# 2021 NCAA Division III football season

The 2021 NCAA Division III football season was the component of the 2021 college football season organized by the NCAA at the Division III level in the United States. The regular season began on September 4 and ended on November 13.
The season's playoffs were played between November 20 and December 17, and culminated in the national championship, also known as the Stagg Bowl, at the Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium in Canton, Ohio. The Mary Hardin–Baylor Crusaders beat the North Central Cardinals in the title game, 57–24.

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

| Team | Former conference | New conference |
| Austin | SAA | American Southwest |
| Becker | CCC Football | College closed |
| Emory & Henry | Old Dominion | NCAA Division II independent |
| Finlandia | Michigan | Upper Midwest |
| Iowa Wesleyan | Upper Midwest | North Star (NAIA) |
| Keystone | Returning program, last competed 1947 | ECFC |
| Louisiana College | American Southwest | Sooner (NAIA) |
| Macalester | Midwest | Minnesota |
| Maine Maritime | NEWMAC | Suspended program |
| Occidental | Southern California | Dropped program |
| St. Norbert | Midwest | NACC |
| St. Scholastica | Upper Midwest | Minnesota |
| St. Thomas (MN) | Minnesota | Pioneer (NCAA Division I FCS) |
| Wesley | New Jersey | College acquired by Delaware State |
* ↑ Already did not play in 2020–21 but their football conference did not hold a football season in 2020–21.
* ↑ Already moved in 2020–21 but did not play during the spring 2020–21 season.

