# 2004 NCAA Division III football season

The 2004 NCAA Division III football season, part of the college football season organized by the NCAA at the Division III level in the United States, began in August 2004, and concluded with the NCAA Division III Football Championship, also known as the Stagg Bowl, in December 2004 at Salem Football Stadium in Salem, Virginia. The Linfield Wildcats won their first Division III championship by defeating the Mary Hardin–Baylor Crusaders, 28−21.
The Gagliardi Trophy, given to the most outstanding player in Division III football, was awarded to Rocky Myers, safety from Wesley (DE).

## Conference changes and new programs

| School | 2003 conference | 2004 conference |
| Eastern Oregon Mountaineers | Independent | Cascade (NAIA) |
| Stillman Tigers | Independent | Independent (Division II) |

## Conference standings

2004 American Southwest Conference football standings :
| 2004 American Southwest Conference football standings vteConfOverall Team W L W L  No. 4 Hardin–Simmons $^  9 –0  10 –1   No. 2 Mary Hardin–Baylor ^  8 –1  13 –2   Texas Lutheran  7 –2  7 –3   Howard Payne  6 –3  7 –3   Louisiana College  4 –5  5 –5   East Texas Baptist  4 –5  4 –6   Austin  3 –6  3 –7   Sul Ross  2 –7  2 –8   McMurry  1 –8  2 –8   Mississippi College  1 –8  1 –9   $ – Conference champion^ – NCAA Division III playoff participantRankings from D3football.com | 2004 Atlantic Central Football Conference standings vteConfOverall Team W L W L  Salisbury $^  5 –0  10 –1   Wesley  4 –1  8 –2   Brockport  3 –2  6 –4   Buffalo State  2 –3  4 –6   Frostburg State  1 –4  2 –8   Apprentice §  0 –5  3 –7   $ – Conference champion^ – NCAA Division III playoff participant§ – Not an NCAA member | 2004 Centennial Conference football standings vteConfOverall Team W L W L  Johns Hopkins +  4 –2  9 –2   Franklin & Marshall +  4 –2  8 –3   Muhlenberg +  4 –2  8 –3   Dickinson +  4 –2  6 –4   McDaniel +  4 –2  6 –4   Gettysburg  1 –5  1 –9   Ursinus  0 –5  1 –9   + – Conference co-champions |
| 2004 College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin football standings vteConfOverall Team W L W L  No. 5 Carthage +^  6 –1  11 –2   No. 12 Wheaton (IL) +^  6 –1  10 –2   Augustana (IL)  5 –2  7 –3   North Central (IL)  4 –3  7 –3   Millikin  4 –3  5 –5   Illinois Wesleyan  2 –5  3 –7   Elmhurst  1 –6  4 –6   North Park  0 –7  1 –9   $ – Conference champion^ – NCAA Division III playoff participantRankings from D3football.com | 2004 Empire 8 Athletic Conference football standings vteConfOverall Team W L W L  No. 15 St. John Fisher +^  5 –1  9 –2   No. 20 Ithaca +  5 –1  9 –2   Springfield  4 –2  8 –2   Alfred  3 –3  8 –3   Norwich  3 –3  7 –4   Utica  1 –5  3 –7   Hartwick  0 –6  1 –8   + – Conference co-champions^ – NCAA Division III playoff participantRankings from D3football.com | 2004 Illini–Badger Football Conference standings vteConfOverall Team W L W L  Lakeland +  6 –1  8 –2   Concordia (WI) +  6 –1  7 –3   Aurora +^  6 –1  6 –5   MacMurray  4 –3  6 –3   Greenville  3 –4  3 –6   Eureka  2 –5  3 –7   Benedictine (IL)  1 –6  1 –9   Concordia (IL)  0 –7  0 –10   + – Conference co-champions^ – NCAA Division III playoff participant |
