# 1976 NCAA Division III football season

The 1976 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 1976, and concluded with the NCAA Division III Football Championship in December 1976 at Garrett-Harrison Stadium in Phenix City, Alabama. The Saint John's Johnnies won their first Division III championship, defeating the Towson State Tigers by a final score of 31−28.

## Conference and program changes

* The Virginia College Conference (now the Old Dominion Athletic Conference) began football play in 1976.

## Conference standings

1976 College Athletic Conference football standings :
| 1976 College Athletic Conference football standings vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T Sewanee $ 4 –0 –05 –4 –0 Centre 3 –1 –05 –4 –0 Rose–Hulman 1 –3 –05 –5 –0 Southwestern (TN) 1 –3 –04 –5 –0 Principia 1 –3 –02 –6 –0 $ – Conference champion | 1976 College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin football standings vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T Carroll (WI) $^ 7 –0 –18 –1 –1 Augustana (IL) ^ 6 –2 –07 –3 –0 No. 13 Illinois Wesleyan 5 –3 –06 –3 –0 Wheaton (IL) 5 –3 –06 –3 –0 North Central (IL) 4 –3 –15 –3 –1 Millikin 4 –4 –04 –5 –0 Carthage 3 –5 –03 –6 –0 Elmhurst 1 –7 –02 –7 –0 North Park 0 –8 –01 –8 –0 $ – Conference champion^ – NCAA Division III playoff participant | 1976 Independent College Athletic Conference football standings vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T Alfred $ 3 –0 –14 –2 –2 St. Lawrence ^ 4 –1 –09 –2 –0 Ithaca 2 –1 –16 –2 –1 Hobart 2 –3 –05 –4 –0 RPI 1 –2 –04 –5 –0 RIT 0 –5 –03 –6 –0 $ – Conference champion^ – NCAA Division III playoff participant |
| 1976 Indiana Collegiate Conference football standings vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T Saint Joseph's (IN) + 4 –1 –06 –3 –0 Evansville + 4 –1 –04 –6 –0 Indiana Central 3 –2 –06 –4 –0 Butler 2 –3 –06 –4 –0 Valparaiso 2 –3 –02 –7 –1 DePauw 0 –5 –02 –8 –0 + – Conference co-champions | 1976 Iowa Conference football standings vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T William Penn $ 6 –1 –08 –2 –0 Buena Vista ^ 5 –1 –18 –2 –1 Central (IA) 5 –2 –07 –2 –0 Luther 4 –3 –04 –5 –0 Wartburg 3 –3 –14 –4 –1 Simpson (IA) 3 –4 –04 –5 –0 Dubuque 1 –6 –01 –9 –0 Upper Iowa 0 –7 –02 –8 –0 $ – Conference champion^ – NCAA Division III playoff participant | 1976 Metropolitan Intercollegiate Conference football standings vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T C. W. Post $ 3 –0 –08 –2 –0 Merchant Marine 4 –1 –08 –1 –0 Hofstra 2 –3 –04 –4 –0 Seton Hall 1 –2 –13 –5 –2 Fordham 1 –2 –15 –3 –1 Wagner 1 –4 –02 –7 –1 $ – Conference champion |
| 1976 Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association football standings vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T Albion $ 5 –0 –09 –0 –0 Hope 4 –1 –06 –3 –0 Alma 3 –2 –05 –4 –0 Kalamazoo 2 –3 –03 –4 –1 Adrian 1 –4 –03 –6 –0 Olivet 0 –5 –00 –9 –0 $ – Conference champion | 1976 Middle Atlantic Conference football standings vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T Northern Division Albright x^ 6 –0 –08 –2 –0 Lycoming 5 –1 –08 –1 –0 Juniata 3 –3 –06 –3 –0 Upsala 3 –3 –06 –3 –0 Wilkes 2 –4 –03 –5 –0 Susquehanna 2 –4 –03 –6 –0 Delaware Valley 0 –6 –00 –8 –0 Southern Division Franklin & Marshall x 8 –1 –08 –1 –0 Widener 6 –1 –08 –1 –0 Moravian 6 –2 –07 –2 –0 Muhlenberg 5 –3 –15 –3 –1 Western Maryland 3 –3 –14 –4 –1 Dickinson 4 –5 –04 –5 –0 Lebanon Valley 3 –5 –03 –6 –0 Johns Hopkins 2 –4 –13 –5 –1 Swarthmore 1 –5 –11 –7 –1 Ursinus 0 –9 –00 –9 –0 Gettysburg * 1 –1 –03 –7 –0 x – Division champion/co-champions^ – NCAA Division III playoff participant * – Ineligible due to insufficient conference games | 1976 Midwest Conference football standings vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T East Division Ripon xy 4 –0 –06 –3 –0 Lawrence 3 –1 –07 –2 –0 Chicago 1 –3 –04 –4 –0 Lake Forest 1 –3 –02 –6 –0 Beloit 1 –3 –02 –7 –0 West Division Cornell (IA) xy$ 4 –1 –08 –1 –0 Knox x 4 –1 –07 –1 –1 Monmouth (IL) x 4 –1 –06 –3 –0 Coe 2 –3 –05 –4 –0 Carleton 1 –4 –02 –6 –0 Grinnell 0 –5 –03 –5 –0 Championship: Cornell (IA) 24, Ripon 22 $ – Conference championx – Division champion/co-championsy – Championship game participant |
