# 2003 NCAA Division II football season

The 2003 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 6, 2003, and concluded with the NCAA Division II Football Championship on December 13, 2003 at Braly Municipal Stadium in Florence, Alabama, hosted by the University of North Alabama. The Grand Valley State Lakers defeated the North Dakota Fighting Sioux, 10–3, to win their second Division II national title.
The Harlon Hill Trophy was awarded to Will Hall, quarterback from North Alabama.

## Conference changes and new programs
### Conference changes

| School | 2002 Conference | 2003 Conference |
| Minnesota Morris | Northern Sun | UMAC (D-III) |
| Morningside | North Central | GPAC (NAIA) |
| North Greenville | NAIA Independent | Independent |
| Northern Colorado | North Central | Independent |
| Quincy | Independent | Mid-States (NAIA) |
| Shaw | Program Revived | CIAA |
| Tiffin | Mid-States (NAIA) | Independent |

## Conference standings

2003 Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association football standings :
| 2003 Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association football standings vteConfOverall Team W L W L  Eastern Virginia Union xy  5 –2  6 –5   Bowie State  5 –2  6 –4   Shaw  4 –3  7 –3   Virginia State  3 –4  5 –5   Elizabeth City State  2 –5  2 –8   Western Fayetteville State # xy$  5 –2  8 –3   Winston-Salem State  5 –2  7 –3   Livingstone  3 –4  3 –7   North Carolina Central  2 –5  4 –6   Johnson C. Smith  1 –6  1 –9   St. Augustine's @  0 –4  0 –5   Championship: Fayetteville State 23, Virginia Union 19 $ – Conference championx – Division champion/co-championsy – Championship game participant # – Pioneer Bowl participant @ – St. Augustine's vacated 5 wins including 3 in conference play. | 2003 Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference football standings vteConfOverall Team W L W L  No. 1 Saginaw Valley State $^  10 –0  12 –1   No. 4 Grand Valley State ^  9 –1  14 –1   Northwood  6 –4  6 –5   Ferris State  5 –5  6 –5   Findlay  5 –5  6 –5   Indianapolis  5 –5  6 –5   Michigan Tech  5 –5  5 –5   Mercyhurst  4 –6  5 –6   Hillsdale  4 –6  4 –7   Northern Michigan  3 –7  3 –8   Wayne State (MI)  2 –8  3 –8   Ashland  2 –8  2 –9   $ – Conference champion^ – NCAA Division II playoff participantRankings from AFCA poll | 2003 Great Northwest Athletic Conference football standings vteConfOverall Team W L W L  Western Washington $  3 –0  4 –6   Central Washington  2 –1  6 –4   Western Oregon  1 –2  4 –6   Humboldt State  0 –3  3 –7   $ – Conference championFirst Humboldt State vs. Western Oregon game (Sept. 6) did not count as a conference game |
| 2003 Gulf South Conference football standings vteConfOverall Team W L W L  No. 2 North Alabama $^  9 –0  13 –1   No. 5 Valdosta State ^  8 –1  10 –2   No. 12 Southern Arkansas ^  7 –2  9 –3   No. 14 Delta State  7 –2  9 –2   Ouachita Baptist  4 –5  5 –5   Arkansas Tech  4 –5  5 –6   Central Arkansas  3 –6  5 –6   Harding  3 –6  4 –6   Arkansas–Monticello  3 –6  4 –7   Henderson State  3 –6  4 –7   West Georgia  2 –7  3 –8   West Alabama  1 –8  2 –9   $ – Conference champion^ – NCAA Division II playoff participantRankings from AFCA poll | 2003 Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association football standings vteConfOverall Team W L W L  No. 15 Central Missouri State +  7 –2  9 –2   No. 16 Emporia State +^  7 –2  9 –3   Missouri Western # +  7 –2  9 –3   No. 13 Pittsburg State +^  7 –2  9 –3   No. 25 NW Missouri State +  7 –2  8 –3   Truman  4 –5  4 –7   Washburn  3 –6  5 –6   Southwest Baptist  2 –7  3 –8   Missouri Southern  1 –8  1 –10   Missouri–Rolla  0 –9  0 –11   + – Conference co-champions^ – NCAA Division II playoff participant # – Mineral Water Bowl participant Rankings from AFCA Poll | 2003 North Central Conference football standings vteConfOverall Team W L W L  No. 7 North Dakota $^  7 –0  12 –2   No. 23 North Dakota State  5 –2  8 –3   No. 24 Nebraska–Omaha  5 –2  8 –3   South Dakota State  4 –3  7 –4   St. Cloud State  4 –3  7 –4   South Dakota  2 –5  5 –6   Augustana (SD)  1 –6  3 –8   Minnesota State  0 –7  0 –11   $ – Conference champion^ – NCAA Division II playoff participantRankings from AFCA Poll |