| 2004 Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference football standings vteConfOverall Team W L W L  Mount St. Joseph $^  6 –0  10 –1   Hanover  5 –1  6 –4   Anderson (IN)  3 –3  5 –5   Bluffton  3 –3  5 –5   Franklin (IN)  3 –3  5 –5   Defiance  1 –5  1 –9   Manchester  0 –6  0 –10   $ – Conference champion^ – NCAA Division III playoff participant | 2004 Iowa Conference football standings vteConfOverall Team W L W L  No. 24 Wartburg +^  6 –2  8 –3   Coe +  6 –2  7 –3   Buena Vista  5 –3  6 –4   Central (IA)  5 –3  6 –4   Luther  5 –3  6 –4   Simpson (IA)  4 –4  6 –4   Loras  3 –5  4 –6   Cornell (IA)  1 –7  2 –8   Dubuque  1 –7  2 –8   + – Conference co-champions^ – NCAA Division III playoff participantRankings from D3football.com | 2004 Liberty League football standings vteConfOverall Team W L W L  No. 21 Hobart $^  7 –0  9 –2   Union (NY)  6 –1  6 –3   RPI  4 –3  5 –4   Rochester (NY)  3 –4  4 –6   St. Lawrence  3 –4  4 –6   Merchant Marine  3 –4  3 –7   WPI  2 –5  5 –5   Coast Guard  0 –7  1 –8   $ – Conference champion^ – NCAA Division III playoff participantRankings from D3football.com |
| 2004 Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association football standings vteConfOverall Team W L W L  Alma $^  6 –1  8 –3   Olivet  5 –2  8 –2   Albion  5 –2  7 –3   Hope  5 –2  6 –4   Adrian  3 –4  6 –4   Tri-State *  2 –5  2 –8   Wisconsin Lutheran  2 –5  2 –8   Kalamazoo  0 –7  1 –9   $ – Conference champion^ – NCAA Division III playoff participant * – Provisional NCAA Division III member | 2004 Middle Atlantic Conference football standings vteConfOverall Team W L W L  No. 11 Delaware Valley $^  9 –0  12 –1   Moravian  7 –2  7 –4   Albright  6 –3  8 –3   Wilkes  6 –3  6 –4   Widener  5 –4  6 –4   King's (PA)  4 –5  4 –6   Fairleigh Dickinson–Florham  3 –6  4 –6   Lebanon Valley  3 –6  4 –6   Susquehanna  3 –6  4 –6   Lycoming  3 –6  3 –7   Juniata  1 –8  1 –9   $ – Conference champion^ – NCAA Division III playoff participantRankings from D3football.com | 2004 Midwest Conference football standings vteConfOverall Team W L W L  No. 22 St. Norbert $^  9 –0  9 –2   Monmouth (IL)  8 –1  9 –1   Lake Forest  7 –2  8 –2   Grinnell  5 –4  6 –4   Illinois College  5 –4  6 –4   Ripon  4 –5  5 –5   Carroll (WI)  3 –6  3 –7   Beloit  2 –7  3 –7   Lawrence  1 –8  2 –8   Knox  1 –8  1 –9   $ – Conference champion^ – NCAA Division III playoff participantRankings from D3football.com |
