championship on December 15 at Hughes Stadium in Sacramento, California. This was the first season for Division II (and Division III) football, which were formerly in the College Division in 1972 and prior.
Louisiana Tech won their first Division II championship, defeating Western Kentucky 34–0 in the Camellia Bowl championship game.

## Conference realignment
### Membership changes

| School | 1972 Conference | 1973 Conference |
| Akron | Independent | D-II Independent |
| Eastern Michigan | Independent | D-II Independent |
| Illinois State | Independent | D-II Independent |
| Nevada–Reno | Independent | D-II Independent |

## Conference standings

1973 Big Sky Conference football standings :
| 1973 Big Sky Conference football standings vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T No. 5 Boise State $^ 6 –0 –010 –3 –0 Montana State 5 –1 –07 –4 –0 Idaho 3 –2 –04 –7 –0 Northern Arizona 2 –3 –04 –6 –0 Montana 2 –4 –04 –6 –0 Weber State 2 –4 –03 –8 –0 Idaho State 0 –6 –02 –9 –0 $ – Conference champion^ – NCAA Division II playoff participantRankings from AP small college poll | 1973 California Collegiate Athletic Association football standings vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T No. 8/9 Cal Poly $ 4 –0 –09 –1 –0 UC Riverside 3 –1 –08 –2 –0 Cal State Fullerton 1 –3 –07 –4 –0 Cal Poly Pomona 1 –3 –04 –6 –1 Cal State Northridge 1 –3 –02 –9 –0 $ – Conference championRankings from AP/UPI small college polls | 1973 Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association football standings vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T Virginia Union $ 9 –0 –09 –1 –0 Livingstone 5 –2 –07 –2 –1 Norfolk State 5 –3 –05 –5 –0 Johnson C. Smith 3 –2 –07 –4 –0 Virginia State 3 –2 –05 –5 –0 Elizabeth City State 4 –4 –14 –5 –1 Fayetteville State 4 –4 –05 –5 –0 Winston-Salem State 2 –5 –13 –7 –1 Hampton 1 –5 –11 –7 –2 Shaw 1 –5 –11 –6 –1 Saint Paul's (VA) 1 –6 –01 –9 –0 $ – Conference champion |
| 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 Far Western Conference football standings vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T UC Davis + 4 –1 –07 –3 –0 Chico State + 4 –1 –07 –3 –0 San Francisco State 3 –2 –07 –2 –1 Cal State Hayward 3 –2 –03 –7 –0 Humboldt State 1 –4 –02 –6 –2 Sacramento State 0 –5 –01 –9 –0 + – Conference co-champions | 1973 Gulf South Conference football standings vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T No. T–17 Troy State $ 6 –1 –07 –2 –1 No. 4 Jacksonville State 5 –2 –07 –2 –0 Delta State 6 –3 –08 –3 –0 Livingston 4 –3 –16 –3 –1 Northwestern State 3 –4 –05 –6 –0 Mississippi College 3 –4 –04 –6 –0 Southeastern Louisiana 3 –4 –04 –6 –0 Florence State 3 –6 –04 –6 –0 Nicholls State 2 –7 –02 –9 –0 Tennessee–Martin 1 –5 –12 –8 –1 $ – Conference championRankings from NAIA Division I poll |
| 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 Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference football standings vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T North Carolina Central $ 5 –1 –07 –4 –0 South Carolina State 4 –1 –17 –3 –1 Howard 4 –2 –08 –2 –0 Morgan State 4 –2 –06 –3 –0 Maryland Eastern Shore 2 –4 –04 –5 –0 North Carolina A&T 1 –4 –14 –6 –1 Delaware State 0 –6 –00 –11 –0 $ – Conference champion | 1973 Missouri Intercollegiate Athletic Association football standings vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T SE Missouri State $ 5 –1 –06 –4 –0 NW Missouri State 4 –2 –06 –4 –0 Lincoln (MO) 3 –3 –05 –6 –0 SW Missouri State 3 –3 –03 –7 –0 Missouri–Rolla 2 –3 –13 –6 –2 NE Missouri State 2 –3 –12 –7 –2 Central Missouri State 1 –5 –02 –8 –0 $ – Conference champion |
