# 1965 NCAA College Division football season

The 1965 NCAA College Division football season was the tenth season of college football in the United States organized by the National Collegiate Athletic Association at the NCAA College Division level.

## Conference realignment
### Membership changes

| Team | 1964 conference | 1965 conference |
| Portland State | Oregon (NAIA) | Independent |

## Conference standings

1965 Big Sky Conference football standings :
| 1965 Big Sky Conference football standings vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T Weber State + 3 –1 –08 –1 –0 Idaho + 3 –1 –05 –5 –0 Montana 2 –2 –04 –6 –0 Idaho State 1 –3 –03 –5 –1 Montana State 1 –3 –03 –7 –0 + – Conference co-champions | 1965 California Collegiate Athletic Association football standings vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T No. 4/2 Cal St Los Angeles $ 5 –0 –09 –1 –0 No. NR/9 Long Beach State 4 –1 –09 –1 –0 San Diego State 3 –2 –08 –2 –0 Fresno State 1 –3 –06 –4 –0 Cal Poly 1 –4 –02 –8 –0 Valley State 0 –4 –01 –9 –0 $ – Conference championRankings from AP/UPI small college polls | 1965 Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association football standings vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T No. 3 Morgan State $ 8 –0 –09 –0 –0 Johnson C. Smith 5 –1 –05 –4 –0 Maryland State 5 –1 –05 –2 –0 St. Augustine's 6 –1 –18 –1 –1 North Carolina A&T 4 –3 –04 –6 –0 Delaware State 3 –3 –04 –5 –0 Virginia State 5 –4 –05 –4 –0 Saint Paul's (VA) 4 –3 –05 –3 –0 North Carolina College 3 –4 –13 –5 –1 Howard 2 –3 –05 –3 –0 Norfolk State 4 –4 –04 –4 –0 Virginia Union 3 –5 –03 –5 –0 Livingstone 3 –5 –03 –5 –0 Shaw 4 –5 –04 –5 –0 Elizabeth City State 3 –5 –03 –5 –0 Winston-Salem State 2 –6 –02 –7 –0 Fayetteville State 1 –5 –01 –6 –0 Hampton 0 –7 –01 –8 –0 $ – Conference championRankings from NAIA poll |
| 1965 Central Intercollegiate Conference football standings vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T No. 12 Omaha $ 4 –0 –08 –1 –0 Fort Hays State 3 –1 –06 –3 –0 Pittsburg State 2 –2 –03 –6 –0 Washburn 1 –3 –02 –6 –1 Emporia State 0 –4 –01 –8 –0 $ – Conference championRankings from NAIA poll | 1965 College Athletic Conference football standings vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T Sewanee $ 4 –0 –07 –1 –0 Washington University 3 –1 –07 –2 –0 Centre 2 –2 –04 –3 –1 Washington and Lee 1 –3 –03 –6 –0 Southwestern (TN) 0 –4 –02 –6 –0 $ – Conference champion | 1965 College Conference of Illinois football standings vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T No. 7 Illinois Wesleyan $ 6 –0 –08 –0 –0 Carthage 5 –1 –06 –2 –0 North Central (IL) 3 –3 –05 –3 –0 Augustana (IL) 2 –2 –24 –2 –2 Carroll (WI) 1 –4 –13 –4 –1 Millikin 1 –4 –12 –5 –1 North Park 1 –5 –02 –6 –0 $ – Conference championRankings from NAIA poll |
| 1965 Eastern Football Conference football standings vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T Southern Connecticut State $ 5 –0 –07 –3 –0 Central Connecticut State 3 –1 –07 –1 –0 Montclair State 3 –1 –04 –4 –0 Bridgeport 1 –3 –03 –6 –0 Trenton State 1 –4 –01 –8 –0 Glassboro State 0 –4 –00 –8 –0 $ – Conference champion | 1965 Far Western Conference football standings vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T San Francisco State $ 5 –0 –08 –2 –0 Nevada 4 –1 –06 –4 –0 UC Davis 3 –2 –04 –6 –0 Humboldt State 2 –3 –06 –4 –0 Sacramento State 1 –4 –03 –7 –0 Chico State 0 –5 –04 –6 –0 Cal State Hayward* 0 –0 –03 –7 –0 $ – Conference champion * – Games vs. Cal State Hayward did not count as conference games in 1965. | 1965 Gulf States Conference football standings vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T Southwestern Louisiana + 4 –1 –06 –3 –0 McNeese State + 4 –1 –05 –4 –0 Louisiana Tech 3 –2 –04 –4 –0 Northwestern State 2 –3 –05 –3 –0 Southeastern Louisiana 2 –3 –05 –4 –0 Northeast Louisiana State 0 –5 –01 –8 –0 + – Conference co-champions |