| 2004 Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference football standings vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T No. 9 Concordia–Moorhead $^ 8 –0 –011 –1 –0 St. Thomas (MN) 6 –2 –07 –2 –0 Saint John's (MN) 6 –2 –07 –3 –0 St. Olaf 5 –3 –07 –3 –0 Bethel (MN) 5 –3 –06 –4 –0 Gustavus Adolphus 2 –6 –02 –8 –0 Augsburg 2 –6 –02 –8 –0 Hamline 1 –7 –03 –7 –0 Carleton 1 –7 –02 –8 –0 $ – Conference champion^ – NCAA Division III playoff participantRankings from D3football.com | 2004 New England Football Conference standings vteConfOverall Team W L W L  Bogan Division Fitchburg State xy  6 –0  8 –4   Bridgewater State  4 –2  6 –3   Westfield State  4 –2  5 –4   Worcester State  3 –3  6 –4   Maine Maritime  3 –3  3 –6   Massachusetts Maritime  1 –5  1 –8   Framingham State  0 –6  0 –9   Boyd Division Curry xy$^  5 –1  9 –2   Endicott x  5 –1  6 –4   UMass Dartmouth  4 –2  7 –4   Western New England  3 –3  5 –4   Nichols  3 –3  4 –6   Salve Regina  1 –6  2 –8   MIT  0 –6  2 –7   Championship: Curry 17, Fitchburg State 7 $ – Conference championx – Division champion/co-championsy – Championship game participant^ – NCAA Division III playoff participant | 2004 New England Small College Athletic Conference football standings vteConfOverall Team W L W L  Trinity (CT) $  8 –0  8 –0   Amherst  6 –2  6 –2   Colby  6 –2  6 –2   Williams  6 –2  6 –2   Middlebury  4 –4  4 –4   Wesleyan  3 –5  3 –5   Bates  2 –6  2 –6   Bowdoin  2 –6  2 –6   Tufts  2 –6  2 –6   Hamilton  1 –7  1 –7   $ – Conference champion |
| 2004 New Jersey Athletic Conference football standings vteConfOverall Team W L W L  Rowan $^  6 –0  10 –3   TCNJ  5 –1  7 –2   Cortland  4 –2  5 –4   Montclair State  2 –4  4 –4   Western Connecticut  2 –4  5 –5   Kean  1 –5  2 –8   William Paterson  1 –5  2 –8   $ – Conference champion^ – NCAA Division III playoff participant | 2004 North Coast Athletic Conference football standings vteConfOverall Team W L W L  No. 10 Wooster $^  7 –0  11 –1   Wittenberg  5 –2  7 –3   Ohio Wesleyan  5 –2  5 –5   Denison  4 –3  6 –4   Wabash  4 –3  6 –4   Allegheny  4 –3  5 –5   Earlham  3 –4  4 –6   Kenyon  2 –5  2 –8   Oberlin  1 –6  1 –9   Hiram  0 –7  0 –10   $ – Conference champion^ – NCAA Division III playoff participantRankings from D3football.com | 2004 Northwest Conference football standings vteConfOverall Team W L W L  No. 1 Linfield $^  5 –0  13 –0   No. 23 Willamette ^  4 –1  7 –4   Whitworth  3 –2  7 –2   Pacific Lutheran  2 –3  6 –3   Puget Sound  1 –4  5 –4   Lewis & Clark  0 –5  1 –8   $ – Conference champion^ – NCAA Division III playoff participantRankings from D3football.com |
| 2004 Ohio Athletic Conference football standings vteConfOverall Team W L W L  No. 3 Mount Union $^  9 –0  12 –1   No. 19 Ohio Northern  7 –2  8 –2   Capital  6 –3  7 –3   John Carroll  6 –3  6 –4   Baldwin–Wallace  5 –4  6 –4   Marietta  5 –4  5 –4   Otterbein  3 –6  4 –6   Wilmington (OH)  3 –6  3 –7   Muskingum  1 –8  1 –9   Heidelberg  0 –9  0 –10   $ – Conference champion^ – NCAA Division III playoff participantRankings from D3football.com | 2004 Old Dominion Athletic Conference football standings vteConfOverall Team W L W L  No. 17 Bridgewater $^  6 –0  8 –3   Hampden–Sydney  5 –1  8 –2   Washington and Lee  4 –2  6 –4   Emory & Henry  3 –3  4 –6   Randolph–Macon  2 –4  3 –7   Guilford  1 –5  1 –9   Catholic University  0 –6  0 –10   $ – Conference champion^ – NCAA Division III playoff participantRankings from D3football.com | 2004 Presidents' Athletic Conference football standings vteConfOverall Team W L W L  No. 8 Washington & Jefferson $^  5 –0  12 –1   Thiel  4 –1  7 –3   Waynesburg  3 –2  7 –3   Westminster (PA)  2 –3  5 –5   Grove City  1 –4  3 –7   Bethany (WV)  0 –5  1 –9   $ – Conference champion^ – NCAA Division III playoff participantRankings from D3football.com |
