# 2021 NCAA Division II football season

The 2021 NCAA Division II football season, part of college football in the United States organized by the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) at the Division II level, began on August 28 and ended December 18 with the Division II championship at the McKinney Independent School District Stadium in McKinney, Texas. Ferris State defeated Valdosta State, 58–17, for the title.

## D-II team wins over FCS teams

September 3: Southern Connecticut 28, Central Connecticut 21 September 4: West Florida 42, McNeese State 36

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

| School | Former conference | New conference |
| Ashland Eagles | GLIAC | G-MAC |
| Alderson Broaddus Battlers | G-MAC | Mountain East |
| Allen Yellow Jackets | Appalachian (NAIA) | Independent |
| Azusa Pacific Cougars | GNAC | Dropped program |
| Barton Bulldogs | Returning program, last competed 1950 | Independent |
| Bluefield State Big Blues | Returning program, last competed 1980 | Independent |
| Dixie State Trailblazers | RMAC | WAC (FCS) |
| Edward Waters Tigers | Independent (NAIA) | Southern Intercollegiate Athletic |
| Emory and Henry Wasps | Old Dominion (DIII) | Independent |
| Erskine Flying Fleet | Returning program, last competed 1951 | Independent |
| Florida Tech Panthers | Gulf South | Dropped program |
| Minnesota Crookston Golden Eagles | Northern Sun | Dropped program |
| UNC Pembroke Braves | Independent | Mountain East |
| St. Cloud State Huskies | Northern Sun | Dropped program |
| Tarleton Texans | Lone Star | WAC (FCS) |
| Urbana Blue Knights | Mountain East | Shut down at end of 2019–20 academic year |

## Conference standings
### Super Region 1

2021 Great Midwest Athletic Conference football standings :
| 2021 Great Midwest Athletic Conference football standings vteConfOverall Team W L W L  Findlay $^  6 –1  8 –4   Tiffin  5 –2  8 –3   Hillsdale #  5 –2  6 –6   Ohio Dominican  4 –3  7 –4   Ashland  4 –3  5 –5   Lake Erie  2 –5  5 –6   Kentucky Wesleyan  1 –6  3 –8   Walsh  1 –6  2 –9   $ – Conference champion^ – NCAA Division II playoff participant # – America's Crossroads Bowl participant | 2021 Mountain East Conference football standings vteConfOverall Team W L W L  No. 22 Frostburg State #  9 –1  10 –1   No. 9 Notre Dame (OH) $^  9 –1  11 –2   Charleston (WV)  8 –2  8 –2   UNC Pembroke  6 –4  6 –5   West Virginia State  6 –4  6 –5   Fairmont State  5 –5  5 –6   Wheeling  5 –5  5 –6   Concord  4 –6  4 –6   West Liberty  4 –6  4 –7   Glenville State  3 –7  3 –7   Alderson Broaddus  1 –9  1 –10   West Virginia Wesleyan  0 –10  0 –11   $ – Conference champion^ – NCAA Division II playoff participant # – Provisional NCAA Division II member Rankings from AFCA Poll | 2021 Northeast-10 Conference football standings vteConfOverall Team W L W L  No. 14 New Haven $^  8 –0  10 –2   No. 24 Bentley ^  7 –1  9 –2   Stonehill  6 –2  8 –2   Assumption  5 –3  5 –5   Southern Connecticut  3 –5  4 –6   Saint Anselm  3 –5  3 –6   American International  2 –6  4 –6   Pace  2 –6  2 –8   Franklin Pierce  0 –8  0 –10   $ – Conference champion^ – NCAA Division II playoff participantRankings from AFCA Poll |
| 2021 Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference football standings vteConfOverall Team W L W L  East Division No. 8 Kutztown xy$^  7 –0  11 –2   No. 5 Shepherd x^  6 –1  13 –2   Shippensburg  5 –2  9 –2   West Chester  4 –3  6 –5   East Stroudsburg  3 –4  5 –6   Bloomsburg  2 –5  3 –8   Millersville  1 –6  2 –9   Lock Haven  0 –7  1 –10   West Division No. 20 Slippery Rock xy^  6 –1  9 –3   No. 21 California (PA) x  5 –1  9 –1   IUP  5 –2  7 –3   Gannon  3 –4  5 –6   Edinboro  3 –4  4 –6   Mercyhurst  3 –4  4 –7   Seton Hill  2 –5  5 –6   Clarion  0 –6  0 –10   Championship: Kutztown 38, Slippery Rock 32 $ – Conference championx – Division champion/co-championsy – Championship game participant^ – NCAA Division II playoff participantRankings from AFCA poll |

