# 1978 NCAA Division III football season

The 1978 NCAA Division III football season, part of college football in the United States organized by the National Collegiate Athletic Association at the Division III level, began in August 1978, and concluded with the NCAA Division III Football Championship in December 1978 at Garrett–Harrison Stadium in Phenix City, Alabama. The Baldwin–Wallace Yellow Jackets won their first Division III championship, defeating the Wittenberg Tigers by a score of 24−10.

## Conference standings

1978 College Athletic Conference football standings :
| 1978 College Athletic Conference football standings vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T Southwestern (TN) + 3 –1 –06 –3 –0 Sewanee + 3 –1 –04 –4 –0 Rose–Hulman 2 –2 –05 –4 –1 Centre 2 –2 –03 –6 –0 Principia 0 –4 –00 –9 –0 + – Conference co-champions | 1978 College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin football standings vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T No. 11 Elmhurst + 7 –1 –08 –1 –0 Millikin + 7 –1 –08 –1 –0 North Central (IL) 5 –3 –06 –3 –0 Carroll (WI) 5 –3 –06 –3 –0 Wheaton (IL) 5 –3 –06 –3 –0 Augustana (IL) 3 –5 –04 –5 –0 Illinois Wesleyan 3 –5 –04 –5 –0 Carthage 1 –7 –01 –8 –0 North Park 0 –8 –00 –9 –0 + – Conference co-championsRankings from NAIA Division II poll | 1978 Iowa Conference football standings vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T Buena Vista + 5 –2 –07 –2 –0 Dubuque + 5 –2 –07 –2 –0 Luther + 5 –2 –06 –3 –0 Central (IA) + 5 –2 –05 –4 –0 Wartburg 3 –4 –04 –5 –0 Simpson (IA) 2 –5 –04 –5 –0 Upper Iowa 2 –5 –04 –6 –0 William Penn 1 –6 –01 –9 –0 + – Conference co-champions |
| 1978 Independent College Athletic Conference football standings vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T Ithaca $^ 3 –0 –09 –2 –0 St. Lawrence ^ 3 –1 –08 –2 –0 Alfred 1 –2 –05 –4 –0 Hobart 1 –3 –02 –6 –0 RPI 0 –2 –01 –8 –0 $ – Conference champion^ – NCAA Division III playoff participant | 1978 Metropolitan Intercollegiate Conference football standings vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T Pace $ 5 –0 –06 –2 –0 Brooklyn 3 –2 –05 –4 –0 Iona 2 –2 –05 –4 –0 Saint Peter's 2 –2 –05 –4 –0 St. John's 2 –3 –05 –5 –0 Marist 0 –5 –01 –8 –0 $ – Conference champion | 1978 Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association football standings vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T Hope $ 5 –0 –08 –1 –0 Adrian 4 –1 –06 –3 –0 Kalamazoo 3 –2 –06 –2 –0 Albion 2 –3 –03 –5 –0 Olivet 1 –4 –02 –7 –0 Alma 0 –5 –04 –5 –0 $ – Conference champion |
| 1978 Middle Atlantic Conference football standings vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T Northern Division Lycoming x 5 –1 –07 –2 –0 Upsala x 5 –1 –07 –2 –0 Juniata 4 –2 –05 –4 –0 Wilkes 3 –3 –04 –5 –0 Albright 3 –3 –03 –6 –0 Susquehanna 1 –5 –01 –8 –0 Delaware Valley 0 –6 –01 –8 –0 Southern Division Widener x 5 –1 –08 –1 –0 Western Maryland 5 –1 –17 –1 –1 Franklin & Marshall 6 –2 –07 –2 –0 Muhlenberg 5 –2 –16 –2 –1 Gettysburg 3 –3 –05 –5 –0 Dickinson 3 –4 –13 –5 –1 Lebanon Valley 3 –4 –05 –4 –0 Swarthmore 3 –5 –04 –5 –0 Moravian 2 –5 –13 –5 –1 Johns Hopkins 2 –5 –03 –6 –0 Ursinus 1 –6 –02 –7 –0 x – Division champion/co-champions | 1978 Midwest Conference football standings vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T Red Division Ripon xy$ 4 –1 –08 –2 –0 Cornell (IA) x 4 –1 –07 –2 –0 Lawrence 3 –2 –07 –2 –0 Monmouth (IL) 2 –3 –05 –3 –0 Coe 2 –3 –04 –5 –0 Knox 0 –5 –02 –6 –0 Blue Division Lake Forest xy 4 –0 –05 –4 –0 Beloit 3 –1 –04 –4 –0 Carleton 2 –2 –03 –5 –0 Chicago 1 –3 –03 –5 –0 Grinnell 0 –4 –02 –6 –0 Championship: Ripon 25, Lake Forest 7 $ – Conference championx – Division champion/co-championsy – Championship game participant | 1978 Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference football standings vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T No. 1 Concordia–Moorhead * + 7 –1 –011 –1 –0 St. Olaf +^ 7 –1 –09 –2 –0 No. 15 Gustavus Adolphus 6 –2 –08 –2 –0 No. T–20 Saint John's (MN) 5 –3 –06 –3 –0 St. Thomas (MN) 4 –4 –05 –4 –0 Hamline 3 –4 –15 –4 –1 Augsburg 2 –5 –13 –6 –1 Bethel (MN) 1 –7 –02 –8 –0 Macalester 0 –8 –00 –9 –0 + – Conference co-champions^ – NCAA Division III playoff participant * – NAIA Division II playoff participant Rankings from NAIA Division II poll |
| 1978 New England Football Conference standings vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T Nichols + 6 –2 –06 –2 –0 Boston State + 6 –2 –06 –3 –0 Massachusetts Maritime 5 –3 –06 –3 –0 New Haven 5 –3 –06 –3 –0 Curry 4 –3 –15 –3 –1 Framingham State 4 –4 –05 –4 –0 Bridgewater State 3 –5 –03 –6 –0 Plymouth State 2 –6 –03 –6 –0 Maine Maritime 0 –7 –10 –7 –1 + – Conference co-champions | 1978 New Jersey State Athletic Conference football standings vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T Montclair State $ 5 –0 –08 –2 –0 Glassboro State 4 –1 –07 –3 –0 Trenton State 3 –2 –06 –3 –0 William Paterson 2 –3 –03 –7 –0 Jersey City State 1 –4 –02 –7 –0 Kean 0 –5 –03 –7 –0 $ – Conference champion | 1978 Northern Intercollegiate Conference football standings vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T Minnesota Morris $^ 8 –0 –011 –1 –0 Minnesota Duluth 6 –2 –07 –3 –0 St. Cloud State 6 –2 –06 –5 –0 Moorhead State 5 –3 –06 –5 –0 Mankato State 4 –4 –07 –4 –0 Michigan Tech 4 –4 –04 –6 –0 Winona State 2 –6 –02 –9 –0 Southwest State (MN) 1 –7 –02 –8 –0 Bemidji State 0 –8 –00 –9 –0 $ – Conference champion^ – NCAA Division III playoff participant |
| 1978 Ohio Athletic Conference football standings vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T Blue Division Wittenberg xy+^ 5 –0 –010 –1 –1 Capital 3 –2 –06 –3 –0 Wooster 3 –2 –06 –3 –0 Marietta 2 –3 –05 –4 –0 Muskingum 1 –4 –03 –5 –1 Otterbein 1 –4 –02 –6 –1 Red Division Baldwin–Wallace xy+^ 5 –0 –011 –0 –1 Ohio Northern 3 –2 –05 –4 –0 Denison 3 –2 –04 –4 –1 Mount Union 2 –3 –04 –4 –1 Ohio Wesleyan 2 –3 –03 –5 –1 Heidelberg 0 –5 –00 –9 –0 Not competing for championship Kenyon   –  3 –6 –0 Oberlin   –  0 –9 –0 Championship: Baldwin–Wallace 17, Wittenberg 17 + – Conference co-championsx – Division champion/co-championsy – Championship game participant^ – NCAA Division III playoff participant | 1978 Old Dominion Athletic Conference football standings vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T