# 1991 NCAA Division II football season

The 1991 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 1991, and concluded with the NCAA Division II Football Championship on December 14, 1991, at Braly Municipal Stadium in Florence, Alabama, hosted by the University of North Alabama. The Pittsburg State Gorillas defeated the Jacksonville State Gamecocks, 23–6, to win their first Division II national title.
The Harlon Hill Trophy was awarded to Ronnie West, wide receiver from Pittsburg State.

## Conference and program changes
### Conference changes

* One program departed Division II for Division I-AA prior to the season.
| School | 1990 Conference | 1991 Conference |
| Southeast Missouri State | MIAA (D-II) | Ohio Valley (I-AA) |
| Tennessee–Martin | Gulf South | Independent |
| Troy State | Gulf South | Independent |
| West Texas State | Lone Star | Dropped program |
| Lees–McRae | Junior college | Independent |

### Program changes

* After Central State University (Oklahoma) changed its name to the University of Central Oklahoma in 1991, the Central State Bronchos became the Central Oklahoma Bronchos.

## Conference standings

1991 Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association football standings :
| 1991 Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association football standings vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T No. 12 Winston-Salem State $^ 6 –0 –09 –2 –0 Elizabeth City State 6 –1 –07 –2 –0 Norfolk State 6 –1 –07 –3 –0 No. 10 Virginia Union ^ 5 –1 –08 –3 –0 Livingstone 3 –3 –05 –5 –0 North Carolina Central 3 –4 –04 –6 –0 Johnson C. Smith 2 –4 –02 –7 –1 Bowie State 2 –5 –04 –5 –0 Hampton 2 –6 –02 –9 –0 Virginia State 1 –5 –03 –7 –0 Fayetteville State 0 –6 –01 –9 –0 $ – Conference champion^ – NCAA Division II playoff participantRankings from NCAA Division II Football Committee poll | 1991 Gulf South Conference football standings vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T No. 2 Jacksonville State $^ 6 –0 –012 –1 –0 No. 11 Mississippi College ^ 4 –1 –17 –4 –1 Valdosta State 4 –1 –16 –3 –1 Livingston 2 –4 –06 –5 –0 West Georgia 2 –4 –06 –5 –0 Delta State 1 –5 –03 –7 –0 North Alabama 1 –5 –03 –7 –0 $ – Conference champion^ – NCAA Division II playoff participantRankings from NCAA Division II Football Committee poll | 1991 Lone Star Conference football standings vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T Eastern New Mexico $ 5 –1 –07 –3 –1 No. 19 East Texas State ^ 4 –1 –18 –4 –1 Angelo State 4 –1 –16 –3 –1 Texas A&I 4 –2 –07 –3 –0 Cameron 1 –5 –03 –7 –0 Central Oklahoma 1 –5 –03 –7 –0 Abilene Christian 1 –5 –01 –10 –0 $ – Conference champion^ – NCAA Division II playoff participantRankings from NCAA Division II Football Committee poll |
| 1991 Midwest Intercollegiate Football Conference standings vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T Butler $^ 9 –1 –09 –2 –0 Ashland 8 –2 –09 –2 –0 Grand Valley State ^ 8 –2 –09 –3 –0 Saginaw Valley State 5 –5 –06 –5 –0 Ferris State 5 –5 –05 –6 –0 Hillsdale 5 –5 –05 –6 –0 Wayne State (MI) 4 –6 –04 –6 –0 Saint Joseph's (IN) 4 –6 –04 –6 –0 Northern Michigan 3 –6 –13 –6 –1 Indianapolis 2 –8 –02 –8 –0 Valparaiso 1 –8 –11 –8 –1 $ – Conference champion^ – NCAA Division II playoff participant | 1991 Missouri Intercollegiate Athletic Association football standings vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T No. 3 Pittsburg State $^ 8 –0 –113 –1 –1 Missouri Southern 7 –2 –08 –3 –0 Southwest Baptist 5 –4 –07 –4 –0 Central Missouri State 5 –4 –05 –6 –0 NE Missouri State 5 –4 –05 –6 –0 Emporia State 4 –5 –05 –5 –0 NW Missouri State 4 –5 –05 –6 –0 Missouri–Rolla 3 –5 –14 –6 –1 Missouri Western 2 –7 –04 –7 –0 Washburn 1 –8 –01 –10 –0 $ – Conference champion^ – NCAA Division II playoff participantRankings from NCAA Division II Football Committee poll | 1991 North Central Conference football standings vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T No. 7 North Dakota State $^ 7 –1 –07 –3 –0 No. 4 Northern Colorado ^ 6 –2 –08 –3 –0 No. 17 North Dakota 6 –2 –07 –2 –0 South Dakota State 5 –3 –07 –3 –0 No. 13 Mankato State ^ 5 –3 –08 –4 –0 St. Cloud State 5 –3 –06 –3 –0 Nebraska–Omaha 4 –4 –06 –4 –0 Morningside 1 –7 –02 –8 –0 South Dakota 1 –7 –01 –8 –0 Augustana (SD) 0 –8 –00 –10 –0 $ – Conference champion^ – NCAA Division II playoff participantRankings from NCAA Division II Football Committee poll |