| 2004 Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference football standings vteConfOverall Team W L W L  No. 7 Occidental $^  6 –0  10 –2   Cal Lutheran  4 –2  6 –3   La Verne  3 –3  4 –5   Pomona-Pitzer  3 –3  4 –5   Redlands  3 –3  4 –5   Claremont-Mudd-Scripps  1 –5  2 –7   Whittier  1 –5  2 –7   $ – Conference champion^ – NCAA Division III playoff participantRankings from D3football.com | 2004 Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference football standings vteConfOverall Team W L W L  No. 14 Trinity (TX) $^  6 –0  9 –2   DePauw  5 –1  8 –2   Rhodes  3 –3  5 –5   Millsaps  3 –3  4 –5   Centre  2 –4  4 –6   Rose–Hulman  1 –5  4 –6   Sewanee  1 –5  2 –8   $ – Conference champion^ – NCAA Division III playoff participantRankings from D3football.com | 2004 University Athletic Association football standings vteConfOverall Team W L W L  Washington University $  3 –0  6 –4   Case Western Reserve  2 –1  5 –5   Carnegie Mellon  1 –2  6 –4   Chicago  0 –3  3 –6   $ – Conference champion |
| 2004 Upper Midwest Athletic Conference football standings vteConfOverall Team W L W L  North Martin Luther x  6 –1  6 –3   Northwestern (MN) x  6 –1  6 –5   Minnesota Morris  4 –3  5 –5   Crown  2 –5  2 –7   Trinity Bible  0 –7  0 –9   South Westminster (MO) x  6 –1  6 –3   Rockford  5 –2  7 –3   Blackburn  3 –4  3 –7   Principia  2 –5  3 –6   Maranatha Baptist  1 –6  3 –6   x – Division champion/co-champions | 2004 USA South Athletic Conference football standings vteConfOverall Team W L W L  No. 16 Christopher Newport +^  5 –1  9 –3   Shenandoah +^  5 –1  7 –4   Methodist  4 –2  7 –3   North Carolina Wesleyan  3 –3  4 –4   Averett  2 –4  6 –4   Ferrum  1 –5  4 –6   Greensboro  1 –5  2 –8   + – Conference co-champions^ – NCAA Division III playoff participantRankings from D3football.com | 2004 Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference football standings vteConfOverall Team W L W L  No. 13 Wisconsin–La Crosse $^  5 –2  7 –4   Wisconsin–Eau Claire  4 –3  7 –3   No. 25 Wisconsin–Whitewater  4 –3  7 –3   Wisconsin–Stevens Point  4 –3  6 –4   Wisconsin–Platteville  3 –4  6 –4   Wisconsin–Stout  3 –4  5 –4   Wisconsin–River Falls  3 –4  3 –7   Wisconsin–Oshkosh  2 –5  5 –5   $ – Conference champion^ – NCAA Division III playoff participantRankings from D3football.com |
| 2004 NCAA Division III independents football records vteConfOverall Team W L W L  Mount Ida   –  6 –2   Maryville (TN)   –  5 –4   Chapman   –  4 –5   Huntingdon   –  4 –5   Thomas More   –  4 –6   Colorado College   –  2 –7   Husson   –  2 –7   Menlo   –  1 –7   Macalester   –  1 –8   Plymouth State   –  1 –8   Chowan   –  1 –9 |