Randolph–Macon $ 4 –0 –05 –4 –0 Hampden–Sydney 2 –2 –05 –5 –0 Emory & Henry 2 –2 –02 –7 –0 Bridgewater 1 –3 –03 –6 –0 Washington and Lee 1 –3 –02 –8 –0 $ – Conference champion | 1978 Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference football standings vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T East Division East Stroudsburg xy$ 5 –0 –010 –1 –0 Cheyney 4 –1 –06 –3 –0 Bloomsburg 3 –2 –06 –4 –0 Millersville 2 –3 –06 –3 –0 Kutztown 1 –4 –02 –7 –0 Mansfield 0 –5 –02 –8 –0 West Division No. 17 Clarion xy 5 –1 –08 –3 –0 Shippensburg x 5 –1 –07 –3 –0 Slippery Rock 4 –2 –06 –3 –0 Edinboro 3 –3 –03 –6 –1 Indiana (PA) 2 –4 –04 –5 –1 California (PA) 1 –4 –12 –7 –1 Lock Haven 0 –5 –11 –8 –1 Championship: East Stroudsburg 49, Clarion 4 $ – Conference championx – Division champion/co-championsy – Championship game participantShippensburg was ineligible for conference title game.Rankings from NAIA Division I poll |
| 1978 Presidents' Athletic Conference football standings vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T Carnegie Mellon $^ 6 –1 –09 –2 –0 Hiram 5 –2 –06 –2 –0 John Carroll 4 –3 –05 –4 –0 Washington & Jefferson 4 –3 –05 –4 –0 Allegheny 3 –3 –14 –3 –1 Thiel 3 –3 –14 –4 –1 Bethany (WV) 2 –5 –02 –6 –0 Case Western Reserve 0 –7 –02 –7 –0 $ – Conference champion^ – NCAA Division III playoff participant | 1978 Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference football standings vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T Redlands $ 5 –0 –09 –1 –0 Claremont-Mudd 4 –1 –06 –3 –0 Whittier 3 –2 –06 –3 –0 Occidental 2 –3 –04 –6 –0 La Verne 1 –4 –01 –7 –0 Pomona-Pitzer 0 –5 –00 –7 –0 $ – Conference champion | 1978 Wisconsin State University Conference football standings vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T No. 7 Wisconsin–La Crosse +^ 7 –1 –09 –2 –0 Wisconsin–Whitewater + 7 –1 –07 –4 –0 No. 12 Wisconsin–Eau Claire 6 –2 –08 –2 –0 Wisconsin–Stout 5 –3 –07 –3 –0 Wisconsin–Oshkosh 3 –5 –04 –6 –0 Wisconsin–River Falls 3 –5 –04 –6 –0 Wisconsin–Stevens Point 2 –6 –04 –6 –0 Wisconsin–Platteville 2 –5 –03 –7 –0 Wisconsin–Superior 1 –7 –02 –9 –0 + – Conference co-champions^ – NAIA Division I playoff participantRankings from NAIA Division I poll |
| 1978 NCAA Division III independents football records vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T Maryville (TN)   –  8 –1 –0 Wabash   –  8 –1 –0 Georgetown   –  7 –1 –0 James Madison   –  8 –2 –0 Dayton ^   –  9 –2 –1 Albany   –  7 –3 –0 Catholic University   –  7 –3 –0 Fordham   –  7 –3 –0 Saint Mary's   –  7 –3 –0 San Diego   –  7 –3 –0 Colorado College   –  6 –3 –0 Bowie State   –  5 –4 –0 Brockport   –  5 –4 –0 Millsaps   –  5 –4 –0 Norwich   –  5 –4 –0 Rochester (NY)   –  5 –4 –0 Cortland   –  5 –5 –0 Grove City   –  4 –4 –1 Salisbury State   –  5 –5 –0 Canisius   –  4 –5 –0 Hofstra   –  4 –5 –0 Saint Francis (PA)   –  4 –5 –0 Union (NY)   –  3 –5 –0 Buffalo   –  3 –6 –0 Frostburg State   –  3 –7 –0 St. Norbert   –  3 –7 –0 Plattsburgh   –  2 –6 –0 DePauw   –  2 –7 –0 Wagner   –  2 –8 –0 Fairleigh Dickinson–Florham   –  1 –8 –0 ^ – NCAA Division III playoff participant |