| 1973 North Central Conference football standings vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T North Dakota State + 6 –1 –08 –2 –0 South Dakota +^ 6 –1 –08 –3 –0 Mankato State 4 –3 –07 –4 –0 North Dakota 4 –3 –06 –4 –0 Augustana (SD) 3 –3 –16 –3 –1 South Dakota State 2 –4 –15 –5 –1 Northern Iowa 2 –5 –05 –5 –0 Morningside 0 –7 –00 –9 –0 + – Conference co-champions^ – NCAA Division II playoff participant | 1973 Northern Intercollegiate Conference football standings vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T Moorhead State $ 5 –1 –07 –3 –0 Michigan Tech 4 –2 –05 –4 –1 St. Cloud State 4 –2 –04 –6 –0 Bemidji State 2 –4 –05 –4 –0 Southwest State (MN) 2 –4 –04 –6 –0 Minnesota Morris 2 –4 –03 –6 –0 Winona State 2 –4 –03 –7 –0 $ – Conference champion | 1973 Ohio Valley Conference football standings vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T No. 3 Western Kentucky $^ 7 –0 –012 –1 –0 Murray State 5 –2 –07 –3 –0 Eastern Kentucky 4 –3 –07 –4 –0 Morehead State 4 –3 –06 –5 –0 East Tennessee State 3 –4 –04 –7 –0 Middle Tennessee 3 –4 –04 –7 –0 Tennessee Tech 1 –6 –02 –8 –1 Austin Peay 1 –6 –02 –8 –0 $ – Conference champion^ – NCAA Division II 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 Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference football standings vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T Division I Bethune–Cookman x 5 –0 –09 –2 –0 Florida A&M 4 –1 –05 –6 –0 No. 16 Albany State 3 –2 –06 –3 –1 Alabama A&M 3 –2 –05 –5 –0 Tuskegee 2 –3 –07 –4 –0 Morris Brown 1 –4 –01 –8 –1 Alabama State 0 –5 –03 –8 –0 Division II No. 7 Fisk x 5 –0 –09 –0 –0 Fort Valley State 4 –1 –07 –1 –1 Clark (GA) 4 –1 –04 –3 –1 Morehouse 3 –2 –04 –3 –1 Savannah State 2 –3 –03 –6 –0 Lane 1 –4 –03 –6 –0 Miles 1 –4 –01 –8 –0 Knoxville 0 –5 –00 –8 –0 x – Division champion/co-championsRankings from NAIA Division II poll | 1973 Southland Conference football standings vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T No. 2 Louisiana Tech $^ 5 –0 –012 –1 –0 Arkansas State 3 –2 –07 –3 –0 Lamar 3 –2 –05 –5 –0 McNeese State 2 –3 –07 –3 –1 UT Arlington 2 –3 –04 –6 –0 SW Louisiana 0 –5 –00 –10 –0 $ – Conference champion^ – NCAA Division II playoff participantRankings from AP small college poll |
| 1973 Southwestern Athletic Conference football standings vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T No. 5/7 Grambling +^ 5 –1 –010 –3 –0 No. 10 Jackson State + 5 –1 –09 –2 –0 No. T–20 Alcorn A&M 3 –2 –17 –2 –1 Southern 3 –3 –06 –4 –0 Texas Southern 2 –3 –15 –5 –1 Mississippi Valley State 2 –4 –03 –5 –0 Prairie View A&M 0 –6 –02 –6 –1 + – Conference co-champions^ – NCAA Division II playoff participantRankings from NAIA Division I poll and AP small college poll | 1973 West Virginia Intercollegiate Athletic Conference football standings vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T Northern Division Fairmont State xy$ 3 –0 –06 –3 –1 West Liberty State 2 –1 –13 –5 –1 Salem 2 –2 –06 –4 –0 Shepherd 1 –2 –06 –4 –0 West Virginia Wesleyan 0 –3 –12 –6 –1 Southern Division No. 2 Glenville State xy^ 4 –0 –010 –2 –0 Bluefield State 3 –1 –04 –5 –0 West Virginia State 2 –2 –05 –5 –0 West Virginia Tech 1 –3 –04 –5 –0 Concord 0 –4 –00 –9 –0 Championship: Fairmont State 21, Glenville State 7 $ – Conference championx – Division champion/co-championsy – Championship game participant^ – NAIA Division II playoff participant Conference standings based on power ratingsRankings from NAIA Division II poll | 1973 Yankee Conference football standings vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T Connecticut $ 5 –0 –18 –2 –1 Rhode Island 4 –1 –16 –2 –2 UMass 4 –2 –06 –5 –0 New Hampshire 2 –3 –04 –5 –0 Boston University 2 –3 –03 –7 –0 Maine 2 –4 –03 –7 –0 Vermont 1 –5 –03 –6 –0 $ – Conference champion |
| 1973 NCAA Division II independents football records vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T No. 1 Tennessee State   –  10 –0 –0 No. 9 Hawaii   –  9 –2 –0 Nebraska–Omaha   –  7 –2 –1 Trinity (TX)   –  8 –3 –0 UNLV   –  8 –3 –0 No. 13 Delaware ^   –  8 –4 –0 Western Carolina   –  6 –3 –1 Central Michigan   –  7 –4 –0 Nevada   –  7 –4 –0 Western Illinois   –  7 –4 –0 Milwaukee   –  6 –4 –1 Eastern Michigan   –  6 –4 –0 American International   –  5 –4 –0 Akron   –  6 –5 –0 Central State (OH)   –  6 –5 –0 Wayne State (MI)   –  5 –5 –0 Drexel   –  4 –4 –0 Bucknell   –  3 –4 –2 Northeast Louisiana   –  3 –5 –2 Santa Clara   –  4 –6 –0 Youngstown State   –  4 –6 –0 Arkansas–Pine Bluff   –  3 –5 –1 Chattanooga   –  4 –7 –0 Indiana State   –  4 –7 –0 Northeastern   –  3 –6 –0 Kentucky State   –  3 –8 –0 Northern Michigan   –  2 –7 –1 Eastern Illinois   –  2 –9 –0 Portland State   –  1 –10 –0 ^ – NCAA Division II playoff participantRankings from AP small college poll |