## Conference champions

* Conference champions
* American Southwest Conference – Hardin–Simmons
* Atlantic Central Football Conference – Salisbury
* Centennial Conference – Dickinson, Franklin & Marshall, Johns Hopkins, McDaniel, and Muhlenberg
* College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin – Carthage and Wheaton (IL)
* Empire 8 Conference – Ithaca and St. John Fisher
* Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference – Mount St. Joseph
* Illini-Badger Football Conference – Aurora, Concordia (WI), and Lakeland
* Iowa Intercollegiate Athletic Conference – Coe and Wartburg
* Liberty League – Hobart
* Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association – Alma
* Middle Atlantic Conference – Delaware Valley
* Midwest Conference – St. Norbert
* Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference – Concordia–Moorhead
* New England Football Conference – Fitchburg State (Bogan Division), Curry and Endicott (Boyd Division)
* Championship Game: Curry 17, Fitchburg State 7
* New England Small College Athletic Conference – Trinity (CT)
* New Jersey Athletic Conference – Rowan
* North Coast Athletic Conference – Wooster
* Northwest Conference – Linfield
* Ohio Athletic Conference – Mount Union
* Old Dominion Athletic Conference – Bridgewater
* Presidents' Athletic Conference – Washington & Jefferson
* Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference – Occidental
* Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference – DePauw and Trinity (TX)
* University Athletic Association – Washington–Saint Louis
* Upper Midwest Athletic Conference – Westminster (MO)
* USA South Athletic Conference – Christopher Newport and Shenandoah
* Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference – Wisconsin–La Crosse

## Postseason

The 2004 NCAA Division III Football Championship playoffs were the 32nd annual single-elimination tournament to determine the national champion of men's NCAA Division III college football. The championship Stagg Bowl game was held at Salem Football Stadium in Salem, Virginia for the 12th time. This was the last bracket to feature 28 teams before expanding to 32 teams in 2005.

### Playoff bracket

| First Round Campus Sites | First Round Campus Sites | First Round Campus Sites | Second Round Campus Sites | Second Round Campus Sites | Second Round Campus Sites | Quarterfinals Campus Sites | Quarterfinals Campus Sites | Quarterfinals Campus Sites | Semifinals Campus Sites | Semifinals Campus Sites | Semifinals Campus Sites | National Championship Game Salem Football Stadium Salem, Virginia | National Championship Game Salem Football Stadium Salem, Virginia | National Championship Game Salem Football Stadium Salem, Virginia |
| | | | Linfield | Linfield | 52 | | | | | | | | | |
| UW–La Crosse | UW–La Crosse | 37 | UW–La Crosse | UW–La Crosse | 14 | | | | | | | | | |
| St. Norbert | St. Norbert | 23 | | | | Linfield | Linfield | 56 | | | | | | |
| Occidental | Occidental | 28 | | | | Occidental | Occidental | 27 | | | | | | |
| Willamette | Willamette | 14 | Occidental | Occidental | 42 | | | | | | | | | |
| Concordia–Moorhead | Concordia–Moorhead | 28 | Concordia–Moorhead | Concordia–Moorhead | 40 | | | | | | | | | |
| Wartburg | Wartburg | 14 | | | | | | | Linfield | Linfield | 52 | | | |
| | | | | | | | | | Rowan | Rowan | 0 | | | |
| | | | Rowan | Rowan | 45 | | | | | | | | | |
| Hobart | Hobart | 35 | Hobart | Hobart | 14 | | | | | | | | | |
| Curry | Curry | 16 | | | | Rowan | Rowan | 56 | | | | | | |
| St. John Fisher | St. John Fisher | 31 | | | | Delaware Valley | Delaware Valley | 7 | | | | | | |
| Muhlenberg | Muhlenberg | 3 | St. John Fisher | St. John Fisher | 20 | | | | | | | | | |
| Delaware Valley | Delaware Valley | 21 | Delaware Valley | Delaware Valley | 26 | | | | | | | | | |
| Shenandoah | Shenandoah | 17 | | | | | | | | | | Linfield | Linfield | 28 |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | Mary Hardin–Baylor | Mary Hardin–Baylor | 21 |
| | | | Hardin–Simmons | Hardin–Simmons | 28 | | | | | | | | | |
| Mary Hardin–Baylor | Mary Hardin–Baylor | 32 | Mary Hardin–Baylor | Mary Hardin–Baylor | 42 | | | | | | | | | |
| Trinity (TX) | Trinity (TX) | 13 | | | | Mary Hardin–Baylor | Mary Hardin–Baylor | 52 | | | | | | |
| Christopher Newport | Christopher Newport | 35 | | | | Wash. & Jefferson | Wash. & Jefferson | 16 | | | | | | |
| Salisbury | Salisbury | 24 | Christopher Newport | Christopher Newport | 14 | | | | | | | | | |
| Wash. & Jefferson | Wash. & Jefferson | 55** | Wash. & Jefferson | Wash. & Jefferson | 24 | | | | | | | | | |
| Bridgewater (VA) | Bridgewater (VA) | 48 | | | | | | | Mary Hardin–Baylor | Mary Hardin–Baylor | 38 | | | |
| | | | | | | | | | Mount Union | Mount Union | 35 | | | |
| | | | Mount Union | Mount Union | 27 | | | | | | | | | |
| Wheaton (IL) | Wheaton (IL) | 31 | Wheaton (IL) | Wheaton (IL) | 6 | | | | | | | | | |
| Mount St. Joseph | Mount St. Joseph | 7 | | | | Mount Union | Mount Union | 38 | | | | | | |
| Carthage | Carthage | 31 | | | | Carthage | Carthage | 20 | | | | | | |
| Alma | Alma | 28 | Carthage | Carthage | 14 | | | | | | | | | |
| Wooster | Wooster | 41 | Wooster | Wooster | 7 | | | | | | | | | |
| Aurora | Aurora | 34 | | | | | | | | | | | | |
* Overtime