| 1976 Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference football standings vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T Saint John's (MN) $^ 7 –0 –010 –0 –1 St. Olaf 5 –2 –07 –3 –0 St. Thomas (MN) 5 –2 –07 –3 –0 Concordia–Moorhead 5 –2 –06 –3 –0 Gustavus Adolphus 3 –4 –05 –5 –0 Hamline 2 –5 –04 –5 –0 Augsburg 1 –6 –01 –8 –0 Macalester 0 –7 –00 –8 –0 $ – Conference champion^ – NCAA Division III playoff participantSt. Thomas (MN) received a non-conference forfeit win from St. Cloud State. | 1976 New England Football Conference standings vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T Nichols $ 7 –1 –08 –1 –0 Bridgewater State 5 –3 –06 –3 –0 Massachusetts Maritime 5 –3 –05 –3 –0 Plymouth State 5 –3 –05 –4 –0 Curry 4 –4 –05 –4 –0 Framingham State 4 –4 –05 –4 –0 Maine Maritime 4 –4 –04 –4 –0 New Haven 1 –7 –01 –7 –0 Boston State 1 –7 –01 –7 –0 $ – Conference champion | 1976 New Jersey State Athletic Conference football standings vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T Glassboro State $ 4 –1 –05 –5 –0 Montclair State 4 –1 –04 –5 –1 Kean 2 –2 –15 –4 –1 Trenton State 2 –2 –13 –4 –1 William Paterson 2 –3 –04 –4 –0 Jersey City State 0 –5 –01 –8 –0 $ – Conference champion |
| 1976 Ohio Athletic Conference football standings vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T Blue Division Baldwin–Wallace xy 5 –0 –07 –2 –0 Otterbein 4 –1 –06 –2 –1 Marietta 3 –2 –05 –4 –0 Ohio Wesleyan 2 –3 –03 –5 –0 Mount Union 1 –4 –03 –6 –0 Denison 0 –5 –01 –7 –1 Red Division Wittenberg xy$ 5 –0 –08 –2 –0 Ohio Northern 4 –1 –07 –2 –0 Muskingum 3 –2 –06 –3 –0 Capital 2 –3 –05 –3 –1 Wooster 1 –4 –04 –5 –0 Heidelberg 0 –5 –00 –8 –0 Not competing for championship Kenyon   –  6 –3 –0 Oberlin   –  1 –6 –0 Championship: Wittenberg 16, Baldwin–Wallace 14 $ – Conference championx – Division champion/co-championsy – Championship game participant | 1976 Old Dominion Athletic Conference football standings vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T Randolph–Macon $ 3 –1 –05 –3 –1 Hampden–Sydney 3 –1 –07 –4 –0 Washington and Lee 2 –2 –05 –5 –0 Emory & Henry 2 –2 –04 –6 –0 Bridgewater 0 –4 –01 –8 –0 $ – Conference championRandolph–Macon was voted champion by conference coaches on November 23. | 1976 Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference football standings vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T East Division East Stroudsburg xy+ 6 –0 –09 –0 –1 West Chester 4 –1 –05 –4 –0 Millersville 4 –2 –06 –3 –0 Kutztown 3 –3 –05 –5 –0 Bloomsburg 2 –4 –02 –7 –0 Cheyney 1 –5 –01 –7 –0 Mansfield 0 –5 –02 –7 –1 West Division Shippensburg xy+ 5 –1 –08 –2 –1 Slippery Rock x 5 –1 –07 –3 –0 Edinboro 4 –2 –06 –4 –0 Clarion 3 –3 –07 –3 –0 Indiana (PA) 3 –3 –04 –5 –0 California (PA) 1 –5 –02 –7 –0 Lock Haven 0 –6 –02 –8 –0 Championship: East Stroudsburg 14, Shippensburg 14 + – Conference co-championsx – Division champion/co-championsy – Championship game participant |
| 1976 Presidents' Athletic Conference football standings vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T Allegheny $ 6 –1 –06 –2 –0 Carnegie Mellon 5 –1 –16 –1 –1 Washington & Jefferson 5 –2 –06 –3 –0 Bethany (WV) 4 –3 –04 –5 –0 Case Western Reserve 2 –5 –03 –6 –0 Hiram 2 –5 –03 –6 –0 John Carroll 2 –5 –03 –6 –0 Thiel 1 –5 –11 –6 –1 $ – Conference champion | 1976 Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference football standings vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T No. 2 Redlands $^ 5 –0 –010 –2 –0 Occidental 3 –2 –05 –3 –0 La Verne 3 –2 –05 –4 –0 Whittier 2 –3 –06 –4 –0 Claremont-Mudd 2 –3 –02 –6 –0 Pomona-Pitzer 0 –5 –02 –7 –0 $ – Conference champion^ – NAIA Division II playoff participantRankings from NAIA Division II poll | 1976 Wisconsin State University Conference football standings vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T No. 15 Wisconsin–Oshkosh + 6 –2 –08 –2 –0 No. 13 Wisconsin–Platteville + 6 –2 –08 –2 –0 Wisconsin–River Falls + 6 –2 –07 –3 –0 Wisconsin–La Crosse 5 –3 –07 –3 –0 Wisconsin–Stevens Point 5 –3 –07 –3 –0 Wisconsin–Eau Claire 4 –4 –05 –5 –0 Wisconsin–Stout 2 –6 –03 –6 –0 Wisconsin–Whitewater 2 –6 –02 –9 –0 Wisconsin–Superior 0 –8 –00 –10 –0 + – Conference co-championsRankings from NAIA Division I poll |
| 1976 NCAA Division III independents football records vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T Colorado College   –  7 –1 –1 Maryville (TN)   –  7 –2 –0 Millsaps   –  7 –2 –0 Saint Peter's   –  5 –2 –0 Wabash   –  7 –3 –0 Canisius   –  6 –3 –0 Grove City   –  6 –3 –0 Norwich   –  6 –3 –0 Ashland   –  6 –4 –0 Rochester (NY)   –  4 –4 –1 Albany   –  4 –5 –0 Cortland   –  4 –5 –0 Brockport   –  3 –5 –1 Dayton   –  4 –7 –0 Saint Mary's   –  3 –6 –0 St. Norbert   –  2 –8 –0 San Diego   –  1 –7 –1 Fairleigh Dickinson–Florham   –  1 –6 –0 Bowie State   –  1 –6 –0 Georgetown   –  1 –7 –0 Plattsburgh   –  1 –7 –0 |

