# 1980 NCAA Division II football season

The 1980 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 1980, and concluded with the NCAA Division II Football Championship in December 1980 at University Stadium in Albuquerque, NM. During the game's two-year stretch in New Mexico, it was referred to as the Zia Bowl.
Cal Poly defeated Eastern Illinois in the championship game, 21–13, to win their first Division II national title.

## Conference changes and new programs

* Three Division II programs upgraded to Division I-AA prior to the season.
* The Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference reclassified as a Division II conference; all 14 members made the transition.
| School | 1979 Conference | 1980 Conference |
| Delaware | Independent | I-AA Independent |
| Nicholls State | Independent | I-AA Independent |
| Northern Colorado | - | North Central |
| Sonoma State | new program | Independent |
| Southeastern Louisiana | Independent | I-AA Independent |

## Conference standings

1980 Association of Mid-Continent Universities football standings :
| 1980 Association of Mid-Continent Universities football standings vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T Eastern Illinois $^ 4 –0 –011 –3 –0 Northern Michigan ^ 3 –1 –09 –2 –0 Northern Iowa 2 –2 –07 –4 –0 Youngstown State 1 –3 –02 –8 –1 Western Illinois 0 –4 –04 –6 –0 $ – Conference champion^ – NCAA Division II playoff participant | 1980 California Collegiate Athletic Association football standings vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T No. 3 Cal Poly $^ 2 –0 –010 –3 –0 Cal State Northridge 1 –1 –05 –6 –0 Cal Poly Pomona 0 –2 –03 –7 –0 $ – Conference champion^ – NCAA Division II playoff participantRankings from Associated Press poll | 1980 Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association football standings vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T North Carolina Central $ 7 –0 –07 –5 –0 No. 6 Virginia Union ^ 5 –1 –19 –2 –1 Elizabeth City State 5 –2 –07 –2 –1 Winston-Salem State 5 –2 –05 –5 –0 Saint Paul's (VA) 4 –3 –04 –6 –0 Norfolk State 3 –3 –15 –4 –1 Hampton 3 –4 –05 –6 –0 Johnson C. Smith 3 –5 –03 –7 –0 Fayetteville State 2 –5 –04 –5 –0 Virginia State 2 –5 –03 –8 –0 Bowie State 1 –5 –02 –8 –1 Livingstone 0 –7 –00 –10 –0 $ – Conference champion^ – NCAA Division II playoff participantRankings from NCAA Division II AP Poll |
| 1980 Far Western Conference football standings vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T UC Davis $ 5 –0 –07 –2 –1 Cal State Hayward 3 –2 –06 –4 –0 Chico State 3 –2 –05 –5 –0 San Francisco State 2 –3 –03 –6 –1 Sacramento State 1 –4 –03 –7 –0 Humboldt State 1 –4 –02 –8 –0 $ – Conference champion | 1980 Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference football standings vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T No. 20 Hillsdale $ 5 –1 –07 –4 –0 Northwood 4 –2 –06 –2 –1 No. 18 Grand Valley State 4 –2 –07 –3 –0 Wayne State (MI) 3 –3 –05 –4 –0 Ferris State 2 –3 –14 –4 –2 Saginaw Valley State 2 –4 –05 –6 –0 Michigan Tech 0 –5 –12 –6 –1 $ – Conference championRankings from NAIA Division I poll | 1980 Gulf South Conference football standings vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T No. 5 North Alabama $^ 6 –0 –010 –2 –0 No. 4 Jacksonville State ^ 6 –1 –08 –2 –0 Troy State 4 –2 –08 –2 –0 Livingston 2 –4 –05 –5 –0 Mississippi College 2 –4 –04 –5 –0 Tennessee–Martin 2 –4 –04 –7 –0 Delta State 0 –6 –03 –8 –0 $ – Conference champion^ – NCAA Division II playoff participantRankings from AP Poll |
| 1980 Heartland Collegiate Conference standings vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T Franklin (IN) + 5 –2 –08 –2 –0 Ashland + 5 –2 –06 –3 –1 Saint Joseph's (IN) 4 –3 –06 –4 –0 Indiana Central 3 –3 –15 –4 –2 Georgetown (KY) 3 –4 –04 –5 –0 Butler 3 –4 –04 –6 –0 Evansville 3 –4 –03 –7 –0 Valparaiso 1 –5 –13 –6 –1 + – Conference co-champions | 1980 Lone Star Conference football standings vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T Southwest Texas State $ 6 –1 –08 –3 –0 No. 2 Angelo State ^ 5 –1 –18 –2 –1 Texas A&I 5 –2 –07 –4 –0 No. 8 East Texas State ^ 4 –2 –18 –3 –1 Stephen F. Austin 4 –3 –04 –6 –0 Sam Houston State 2 –5 –03 –7 –0 Abilene Christian 1 –6 –02 –8 –0 Howard Payne 0 –7 –01 –8 –1 $ – Conference champion^ – NAIA Division I playoff participantRankings from NAIA Division I poll | 1980 Missouri Intercollegiate Athletic Association football standings vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T Missouri–Rolla $ 6 –0 –010 –0 –0 SW Missouri State 5 –1 –06 –5 –0 Central Missouri 3 –3 –06 –3 –1 NE Missouri State 3 –3 –05 –6 –0 SE Missouri State 3 –3 –04 –7 –0 NW Missouri State 1 –5 –02 –8 –0 Lincoln (MO) 0 –6 –02 –9 –0 $ – Conference champion |
| 1980 North Central Conference football standings vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T No. 10 Northern Colorado $^ 6 –1 –07 –4 –0 Nebraska–Omaha 5 –2 –07 –3 –0 North Dakota 5 –2 –06 –4 –0 North Dakota State 5 –2 –06 –4 –0 South Dakota * 3 –3 –15 –6 –0 Augustana (SD) 2 –5 –02 –7 –1 South Dakota State * 1 –5 –13 –8 –0 Morningside 0 –7 –02 –8 –0 + – Conference co-champions^ – NCAA Division II playoff participant * – South Dakota and South Dakota State split two head-to-head games, which counted as a tie for each team in the conference standings. Rankings from AP Poll | 1980 Northern Intercollegiate Conference football standings vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T Minnesota Duluth $ 8 –0 –010 –0 –0 Minnesota Morris ^ 7 –1 –09 –2 –1 No. 11 Moorhead State 6 –2 –08 –2 –0 St. Cloud State 5 –3 –06 –4 –0 Mankato State 3 –5 –03 –7 –0 Southwest State (MN) 2 –5 –13 –6 –1 Winona State 2 –6 –03 –7 –0 Northern State 1 –6 –12 –7 –1 Bemidji State 1 –7 –01 –9 –0 $ – Conference champion^ – NCAA Division III playoff participantRankings from NAIA Division I poll | 1980 Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference football standings vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T East Division Millersville x 4 –1 –06 –2 –1 East Stroudsburg x 4 –1 –06 –4 –0 Kutztown xy 4 –1 –06 –5 –0 Cheyney 1 –4 –04 –5 –1 Mansfield 1 –4 –02 –7 –0 Bloomsburg 1 –4 –01 –8 –0 West Division Clarion xy$ 5 –1 –09 –2 –0 Edinboro 3 –2 –16 –2 –1 Shippensburg 3 –2 –15 –4 –1 Indiana (PA) 3 –3 –06 –4 –0 Slippery Rock 3 –3 –04 –5 –0 Lock Haven 2 –4 –05 –5 –0 California (PA) 1 –5 –02 –8 –0 Championship: Clarion 15, Kutztown 14 $ – Conference championx – Division champion/co-championsy – Championship game participant |
| 1980 West Virginia Intercollegiate Athletic Conference football standings vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T Northern Division No. 19 Shepherd xy 6 –2 –17 –3 –1 Fairmont State x 6 –2 –16 –3 –1 Salem 6 –3 –06 –4 –0 West Virginia Wesleyan 3 –6 –03 –7 –0 West Liberty State 0 –9 –00 –10 –0 Southern Division No. 3 Concord xy$^ 9 –0 –011 –1 –0 West Virginia State 6 –3 –06 –4 –0 West Virginia Tech 5 –4 –05 –4 –0 Bluefield State 1 –7 –11 –7 –1 Glenville State 1 –7 –11 –8 –1 Championship: Concord 19, Shepherd 0 $ – Conference championx – Division champion/co-championsy – Championship game participant^ – NAIA Division I playoff participantRankings from NAIA Division I poll | 1980 NCAA Division II independents football records vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T No. 9 American International   –  8 –2 –0 No. 7 Santa Clara ^   –  9 –3 –0 Eastern Washington   –  6 –4 –0 Southern Connecticut State   –  5 –4 –0 West Chester   –  5 –4 –1 Towson State   –  5 –5 –0 Arkansas–Pine Bluff   –  5 –6 –0 Kentucky State   –  5 –6 –0 Morgan State   –  4 –7 –0 Central Connecticut   –  3 –7 –0 ^ – NCAA Division II playoff participantRankings from Associated Press poll |

