# 1984 NCAA Division II football season

The 1984 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 in August 1984, and concluded with the NCAA Division II Football Championship on December 8, 1984, at McAllen Veterans Memorial Stadium in McAllen, Texas. During the game's five-year stretch in McAllen, the "City of Palms", it was referred to as the Palm Bowl.
Troy State defeated North Dakota State in the championship game, 18–17, to win their first Division II national title.

## Conference changes and new programs

* Four programs departed Division II for Division I-AA prior to the season. Three were members of the Lone Star Conference, invited to join the newly formed, Division I-AA Gulf Star Conference.
| School | 1983 Conference | 1984 Conference |
| Eastern Washington | D-II Independent | I-AA Independent |
| Sam Houston State | Lone Star | Gulf Star (I-AA) |
| Texas State | Lone Star | Gulf Star (I-AA) |
| Stephen F. Austin | Lone Star | Gulf Star (I-AA) |

## Conference standings

1984 Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association football standings :
| 1984 Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association football standings vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T Northern No. T–6 Norfolk State xy$^ 6 –1 –010 –2 –0 Hampton 4 –2 –15 –3 –2 Virginia State 4 –3 –05 –5 –0 Virginia Union 3 –3 –15 –3 –2 Elizabeth City State 2 –4 –14 –5 –1 Saint Paul's (VA) 0 –7 –03 –7 –0 Southern Winston-Salem State xy 7 –0 –09 –2 –0 North Carolina Central 5 –2 –07 –3 –0 Fayetteville State 3 –3 –14 –4 –1 Johnson C. Smith 3 –4 –03 –7 –0 Livingstone 2 –5 –03 –7 –0 Bowie State 0 –7 –00 –10 –1 Championship: Norfolk State 20, Winston-Salem State 19 $ – Conference championx – Division champion/co-championsy – Championship game participant^ – NCAA Division II playoff participantRankings from NCAA Division II Football Committee poll | 1984 Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference football standings vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T No. 6 Saginaw Valley State $^ 6 –0 –08 –3 –0 No. 17 Northwood 5 –1 –06 –3 –0 Wayne State (MI) 4 –2 –06 –5 –0 Hillsdale 3 –3 –06 –4 –0 Michigan Tech 2 –4 –04 –6 –0 Ferris State 1 –5 –02 –8 –0 Grand Valley State 0 –6 –00 –10 –0 $ – Conference champion^ – NAIA Division I playoff participantRankings from NAIA Division I poll | 1984 Gulf South Conference football standings vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T No. T–3 Troy State $^ 7 –1 –012 –1 –0 No. 10 Mississippi College 5 –2 –16 –2 –1 North Alabama 4 –1 –37 –1 –3 Delta State 5 –2 –17 –3 –1 Jacksonville State 4 –4 –04 –5 –1 Livingston 3 –5 –05 –5 –0 Valdosta State 3 –5 –05 –6 –0 Tennessee–Martin 1 –6 –12 –8 –1 West Georgia 1 –7 –03 –8 –0 $ – Conference champion^ – NCAA Division II playoff participantRankings from NCAA Division II Football Committee poll |
| 1984 Heartland Collegiate Conference standings vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T Ashland $ 5 –0 –16 –3 –1 Indiana Central 4 –2 –08 –2 –0 Butler 4 –2 –06 –4 –0 Franklin (IN) 3 –2 –15 –4 –1 Valparaiso 2 –4 –06 –4 –0 Saint Joseph's (IN) 1 –5 –02 –7 –0 Evansville 1 –5 –02 –8 –0 $ – Conference champion | 1984 Lone Star Conference football standings vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T No. 10 Angelo State $ 4 –0 –08 –3 –0 Texas A&I 3 –1 –06 –5 –0 Abilene Christian 2 –2 –03 –7 –0 East Texas State 1 –3 –05 –5 –0 Howard Payne 0 –4 –01 –8 –1 $ – Conference championRankings from NCAA Division II Football Committee poll | 1984 Missouri Intercollegiate Athletic Association football standings vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T No. 5 NW Missouri State $^ 5 –0 –010 –2 –0 Central Missouri State 4 –1 –05 –6 –0 NE Missouri State 3 –2 –04 –7 –0 Missouri–Rolla 2 –3 –06 –4 –0 SE Missouri State 1 –4 –01 –10 –0 Lincoln (MO) 0 –5 –00 –10 –1 $ – Conference champion^ – NCAA Division II playoff participantRankings from NCAA Division II Football Committee poll |
| 1984 North Central Conference football standings vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T No. 1 North Dakota State +^ 8 –1 –011 –2 –0 No. 2 Nebraska–Omaha +^ 8 –1 –011 –2 –0 South Dakota 7 –2 –08 –3 –0 North Dakota 6 –3 –08 –3 –0 Morningside 5 –4 –06 –5 –0 Mankato State 3 –6 –04 –7 –0 Northern Colorado 3 –6 –03 –8 –0 St. Cloud State 2 –7 –04 –7 –0 South Dakota State 2 –7 –03 –8 –0 Augustana (SD) 0 –9 –01 –10 –0 + – Conference co-champions^ – NCAA Division II playoff participantRankings from NCAA Division II Football Committee poll | 1984 Northern California Athletic Conference football standings vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T No. T–6 UC Davis $^ 6 –0 –09 –2 –0 Sacramento State 5 –1 –06 –5 –0 Cal State Hayward 4 –2 –07 –3 –0 Chico State 2 –3 –14 –5 –1 Sonoma State 2 –4 –02 –8 –0 San Francisco State 1 –4 –11 –8 –1 Humboldt State 0 –6 –00 –10 –0 $ – Conference champion^ – NCAA Division II playoff participantSan Francisco State forfeited 3 wins including 1 conference win over Sonoma State.Rankings from NCAA Division II Football Committee poll | 1984 Northern Intercollegiate Conference football standings vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T No. 8 Moorhead State +^ 5 –1 –08 –3 –0 Minnesota Morris + 5 –1 –05 –4 –0 No. 14 Bemidji State 4 –2 –08 –3 –0 Minnesota Duluth 4 –2 –06 –4 –0 Winona State 2 –4 –03 –7 –0 Northern State 1 –5 –03 –7 –0 Southwest State (MN) 0 –6 –03 –7 –0 + – Conference co-champions^ – NAIA Division I playoff participantRankings from NAIA Division I poll |
| 1984 Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference football standings vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T East Division West Chester y 5 –1 –07 –3 –0 Bloomsburg xy 5 –1 –06 –5 –0 Millersville 4 –1 –16 –3 –1 East Stroudsburg 3 –3 –05 –6 –0 Kutztown 1 –4 –12 –7 –1 Cheyney 1 –5 –03 –7 –0 Mansfield 0 –4 –22 –6 –2 West Division Edinboro x 4 –2 –08 –2 –0 California (PA) xy$ 4 –2 –08 –3 –0 Clarion x 4 –2 –07 –3 –0 IUP x 4 –2 –07 –3 –0 Slippery Rock 3 –3 –06 –4 –0 Shippensburg 1 –5 –04 –6 –0 Lock Haven 1 –5 –01 –9 –0 Championship: California 21, Bloomsburg 14 $ – Conference championx – Division champion/co-championsy – Championship game participant | 1984 Western Football Conference standings vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T Portland State $ 3 –0 –08 –3 –0 Cal Poly 2 –1 –06 –4 –0 Santa Clara 1 –2 –07 –4 –0 Cal State Northridge 0 –3 –03 –7 –0 Cal Lutheran * 0 –0 –05 –4 –1 $ – Conference champion * – Ineligible for conference title | 1984 NCAA Division II independents football records vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T No. T–3 Central State (OH) ^   –  9 –2 –0 No. 8 Towson State ^   –  9 –4 –0 Southern Connecticut State   –  7 –3 –0 Central Connecticut   –  6 –4 –0 Northern Michigan   –  6 –4 –0 New Haven   –  5 –5 –0 Liberty   –  5 –6 –0 Saint Mary's   –  5 –6 –0 American International   –  4 –6 –0 Springfield   –  3 –7 –0 Kentucky State   –  2 –9 –0 UCF   –  2 –9 –0 ^ – NCAA Division II playoff participantRankings from NCAA Division II Football Committee poll |

