# 1998 NCAA Division II football season

The 1998 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 on September 5, 1998, and concluded with the NCAA Division II Football Championship on December 12, 1998, at Braly Municipal Stadium in Florence, Alabama, hosted by the University of North Alabama. The Northwest Missouri State Bearcats defeated the Carson–Newman, 24–6, to win their first Division II national title.
The Harlon Hill Trophy was awarded to Brian Shay, running back from Emporia State.

## Conference changes and new programs

| School | 1997 Conference | 1998 Conference |
| Alabama A&M | Southern Intercollegiate | D-II Independent |
| Findlay | MSFA (NAIA) | MIFC |
| Mercyhurst | D-II Independent | MIFC |
| Sacred Heart | Eastern | Northeast (I-AA) |
| Westminster (PA) | MSFA (NAIA) | MIFC |

### Program changes

* Mankato State University changed its name to Minnesota State University, Mankato in 1998, the Mankato State Mavericks became the Minnesota State Mavericks during the 1998 season.

## Conference standings

1998 Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association football standings :
| 1998 Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association football standings vteConfOverall Team W L W L  Livingstone +  5 –2  7 –3   Winston-Salem State +  5 –2  5 –5   Virginia Union  4 –3  8 –3   Bowie State  4 –3  6 –3   Johnson C. Smith  4 –3  6 –4   Fayetteville State  4 –3  5 –5   North Carolina Central  3 –4  4 –6   Virginia State  2 –5  3 –7   Elizabeth City State  1 –7  2 –9   + – Conference co-champions | 1998 Columbia Football Association standings vteConfOverall Team W L W L  No. 15 Central Washington $  4 –1  7 –4   Western Washington  3 –2  5 –5   Humboldt State  3 –2  4 –7   Western Oregon  2 –3  4 –5   Southern Oregon  2 –3  4 –6   Simon Fraser  1 –4  3 –6   $ – Conference championRankings from NAIA poll | 1998 Eastern Football Conference standings vteConfOverall Team W L W L  Atlantic Division Albany xy$  7 –1  10 –1   Southern Connecticut  6 –2  8 –2   C. W. Post  6 –2  7 –3   Pace  3 –5  5 –5   Stony Brook  3 –5  3 –6   Bay State Division Bentley x  7 –2  8 –2   American International xy  7 –2  7 –4   Merrimack  2 –6  3 –6   Stonehill  2 –6  2 –8   UMass Lowell  2 –6  2 –8   Assumption  0 –8  0 –9   Championship: Albany 25, American International 24 $ – Conference championx – Division champion/co-championsy – Championship game participant |
| 1998 Gulf South Conference football standings vteConfOverall Team W L W L  No. 18 West Georgia +^  8 –1  10 –2   No. 17 Delta State +^  8 –1  8 –3   North Alabama  7 –2  8 –2   Southern Arkansas  7 –2  8 –2   Arkansas Tech  4 –5  5 –5   Central Arkansas  4 –5  5 –5   Valdosta State  4 –5  5 –6   West Alabama  2 –7  3 –7   Henderson State  1 –8  2 –9   Arkansas–Monticello  0 –9  0 –11   + – Conference co-champions^ – NCAA Division II playoff participantRankings from NCAA Division II Football Committee poll | 1998 Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association football standings vteConfOverall Team W L W L  No. 2 NW Missouri State $^  9 –0  15 –0   No. 10 Emporia State  7 –2  9 –2   Central Missouri State  6 –3  8 –3   Pittsburg State  6 –3  7 –3   Truman State  6 –3  6 –5   Missouri Western  3 –6  5 –6   Washburn  3 –6  4 –6   Missouri Southern  3 –6  3 –7   Southwest Baptist  2 –7  3 –8   Missouri–Rolla  0 –9  0 –11   $ – Conference champion^ – NCAA Division II playoff participantRankings from NCAA Division II Football Committee poll | 1998 Midwest Intercollegiate Football Conference standings vteConfOverall Team W L W L  Grand Valley State $^  9 –1  9 –3   Saginaw Valley State  8 –2  9 –2   Indianapolis  8 –2  8 –2   Ashland  7 –3  7 –3   Northwood  7 –3  7 –3   Findlay  5 –5  5 –5   Mercyhurst  5 –5  5 –5   Ferris State  5 –5  5 –6   Northern Michigan  4 –5  5 –5   Michigan Tech  4 –6  4 –6   Hillsdale  3 –7  3 –8   Westminster (PA)  2 –7  3 –7   Wayne State (MI)  2 –8  2 –9   St. Francis (IL)  0 –10  0 –11   $ – Conference champion^ – NCAA Division II playoff participant |