## Conference champions

* Conference champions
* College Athletic Conference – Southwestern at Memphis and Sewanee
* College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin – Elmhurst and Millikin
* Independent College Athletic Conference – Ithaca
* Iowa Intercollegiate Athletic Conference – Buena Vista, Central (IA), Dubuque, and Luther
* Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association – Hope
* Middle Atlantic Conference – Lycoming (North), Widener (South)
* Midwest Collegiate Athletic Conference – Cornell College and Ripon
* Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference – Concordia–Moorhead and St. Olaf
* New England Football Conference – Boston State and Nichols
* New Jersey State Athletic Conference – Montclair State
* Northwest Conference – Linfield
* Old Dominion Athletic Conference – Randolph-Macon
* Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference – East Stroudsburg
* Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference – Redlands
* Texas Intercollegiate Athletic Association – Tarleton State
* Twin Rivers Conference – Northwestern (WI)
* Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference – Wisconsin–La Crosse and Wisconsin–Whitewater

## Postseason

The 1978 NCAA Division III Football Championship playoffs were the sixth annual single-elimination tournament to determine the national champion of men's NCAA Division III college football. The championship game was held at Garrett-Harrison Stadium in Phenix City, Alabama for the sixth consecutive year. Like the previous three championships, eight teams competed in this edition.

### Playoff bracket

| Quarterfinals Campus sites | Quarterfinals Campus sites | Quarterfinals Campus sites | Semifinals Campus sites | Semifinals Campus sites | Semifinals Campus sites | National Championship Game Garrett–Harrison Stadium Phenix City, AL | National Championship Game Garrett–Harrison Stadium Phenix City, AL | National Championship Game Garrett–Harrison Stadium Phenix City, AL |
| Minnesota–Morris | Minnesota–Morris | 23 | | | | | | |
| St. Olaf | St. Olaf | 10 | | | | | | |
| St. Olaf | St. Olaf | 10 | Minnesota–Morris | Minnesota–Morris | 14 | | | |
| | | | Wittenberg | Wittenberg | 35 | | | |
| Wittenberg | Wittenberg | 6 | Wittenberg | Wittenberg | 35 | | | |
| Ithaca | Ithaca | 3 | | | | | | |
| Ithaca | Ithaca | 3 | | | | Wittenberg | Wittenberg | 10 |
| | | | | | | Baldwin–Wallace | Baldwin–Wallace | 24 |
| Carnegie Mellon | Carnegie Mellon | 24 | | | | | | | Baldwin–Wallace | Baldwin–Wallace | 24 |
| Dayton | Dayton | 21 | | | | | | |
| Dayton | Dayton | 21 | Carnegie Mellon | Carnegie Mellon | 6 | | | |
| | | | Baldwin–Wallace | Baldwin–Wallace | 31 | | | |
| Baldwin–Wallace | Baldwin–Wallace | 71 | Baldwin–Wallace | Baldwin–Wallace | 31 | | | |
| St. Lawrence | St. Lawrence | 7 | | | | | | |