# 2018 NCAA Division III football season

The 2018 NCAA Division III football season is the component of the 2018 college football season organized by the NCAA at the Division III level in the United States. The regular season began on August 30 and culminated on November 17.
The season's playoffs ended with the NCAA Division III Football Championship, also known as the Stagg Bowl, at Woodforest Bank Stadium in Shenandoah, Texas. Hosted by the University of Mary Hardin–Baylor, this was the first Stagg Bowl since 1992 to be played away from the Salem Football Stadium in Salem, Virginia.

## News

* July 5 – Frostburg State University announced that it had accepted an offer to become an all-sports member of the Division II Mountain East Conference. Pending NCAA approval, the Bobcats will join the MEC for the 2019 season. Frostburg State is currently a football-only affiliate of the New Jersey Athletic Conference.
* August 9 – The Iowa Intercollegiate Athletic Conference, which had added its first member outside the state of Iowa (Nebraska Wesleyan) in 2016, announced a name change to American Rivers Conference.
* September 22 – After previously announcing that they would be joining the Division II Great Lakes Valley Conference for the 2019 season, Benedictine University reversed course and will instead remain at the Division III level. The Eagles are currently all-sports members of the Northern Athletics Collegiate Conference.

## Conference changes and new programs

| School | 2017 conference | 2018 conference |
| Alvernia | New program | MAC |
| Eureka | UMAC | NACC |
| Ferrum | USA South | ODAC |
| Finlandia | D–III Independent | MIAA |
| Mount Ida | ECFC | University closed |
| New England | New program | CCC Football |
| Washington–St. Louis | UAA | CCIW |