| 1965 Hoosier Conference football standings vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T Anderson (IN) $ 4 –1 –04 –5 –0 Taylor 3 –1 –13 –5 –1 Indiana Central 3 –2 –06 –3 –0 Franklin (IN) 2 –2 –13 –5 –1 Manchester (IN) 0 –3 –22 –5 –2 Hanover 1 –4 –01 –8 –0 $ – Conference champion | 1965 Independent College Athletic Conference football standings vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T Alfred + 2 –1 –05 –4 –0 St. Lawrence + 2 –1 –04 –4 –0 Hobart 2 –2 –04 –4 –0 Union (NY) 2 –2 –04 –4 –0 RPI 0 –2 –01 –6 –0 + – Conference co-champions | 1965 Indiana Collegiate Conference football standings vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T Ball State $^ 6 –0 –09 –0 –1 Butler 4 –2 –06 –3 –0 Evansville 3 –3 –05 –4 –0 Indiana State 2 –3 –14 –3 –1 Saint Joseph's (IN) 2 –4 –03 –5 –0 Valparaiso 2 –4 –03 –6 –0 DePauw 1 –4 –12 –6 –1 $ – Conference champion^ – Grantland Rice Bowl participant |
| 1965 Interstate Intercollegiate Athletic Conference football standings vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T Northern Illinois $ 4 –0 –09 –1 –0 Central Michigan 3 –1 –05 –5 –0 Western Illinois 2 –2 –04 –5 –0 Eastern Illinois 1 –3 –03 –5 –0 Illinois State 0 –4 –00 –9 –0 $ – Conference champion | 1965 Iowa Conference football standings vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T No. 16 Central (IA) $ 7 –0 –08 –1 –0 Luther 6 –1 –06 –3 –0 Dubuque 5 –2 –06 –2 –1 Buena Vista 4 –3 –06 –3 –0 Upper Iowa 3 –4 –04 –5 –0 Simpson (IA) 2 –5 –03 –6 –0 Wartburg 1 –6 –02 –7 –0 William Penn 0 –7 –01 –8 –0 $ – Conference championRankings from NAIA poll | 1965 Lone Star Conference football standings vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T No. 2 Sul Ross $^ 6 –0 –010 –1 –0 Southwest Texas State 4 –2 –08 –2 –0 Stephen F. Austin 4 –2 –06 –3 –0 Texas A&I 4 –2 –06 –3 –0 East Texas State 2 –4 –04 –5 –0 Sam Houston State 1 –4 –04 –6 –0 Howard Payne 0 –6 –02 –8 –0 McMurry 0 –0 –04 –5 –1 $ – Conference champion^ – NAIA playoff participantRankings from NAIA poll |
| 1965 Mason–Dixon Conference football standings vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T Randolph–Macon $ 4 –0 –07 –2 –0 Shepherd 2 –0 –02 –5 –0 Hampden–Sydney 3 –1 –06 –3 –0 Johns Hopkins 1 –1 –01 –6 –1 Bridgewater 1 –3 –01 –7 –0 Western Maryland 0 –3 –03 –6 –0 Gallaudet 0 –3 –01 –8 –0 $ – Conference champion | 1965 Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association football standings vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T Albion $ 5 –0 –07 –2 –0 Kalamazoo 3 –2 –05 –3 –0 Hope 3 –2 –04 –4 –0 Olivet 2 –3 –03 –6 –0 Alma 1 –4 –03 –5 –0 Adrian 1 –4 –01 –7 –0 $ – Conference champion | 1965 Mid-Ohio Conference football standings vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T Ashland $ 3 –0 –07 –1 –1 Bluffton 2 –1 –07 –2 –0 Defiance 1 –2 –03 –4 –0 Wilmington (OH) 0 –3 –00 –7 –1 $ – Conference champion |
| 1965 Middle Atlantic Conference football standings vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T University Division Bucknell x 5 –1 –06 –3 –0 Hofstra 4 –1 –08 –2 –0 Temple 3 –2 –05 –5 –0 Delaware 3 –3 –05 –4 –0 Gettysburg 2 –4 –05 –4 –0 Lehigh 1 –3 –01 –8 –0 Lafayette 1 –5 –03 –7 –0 Northern College Division Wilkes x 6 –1 –07 –1 –0 Upsala 5 –2 –05 –3 –0 Lycoming 4 –2 –05 –3 –0 Juniata 3 –2 –03 –5 –0 Moravian 4 –4 –05 –4 –0 Albright 3 –4 –04 –5 –0 Wagner 2 –3 –03 –6 –0 Susquehanna * 0 –3 –00 –9 –0 Southern College Division Swarthmore x 6 –0 –06 –1 –0 Dickinson 7 –1 –07 –1 –0 Drexel 4 –2 –06 –2 –0 Lebanon Valley 4 –3 –05 –3 –0 Franklin & Marshall 3 –4 –04 –4 –0 Haverford 2 –3 –02 –5 –0 Western Maryland 2 –4 –03 –6 –0 Pennsylvania Military 2 –6 –02 –7 –0 Muhlenberg 1 –8 –01 –8 –0 Johns Hopkins 1 –4 –11 –6 –1 Ursinus 1 –4 –11 –6 –1 West Chester * 0 –0 –05 –3 –0 x – Division champion/co-champions * – Ineligible for championship