## Conference summaries

| Conference | Champion |
| Big Sky Conference | Boise State |
| California Collegiate Athletic Association | Cal Poly |
| Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association | Virginia Union |
| Eastern Football Conference | Central Connecticut State |
| Far Western Football Conference | UC Davis and Cal State Chico |
| Gulf South Conference | Troy State |
| Indiana Collegiate Conference | Butler |
| Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference | North Carolina Central |
| Missouri Intercollegiate Athletic Association | Southeast Missouri State |
| North Central Conference | North Dakota State and South Dakota |
| Ohio Valley Conference | Western Kentucky |
| Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference | Bethune-Cookman |
| Southland Conference | Louisiana Tech |
| Southwestern Athletic Conference | Grambling and Jackson State |
| Yankee Conference | Connecticut |

## Postseason

The 1973 NCAA Division II Football Championship playoffs were the first single-elimination tournament to determine the national champion of men's NCAA Division II college football. The inaugural edition had only eight teams; of the four quarterfinal games, three were played on campus and a fourth was in Atlantic City, New Jersey, the final edition of the Boardwalk Bowl. The semifinals were held at the Grantland Rice Bowl in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, and the Pioneer Bowl in Wichita Falls, Texas.
The championship game was the Camellia Bowl, held at Hughes Stadium in Sacramento, California. The Louisiana Tech Bulldogs defeated the Western Kentucky Hilltoppers 34–0 to win their first national title.