## Conference standings

2018 American Rivers Conference football standings :
| 2018 American Rivers Conference football standings vteConfOverall Team W L W L  Wartburg $^  7 –1  8 –3   Central (IA)  6 –2  8 –2   Dubuque  6 –2  7 –3   Simpson (IA)  6 –2  7 –3   Coe  5 –3  6 –4   Loras  3 –5  4 –6   Nebraska Wesleyan  2 –6  3 –7   Luther  1 –7  1 –9   Buena Vista  1 –9  0 –8   $ – Conference champion^ – NCAA Division III playoff participant | 2018 American Southwest Conference football standings vteConfOverall Team W L W L  No. 1 Mary Hardin–Baylor $^  9 –0  15 –0   No. 7 Hardin–Simmons ^  8 –1  9 –2   Texas Lutheran  6 –3  7 –3   East Texas Baptist  6 –3  6 –4   Southwestern (TX)  5 –4  6 –4   Louisiana College  5 –4  5 –5   Belhaven #  2 –7  2 –8   McMurry  2 –7  2 –8   Howard Payne  1 –8  1 –9   Sul Ross  1 –8  1 –9   $ – Conference champion^ – NCAA Division III playoff participant # – Provisional NCAA Division III member Rankings from D3football.com | 2018 Centennial Conference football standings vteConfOverall Team W L W L  No. 5 Johns Hopkins +^  8 –1  12 –2   No. 9 Muhlenberg +^  8 –1  11 –2   Franklin & Marshall  6 –3  7 –3   Susquehanna  6 –3  7 –3   Ursinus  6 –3  7 –3   Moravian  4 –5  5 –5   Dickinson  4 –5  4 –6   McDaniel  2 –7  3 –7   Gettysburg  1 –8  1 –9   Juniata  0 –9  0 –10   + – Conference co-champions^ – NCAA Division III playoff participantRankings from D3football.com |
| 2018 College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin football standings vteConfOverall Team W L W L  No. 8 North Central (IL) +^  8 –1  10 –2   No. 19 Illinois Wesleyan +  8 –1  8 –2   Washington University  7 –2  8 –2   No. 23 Wheaton (IL)  7 –2  8 –2   Millikin  5 –4  6 –4   Carthage  4 –5  4 –6   Augustana (IL)  3 –6  4 –6   Carroll (WI)  2 –7  3 –7   North Park  1 –8  2 –8   Elmhurst  0 –9  1 –9   + – Conference co-champions^ – NCAA Division III playoff participantRankings from D3football.com | 2018 Commonwealth Coast Conference football standings vteConfOverall Team W L W L  Western New England +^  5 –1  8 –3   Endicott +  5 –1  7 –4   Salve Regina +  5 –1  7 –4   Nichols  3 –3  5 –5   Curry  1 –5  3 –7   New England  1 –5  2 –7   Becker  1 –5  1 –9   + – Conference co-champions^ – NCAA Division III playoff participant | 2018 Eastern Collegiate Football Conference standings vteConfOverall Team W L W L  Husson $^  6 –0  8 –3   SUNY Maritime  5 –1  7 –4   Dean #  4 –2  5 –5   Gallaudet  3 –3  3 –5   Castleton  1 –5  2 –8   Alfred State  1 –5  1 –9   Anna Maria  1 –5  1 –9   $ – Conference champion^ – NCAA Division III playoff participant # – Provisional Division III member |
| 2018 Empire 8 Athletic Conference football standings vteConfOverall Team W L W L  No. 13 Brockport $^  7 –0  11 –1   Cortland  5 –2  7 –3   Alfred  4 –3  7 –4   Utica  4 –3  7 –4   Morrisville State  4 –3  6 –5   St. John Fisher  3 –4  3 –6   Buffalo State  1 –6  1 –9   Hartwick  0 –7  2 –8   $ – Conference champion^ – NCAA Division III playoff participantRankings from D3football.com | 2018 Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference football standings vteConfOverall Team W L W L  Franklin (IN) +  7 –1  8 –2   Mount St. Joseph +  7 –1  8 –2   Hanover +^  7 –1  7 –4   Rose–Hulman  5 –3  5 –5   Manchester  4 –4  4 –6   Bluffton  3 –5  3 –7   Anderson (IN)  2 –6  2 –8   Defiance  1 –7  1 –9   Earlham  0 –8  0 –10   + – Conference co-champions^ – NCAA Division III playoff participant | 2018 Liberty League football standings vteConfOverall Team W L W L  No. 11 RPI +^  4 –1  10 –2   Ithaca +  4 –1  8 –3   Union (NY)  3 –2  7 –2   Hobart  3 –2  5 –4   St. Lawrence  1 –4  2 –8   Rochester (NY)  0 –5  1 –9   + – Conference co-champions^ – NCAA Division III playoff participantRankings from D3football.com |