### Super Region 2

2021 Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association football standings :
| 2021 Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association football standings vteConfOverall Team W L W L  Northern No. 6 Bowie State xy$^  7 –0  12 –2   Virginia Union  5 –2  6 –4   Chowan  4 –3  7 –3   Virginia State  3 –4  3 –6   Elizabeth City State  3 –4  3 –7   Lincoln (PA)  1 –6  1 –9   Southern Fayetteville State xy  7 –0  8 –2   Shaw  5 –2  6 –4   Winston–Salem State  3 –4  3 –6   Johnson C. Smith  1 –5  1 –7   Livingstone  1 –5  1 –8   St. Augustine's  1 –6  1 –7   Championship: Bowie State 17, Fayetteville State 7 $ – Conference championx – Division champion/co-championsy – Championship game participant^ – NCAA Division II playoff participantRankings from AFCA Poll | 2021 Gulf South Conference football standings vteConfOverall Team W L W L  No. 2 Valdosta State +^  6 –1  12 –2   No. 12 West Florida +^  6 –1  9 –2   No. 13 West Georgia ^  5 –2  9 –3   West Alabama  4 –3  6 –4   Delta State  3 –4  5 –6   Mississippi College  2 –5  4 –6   North Greenville  2 –5  5 –6   Shorter  0 –7  3 –8   + – Conference co-champions^ – NCAA Division II playoff participantRankings from AFCA Poll | 2021 South Atlantic Conference football standings vteConfOverall Team W L W L  No. 17 Newberry $^  7 –1  10 –3   Lenoir–Rhyne ^  6 –2  8 –3   Mars Hill  6 –2  8 –3   Wingate †  6 –2  7 –3   Virginia–Wise  4 –4  5 –6   Tusculum  3 –5  5 –6   Catawba †  2 –6  5 –4   Carson–Newman  1 –7  1 –9   Limestone †  1 –7  0 –9   $ – Conference champion^ – NCAA Division II playoff participant† – Catawba's cancellations against Wingate and Limestone were counted as forfeits in the conference standings.Rankings from AFCA Poll |
| 2021 Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference football standings vteConfOverall Team W L W L  East No. 18 Albany State xy$^  6 –0  10 –2   Savannah State  5 –1  8 –2   Morehouse  4 –2  4 –6   Fort Valley State  3 –3  5 –5   Benedict  2 –4  5 –5   Clark Atlanta  0 –6  2 –8   West Miles xy  4 –2  6 –5   Kentucky State x  4 –2  7 –4   Lane  3 –3  6 –4   Tuskegee  2 –4  3 –8   Central State (OH)  0 –6  1 –9   Not competing for championship Allen #   –  4 –5   Edward Waters #   –  4 –7   Championship: Albany State 31, Miles 0 $ – Conference championx – Division champion/co-championsy – Championship game participant^ – NCAA Division II playoff participant # – Provisional NCAA Division II member Rankings from AFCA Poll | 2021 NCAA Division II independents football records vteConfOverall Team W L W L  Emory & Henry #   –  6 –4   Bluefield State   –  4 –3   Barton   –  6 –5   Erskine   –  3 –8   # – Provisional NCAA Division II member |

### Super Region 3

2021 Great American Conference football standings :
| 2021 Great American Conference football standings vteConfOverall Team W L W L  No. 10 Harding $^  10 –1  11 –2   Henderson State  9 –2  9 –2   No. 23 Ouachita Baptist  9 –2  9 –2   SE Oklahoma State #  8 –3  9 –3   Oklahoma Baptist #  7 –4  8 –4   East Central  7 –4  7 –4   Arkansas–Monticello  5 –6  5 –6   Arkansas Tech  4 –7  4 –7   Southern Arkansas  4 –7  4 –7   NW Oklahoma State  2 –9  2 –9   Southern Nazarene  1 –10  1 –10   SW Oklahoma State  0 –11  0 –11   $ – Conference champion^ – NCAA Division II playoff participant # – bowl participant (Oklahoma Baptist - Heritage Bowl, SEOSU - Live United Texarkana Bowl) Rankings from AFCA Poll | 2021 Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference football standings vteConfOverall Team W L W L  No. 1 Ferris State $^  7 –0  14 –0   No. 7 Grand Valley State ^  6 –1  10 –2   Michigan Tech  5 –2  6 –4   Saginaw Valley State  4 –3  7 –4   Northern Michigan  2 –5  4 –7   Davenport  2 –5  3 –8   Wayne State (MI)  2 –5  2 –9   Northwood  0 –7  1 –9   $ – Conference champion^ – NCAA Division II playoff participantRankings from AFCA Poll | 2021 Great Lakes Valley Conference football standings vteConfOverall Team W L W L  Lindenwood $^  7 –0  9 –3   Indianapolis  5 –2  7 –4   Truman State #  4 –3  9 –3   Missouri S&T  4 –3  6 –5   McKendree  3 –4  4 –7   Southwest Baptist  3 –4  4 –7   Quincy  2 –5  4 –7   William Jewell  0 –7  0 –11   $ – Conference champion^ – NCAA Division II playoff participant # – America's Crossroads Bowl participant Rankings from AFCA Poll |
| 2021 Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association football standings vteConfOverall Team W L W L  No. 4 NW Missouri State $^  9 –1  11 –2   No. 15 Nebraska–Kearney ^  9 –2  10 –3   No. 25 Washburn ^  9 –2  9 –3   Pittsburg State  8 –3  8 –3   Missouri Western  6 –5  6 –5   Emporia State #  6 –5  6 –6   Fort Hays State  5 –6  5 –6   Central Oklahoma  4 –7  4 –7   Central Missouri  4 –7  4 –7   Missouri Southern  3 –8  3 –8   Northeastern State  2 –9  2 –9   Lincoln (MO)  0 –10  0 –10   $ – Conference champion^ – NCAA Division II playoff participant # – Live United Texarkana Bowl participant Rankings from AFCA Poll |