### Playoff bracket

| First round Atlantic City, NJ & 3 campus sites December 1 | First round Atlantic City, NJ & 3 campus sites December 1 | First round Atlantic City, NJ & 3 campus sites December 1 | Semifinals Grantland Rice Bowl Pioneer Bowl December 8 | Semifinals Grantland Rice Bowl Pioneer Bowl December 8 | Semifinals Grantland Rice Bowl Pioneer Bowl December 8 | Championship Camellia Bowl Hughes Stadium Sacramento, CA December 15 | Championship Camellia Bowl Hughes Stadium Sacramento, CA December 15 | Championship Camellia Bowl Hughes Stadium Sacramento, CA December 15 |
| Grambling | Grambling | 17 | | | | | | |
| Delaware | Delaware | 8 | | | | | | |
| Delaware | Delaware | 8 | Grambling | Grambling | 20 | | | |
| | | | Western Kentucky | Western Kentucky | 28 | | | |
| Western Kentucky * | Western Kentucky * | 25 | Western Kentucky | Western Kentucky | 28 | | | |
| Lehigh | Lehigh | 16 | | | | | | |
| Lehigh | Lehigh | 16 | | | | Western Kentucky | Western Kentucky | 0 |
| | | | | | | Louisiana Tech | Louisiana Tech | 34 |
| Louisiana Tech * | Louisiana Tech * | 18 | | | | | | | Louisiana Tech | Louisiana Tech | 34 |
| Western Illinois | Western Illinois | 13 | | | | | | |
| Western Illinois | Western Illinois | 13 | Louisiana Tech | Louisiana Tech | 38 | | | |
| | | | Boise State | Boise State | 34 | | | |
| Boise State * | Boise State * | 53 | Boise State | Boise State | 34 | | | |
| South Dakota | South Dakota | 10 | | | | | | |
* Denotes host institution

## Rankings

United Press International (UPI) and the Associated Press (AP) continued to rank teams in their College Division or "small college" polls, which had started in 1958 and 1960, respectively. In 1973, UPI published their final poll at the end of the regular season, while the AP waited until postseason games had been completed. Both wire services named the Tennessee State Tigers as the number one team; Tennessee State did not compete in the playoffs "because five of its starters would not be eligible to play." The players in question had sat out their freshmen year ("redshirt") and then played four seasons; under NCAA rules at the time, such players were not eligible for postseason play as fifth-year seniors. During the regular season, the Tigers were undefeated (10–0) and had outscored their opponents 333–87.
| Rank | School | Record | No. 1 votes | Total points |
| 1 | Tennessee State | 10–0 | 27 | 314 |
| 2 | Western Kentucky | 10–0 | 3 | 275 |
| 3 | Louisiana Tech | 9–1 | 1 | 224 |
| 4 | Abilene Christian | 9–1 | | 176 |
| 5 | Wittenberg | 9–0 | | 169 |
| 6 | Elon | 11–0 | | 151 |
| 7 | Grambling State | 9–2 | | 96 |
| 8 | Boise State | 9–2 | | 91 |
| 9 | Cal Poly | 9–1 | | 90 |
| 10 | Delaware | 8–3 | | 41 |
| 11 | Jacksonville State | 7–2 | | 32 |
| 12 | Langston | 10–0 | | 24 |
| 13 | Hawaii | 8–2 | | 23 |
| 14 | C.W. Post | 10–1 | | 15 |
| 15 | South Dakota | 8–2 | | 11 |
| Rank | School | Record | No. 1 votes | Total points |
| 1 | Tennessee State | 10–0 | 17 | 708 |
| 2 | Louisiana Tech | 12–1 | 21 | 706 |
| 3 | Western Kentucky | 12–1 | | 459 |
| 4 | Wittenberg | 12–0 | 1 | 407 |
| T5 | Boise State | 10–3 | | 390 |
| T5 | Abilene Christian | 11–1 | | 390 |
| 7 | Grambling State | 10–3 | | 372 |
| 8 | Cal Poly | 9–1 | | 264 |
| 9 | Hawaii | 8–2 | | 233 |
| 10 | Elon | 12–1 | | 223 |
| 11 | South Dakota | 8–3 | | 221 |
| 12 | Jacksonville State | 7–2 | | 220 |
| 13 | Delaware | 8–3 | | 152 |
| 14 | North Dakota State | 8–2 | | 111 |
| 15 | Langston | 11–1 | | 95 |