| 2018 Massachusetts State Collegiate Athletic Conference football standings vteConfOverall Team W L W L  Framingham State $^  7 –1  8 –3   Western Connecticut  6 –2  8 –2   Bridgewater State  6 –2  8 –3   Plymouth State  5 –3  6 –4   UMass Dartmouth  4 –4  5 –5   Westfield State  4 –4  5 –5   Fitchburg State  2 –6  2 –8   Massachusetts Maritime  1 –7  2 –8   Worcester State  1 –7  2 –8   $ – Conference champion^ – NCAA Division III playoff participant | 2018 Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association football standings vteConfOverall Team W L W L  No. 24 Trine $^  7 –0  10 –1   Hope  6 –1  8 –2   Albion  4 –3  7 –3   Kalamazoo  4 –3  7 –3   Olivet  4 –3  6 –4   Adrian  2 –5  4 –6   Alma  1 –6  2 –8   Finlandia  0 –7  0 –10   $ – Conference champion^ – NCAA Division III playoff participantRankings from D3football.com | 2018 Middle Atlantic Conference football standings vteConfOverall Team W L W L  No. 16 Delaware Valley $^  8 –0  9 –2   Misericordia  7 –1  8 –3   Stevenson  7 –1  8 –3   FDU Florham  4 –4  6 –4   King's  4 –4  5 –5   Wilkes  4 –4  5 –5   Lycoming  4 –4  5 –6   Widener  4 –4  4 –6   Lebanon Valley  2 –6  2 –8   Alvernia  0 –8  1 –9   Albright  0 –8  0 –10   $ – Conference champion^ – NCAA Division III playoff participantRankings from D3football.com |
| 2018 Midwest Conference football standings vteConfOverall Team W L W L  North No. 21 St. Norbert xy$^  5 –0  10 –2   Chicago  4 –1  7 –3   Ripon  3 –2  7 –3   Macalester  2 –3  5 –5   Lawrence  1 –4  2 –8   Beloit  0 –5  1 –9   South Monmouth (IL) xy  5 –0  8 –2   Lake Forest  4 –1  6 –4   Cornell (IA)  2 –3  5 –5   Illinois College  2 –3  4 –6   Knox  2 –3  2 –8   Grinnell  0 –5  2 –8   Championship: St. Norbert 10, Monmouth 7 $ – Conference championx – Division champion/co-championsy – Championship game participant^ – NCAA Division III playoff participantRankings from D3football.com | 2018 Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference football standings vteConfOverall Team W L W L  No. 3 Saint John's (MN) $^  8 –0  12 –1   No. 7 Bethel (MN) ^  7 –1  11 –2   No. 15 St. Thomas (MN)  6 –2  8 –2   Gustavus Adolphus  5 –3  6 –4   Concordia–Moorhead  4 –4  5 –5   St. Olaf  3 –5  5 –5   Carleton  2 –6  3 –7   Hamline  1 –7  1 –9   Augsburg  0 –8  2 –8   $ – Conference champion^ – NCAA Division III playoff participantRankings from D3football.com | 2018 New England Small College Athletic Conference football standings vteConfOverall Team W L W L  Amherst +  8 –1  8 –1   Trinity (CT) +  8 –1  8 –1   Tufts  7 –2  7 –2   Middlebury  5 –4  5 –4   Wesleyan  5 –4  5 –4   Williams  5 –4  5 –4   Colby  2 –7  2 –7   Hamilton  2 –7  2 –7   Bowdoin  1 –8  1 –8   Bates  0 –9  0 –9   + – Conference co-champions |
| 2018 New England Women's and Men's Athletic Conference football standings vteConfOverall Team W L W L  MIT $^  6 –1  9 –2   Merchant Marine  5 –2  8 –2   Springfield  5 –2  8 –3   Coast Guard  5 –2  7 –3   WPI  4 –3  6 –4   Norwich  2 –5  3 –7   Catholic University  1 –6  1 –9   Maine Maritime  0 –7  0 –9   $ – Conference champion^ – NCAA Division III playoff participant | 2018 New Jersey Athletic Conference football standings vteConfOverall Team W L W L  No. 12 Frostburg State $^  8 –0  10 –1   Montclair State  7 –2  8 –2   Salisbury  7 –2  8 –3   Christopher Newport  6 –2  7 –2   Wesley  5 –4  7 –4   Rowan  5 –4  6 –4   TCNJ  3 –6  3 –7   Southern Virginia  2 –7  3 –7   Kean  1 –8  1 –9   William Paterson  0 –9  0 –10   $ – Conference champion^ – NCAA Division III playoff participantRankings from D3football.com | 2018 North Coast Athletic Conference football standings vteConfOverall Team W L W L  No. 25 Wabash +  8 –1  9 –1   Wittenberg +  8 –1  9 –1   Denison +^  8 –1  8 –3   Allegheny  6 –3  6 –4   Wooster  4 –5  5 –5   DePauw  4 –5  4 –6   Ohio Wesleyan  4 –5  4 –6   Oberlin  2 –7  2 –8   Hiram  1 –8  2 –8   Kenyon  0 –9  0 –10   + – Conference co-champions^ – NCAA Division III playoff participantRankings from D3football.com |