due to insufficient conference games | 1965 Midwest Athletic Association football standings vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T No. 1 Tennessee A&I $ 3 –0 –09 –0 –1 Lincoln (MO) 2 –1 –05 –5 –0 Central State (OH) 1 –2 –03 –5 –0 Kentucky State 0 –3 –04 –4 –0 $ – Conference championRankings from Pittsburgh Courier | 1965 Midwest Conference football standings vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T Ripon $ 7 –1 –07 –1 –0 Grinnell 6 –2 –06 –2 –0 Beloit 5 –3 –05 –3 –0 Lawrence 5 –3 –05 –3 –0 St. Olaf 5 –3 –05 –3 –0 Coe 4 –4 –04 –4 –0 Carleton 3 –5 –03 –5 –0 Cornell (IA) 2 –6 –02 –6 –0 Monmouth (IL) 2 –6 –02 –6 –0 Knox 1 –7 –01 –7 –0 $ – Conference champion |
| 1965 Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference football standings vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T No. 1 Saint John's (MN) $^ 7 –0 –011 –0 –0 No. 19 Concordia (MN) 5 –2 –06 –2 –0 St. Thomas (MN) 4 –2 –14 –4 –1 Gustavus Adolphus 4 –3 –05 –4 –0 Minnesota–Duluth 3 –4 –04 –5 –0 Augsburg 2 –4 –13 –5 –1 Hamline 2 –5 –03 –6 –0 Macalester 0 –7 –00 –8 –0 $ – Conference champion^ – NAIA playoff participantRankings from NAIA poll | 1965 Missouri Intercollegiate Athletic Association football standings vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T NE Missouri State $ 5 –0 –08 –2 –0 SW Missouri State 4 –1 –07 –2 –0 NW Missouri State 3 –2 –06 –3 –0 SE Missouri State 2 –3 –02 –8 –0 Central Missouri State 1 –4 –02 –6 –1 Missouri–Rolla 0 –5 –02 –7 –0 $ – Conference champion | 1965 North Central Conference football standings vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T North Dakota State $ 6 –0 –011 –0 –0 North Dakota 5 –1 –09 –1 –0 State College of Iowa 4 –2 –04 –5 –0 Morningside 3 –3 –05 –4 –0 Augustana (SD) 1 –4 –11 –6 –1 South Dakota State 1 –4 –11 –8 –1 South Dakota 0 –6 –02 –8 –0 $ – Conference champion |
| 1965 Northern Intercollegiate Conference football standings vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T Michigan Tech $ 4 –1 –06 –2 –0 Winona State 3 –2 –06 –2 –0 Mankato State 3 –2 –05 –3 –1 Bemidji State 3 –2 –04 –4 –0 Moorhead State 2 –3 –05 –4 –0 St. Cloud State 0 –5 –02 –6 –1 $ – Conference champion | 1965 Ohio Athletic Conference football standings vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T Muskingum $ 7 –0 –08 –1 –0 Wittenberg 4 –1 –06 –2 –0 Akron 4 –1 –05 –3 –1 Mount Union 5 –2 –07 –2 –0 Capital 5 –2 –06 –2 –0 Denison 5 –2 –06 –3 –0 Otterbein 4 –3 –04 –5 –0 Hiram 3 –4 –04 –4 –0 Wooster 3 –4 –04 –5 –0 Baldwin–Wallace 2 –3 –04 –3 –1 Ohio Wesleyan 1 –3 –13 –5 –1 Heidelberg 1 –5 –12 –5 –2 Oberlin 1 –5 –01 –7 –0 Kenyon 0 –5 –01 –8 –0 Marietta 0 –5 –01 –8 –0 $ – Conference champion | 1965 Ohio Valley Conference football standings vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T Middle Tennessee $ 7 –0 –010 –0 –0 Austin Peay 6 –1 –08 –1 –0 Eastern Kentucky 4 –2 –14 –4 –1 Morehead State 3 –4 –03 –6 –0 Tennessee Tech 3 –4 –03 –7 –0 Murray State 1 –4 –22 –6 –2 Western Kentucky 1 –5 –12 –6 –2 East Tennessee State 1 –6 –02 –6 –1 $ – Conference champion |
| 1965 Pennsylvania State College Athletic Conference football standings vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T East Division No. 8/10 East Stroudsburg xy$ 6 –0 –010 –0 –0 West Chester 5 –1 –05 –3 –0 Mansfield 4 –2 –04 –5 –0 Bloomsburg 3 –3 –04 –4 –0 Millersville 2 –4 –04 –4 –0 Cheyney 1 –5 –02 –5 –0 Kutztown 0 –6 –01 –7 –0 West Division Indiana (PA) xy 5 –1 –07 –3 –0 Clarion 4 –1 –16 –2 –1 California (PA) 4 –2 –05 –3 –0 Lock Haven 3 –3 –05 –3 –0 Slippery Rock 2 –3 –14 –3 –1 Shippensburg 2 –4 –03 –5 –0 Edinboro * 0 –6 –06 –2 –1 Championship: East Stroudsburg 26, Indiana (PA) 10 $ – Conference championx – Division champion/co-championsy – Championship game participant * – Edinboro forfeited four conference victories—over IUP, Clarion, Shippensburg, and California—but NCAA and