| 1998 North Central Conference football standings vteConfOverall Team W L W L  No. 6 Northern Colorado +^  8 –1  11 –2   No. 16 Nebraska–Omaha +^  8 –1  9 –3   No. 7 North Dakota ^  7 –2  8 –3   North Dakota State  6 –3  7 –4   South Dakota State  5 –4  6 –5   Minnesota State  4 –5  5 –6   St. Cloud State  3 –6  3 –8   Augustana (SD)  2 –7  4 –7   South Dakota  1 –8  3 –8   Morningside  1 –8  2 –7   + – Conference co-champions^ – NCAA Division II playoff participantRankings from NCAA Division II Football Committee poll | 1998 Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference football standings vteConfOverall Team W L W L  No. 20 Winona State $  6 –0  9 –2   Northern State  5 –1  8 –3   Bemidji State  4 –2  6 –4   Minnesota Duluth  3 –3  4 –7   Southwest State (MN)  2 –4  3 –7   Moorhead State  1 –5  3 –7   Minnesota Morris  0 –6  1 –9   Wayne State (NE) *  0 –0  1 –10   $ – Conference champion * – ineligible for conference championship Rankings from NCAA Division II Football Committee poll | 1998 Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference football standings vteConfOverall Team W L W L  East Division Millersville x  6 –0  8 –2   West Chester  5 –1  8 –3   Bloomsburg  4 –2  6 –5   Kutztown  3 –3  5 –5   East Stroudsburg  2 –4  2 –8   Cheyney  1 –5  1 –10   Mansfield  0 –6  0 –11   West Division No. 5 Slippery Rock x^  6 –0  12 –2   No. 8 IUP ^  5 –1  10 –2   Shippensburg  4 –2  7 –4   Edinboro  2 –4  4 –7   Lock Haven  2 –4  4 –7   California (PA)  1 –5  4 –7   Clarion  1 –5  3 –8   x – Division champion/co-champions^ – NCAA Division II playoff participantRankings from NCAA Division II Football Committee poll |
| 1998 Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference football standings vteConfOverall Team W L W L  Chadron State +^  7 –1  9 –3   Western State (CO) +  7 –1  7 –3   New Mexico Highlands  6 –2  8 –3   Nebraska–Kearney  5 –3  5 –5   Fort Hays State  4 –4  6 –5   Adams State  3 –5  4 –6   Mesa State  2 –6  5 –6   Colorado Mines  2 –6  3 –7   Fort Lewis  0 –8  0 –10   + – Conference co-champions^ – NCAA Division II playoff participant | 1998 South Atlantic Conference football standings vteConfOverall Team W L W L  No. 3 Carson–Newman $^  7 –0  12 –2   Presbyterian  6 –1  8 –3   Catawba  4 –3  6 –4   Gardner–Webb  4 –3  6 –5   Newberry  3 –4  6 –5   Wingate  3 –4  5 –6   Lenoir–Rhyne  1 –6  2 –9   Mars Hill  0 –7  1 –10   Tusculum *  0 –0  5 –6   $ – Conference champion^ – NCAA Division II playoff participant * – provisional conference member Rankings from NCAA Division II Football Committee poll | 1998 Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference football standings vteConfOverall Team W L W L  Tuskegee $  6 –0  10 –2   No. 12 Fort Valley State ^  5 –1  11 –2   Albany State  5 –1  9 –2   Savannah State  4 –2  7 –4   Kentucky State  4 –2  5 –6   Lane  2 –4  4 –6   Miles  2 –4  4 –6   Clark Atlanta  2 –4  3 –7   Morehouse  0 –6  3 –8   Morris Brown  0 –6  0 –11   $ – Conference champion^ – NCAA Division II playoff participantRankings from NCAA Division II Football Committee poll |
| 1998 West Virginia Intercollegiate Athletic Conference football standings vteConfOverall Team W L W L  No. 13 Shepherd $^  7 –0  10 –2   Fairmont State  5 –2  5 –5   Glenville State  4 –3  6 –5   West Virginia Wesleyan  4 –3  4 –6   Concord  3 –4  6 –5   West Liberty State  3 –4  4 –6   West Virginia State  2 –5  3 –8   West Virginia Tech  0 –7  0 –11   $ – Conference champion^ – NCAA Division II playoff participantRankings from NCAA Division II Football Committee poll | 1998 NCAA Division II independents football records vteConfOverall Team W L W L  No. 4 UC Davis ^   –  10 –2   Saint Joseph's (IN)   –  7 –4   New Haven   –  5 –5   Elon   –  5 –6   Quincy   –  4 –6   Western New Mexico   –  2 –7 –0 ^ – NCAA Division II playoff participantRankings from NCAA Division II Football Committee poll |