| 2018 Northern Athletics Collegiate Conference football standings vteConfOverall Team W L W L  Eureka $^  6 –1  9 –2   Concordia (WI)  5 –2  7 –3   Aurora  5 –2  5 –5   Lakeland  4 –3  4 –6   Benedictine (IL)  3 –4  3 –7   Rockford  2 –5  3 –7   Wisconsin Lutheran  2 –5  2 –8   Concordia (IL)  1 –6  2 –8   $ – Conference champion^ – NCAA Division III playoff participant | 2018 Northwest Conference football standings vteConfOverall Team W L W L  No. 10 Whitworth $^  7 –0  10 –1   No. 22 Linfield  6 –1  7 –2   George Fox  4 –3  6 –4   Pacific (OR)  4 –3  5 –5   Puget Sound  3 –4  5 –5   Pacific Lutheran  3 –4  4 –5   Lewis & Clark  1 –6  2 –7   Willamette  0 –7  1 –8   $ – Conference champion^ – NCAA Division III playoff participantRankings from D3football.com | 2018 Ohio Athletic Conference football standings vteConfOverall Team W L W L  No. 2 Mount Union $^  9 –0  14 –1   No. 20 John Carroll ^  8 –1  9 –2   Baldwin Wallace  7 –2  8 –2   Marietta  6 –3  7 –3   Heidelberg  4 –5  5 –5   Ohio Northern  4 –5  5 –5   Muskingum  3 –6  4 –6   Capital  3 –6  3 –7   Otterbein  1 –8  2 –8   Wilmington (OH)  0 –9  1 –9   $ – Conference champion^ – NCAA Division III playoff participantRankings from D3football.com |
| 2018 Old Dominion Athletic Conference football standings vteConfOverall Team W L W L  No. 18 Randolph–Macon $^  6 –1  9 –3   Bridgewater  4 –3  6 –4   Hampden–Sydney  4 –3  4 –5   Washington and Lee  3 –4  5 –4   Ferrum  3 –4  5 –5   Shenandoah  3 –4  5 –5   Emory & Henry  3 –4  4 –5   Guilford  2 –5  3 –6   $ – Conference champion^ – NCAA Division III playoff participantRankings from D3football.com | 2018 Presidents' Athletic Conference football standings vteConfOverall Team W L W L  Washington & Jefferson $^  8 –1  9 –2   Case Western Reserve  7 –2  8 –2   Westminster (PA)  7 –2  7 –4   Grove City  6 –3  8 –3   Carnegie Mellon  5 –4  6 –4   Bethany (WV)  5 –4  5 –5   Waynesburg  4 –5  4 –6   Geneva  2 –7  2 –8   Saint Vincent  1 –8  1 –9   Thiel  0 –9  0 –10   $ – Conference champion^ – NCAA Division III playoff participant | 2018 Southern Athletic Association football standings vteConfOverall Team W L W L  No. 17 Berry +^  7 –1  10 –2   No. 14 Centre +^  7 –1  10 –2   Trinity (TX)  6 –2  7 –3   Birmingham–Southern  4 –4  6 –4   Millsaps  3 –5  5 –5   Rhodes  3 –5  5 –5   Sewanee  3 –5  4 –6   Austin  2 –6  2 –8   Hendrix  1 –7  2 –8   + – Conference co-champions^ – NCAA Division III playoff participantRankings from D3football.com |
| 2018 Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference football standings vteConfOverall Team W L W L  Redlands +  6 –1  8 –2   Claremont–Mudd–Scripps +^  6 –1  7 –4   Pomona–Pitzer  5 –2  6 –3   Chapman  4 –3  5 –4   Cal Lutheran  3 –4  4 –6   La Verne  3 –4  3 –6   Whittier  1 –6  1 –8   Occidental  0 –7  0 –8   + – Conference co-champions^ – NCAA Division III playoff participantRankings from D3football.com | 2018 Upper Midwest Athletic Conference football standings vteConfOverall Team W L W L  Martin Luther $^  8 –0  9 –2   MacMurray  7 –1  7 –2   St. Scholastica  6 –2  6 –4   Northwestern (MN)  5 –3  5 –5   Westminster (MO)  3 –5  3 –6   Greenville  3 –5  3 –7   Minnesota–Morris  3 –5  3 –7   Iowa Wesleyan  1 –7  1 –9   Crown  0 –8  0 –10   $ – Conference champion^ – NCAA Division III playoff participant | 2018 USA South Athletic Conference football standings vteConfOverall Team W L W L  Maryville (TN) $^  7 –0  7 –3   Averett  6 –1  8 –2   North Carolina Wesleyan  4 –3  5 –5   Huntingdon  4 –3  4 –5   Brevard #  3 –4  4 –6   LaGrange  2 –5  3 –7   Methodist  2 –5  2 –7   Greensboro  0 –7  1 –9   $ – Conference champion^ – NCAA Division III playoff participant # – Provisional Division III member |
| 2018 Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference football standings vteConfOverall Team W L W L  No. 4 Wisconsin–Whitewater $^  7 –0  12 –1   Wisconsin–La Crosse  5 –2  7 –3   Wisconsin–Oshkosh  4 –3  6 –4   Wisconsin–Stout  3 –4  5 –5   Wisconsin–Stevens Point  3 –4  4 –6   Wisconsin–Eau Claire  2 –5  4 –6   Wisconsin–Platteville  2 –5  4 –6   Wisconsin–River Falls  2 –5  3 –7   $ – Conference champion^ – NCAA Division III playoff participantRankings from D3football.com | 2018 NCAA Division III independents football records vteConfOverall Team W L W L  Thomas More   –  7 –3 |