### Super Region 4

2021 Great Northwest Athletic Conference football standings :
| 2021 Great Northwest Athletic Conference football standings vteConfOverall Team W L W L  Central Washington $^  4 –0  8 –3   Western Oregon  2 –2  4 –6   Simon Fraser  0 –4  1 –7   $ – Conference champion^ – NCAA Division II playoff participantRankings from AFCA Poll | 2021 Lone Star Conference football standings vteConfOverall Team W L W L  Midwestern State $  6 –1  7 –3   No. 11 Angelo State ^  5 –2  11 –3   West Texas A&M  5 –2  7 –4   Texas A&M–Commerce  5 –2  7 –4   Texas A&M–Kingsville  3 –4  5 –5   UT Permian Basin #  3 –4  5 –6   Eastern New Mexico  1 –6  3 –7   Western New Mexico  0 –7  1 –9   $ – Conference champion^ – NCAA Division II playoff participant # – Heritage Bowl participant Rankings from AFCA Poll | 2021 Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference football standings vteConfOverall Team W L W L  North No. 19 Bemidji State x$^  9 –2  10 –3   Minnesota–Duluth x^  9 –2  9 –3   Northern State  7 –4  7 –4   MSU Moorhead  5 –6  5 –6   Mary  3 –3  4 –7   Minot State  2 –9  2 –9   Concordia–St. Paul  1 –10  1 –10   South Augustana (SD) x^  9 –2  9 –3   Sioux Falls  8 –3  8 –3   Winona State  7 –4  7 –4   Wayne State (NE)  7 –4  7 –4   Minnesota State  6 –5  6 –5   SW Minnesota State  2 –9  2 –9   Upper Iowa  1 –10  1 –10   $ – Conference championx – Division champion/co-champions^ – NCAA Division II playoff participantRankings from AFCA Poll |
| 2021 Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference football standings vteConfOverall Team W L W L  No. 3 Colorado Mines $^  8 –1  12 –2   No. 16 Western Colorado ^  8 –1  10 –2   Colorado Mesa  7 –2  8 –2   CSU Pueblo  6 –3  6 –5   Chadron State  5 –4  6 –5   South Dakota Mines  4 –5  6 –5   New Mexico Highlands  4 –5  4 –6   Black Hills State  2 –7  4 –7   Adams State  1 –8  1 –10   Fort Lewis  0 –9  0 –11   $ – Conference champion^ – NCAA Division II playoff participantRankings from AFCA Poll |

## Postseason
### Bracket
#### Super Region 1

| First Round November 20, 2021 Campus sites | First Round November 20, 2021 Campus sites | First Round November 20, 2021 Campus sites | Second Round November 27, 2021 Campus sites | Second Round November 27, 2021 Campus sites | Second Round November 27, 2021 Campus sites | Quarterfinals December 4, 2021 Campus sites | Quarterfinals December 4, 2021 Campus sites | Quarterfinals December 4, 2021 Campus sites |
| | | | 1 | Kutztown | 10 | | | |
| | | | 4 | New Haven | 7 | | | |
| 4 | New Haven* | 38 | 4 | New Haven | 7 | | | |
| | Bentley | 13 | | | | | | |
| | Bentley | 13 | | | | 1 | Kutztown | 28 |
| | | | | | | 2 | Shepherd | 30 |
| 2 | Shepherd* | 38 | | | | | | | 2 | Shepherd | 30 |
| | Findlay | 31 | | | | | | |
| | Findlay | 31 | 2 | Shepherd | 38 | | | |
| | | | 3 | Notre Dame (OH) | 34 | | | |
| 3 | Notre Dame (OH)* | 33 | 3 | Notre Dame (OH) | 34 | | | |
| | Slippery Rock | 25 | | | | | | |