| 1991 Northern California Athletic Conference football standings vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T Sonoma State $ 5 –0 –09 –2 –0 UC Davis 3 –2 –07 –3 –0 Humboldt State 2 –3 –06 –5 –0 Chico State 2 –3 –04 –6 –0 San Francisco State 2 –3 –03 –7 –0 Cal State Hayward 1 –4 –03 –7 –0 $ – Conference champion | 1991 Northern Intercollegiate Conference football standings vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T No. 4 Moorhead State $^ 5 –0 –010 –2 –0 No. 9 Southwest State (MN) 5 –1 –09 –1 –0 Minnesota Duluth 4 –1 –06 –4 –0 Northern State 3 –3 –06 –5 –0 Bemidji State 1 –4 –02 –7 –0 Minnesota Morris 1 –5 –02 –9 –0 Winona State 0 –5 –01 –9 –0 $ – Conference champion^ – NAIA Division I playoff participantRankings from NAIA Division I poll | 1991 Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference football standings vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T East Division No. 18 East Stroudsburg x^ 5 –0 –18 –3 –1 Kutztown 4 –2 –06 –4 –0 Bloomsburg 4 –2 –06 –5 –0 West Chester 3 –3 –06 –5 –0 Millersville 2 –3 –14 –5 –1 Mansfield 2 –4 –05 –5 –1 Cheyney 0 –6 –00 –11 –0 West Division No. 1 IUP x^ 6 –0 –012 –1 –0 No. 14 Shippensburg ^ 4 –2 –010 –3 –0 Slippery Rock 4 –2 –06 –4 –0 Edinboro 3 –3 –07 –4 –0 Clarion 2 –4 –05 –5 –0 Lock Haven 2 –4 –04 –7 –0 California (PA) 0 –6 –01 –9 –0 x – Division champion/co-champions^ – NCAA Division II playoff participantRankings from NCAA Division II Football Committee poll |
| 1991 Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference football standings vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T Fort Valley State + 5 –2 –07 –3 –0 Clark Atlanta + 5 –2 –06 –3 –1 Morehouse + 5 –2 –06 –4 –0 Tuskegee + 5 –2 –06 –4 –0 Alabama A&M + 5 –2 –05 –6 –0 Savannah State 4 –3 –07 –4 –0 Morris Brown 2 –5 –04 –6 –0 Albany State 2 –6 –03 –7 –0 Miles 0 –8 –01 –10 –0 + – Conference co-champions | 1991 West Virginia Intercollegiate Athletic Conference football standings vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T No. 6 Shepherd $^ 7 –0 –08 –3 –0 No. 10 Concord 6 –1 –08 –2 –0 No. 19 West Virginia State 4 –3 –06 –4 –0 West Liberty State 3 –3 –14 –5 –1 Glenville State 3 –4 –04 –5 –1 West Virginia Wesleyan 3 –4 –04 –5 –0 Fairmont State 1 –5 –11 –8 –1 West Virginia Tech 0 –7 –00 –10 –0 $ – Conference champion^ – NAIA Division I playoff participant West Virginia Tech forfeited four victories, including two conference wins, over Fairmont State and West Virginia Wesleyan.Rankings from NAIA Division I poll | 1991 Western Football Conference standings vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T No. 8 Portland State $^ 5 –0 –011 –3 –0 Southern Utah 4 –1 –07 –3 –1 Sacramento State 3 –2 –08 –2 –0 Cal Poly 2 –3 –04 –6 –0 Cal State Northridge 1 –4 –03 –7 –0 Santa Clara 0 –5 –05 –6 –0 $ – Conference champion^ – NCAA Division II playoff participantRankings from NCAA Division II Football Committee poll |
| 1991 NCAA Division II independents football records vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T No. 20 Wofford ^   –  9 –3 –0 Springfield   –  7 –3 –0 Southern Connecticut State   –  6 –3 –0 UC Santa Barbara   –  5 –3 –0 Michigan Tech   –  6 –4 –0 Saint Mary's   –  6 –5 –0 Tennessee–Martin   –  5 –6 –0 Troy State   –  5 –6 –0 American International   –  4 –5 –1 New Haven   –  3 –7 –0 Wayne State (NE)   –  3 –7 –0 Kentucky State   –  2 –9 –0 Central Connecticut   –  1 –8 –1 Lees–McRae   –  1 –9 –0 ^ – NCAA Division II playoff participantRankings from NCAA Division II Football Committee poll |