## Postseason

Twenty-six conferences met the requirements for an automatic ("Pool A") bid to the playoffs. Other than the NESCAC, which does not participate in the playoffs, the NEWMAC was the only conference with no Pool A bid, being in the second year of the two-year waiting period after beginning football sponsorship in 2017. With the loss of Mount Ida, the ECFC fell one below the required seven members – not counting second-year provisional member Dean – and entered the first year of the two-year grace period, while the Liberty League was in the second year of the grace period. The American Southwest, which had fallen below seven members in 2013 and lost its Pool A bid after the grace period, regained it, having attained seven members in 2016 and passed through the waiting period.
Schools not in Pool A conferences were eligible for Pool B. The number of Pool B bids was determined by calculating the ratio of Pool A conferences to schools in those conferences and applying that ratio to the number of Pool B schools. The 26 Pool A conferences contained 228 schools, an average of 8.8 teams per conference. Nine schools were in Pool B, enough for one bid.
The remaining five playoff spots were at-large ("Pool C") teams.

### Playoff bracket

| First round November 17 | First round November 17 | Second round November 24 | Second round November 24 | Quarterfinals December 1 | Quarterfinals December 1 | Semifinals December 8 | Semifinals December 8 | Championship Stagg Bowl December 14 Shenandoah, Texas | Championship Stagg Bowl December 14 Shenandoah, Texas |
| Mary Hardin–Baylor* | 27 | | | | | | | | |
| Hardin–Simmons | 6 | Mary Hardin–Baylor* | 75 | | | | | | |
| Berry* | 31 | Berry | 9 | | | | | | |
| Maryville (TN) | 0 | | | Mary Hardin–Baylor | 21 | | | | |
| Saint John's (MN) | 84 | | | Saint John's (MN) | 18 | | | | |
| Martin Luther | 6 | Saint John's (MN) | 45 | | | | | | |
| Whitworth* | 48 | Whitworth | 24 | | | | | | |
| Claremont–Mudd–Scripps | 6 | | | | | Mary Hardin–Baylor | 31 | | |
| Wisconsin–Whitewater | 67 | | | | | Wisconsin–Whitewater | 14 | | |
| Eureka | 14 | Wisconsin–Whitewater | 54 | | | | | | |
| Trine | 7 | St. Norbert | 21 | | | | | | |
| St. Norbert | 31 | | | Wisconsin–Whitewater | 26 | | | | |
| North Central (IL) | 52 | | | Bethel (MN) | 12 | | | | |
| Hanover | 0 | North Central (IL) | 24 | | | | | | |
| Bethel | 41 | Bethel (MN) | 27 | | | | | | |
| Wartburg | 14 | | | | | | | Mary Hardin–Baylor | 24 |
| Mount Union | 60 | | | | | | | Mount Union | 16 |
| Denison | 0 | Mount Union | 51 | | | | | | |
| Centre | 54 | Centre | 23 | | | | | | |
| Washington & Jefferson | 13 | | | Mount Union | 38 | | | | |
| John Carroll | 20 | | | Muhlenberg | 10 | | | | |
| Randolph–Macon | 23 | Randolph–Macon | 6 | | | | | | |
| Delaware Valley | 13 | Muhlenberg | 35 | | | | | | |
| Muhlenberg | 20 | | | | | Mount Union | 28 | | |
| Brockport | 40 | | | | | Johns Hopkins | 20 | | |
| Framingham State | 27 | Brockport | 13 | | | | | | |
| RPI | 38 | RPI | 21 | | | | | | |
| Husson | 14 | | | RPI | 14 | | | | |
| Frostburg State | 42 | | | Johns Hopkins | 37 | | | | |
| Western New England | 24 | Frostburg State | 27 | | | | | | |
| Johns Hopkins | 49 | Johns Hopkins | 58 | | | | | | |
| MIT | 0 | | | | | | | | |