# 1989 NCAA Division III football season

The 1989 NCAA Division III football season, part of the college football season organized by the NCAA at the Division III level in the United States, began in August 1989, and concluded with the NCAA Division III Football Championship, also known as the Stagg Bowl, in December 1989 at Garrett-Harrison Stadium in Phenix City, Alabama. The Dayton Flyers won their second Division III championship by defeating the Union (NY) Dutchmen, 17−7.

## Conference changes and new programs

| School | 1988 Conference | 1989 Conference |
| Evansville | Mid-South (NAIA) | D-III Independent |
| Fordham | Liberty (D-III) | I-AA Independent |
| Millsaps | D-III Independent | College Athletic Conference (CAC) |

## Conference standings

1989 Atlantic Collegiate Football Conference standings :
| 1989 Atlantic Collegiate Football Conference standings vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T Gallaudet + 4 –1 –07 –3 –0 St. John Fisher + 4 –1 –06 –4 –0 Marist 3 –2 –04 –5 –1 Saint Francis (PA) 2 –3 –02 –8 –0 Siena 2 –3 –02 –8 –0 Brooklyn 0 –5 –01 –5 –0 + – Conference co-champions | 1989 Centennial Conference football standings vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T Dickinson $^ 7 –0 –09 –1 –1 Franklin & Marshall 6 –1 –010 –1 –0 Muhlenberg 4 –2 –15 –4 –1 Ursinus 3 –4 –05 –5 –0 Swarthmore 3 –4 –05 –5 –0 Gettysburg 2 –4 –12 –7 –1 Western Maryland 1 –6 –02 –8 –0 Johns Hopkins 1 –6 –01 –9 –0 $ – Conference champion^ – NCAA Division III playoff participant | 1989 College Athletic Conference football standings vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T Centre $ 4 –0 –08 –1 –0 Rhodes 3 –1 –07 –1 –0 Millsaps 2 –2 –05 –4 –0 Sewanee 1 –3 –04 –4 –1 Trinity (TX) 0 –4 –01 –8 –0 $ – Conference champion |
| 1989 College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin football standings vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T Millikin $^ 8 –0 –010 –1 –0 Augustana (IL) ^ 7 –1 –08 –2 –0 Carroll (WI) 6 –2 –06 –3 –0 Wheaton (IL) 5 –3 –06 –3 –0 Illinois Wesleyan 4 –4 –05 –4 –0 North Central (IL) 3 –5 –03 –6 –0 Carthage 1 –7 –01 –8 –0 Elmhurst 1 –7 –01 –8 –0 North Park 1 –7 –01 –8 –0 $ – Conference champion^ – NCAA Division III playoff participant | 1989 Eastern Collegiate Football Conference standings vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T Stonehill $ 5 –1 –06 –3 –0 MIT 3 –2 –04 –3 –1 Western New England 3 –3 –05 –3 –0 Bentley 2 –2 –05 –4 –0 Assumption 0 –5 –00 –7 –1 $ – Conference champion | 1989 Independent College Athletic Conference football standings vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T Alfred $ 3 –0 –09 –2 –0 Ithaca 2 –1 –07 –3 –0 St. Lawrence 2 –2 –05 –5 –0 RPI 1 –1 –03 –6 –0 Hobart 0 –4 –02 –8 –0 $ – Conference champion |
| 1989 Indiana Collegiate Athletic Conference football standings vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T Hanover $^ 7 –0 –09 –1 –1 Taylor 5 –1 –17 –2 –1 DePauw 4 –1 –26 –2 –2 Franklin (IN) 5 –2 –06 –4 –0 Wabash 3 –4 –05 –4 –0 Rose–Hulman 3 –4 –05 –4 –1 Anderson (IN) 1 –6 –02 –8 –0 Manchester 0 –7 –00 –10 –0 $ – Conference champion^ – NAIA Division II playoff participant None of the conference members played a full round-robin; each had one or more games against non-conference opponents designated as "wild card" games that counted in the conference standings. | 1989 Iowa Conference football standings vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T Central (IA) $^ 8 –0 –010 –1 –0 Simpson (IA) ^ 7 –1 –08 –2 –0 Loras 5 –3 –06 –4 –0 Wartburg 5 –3 –05 –5 –0 Luther 4 –4 –04 –4 –6 Buena Vista 3 –5 –05 –5 –0 Dubuque 3 –5 –04 –6 –0 William Penn 1 –7 –01 –9 –0 Upper Iowa 0 –8 –00 –10 –0 $ – Conference champion^ – NCAA Division III playoff participant | 1989 Liberty Football Conference standings vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T St. John's $ 5 –0 –09 –1 –0 Iona 4 –1 –08 –2 –0 Merchant Marine 2 –3 –05 –4 –0 C. W. Post 2 –3 –05 –5 –0 Stony Brook 1 –4 –03 –7 –0 Pace 1 –4 –01 –9 –0 $ – Conference champion |