| 2003 Northeast-10 Conference football standings vteConfOverall Team W L W L  No. 19 Bentley $^  9 –0  10 –1   C. W. Post  8 –1  9 –2   Southern Connecticut  7 –2  9 –2   Merrimack  6 –3  6 –3   American International  5 –4  5 –4   Bryant  3 –6  3 –7   Assumption  2 –7  4 –7   Saint Anselm  2 –7  3 –7   Pace  2 –7  2 –8   Stonehill  1 –8  1 –10   $ – Conference champion^ – NCAA Division II playoff participantRankings from AFCA poll | 2003 Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference football standings vteConfOverall Team W L W L  No. 9 Winona State +^  7 –1  11 –2   Concordia–St. Paul +  7 –1  8 –4   Minnesota Duluth  6 –2  8 –3   Northern State  5 –3  7 –4   Bemidji State  5 –3  7 –4   Minnesota State–Moorhead  2 –6  3 –8   Wayne State (NE)  2 –6  3 –8   Southwest Minnesota State  1 –7  3 –8   Minnesota–Crookston  1 –7  2 –9   + – Conference co-champions^ – NCAA Division II playoff participantRankings from AFCA Poll | 2003 Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference football standings vteConfOverall Team W L W L  East Division East Stroudsburg x  5 –1  8 –3   Bloomsburg x  5 –1  7 –4   West Chester  4 –2  8 –3   Mansfield  3 –3  8 –3   Kutztown  3 –3  6 –5   Millersville  1 –5  4 –7   Cheyney  0 –6  2 –9   West Division No. 6 IUP x  5 –1  10 –1   No. 18 Edinboro x^  5 –1  9 –3   Shippensburg  4 –2  8 –3   California (PA)  2 –4  6 –4   Slippery Rock  2 –4  4 –7   Clarion  1 –5  3 –8   Lock Haven  1 –5  3 –8   x – Division champion/co-champions^ – NCAA Division II playoff participantRankings from AFCA poll |
| 2003 Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference football standings vteConfOverall Team W L W L  Mesa State $^  8 –0  10 –2   Chadron State  6 –2  8 –2   Fort Hays State  5 –3  6 –5   Colorado Mines  4 –4  6 –5   Nebraska–Kearney  4 –4  5 –5   Western State (CO)  4 –4  5 –6   Adams State  3 –5  4 –7   Fort Lewis  2 –6  3 –8   New Mexico Highlands  0 –8  0 –11   $ – Conference champion^ – NCAA Division II playoff participant | 2003 South Atlantic Conference football standings vteConfOverall Team W L W L  No. 8 Carson–Newman +^  6 –1  11 –2   No. 11 Catawba +  6 –1  9 –2   No. 17 Tusculum +  6 –1  9 –2   Mars Hill  3 –4  7 –4   Wingate  2 –5  5 –6   Presbyterian  2 –5  4 –6   Newberry  2 –5  3 –7   Lenoir–Rhyne  1 –6  3 –8   $ – Conference champion^ – NCAA Division II playoff participantRankings from AFCA poll | 2003 Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference football standings vteConfOverall Team W L W L  Albany State # $  7 –1  10 –2   Miles  6 –2  7 –3   Kentucky State  6 –2  7 –4   Fort Valley State  5 –3  7 –4   Benedict  4 –4  6 –5   Tuskegee  4 –4  5 –6   Morehouse  3 –5  4 –7   Lane  1 –7  2 –9   Clark Atlanta  0 –8  0 –11   $ – Conference champion # – Pioneer Bowl participant |
| 2003 West Virginia Intercollegiate Athletic Conference football standings vteConfOverall Team W L W L  West Virginia Wesleyan $  7 –0  9 –2   Glenville State  4 –3  5 –6   Shepherd  4 –3  4 –6   Fairmont State  3 –4  4 –6   West Liberty State  3 –4  4 –7   West Virginia State  3 –4  3 –8   Concord  2 –5  3 –8   West Virginia Tech  2 –5  3 –8   $ – Conference champion | 2003 NCAA Division II independents football records vteConfOverall Team W L W L  UC Davis   –  6 –4   Quincy   –  5 –6   Western New Mexico   –  3 –7   Saint Joseph's (IN)   –  2 –9   New Haven   –  1 –9 |