## Conference summaries

| Conference | Champion(s) |
| Association of Mid-Continent Universities | Eastern Illinois |
| California Collegiate Athletic Association | Cal Poly |
| Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association | North Carolina Central |
| Far Western Football Conference | UC Davis |
| Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference | Hillsdale |
| Gulf South Conference | North Alabama |
| Heartland Collegiate Conference | Franklin and Ashland |
| Lone Star Conference | Southwest Texas State |
| Missouri Intercollegiate Athletic Association | Missouri–Rolla |
| North Central Conference | Northern Colorado |
| Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference | Alabama A&M |

## Postseason

The 1980 NCAA Division II Football Championship playoffs were the eighth single-elimination tournament to determine the national champion of men's NCAA Division II college football. The championship game was held at University Stadium in Albuquerque, NM for the second, and final, 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 University Stadium Albuquerque, NM | Championship University Stadium Albuquerque, NM | Championship University Stadium Albuquerque, NM |
| Eastern Illinois | Eastern Illinois | 21 | | | | | | |
| Northern Colorado | Northern Colorado | 14 | | | | | | |
| Northern Colorado | Northern Colorado | 14 | Eastern Illinois | Eastern Illinois | 56 | | | |
| | | | North Alabama | North Alabama | 31 | | | |
| North Alabama | North Alabama | 17 | North Alabama | North Alabama | 31 | | | |
| Virginia Union | Virginia Union | 8 | | | | | | |
| Virginia Union | Virginia Union | 8 | | | | Eastern Illinois | Eastern Illinois | 13 |
| | | | | | | Cal Poly | Cal Poly | 21 |
| Santa Clara | Santa Clara | 27 | | | | | | | Cal Poly | Cal Poly | 21 |
| Northern Michigan | Northern Michigan | 26 | | | | | | |
| Northern Michigan | Northern Michigan | 26 | Santa Clara | Santa Clara | 14 | | | |
| | | | Cal Poly | Cal Poly | 38 | | | |
| Cal Poly | Cal Poly | 15 | Cal Poly | Cal Poly | 38 | | | |
| Jacksonville State | Jacksonville State | 0 | | | | | | |