## Conference standings

2021 American Rivers Conference football standings :
| 2021 American Rivers Conference football standings vteConfOverall Team W L W L  No. 6 Central (IA) $^  8 –0  12 –1   Coe  6 –2  8 –2   Wartburg  6 –2  7 –3   Dubuque  5 –3  6 –4   Buena Vista  4 –4  5 –5   Loras  4 –4  4 –6   Nebraska Wesleyan  2 –6  4 –6   Simpson (IA)  1 –7  1 –9   Luther  0 –8  0 –10   $ – Conference champion^ – NCAA Division III playoff participantRankings from AFCA Poll | 2021 American Southwest Conference football standings vteConfOverall Team W L W L  No. 1 Mary Hardin–Baylor $^  9 –0  15 –0   No. 10 Hardin–Simmons  8 –1  9 –1   Belhaven  6 –3  7 –3   Howard Payne  6 –3  7 –3   East Texas Baptist  4 –5  5 –5   Southwestern (TX)  4 –5  4 –6   Texas Lutheran  3 –6  3 –7   McMurry  2 –7  2 –7   Sul Ross  2 –7  2 –7   Austin  1 –8  1 –8   $ – Conference champion^ – NCAA Division III playoff participantRankings from AFCA Poll | 2021 Centennial Conference football standings vteConfOverall Team W L W L  No. 7 Muhlenberg +^  8 –1  11 –2   No. 13 Johns Hopkins +^  8 –1  10 –2   Susquehanna  7 –2  9 –2   Ursinus  6 –3  7 –4   Franklin & Marshall  5 –4  6 –5   Dickinson  4 –5  4 –6   Moravian  3 –6  3 –7   McDaniel  2 –7  2 –8   Gettysburg  1 –8  1 –9   Juniata  1 –8  1 –9   + – Conference co-champions^ – NCAA Division III playoff participantRankings from AFCA Poll |
| 2021 College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin football standings vteConfOverall Team W L W L  No. 2 North Central (IL) $^  9 –0  13 –1   No. 9 Wheaton (IL) ^  8 –1  10 –2   Washington University  7 –2  7 –4   Carroll (WI)  5 –4  6 –4   Augustana (IL)  4 –5  5 –5   Carthage  3 –6  3 –7   Illinois Wesleyan  3 –6  3 –7   Millikin  3 –6  3 –7   North Park  2 –7  2 –8   Elmhurst  1 –8  1 –9   $ – Conference champion^ – NCAA Division III playoff participantRankings from AFCA Poll | 2021 Commonwealth Coast Football standings vteConfOverall Team W L W L  Endicott +^  5 –1  8 –3   Western New England +  5 –1  7 –4   Salve Regina  4 –2  8 –2   Husson  4 –2  7 –3   New England  2 –4  4 –5   Curry  1 –5  3 –6   Nichols  0 –6  2 –8   + – Conference co-champions^ – NCAA Division III playoff participant | 2021 Eastern Collegiate Football Conference standings vteConfOverall Team W L W L  Anna Maria +^  5 –1  7 –3   Alfred State +  5 –1  6 –5   Castleton  4 –2  6 –4   Gallaudet  3 –3  5 –3   Maritime  3 –3  3 –6   Dean  1 –5  2 –8   Keystone  0 –6  0 –10   + – Conference co-champions^ – NCAA Division III playoff participant |
| 2021 Empire 8 Athletic Conference football standings vteConfOverall Team W L W L  No. 16 Cortland $^  6 –0  11 –1   Brockport  4 –2  8 –3   Alfred  4 –2  5 –5   Utica  3 –3  6 –4   St. John Fisher  2 –4  4 –6   Hartwick  1 –5  2 –7   Morrisville State  0 –5  2 –8   $ – Conference champion^ – NCAA Division III playoff participantRankings from AFCA Poll | 2021 Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference football standings vteConfOverall Team W L W L  Rose–Hulman $^  7 –0  8 –3   Mount St. Joseph  5 –2  6 –4   Franklin (IN)  4 –3  6 –4   Hanover  4 –3  5 –5   Bluffton  3 –4  4 –6   Manchester  3 –4  3 –7   Anderson (IN)  1 –6  1 –9   Defiance  1 –6  1 –9   $ – Conference champion^ – NCAA Division III playoff participant | 2021 Liberty League football standings vteConfOverall Team W L W L  No. 14 RPI +^  5 –1  11 –2   No. 24 Ithaca +  5 –1  8 –2   Hobart  4 –2  9 –2   Union (NY)  4 –2  8 –2   St. Lawrence  2 –4  5 –5   Rochester (NY)  1 –5  3 –7   Buffalo State  0 –6  0 –10   + – Conference co-champions^ – NCAA Division III playoff participantRankings from AFCA Poll |