## Conference summaries

* Conference Champions
* Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association – Norfolk State
* Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference – Saginaw Valley State
* Gulf South Conference – Troy State
* Heartland Collegiate Conference – Ashland
* Lone Star Conference – Angelo State
* Missouri Intercollegiate Athletic Association – Northwest Missouri State
* North Central Conference – Nebraska–Omaha and North Dakota State
* Northern California Athletic Conference – UC Davis
* Northern Intercollegiate Conference – Minnesota–Morris and Minnesota State–Moorhead
* Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference – California (PA)
* Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference – Fort Lewis
* South Atlantic Conference – Carson-Newman
* Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference – Albany State

## Postseason

The 1984 NCAA Division II Football Championship playoffs were the 12th single-elimination tournament to determine the national champion of men's NCAA Division II college football. The championship game was held at McAllen Veterans Memorial Stadium in McAllen, Texas, for the fourth consecutive time.

### Playoff bracket

| First round Campus sites | First round Campus sites | First round Campus sites | Semifinals Campus sites | Semifinals Campus sites | Semifinals Campus sites | Championship McAllen Veterans Memorial Stadium McAllen, TX | Championship McAllen Veterans Memorial Stadium McAllen, TX | Championship McAllen Veterans Memorial Stadium McAllen, TX |
| North Dakota State | North Dakota State | 31 | | | | | | |
| UC Davis | UC Davis | 25 | | | | | | |
| UC Davis | UC Davis | 25 | North Dakota State | North Dakota State | 25 | | | |
| | | | Nebraska–Omaha | Nebraska–Omaha | 14 | | | |
| Nebraska–Omaha | Nebraska–Omaha | 28 | Nebraska–Omaha | Nebraska–Omaha | 14 | | | |
| Northwest Missouri State | Northwest Missouri State | 15 | | | | | | |
| Northwest Missouri State | Northwest Missouri State | 15 | | | | North Dakota State | North Dakota State | 17 |
| | | | | | | Troy State | Troy State | 18 |
| Troy State | Troy State | 31 | | | | | | | Troy State | Troy State | 18 |
| Central State (OH) | Central State (OH) | 21 | | | | | | |
| Central State (OH) | Central State (OH) | 21 | Troy State | Troy State | 45 | | | |
| | | | Towson State | Towson State | 3 | | | |
| Towson State | Towson State | 31 | Towson State | Towson State | 3 | | | |
| Norfolk State | Norfolk State | 21 | | | | | | |