## Conference summaries

* Conference Champions
* Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association – Livingstone and Winston-Salem State
* Eastern Collegiate Football Conference – Albany
* Gulf South Conference – Delta State and West Georgia
* Lone Star Conference – Central Oklahoma
* Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association – Northwest Missouri State
* Midwest Intercollegiate Football Conference – Grand Valley State
* North Central Conference – Nebraska–Omaha and Northern Colorado
* Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference – Winona State
* Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference – Millersville (East), Slippery Rock (West)
* Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference – Chadron State and Western State (CO)
* South Atlantic Conference – Carson-Newman
* Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference – Tuskegee
* West Virginia Intercollegiate Athletic Conference – Shepherd

## Postseason

The 1998 NCAA Division II Football Championship playoffs were the 25th 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 12th 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 |
| Carson–Newman | 30 | | | | | | | |
| West Georgia | 20 | | | | | | | |
| West Georgia | 20 | Carson–Newman | 38 | | | | | |
| | | Fort Valley State | 31 | | | | | |
| Fort Valley State | 21 | Fort Valley State | 31 | | | | | |
| Delta State | 14 | | | | | | | |
| Delta State | 14 | | | Carson–Newman | 47 | | | |
| | | | | Slippery Rock | 21 | | | |
| Slippery Rock | 37 | | | | | Slippery Rock | 21 | | | |
| Grand Valley State | 14 | | | | | | | |
| Grand Valley State | 14 | Slippery Rock | 31 | | | | | |
| | | Shepherd | 20 | | | | | |
| Shepherd | 9 | Shepherd | 20 | | | | | |
| IUP | 6 | | | | | | | |
| IUP | 6 | | | | | | Carson–Newman | 6 |
| | | | | | | | Northwest Missouri State | 24 |
| Northwest Missouri State | 28 | | | | | | | | Northwest Missouri State | 24 |
| Nebraska–Omaha | 14 | | | | | | | |
| Nebraska–Omaha | 14 | Northwest Missouri State | 42 | | | | | |
| | | Northern Colorado | 17 | | | | | |
| Northern Colorado | 52 | Northern Colorado | 17 | | | | | |
| North Dakota | 24 | | | | | | | |
| North Dakota | 24 | | | Northwest Missouri State | 49 | | | |
| | | | | Texas A&M–Kingsville† | 34 | | | |
| Central Oklahoma | 21 | | | | | Texas A&M–Kingsville† | 34 | | | |
| Chadron State | 19 | | | | | | | |
| Chadron State | 19 | Central Oklahoma | 21 | | | | | |
| | | Texas A&M–Kingsville† | 24* | | | | | |
| Texas A&M–Kingsville† | 54 | Texas A&M–Kingsville† | 24* | | | | | |
| UC Davis | 21 | | | | | | | |
Note:† Texas A&M–Kingsville forfeited these games as a result of using ineligible players.