| 2021 Massachusetts State Collegiate Athletic Conference football standings vteConfOverall Team W L W L  Framingham State $^  8 –0  8 –3   UMass Dartmouth  6 –2  9 –2   Bridgewater State  6 –2  6 –4   Plymouth State  5 –3  5 –5   Western Connecticut  4 –4  5 –5   Massachusetts Maritime  3 –5  4 –6   Worcester State  3 –5  3 –7   Westfield State  1 –7  1 –9   Fitchburg State  0 –8  0 –10   $ – Conference champion^ – NCAA Division III playoff participant | 2021 Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association football standings vteConfOverall Team W L W L  No. 25 Albion +^  5 –1  9 –2   Hope +  5 –1  8 –2   Trine  4 –2  6 –4   Olivet  3 –3  7 –3   Adrian  3 –3  5 –5   Alma  1 –5  5 –5   Kalamazoo  0 –6  1 –9   $ – Conference champion^ – NCAA Division III playoff participantRankings from AFCA Poll | 2021 Middle Atlantic Conference football standings vteConfOverall Team W L W L  No. 11 Delaware Valley $^  8 –0  11 –1   Lycoming  6 –2  8 –3   FDU–Florham  5 –3  7 –4   Widener  5 –3  7 –4   Stevenson  5 –3  5 –6   Wilkes  5 –3  6 –4   Lebanon Valley  4 –4  5 –5   King's (PA)  3 –5  5 –5   Misericordia  2 –6  3 –6   Albright  1 –7  2 –8   Alvernia  0 –8  0 –10   $ – Conference champion^ – NCAA Division III playoff participantRankings from AFCA Poll |
| 2021 Midwest Conference football standings vteConfOverall Team W L W L  No. 23 Lake Forest $^  9 –0  10 –1   Monmouth (IL)  8 –1  8 –2   Chicago  7 –2  8 –2   Ripon  5 –3  6 –3   Illinois College  5 –4  5 –5   Cornell (IA)  4 –5  4 –6   Knox  3 –6  3 –6   Grinnell  2 –7  2 –8   Lawrence  1 –7  2 –7   Beloit  0 –9  0 –10   $ – Conference champion^ – NCAA Division III playoff participantRankings from AFCA Poll | 2021 Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference football standings vteDiv ConfOverall Team W L W L W L  Northwoods Division No. 8 Saint John's (MN) x$^  4 –0  8 –0  11 –1   Gustavus Adolphus  3 –1  6 –2  8 –2   St. Olaf  2 –2  4 –4  5 –5   Carleton  1 –3  5 –3  7 –3   St. Scholastica  0 –4  0 –8  0 –8   Skyline Division No. 18 Bethel (MN) x^  4 –0  6 –2  8 –3   Concordia–Moorhead  3 –1  3 –5  4 –6   Augsburg  2 –2  4 –4  4 –6   Macalester  1 –3  2 –6  3 –7   Hamline  0 –4  2 –6  4 –6   Championship: Saint John's (MN) 29, Bethel (MN) 28 $ – Conference championx – Division champion/co-champions^ – NCAA Division III playoff participantAs of November 17, 2021 Rankings from AFCA Poll | 2021 New England Small College Athletic Conference football standings vteConfOverall Team W L W L  Williams $  9 –0  9 –0   Trinity (CT)  8 –1  8 –1   Wesleyan  6 –3  6 –3   Amherst  5 –4  5 –4   Colby  4 –5  4 –5   Tufts  4 –5  4 –5   Bates  3 –6  3 –6   Middlebury  3 –6  3 –6   Hamilton  2 –7  2 –7   Bowdoin  1 –8  1 –8   $ – Conference champion |
| 2021 New England Women's and Men's Athletic Conference football standings vteConfOverall Team W L W L  Springfield $^  6 –0  7 –4   Merchant Marine  5 –1  9 –1   Catholic University  4 –2  6 –4   MIT  3 –3  5 –4   WPI  2 –4  3 –7   Norwich  1 –5  2 –8   Coast Guard  0 –6  2 –8   $ – Conference champion^ – NCAA Division III playoff participant | 2021 New Jersey Athletic Conference football standings vteConfOverall Team W L W L  No. 17 Salisbury $^  6 –0  8 –2   Kean  4 –2  4 –5   Christopher Newport  3 –3  5 –5   William Paterson  2 –4  4 –6   TCNJ  2 –4  3 –6   Montclair State  2 –4  3 –7   Rowan  2 –4  2 –7   $ – Conference champion^ – NCAA Division III playoff participantRankings from AFCA Poll | 2021 North Coast Athletic Conference football standings vteConfOverall Team W L W L  DePauw $^  8 –1  9 –3   Ohio Wesleyan  7 –2  8 –2   Wittenberg  7 –2  7 –3   Wabash  6 –3  7 –3   Denison  6 –3  6 –4   Wooster  5 –4  6 –4   Kenyon  3 –6  4 –7   Allegheny  2 –7  3 –7   Oberlin  1 –8  1 –9   Hiram  0 –9  1 –9   $ – Conference champion^ – NCAA Division III playoff participant |