## Conference summaries

* Conference Champions
* Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association – Fayetteville State
* Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference – Saginaw Valley State
* Great Northwest Athletic Conference – Western Washington
* Gulf South Conference – North Alabama
* Lone Star Conference – Texas A&M–Kingsville
* Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association – Central Missouri State, Emporia State, Missouri Western State, Northwest Missouri State, and Pittsburg State
* North Central Conference – North Dakota
* Northeast-10 Conference – Bentley
* Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference – Concordia–Saint Paul and Winona State
* Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference – Bloomsburg and East Stroudsburg (East), Edinboro and Indiana (PA) (West)
* Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference – Mesa State
* South Atlantic Conference – Carson-Newman, Catawba, and Tusculum
* Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference – Albany State
* West Virginia Intercollegiate Athletic Conference – West Virginia Wesleyan

## Postseason

The 2003 NCAA Division II Football Championship playoffs were the 30th single-elimination tournament to determine the national champion of men's NCAA Division II. This was the final year of the 16-team bracket before the field expanded to 24 teams in 2004.

### 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 |
| North Dakota | 24 | | | | | | | |
| Pittsburg State | 14 | | | | | | | |
| Pittsburg State | 14 | North Dakota | 36 | | | | | |
| | | Winona State | 29 | | | | | |
| Winona State | 10 | Winona State | 29 | | | | | |
| Emporia State | 3 | | | | | | | |
| Emporia State | 3 | | | North Dakota | 29 | | | |
| | | | | North Alabama | 22 | | | |
| North Alabama | 48 | | | | | North Alabama | 22 | | | |
| Southern Arkansas | 24 | | | | | | | |
| Southern Arkansas | 24 | North Alabama | 41 | | | | | |
| | | Carson–Newman | 9 | | | | | |
| Carson–Newman | 35 | Carson–Newman | 9 | | | | | |
| Valdosta State | 29 | | | | | | | |
| Valdosta State | 29 | | | | | | North Dakota | 3 |
| | | | | | | | Grand Valley State | 10 |
| Saginaw Valley State | 33 | | | | | | | | Grand Valley State | 10 |
| Edinboro | 9 | | | | | | | |
| Edinboro | 9 | Saginaw Valley State | 3 | | | | | |
| | | Grand Valley State | 10 | | | | | |
| Grand Valley State | 65 | Grand Valley State | 10 | | | | | |
| Bentley | 36 | | | | | | | |
| Bentley | 36 | | | Grand Valley State | 31 | | | |
| | | | | Texas A&M–Kingsville | 3 | | | |
| Central Oklahoma | 20 | | | | | Texas A&M–Kingsville | 3 | | | |
| Mesa State | 15 | | | | | | | |
| Mesa State | 15 | Central Oklahoma | 6 | | | | | |
| | | Texas A&M–Kingsville | 49 | | | | | |
| Texas A&M–Kingsville | 34 | Texas A&M–Kingsville | 49 | | | | | |
| Tarleton State | 10 | | | | | | | |