#### Super Region 2

| First Round November 20, 2021 Campus sites | First Round November 20, 2021 Campus sites | First Round November 20, 2021 Campus sites | Second Round November 27, 2021 Campus sites | Second Round November 27, 2021 Campus sites | Second Round November 27, 2021 Campus sites | Quarterfinals December 4, 2021 Campus sites | Quarterfinals December 4, 2021 Campus sites | Quarterfinals December 4, 2021 Campus sites |
| | | | 1 | Valdosta State* | 66 | | | |
| | | | | West Georgia | 35 | | | |
| 4 | Albany State* | 7 | | West Georgia | 35 | | | |
| | West Georgia | 23 | | | | | | |
| | West Georgia | 23 | | | | 1 | Valdosta State | 41 |
| | | | | | | 2 | Bowie State | 17 |
| 2 | Bowie State* | 31 | | | | | | | 2 | Bowie State | 17 |
| | Lenoir–Rhyne | 10 | | | | | | |
| | Lenoir–Rhyne | 10 | 2 | Bowie State | 13 | | | |
| | | | | Newberry | 10 | | | |
| 3 | West Florida* | 30 | | Newberry | 10 | | | |
| | Newberry | 33* | | | | | | |

#### Super Region 3

| First Round November 20, 2021 Campus sites | First Round November 20, 2021 Campus sites | First Round November 20, 2021 Campus sites | Second Round November 27, 2021 Campus sites | Second Round November 27, 2021 Campus sites | Second Round November 27, 2021 Campus sites | Quarterfinals December 4, 2021 Campus sites | Quarterfinals December 4, 2021 Campus sites | Quarterfinals December 4, 2021 Campus sites |
| | | | 1 | Ferris State | 54 | | | |
| | | | 4 | Grand Valley State | 20 | | | |
| 4 | Grand Valley State* | 20 | 4 | Grand Valley State | 20 | | | |
| | Lindenwood | 3 | | | | | | |
| | Lindenwood | 3 | | | | 1 | Ferris State | 41 |
| | | | | | | 3 | NW Missouri State | 20 |
| 2 | Harding* | 30 | | | | | | | 3 | NW Missouri State | 20 |
| | Washburn | 14 | | | | | | |
| | Washburn | 14 | 2 | Harding | 9 | | | |
| | | | 3 | NW Missouri State | 28 | | | |
| 3 | NW Missouri State* | 50 | 3 | NW Missouri State | 28 | | | |
| | Central Washington | 21 | | | | | | |

#### Super Region 4

| First Round November 20, 2021 Campus sites | First Round November 20, 2021 Campus sites | First Round November 20, 2021 Campus sites | Second Round November 27, 2021 Campus sites | Second Round November 27, 2021 Campus sites | Second Round November 27, 2021 Campus sites | Quarterfinals December 4, 2021 Campus sites | Quarterfinals December 4, 2021 Campus sites | Quarterfinals December 4, 2021 Campus sites |
| | | | 1 | Colorado Mines* | 55 | | | |
| | | | | Bemidji State | 6 | | | |
| 4 | Augustana (SD)* | 24 | | Bemidji State | 6 | | | |
| | Bemidji State | 28 | | | | | | |
| | Bemidji State | 28 | | | | 1 | Colorado Mines | 34 |
| | | | | | | 2 | Angelo State | 26 |
| 2 | Angelo State* | 48 | | | | | | | 2 | Angelo State | 26 |
| | Minnesota–Duluth | 14 | | | | | | |
| | Minnesota–Duluth | 14 | 2 | Angelo State | 20 | | | |
| | | | | Nebraska–Kearney | 7 | | | |
| 3 | Western Colorado* | 24 | | Nebraska–Kearney | 7 | | | |
| | Nebraska–Kearney | 31 | | | | | | |

#### National semifinals

Teams that advanced to the semifinals were re-seeded.
| Semifinals December 11 Hosted by higher seeded team | Semifinals December 11 Hosted by higher seeded team | Semifinals December 11 Hosted by higher seeded team | National Championship December 18 McKinney ISD Stadium, McKinney, TX | National Championship December 18 McKinney ISD Stadium, McKinney, TX | National Championship December 18 McKinney ISD Stadium, McKinney, TX |
| 1 | Ferris State | 55 | | | |
| 4 | Shepherd | 7 | | | |
| 4 | Shepherd | 7 | 1 | Ferris State | 58 |
| | | | 2 | Valdosta State | 17 |
| 2 | Valdosta State | 34 | 2 | Valdosta State | 17 |
| 3 | Colorado Mines | 31 | | | |