| 2021 Northern Athletics Collegiate Conference football standings vteConfOverall Team W L W L  Aurora $^  8 –0  8 –3   Benedictine (IL)  7 –1  8 –2   Lakeland  6 –2  8 –2   Concordia (WI)  4 –4  6 –4   St. Norbert  4 –4  6 –6   Wisconsin Lutheran  3 –5  3 –7   Eureka  2 –6  2 –8   Concordia (IL)  1 –7  3 –7   Rockford  1 –7  2 –8   $ – Conference champion^ – NCAA Division III playoff participant | 2021 Northwest Conference football standings vteConfOverall Team W L W L  No. 5 Linfield $^  7 –0  11 –1   George Fox  6 –1  6 –3   Pacific (OR)  5 –2  6 –3   Whitworth  4 –3  7 –3   Pacific Lutheran  3 –4  4 –5   Lewis & Clark  2 –5  3 –6   Puget Sound  1 –6  1 –9   Willamette  0 –7  1 –9   $ – Conference champion^ – NCAA Division III playoff participantRankings from AFCA Poll | 2021 Ohio Athletic Conference football standings vteConfOverall Team W L W L  No. 4 Mount Union $^  9 –0  13 –1   Baldwin Wallace  7 –2  8 –2   Heidelberg  7 –2  8 –2   John Carroll  7 –2  7 –3   Muskingum  4 –5  5 –5   Marietta  4 –5  4 –6   Ohio Northern  3 –6  4 –6   Wilmington (OH)  2 –7  2 –8   Capital  1 –8  2 –8   Otterbein  1 –8  1 –9   $ – Conference champion^ – NCAA Division III playoff participantRankings from AFCA Poll | |
| 2021 Old Dominion Athletic Conference football standings vteConfOverall Team W L W L  Washington and Lee +^  5 –1  8 –3   No. 20 Randolph–Macon +  5 –1  9 –1   Hampden–Sydney  4 –2  5 –5   Shenandoah  3 –3  7 –4   Ferrum  3 –3  6 –4   Bridgewater  1 –5  4 –6   Guilford  0 –6  1 –8   + – Conference co-champions^ – NCAA Division III playoff participantRankings from AFCA Poll | 2021 Presidents' Athletic Conference football standings vteConfOverall Team W L W L  Carnegie Mellon +^  8 –1  8 –2   Westminster (PA) +  8 –1  8 –3   Washington & Jefferson  7 –2  8 –3   Grove City  6 –3  8 –3   Case Western Reserve  5 –4  6 –4   Saint Vincent  4 –5  5 –5   Geneva  4 –5  4 –6   Waynesburg  2 –7  2 –8   Bethany (WV)  1 –8  1 –9   Thiel  0 –9  0 –10   + – Conference co-champions^ – NCAA Division III playoff participant | 2021 Southern Athletic Association football standings vteConfOverall Team W L W L  No. 15 Trinity (TX) $^  7 –0  9 –1   No. 19 Birmingham–Southern ^  6 –1  10 –2   Centre  5 –2  8 –2   Berry  4 –3  6 –4   Rhodes  2 –5  3 –7   Hendrix  2 –5  3 –7   Millsaps  2 –5  2 –8   Sewanee  0 –7  0 –10   $ – Conference champion^ – NCAA Division III playoff participantRankings from AFCA Poll |
| 2021 Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference football standings vteConfOverall Team W L W L  No. 21 Redlands $^  6 –0  8 –2   Claremont-Mudd-Scripps  4 –2  7 –3   Chapman  4 –2  7 –3   Cal Lutheran  3 –3  5 –3   Pomona-Pitzer  2 –4  4 –5   La Verne  2 –4  3 –6   Whittier  0 –6  0 –9   $ – Conference champion^ – NCAA Division III playoff participantRankings from AFCA Poll | 2021 Upper Midwest Athletic Conference football standings vteConfOverall Team W L W L  Greenville $^  6 –0  8 –3   Martin Luther  5 –1  5 –4   Minnesota–Morris  4 –2  5 –5   Northwestern (MN)  2 –3  2 –7   Westminster (MO)  2 –4  3 –5   Crown  1 –4  1 –8   Finlandia  0 –6  0 –9   $ – Conference champion^ – NCAA Division III playoff participant | 2021 USA South Athletic Conference football standings vteConfOverall Team W L W L  Huntingdon $^  8 –0  8 –3   Methodist  7 –1  7 –2   Brevard  6 –2  6 –4   Averett  4 –4  5 –5   Maryville (TN)  4 –4  4 –6   North Carolina Wesleyan  4 –4  4 –6   LaGrange  2 –6  2 –8   Southern Virginia  1 –7  2 –8   Greensboro  0 –8  0 –10   $ – Conference champion^ – NCAA Division III playoff participant |
| 2021 Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference football standings vteConfOverall Team W L W L  No. 3 Wisconsin–Whitewater $^  7 –0  13 –1   No. 12 Wisconsin–La Crosse ^  6 –1  9 –3   No. 22 Wisconsin–River Falls  5 –2  9 –2   Wisconsin–Oshkosh  4 –3  6 –3   Wisconsin–Platteville  3 –4  4 –6   Wisconsin–Stout  2 –5  5 –5   Wisconsin–Eau Claire  1 –6  3 –7   Wisconsin–Stevens Point  0 –7  2 –8   $ – Conference champion^ – NCAA Division III playoff participantRankings from AFCA Poll |