## Conference summaries

* Conference Champions
* Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association – Winston-Salem State
* Gulf South Conference – Jacksonville State
* Lone Star Conference – Eastern New Mexico
* Midwest Intercollegiate Football Conference – Butler
* Missouri Intercollegiate Athletic Association – Pittsburg State
* North Central Conference – North Dakota State
* Northern California Athletic Conference – Sonoma State
* Northern Intercollegiate Conference – Minnesota State–Moorhead
* Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference – East Stroudsburg (East), Indiana (PA) (West)
* Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference – Western State (CO)
* South Atlantic Conference – Carson-Newman
* Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference – Alabama A&M, Clark Atlanta, Fort Valley State, Morehouse, and Tuskegee
* Western Football Conference – Portland State

## Postseason

The 1991 NCAA Division II Football Championship playoffs were the 19th single-elimination tournament to determine the national champion of men's NCAA Division II college football. The championship game was held at Braly Municipal Stadium in Florence, Alabama, for the sixth time.

### Playoff bracket

| First round Campus sites | First round Campus sites | Quarterfinals Campus sites | Quarterfinals Campus sites | Semifinals Campus sites | Semifinals Campus sites | | Championship Braly Municipal Stadium Florence, AL | Championship Braly Municipal Stadium Florence, AL |
| Pittsburg State | 26 | | | | | | | |
| Butler | 16 | | | | | | | |
| Butler | 16 | Pittsburg State | 38 | | | | | |
| | | East Texas State | 28 | | | | | |
| East Texas State | 36 | East Texas State | 28 | | | | | |
| Grand Valley State | 15 | | | | | | | |
| Grand Valley State | 15 | | | Pittsburg State | 53 | | | |
| | | | | Portland State | 21 | | | |
| Portland State | 28 | | | | | Portland State | 21 | | | |
| Northern Colorado | 24 | | | | | | | |
| Northern Colorado | 24 | Portland State | 37 | | | | | |
| | | Mankato State | 27 | | | | | |
| Mankato State | 27 | Mankato State | 27 | | | | | |
| North Dakota State | 7 | | | | | | | |
| North Dakota State | 7 | | | | | | Pittsburg State | 23 |
| | | | | | | | Jacksonville State | 6 |
| Jacksonville State | 49 | | | | | | | | Jacksonville State | 6 |
| Winston–Salem State | 24 | | | | | | | |
| Winston–Salem State | 24 | Jacksonville State | 35 | | | | | |
| | | Mississippi College | 7 | | | | | |
| Mississippi College | 28 | Mississippi College | 7 | | | | | |
| Wofford | 15 | | | | | | | |
| Wofford | 15 | | | Jacksonville State | 27 | | | |
| | | | | IUP | 20 | | | |
| IUP | 56 | | | | | IUP | 20 | | | |
| Virginia Union | 7 | | | | | | | |
| Virginia Union | 7 | IUP | 52 | | | | | |
| | | Shippensburg | 7 | | | | | |
| Shippensburg | 34* | Shippensburg | 7 | | | | | |
| East Stroudsburg | 33 | | | | | | | |