Edinboro records do not reflect the forfeits in the team's overall record. Rankings from NAIA poll and AP small college poll | 1965 Prairie College Conference football standings vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T Illinois College + 1 –1 –06 –2 –0 Principia + 1 –1 –05 –3 –0 Rose Poly + 1 –1 –05 –3 –0 $ – Conference champion | 1965 Presidents' Athletic Conference football standings vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T Bethany (WV) $ 5 –1 –05 –3 –0 John Carroll 5 –1 –15 –1 –1 Eastern Michigan 3 –1 –13 –4 –1 Wayne State (MI) 3 –2 –13 –4 –1 Western Reserve 3 –4 –13 –4 –1 Washington & Jefferson 2 –4 –04 –4 –0 Allegheny 2 –4 –03 –5 –0 Case Tech 2 –5 –03 –5 –0 Thiel 2 –5 –03 –5 –0 $ – Conference champion |
| 1965 Rocky Mountain Conference football standings vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T Western State (CO) $ 3 –0 –07 –1 –0 Colorado State–Greeley 2 –1 –04 –4 –2 Adams State 1 –2 –05 –4 –0 Colorado Mines 0 –3 –04 –5 –0 $ – Conference champion | 1965 Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference football standings vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T No. 11 Occidental $ 5 –0 –08 –1 –0 Pomona 3 –2 –05 –5 –0 Whittier 2 –2 –04 –5 –0 Redlands 2 –2 –04 –6 –0 Claremont-Mudd 1 –3 –02 –7 –0 Caltech 0 –4 –00 –7 –0 $ – Conference championRankings from NAIA poll | 1965 Southland Conference football standings vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T Lamar Tech $ 3 –1 –06 –4 –0 Arlington State 2 –2 –06 –3 –0 Trinity (TX) 2 –2 –04 –5 –1 Abilene Christian 2 –2 –04 –5 –0 Arkansas State 1 –3 –06 –3 –0 $ – Conference champion |
| 1965 Southwestern Athletic Conference football standings vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T No. 13 Grambling $ 6 –1 –08 –3 –0 Southern 4 –2 –15 –4 –1 Texas Southern 4 –2 –15 –4 –1 Jackson State 3 –3 –15 –3 –1 Prairie View A&M 3 –3 –15 –3 –1 Arkansas AM&N 3 –3 –14 –5 –1 Alcorn A&M 2 –4 –13 –5 –1 Wiley 0 –7 –01 –7 –0 $ – Conference championRankings from UPI small college poll | 1965 Virginia Little Eight Conference football standings vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T Randolph–Macon $ 3 –0 –07 –2 –0 Emory and Henry 1 –0 –03 –6 –0 Hampden–Sydney 3 –2 –06 –3 –0 Washington and Lee 1 –2 –03 –6 –0 Frederick 0 –1 –04 –6 –0 Bridgewater 0 –3 –01 –7 –0 $ – Conference champion | 1965 Wisconsin State University Conference football standings vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T Stout State $ 6 –0 –07 –1 –1 Whitewater State 4 –1 –17 –2 –1 La Crosse State 4 –1 –15 –3 –1 Stevens Point State 4 –2 –06 –3 –0 River Falls State 3 –2 –24 –3 –2 Oshkosh State 3 –4 –05 –4 –0 Eau Claire State 2 –6 –02 –6 –0 Platteville State 1 –5 –02 –6 –1 Superior State 0 –6 –00 –9 –0 $ – Conference champion |
| 1965 Yankee Conference football standings vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T Maine $ 5 –0 –08 –2 –0 UMass 4 –1 –07 –2 –0 Vermont 2 –2 –06 –2 –0 Connecticut 2 –2 –03 –6 –0 Rhode Island 1 –4 –02 –7 –0 New Hampshire 0 –5 –00 –8 –0 $ – Conference champion | 1965 NCAA College Division independents football records vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T Springfield   –  9 –0 –0 Ithaca   –  8 –0 –0 Parsons   –  8 –1 –0 Santa Clara   –  8 –1 –0 UC Santa Barbara   –  8 –2 –0 Cortland   –  7 –2 –0 Wabash   –  7 –2 –0 Northeastern   –  6 –2 –0 UC Riverside   –  6 –2 –0 Tampa   –  6 –2 –1 Northern Michigan   –  7 –3 –0 Mississippi Valley State   –  6 –3 –0 St. Norbert   –  6 –3 –0 Rose Poly   –  5 –3 –0 Drake   –  6 –4 –0 Chattanooga   –  5 –4 –1 Arizona State–Flagstaff   –  5 –4 –1 Lake Forest   –  4 –4 –0 Cal Poly Pomona   –  4 –5 –0 Howard (AL)   –  4 –6 –0 Portland State   –  4 –6 –0 Colorado College   –  3 –5 –0 Milwaukee   –  2 –6 –0 Southern Illinois   –  2 –8 –0 Pacific (CA)   –  2 –8 –0 Hawaii   –  1 –8 –1 Carnegie Tech   –  1 –7 –0 |