## Postseason
### Qualification
#### Automatic bids (27)

| Conference | Team | Appearance | Last |
| American Southwest Conference | Mary Hardin-Baylor | 17th | 2019 |
| American Rivers Conference | Central (IA) | 22nd | 2019 |
| Centennial Conference | Muhlenberg | 10th | 2019 |
| College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin | North Central (IL) | 13th | 2019 |
| Commonwealth Coast Football | Endicott | 3rd | 2013 |
| Eastern Collegiate Football Conference | Anna Maria | 1st | — |
| Empire 8 | SUNY Cortland | 10th | 2015 |
| Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference | Rose–Hulman | 2nd | 2016 |
| Liberty League | RPI | 7th | 2018 |
| Massachusetts State Collegiate Athletic Conference | Framingham State | 6th | 2019 |
| Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association | Albion | 12th | 2015 |
| Middle Atlantic Conference | Delaware Valley | 10th | 2019 |
| Midwest Conference | Lake Forest | 2nd | 2002 |
| Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference | Saint John's (MN) | 27th | 2019 |
| New England Women's and Men's Athletic Conference | Springfield | 7th | 2017 |
| New Jersey Athletic Conference | Salisbury | 12th | 2019 |
| North Coast Athletic Conference | DePauw | 3rd | 2010 |
| Northern Athletics Collegiate Conference | Aurora | 6th | 2019 |
| Northwest Conference | Linfield | 16th | 2019 |
| Ohio Athletic Conference | Mount Union | 32nd | 2019 |
| Old Dominion Athletic Conference | Washington and Lee | 6th | 2017 |
| Presidents' Athletic Conference | Carnegie Mellon | 7th | 2006 |
| Southern Athletic Association | Trinity (TX) | 13th | 2011 |
| Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference | Redlands | 10th | 2019 |
| Upper Midwest Athletic Conference | Greenville | 1st | — |
| USA South Athletic Conference | Huntingdon | 6th | 2019 |
| Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference | Wisconsin–Whitewater | 18th | 2019 |

#### At-large bids (5)

| Team | Conference | Appearance | Last |
| Bethel (MN) Royals | MIAC | 10th | 2018 |
| Birmingham-Southern | SAA | 1st | — |
| Johns Hopkins | Centennial | 11th | 2018 |
| Wheaton (IL) | CCIW | 12th | 2019 |
| Wisconsin–La Crosse | WIAC | 12th | 2006 |