## Conference champions

* Conference champions
* College Athletic Conference – Sewanee
* College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin – Carroll (WI)
* Independent College Athletic Conference – Alfred
* Iowa Intercollegiate Athletic Conference – Wiliam Penn
* Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association – Albion
* Middle Atlantic Conference – Albright (North), Franklin & Marshall (South)
* Midwest Collegiate Athletic Conference – Cornell College, Knox, and Monmouth
* Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference – Saint John's (MN)
* New England Football Conference – Nichols
* New Jersey State Athletic Conference – Glassboro State
* Northwest Conference – Linfield
* Old Dominion Athletic Conference – Randolph-Macon
* Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference – East Stroudsburg
* Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (Division III) – Fort Valley State
* Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference – Redlands
* Texas Intercollegiate Athletic Association – Trinity (TX)
* Twin Rivers Conference – Concordia–St. Paul, Loras, Maranatha Baptist, Northwestern–St. Paul, and Northwestern (WI)
* Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference – Wisconsin–Oshkosh, Wisconsin–Platteville, and Wisconsin–River Falls

## Postseason

The 1976 NCAA Division III Football Championship playoffs were the fourth 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 for the fourth consecutive year. Like the previous championship, eight teams competed in this edition.

### Playoff bracket

| Quarterfinals Campus Sites | Quarterfinals Campus Sites | Quarterfinals Campus Sites | 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 |
| Saint John's (MN) | Saint John's (MN) | 46 | | | | | | |
| Augustana (IL) | Augustana (IL) | 7 | | | | | | |
| Augustana (IL) | Augustana (IL) | 7 | St. John's (MN) | St. John's (MN) | 61 | | | |
| | | | Buena Vista | Buena Vista | 0 | | | |
| Buena Vista (OT) | Buena Vista (OT) | 20 | Buena Vista | Buena Vista | 0 | | | |
| Carroll (WI) | Carroll (WI) | 14 | | | | | | |
| Carroll (WI) | Carroll (WI) | 14 | | | | St. John's (MN) | St. John's (MN) | 31 |
| | | | | | | Towson State | Towson State | 28 |
| St. Lawrence | St. Lawrence | 26 | | | | | | | Towson State | Towson State | 28 |
| Albright | Albright | 7 | | | | | | |
| Albright | Albright | 7 | St. Lawrence | St. Lawrence | 36 | | | |
| | | | Towson State | Towson State | 38 | | | |
| Towson State | Towson State | 14 | Towson State | Towson State | 38 | | | |
| C.W. Post | C.W. Post | 10 | | | | | | |