## Final D3football.com Poll

| Team | Final Record | Points |
| 1. Linfield (25) | 13–0 | 625 |
| 2. Mary Hardin-Baylor | 13–2 | 600 |
| 3. Mount Union | 12–1 | 571 |
| 4. Hardin-Simmons | 10–1 | 501 |
| 5. Carthage | 11–2 | 491 |
| 6. Rowan | 10–3 | 488 |
| 7. Occidental | 10–2 | 463 |
| 8. Washington and Jefferson | 12–1 | 447 |
| 9. Concordia-Moorhead | 11-1 | 429 |
| 10. Wooster | 11–1 | 397 |
| 11. Delaware Valley | 12-1 | 363 |
| 12. Wheaton (Ill.) | 10–2 | 339 |
| 13. UW-La Crosse | 7-4 | 320 |
| 14. Trinity (Texas) | 9–2 | 281 |
| 15. St. John Fisher | 10–2 | 262 |
| 16. Christopher Newport | 9-3 | 248 |
| 17. Bridgewater (Va.) | 8-3 | 200 |
| 18. Salisbury | 10-1 | 195 |
| 19. Ohio Northern | 8–2 | 165 |
| 20. Ithaca | 9–2 | 163 |
| 21. Hobart | 9–2 | 95 |
| 22. St. Norbert | 9–2 | 80 |
| 23. Willamette | 7-4 | 71 |
| 24. Wartburg | 8–3 | 53 |
| 25. UW-Whitewater | 7-3 | 48 |
Others receiving votes: Mount St. Joseph 39, Trinity (Conn.) 33, Alma 31, UW-Eau Claire 30, Whitworth 17, Texas Lutheran 17, Aurora 16, Augustana 16, Muhlenberg 14, Johns Hopkins 12, Springfield 9, Shenandoah 9, Hampden-Sydney 9, Moravian 8, Albright 3, Capital 2, Waynesburg 1, New Jersey 1, Curry 1, McDaniel 1.

## Awards

Gagliardi Trophy: Rocky Myers, Wesley (DE)
AFCA Coach of the Year: Jay Locey, Linfield
AFCA Regional Coach of the Year: Region 1: Chuck Priore, Trinity College (Conn.) Region 2: G. A. Mangus, Delaware Valley College Region 3: Jimmie Keeling, Hardin-Simmons University Region 4: Tim Rucks, Carthage College Region 5: Terry Horan, Concordia-Moorhead College (Minn.)