### Bracket

| First round November 20 | First round November 20 | First round November 20 | Second round November 27 | Second round November 27 | Second round November 27 | Quarterfinals December 4 | Quarterfinals December 4 | Quarterfinals December 4 | | Semifinals December 11 | Semifinals December 11 | Semifinals December 11 | | Championship Stagg Bowl December 17 Canton, Ohio | Championship Stagg Bowl December 17 Canton, Ohio | Championship Stagg Bowl December 17 Canton, Ohio |
| * | Saint John's (MN) | 41 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | Lake Forest | 14 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | Lake Forest | 14 | * | Saint John's (MN) | 28 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | Linfield | 31 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| * | Linfield | 44 | | Linfield | 31 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | Redlands | 10 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | Redlands | 10 | | | | Linfield | Linfield | 24 | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | Mary Hardin–Baylor | Mary Hardin–Baylor | 49 | | | | | | | | |
| * | Mary Hardin–Baylor | 13 | | | | | | | Mary Hardin–Baylor | Mary Hardin–Baylor | 49 | | | | | | | | |
| | Trinity (TX) | 3 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | Trinity (TX) | 3 | * | Mary Hardin–Baylor | 42 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | Birmingham–Southern | 7 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| * | Birmingham–Southern | 24 | | Birmingham–Southern | 7 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | Huntingdon | 14 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | Huntingdon | 14 | | | | | | | | Mary Hardin–Baylor | Mary Hardin–Baylor | 24 | | | | |
| | | | | | | | | | | Wisconsin–Whitewater | Wisconsin–Whitewater | 7 | | | | |
| * | Wisconsin–Whitewater | 69 | | | | | | | | | | | Wisconsin–Whitewater | Wisconsin–Whitewater | 7 | | | | |
| | Greenville | 7 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | Greenville | 7 | * | Wisconsin–Whitewater | 45 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | DePauw | 0 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| * | DePauw | 26 | | DePauw | 0 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | Rose–Hulman | 21 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | Rose–Hulman | 21 | | | | Wisconsin–Whitewater | Wisconsin–Whitewater | 51 | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | Central (IA) | Central (IA) | 21 | | | | | | | | |
| * | Central (IA) | 61 | | | | | | | Central (IA) | Central (IA) | 21 | | | | | | | | |
| | Bethel (MN) | 35 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | Bethel (MN) | 35 | * | Central (IA) | 30 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | Wheaton (IL) | 28 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| * | Wheaton (IL) | 63 | | Wheaton (IL) | 28 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | Aurora | 31 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | Aurora | 31 | | | | | | | | | | | | Mary Hardin–Baylor | Mary Hardin–Baylor | 57 |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | North Central (IL) | North Central (IL) | 24 |
| * | North Central (IL) | w/o | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | North Central (IL) | North Central (IL) | 24 |
| | Carnegie Mellon | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | Carnegie Mellon | | * | North Central (IL) | 34 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | Wisconsin–La Crosse | 20 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| * | Albion | 23 | | Wisconsin–La Crosse | 20 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | Wisconsin–La Crosse | 58 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | Wisconsin–La Crosse | 58 | | | | North Central (IL) | North Central (IL) | 55 | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | RPI | RPI | 6 | | | | | | | | |
| * | Cortland | 26 | | | | | | | RPI | RPI | 6 | | | | | | | | |
| | Springfield | 21 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | Springfield | 21 | * | Cortland | 14 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | RPI | 21 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| * | Endicott | 14 | | RPI | 21 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | RPI | 20 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | RPI | 20 | | | | | | | | North Central (IL) | North Central (IL) | 26 | | | | |
| | | | | | | | | | | Mount Union | Mount Union | 13 | | | | |
| * | Mount Union | 52 | | | | | | | | | | | Mount Union | Mount Union | 13 | | | | |
| | Washington and Lee | 0 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | Washington and Lee | 0 | * | Mount Union | 45 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | Johns Hopkins | 35 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| * | Salisbury | 20 | | Johns Hopkins | 35 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | Johns Hopkins | 45 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | Johns Hopkins | 45 | | | | Mount Union | Mount Union | 35 | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | Muhlenberg | Muhlenberg | 29 | | | | | | | | |
| * | Delaware Valley | 62 | | | | | | | Muhlenberg | Muhlenberg | 29 | | | | | | | | |
| | Anna Maria | 10 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | Anna Maria | 10 | * | Delaware Valley | 0 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | Muhlenberg | 14 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| * | Muhlenberg | 45 | | Muhlenberg | 14 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | Framingham State | 0 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |

## Coaching changes

This list includes all head coaching changes announced during or after the season.
| School | Outgoing coach | Date | Reason | Replacement | Previous position |
| Carnegie Mellon | Rich Lackner | Before November 2022 (effective at season end) | Retired | Ryan Larsen | Columbia quarterbacks coach (2019–2021) |
| Christopher Newport | Art Link | November 7, 2021 | Fired | Paul Crowley | Christopher Newport offensive line coach (2019–2021) |
| Merchant Marine | Mike Toop | November 10, 2021 | Retired | Jameson Croall | Merchant Marine offensive coordinator and offensive line coach (2012–2021) |
| Luther | Caleb Padilla | November 15, 2021 | Fired | Joe Troche | St. Olaf special teams coordinator and defensive backs coach (2019–2021) |
| Wittenberg | Joe Fincham | November 18, 2021 | Retired | Jim Collins | Dayton offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach (2020–2021) |
| Wisconsin–Platteville | Mike Mendorfer | November 22, 2021 | Retired | Ryan Munz | Wisconsin–Platteville offensive coordinator (2007–2021) |
| Dean | Steve Tirrell | November 23, 2021 | Resigned | Andrae Murphy | Columbia defensive backs coach (2018–2021) |
| Millikin | Dan Gritti | November 29, 2021 | Resigned | Carlton Hall | Millikin defensive coordinator (2020–2021) |
| Wisconsin–Oshkosh | Pat Cerroni | November 30, 2021 | Retired | Peter Jennings | Wisconsin–Whitewater offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach (2018–2021) |
| Sul Ross | John Pearce | December 1, 2021 | Resigned | Barry Derickson | Sul Ross offensive coordinator (2021) |
| Kenyon | James Rosenbury | December 3, 2021 | Resigned | Ian Good | Kenyon defensive coordinator and linebackers coach (2019–2021) |
| Waynesburg | Chris Smithley | December 7, 2021 | Moved to administrative position | Cornelius Coleman | Duquesne defensive line coach (2020–2021) |
| Rockford | J. T. Zimmerman | December 9, 2021 | Resigned | Calvin Toliver | Rockford offensive coordinator (2021) |
| Franklin & Marshall | John Troxell | December 14, 2021 | Hired as head coach for Lafayette | Tom Blumenauer | Williams offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach (2021) |
| Wisconsin–Stevens Point | Greg Breitbach | December 30, 2021 | Resigned | Luke Venne | Wisconsin–Oshkosh offensive coordinator (2017–2021) |
| Albright | John Marzka | December 2021 | Resigned | Isaac Collins | Bucknell defensive coordinator and defensive backs coach (2021) |
| Thiel | Mike Winslow | December 2021 | Fired | Sam Bauman | Wooster defensive coordinator and linebackers coach (2015–2021) |
| Mary Hardin–Baylor | Pete Fredenburg | January 7, 2022 | Retired | Larry Harmon | Mary Hardin–Baylor defensive coordinator (2002–2021) |
| Idaho State | Christian Ozolins (interim head coach) | January 21, 2022 | Permanent replacement hired | Lazarus Morgan | Cortland defensive coordinator and safeties coach (2020–2021) |
| Ithaca | Dan Swanstrom | January 24, 2022 | Hired as offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach for Penn | Michael Toerper | Holy Cross safeties coach (2020–2021) |
| Chicago | Chris Wilkerson | January 25, 2022 | Hired as head coach by Eastern Illinois | Todd Gilcrist Jr. | Holy Cross wide receivers coach (2019–2021) |
| North Central (IL) | Jeff Thorne | January 26, 2022 | Hired as offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach for Western Michigan | Brad Spencer | North Central (IL) offensive coordinator (2015–2021) |
| FDU–Florham | Jimmy Robertson | January 27, 2022 | Hired as quarterbacks coach for Monmouth | Anthony Van Curen | FDU–Florham defensive coordinator (2019–2021) |
| Bethany (WV) | Bill Garvey | January 28, 2022 | Fired | Brandon Robinson | Baldwin Wallace offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach (2020–2021) |
| Anna Maria | Dan Mulrooney | January 31, 2022 | Hired as the head coach for Lock Haven | Steve Croce | Anna Maria offensive coordinator and running backs coach (2019–2021) |
| Alvernia | Ralph Clark | Before January 2022 | Fired | Steve Azzanesi | Delaware State offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach (2020–2021) |
| Lewis & Clark | Jay Locey | February 4, 2022 | Retired | Joe Bushman | Lewis & Clark offensive coordinator (2019–2021) |
| Bates | Ed Argast (interim) | February 8, 2022 | Permanent replacement hired | Matt Coyne | Wesleyan defensive coordinator, special teams coordinator, and linebackers coach (2021) |
| John Carroll | Rick Finotti | March 14, 2022 | Resigned | Drew Nystrom (full season interim) | John Carroll offensive coordinator and offensive line coach (2020–2021) |
| Macalester | KiJuan Ware (interim) | March 18, 2022 | Permanent replacement hired | Phil Nicolaides | Randolph–Macon defensive coordinator (2016–2021) |
| Martin Luther | Mark Stein | Before April 25, 2022 | Hired as athletic director for Fox Valley Lutheran HS (WI) | Paul Huebner | Shoreland Lutheran HS (WI) head coach (2011–2021) |
| Curry | Skip Bandini | Before April 2022 | Retired | Todd Parsons | Endicott assistant head coach and offensive coordinator (2020–2021) |
| William Paterson | Dustin Johnson | Before May 2022 | Hired as cornerbacks coach for Villanova | Shaun Williams | William Paterson defensive coordinator and safeties coach (2013–2021) |