## Rankings

College Division teams (also referred to as "small college") were ranked in polls by the AP (a panel of writers) and by UPI (coaches). The national champion(s) for each season were determined by the final poll rankings, published at or near the end of the regular season, before any bowl games were played.

### College Division final polls

In 1965, both services ranked North Dakota State (10–0) first; the UPI coaches' poll had Cal State Los Angeles (8–1) second, while the AP poll had Middle Tennessee (9–0) as the number two team. North Dakota State later beat Grambling, 20–7 in the Pecan Bowl in Abilene, Texas.
| Rank | School | Record | No. 1 votes | Total points |
| 1 | North Dakota State | 10–0 | 4 | 84 |
| 2 | Middle Tennessee | 9–0† | 2 | 68 |
| 3 | Sul Ross | 10–0 | 1 | 43 |
| 4 | Cal State Los Angeles | 8–1 | | 35 |
| 5 | Tennessee A&I | 8–0 | | 32 |
| 6 | Northern Illinois | 9–0 | | 30 |
| 7 | Maine | 8–1 | | 30 |
| 8 | East Carolina | 8–1 | 1 | 27 |
| 9 | Saint John's (MN) | 9–0 | | 20 |
| 10 | East Stroudsburg | 9–0 | | 19 |
| Rank | School | Record | No. 1 votes | Total points |
| 1 | North Dakota State | 10–0 | 21 | 301 |
| 2 | Cal State Los Angeles | 8–1 | 2 | 224 |
| 3 | Middle Tennessee | 10–0 | 3 | 209 |
| 4 | East Carolina | 8–1 | 1 | 187 |
| 5 | Weber State | 8–1 | 3 | 117 |
| 6 | Maine | 8–1 | | 116 |
| 7 | Northern Illinois | 9–0 | | 104 |
| 8 | North Dakota | 8–1 | 1 | 97 |
| 9 | Long Beach State | 9–1 | | 76 |
| 10 | Sul Ross | 10–0 | | 73 |

## Bowl games

The postseason consisted of four bowl games as regional finals, played on December 11.
| Bowl | Region | Location | Winning team | Winning team | Losing team | Losing team |
| Tangerine | East | Orlando, Florida | East Carolina | 31 | Maine | 0 |
| Grantland Rice | Mideast | Murfreesboro, Tennessee | Tennessee A&I 14, Ball State 14 | Tennessee A&I 14, Ball State 14 | Tennessee A&I 14, Ball State 14 | Tennessee A&I 14, Ball State 14 |
| Pecan | Midwest | Abilene, Texas | North Dakota State | 20 | Grambling | 7 |
| Camellia | West | Sacramento, California | Cal State Los Angeles | 18 | UC Santa Barbara | 10 |