| 1989 Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association football standings vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T Albion + 4 –1 –07 –2 –0 Adrian + 4 –1 –05 –4 –0 Hope 3 –2 –04 –5 –1 Alma 2 –3 –05 –4 –0 Olivet 1 –4 –04 –5 –0 Kalamazoo 1 –4 –01 –7 –1 + – Conference co-champions | 1989 Middle Atlantic Conference football standings vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T Lycoming +^ 7 –1 –010 –2 –0 Susquehanna + 7 –1 –08 –1 –1 Moravian 6 –2 –08 –2 –0 Widener 6 –2 –08 –2 –0 Lebanon Valley 4 –4 –06 –4 –0 Delaware Valley 3 –5 –03 –7 –0 Albright 2 –6 –02 –8 –0 Juniata 1 –7 –02 –8 –0 Wilkes 0 –8 –01 –9 –0 + – Conference co-champions^ – NCAA Division III playoff participant | 1989 Midwest Conference football standings vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T North Division St. Norbert xy$^ 6 –0 –08 –3 –0 Beloit 3 –3 –06 –3 –0 Lake Forest 2 –4 –03 –6 –0 Ripon 1 –5 –02 –6 –1 Lawrence 1 –5 –01 –8 –0 South Division Monmouth (IL) xy 6 –1 –08 –2 –0 Coe 5 –2 –06 –3 –0 Illinois College 4 –3 –06 –3 –0 Cornell (IA) 3 –3 –04 –5 –0 Knox 3 –4 –03 –6 –0 Grinnell 1 –5 –03 –6 –0 Championship: St. Norbert 17, Monmouth (IL) 6 $ – Conference championx – Division champion/co-championsy – Championship game participant^ – NCAA Division III playoff participant |
| 1989 Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference football standings vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T Saint John's (MN) $^ 8 –0 –110 –1 –1 Concordia–Moorhead 6 –2 –17 –2 –1 Carleton 6 –3 –07 –3 –0 Hamline 5 –4 –06 –4 –0 St. Olaf 5 –4 –06 –4 –0 Gustavus Adolphus 5 –4 –05 –5 –0 St. Thomas (MN) 4 –4 –14 –5 –1 Bethel (MN) 2 –6 –13 –6 –1 Augsburg 2 –7 –02 –8 –0 Macalester 0 –9 –01 –9 –0 $ – Conference champion^ – NCAA Division III playoff participant | 1989 New England Football Conference standings vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T North Division Lowell xy 5 –0 –09 –1 –0 Plymouth State 4 –1 –08 –2 –0 Curry 3 –2 –06 –2 –0 Nichols 2 –3 –04 –5 –0 Maine Maritime 1 –4 –05 –4 –0 UMass–Boston 0 –5 –01 –7 –1 South Division Bridgewater State xy$ 6 –0 –09 –1 –0 Framingham State 3 –3 –04 –5 –0 Worcester State 3 –3 –04 –5 –0 Westfield State 3 –3 –03 –7 –0 Fitchburg State 2 –4 –03 –7 –0 Massachusetts Maritime 2 –4 –02 –7 –0 Southeastern Massachusetts 2 –4 –02 –7 –0 Championship: Bridgewater State 14, Lowell 10 $ – Conference championx – Division champion/co-championsy – Championship game participant | 1989 New Jersey Athletic Conference football standings vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T Montclair State $^ 5 –0 –19 –2 –1 Trenton State 4 –1 –18 –1 –1 Ramapo 4 –2 –07 –2 –0 Glassboro State 4 –2 –05 –3 –2 Kean 2 –4 –03 –7 –0 Jersey City State 1 –5 –04 –6 –0 William Paterson 0 –6 –02 –7 –0 $ – Conference champion^ – NCAA Division III playoff participant |
| 1989 North Coast Athletic Conference football standings vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T Ohio Wesleyan + 5 –1 –08 –1 –1 Kenyon + 5 –1 –05 –4 –1 Allegheny 5 –2 –06 –4 –0 Wittenberg 4 –3 –04 –5 –0 Wooster 3 –3 –04 –6 –0 Denison 3 –4 –05 –5 –0 Case Western Reserve 3 –4 –04 –6 –0 Oberlin 1 –5 –04 –6 –0 Earlham 0 –6 –01 –9 –0 + – Conference co-champions | 1989 Ohio Athletic Conference football standings vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T John Carroll $^ 7 –1 –09 –2 –0 Mount Union 6 –1 –17 –2 –1 Muskingum 6 –2 –07 –3 –0 Baldwin–Wallace 5 –2 –15 –4 –1 Heidelberg 5 –3 –07 –3 –0 Otterbein 3 –5 –04 –6 –0 Ohio Northern 2 –6 –03 –7 –0 Marietta 1 –7 –03 –7 –0 Capital 0 –8 –01 –9 –0 Hiram *   –  3 –5 –1 $ – Conference champion^ – NCAA Division III playoff participant * – did not compete for championship | 1989 Old Dominion Athletic Conference football standings vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T Randolph–Macon $ 3 –1 –05 –5 –0 Emory & Henry 3 –1 –06 –4 –0 Hampden–Sydney 2 –2 –06 –4 –0 Washington and Lee 1 –3 –05 –5 –0 Bridgewater 1 –3 –04 –6 –0 $ – Conference championRandolph–Macon won the conference title by virtue of a head-to-head win over Emory & Henry. |
| 1989 Presidents' Athletic Conference football standings vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T Washington & Jefferson +^ 4 –1 –08 –2 –0 Carnegie Mellon + 4 –1 –07 –3 –0 Thiel 3 –2 –03 –6 –0 Hiram 2 –2 –13 –5 –1 Grove City 1 –3 –12 –6 –1 Bethany (WV) 0 –5 –00 –9 –0 $ – Conference champion^ – NCAA Division III playoff participant | 1989 Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference football standings vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T Occidental $ 4 –0 –17 –2 –0 La Verne 3 –1 –14 –5 –0 Redlands 3 –1 –14 –5 –0 Whittier 2 –2 –13 –6 –0 Claremont-Mudd 1 –4 –03 –6 –0 Pomona-Pitzer 0 –5 –01 –7 –0 $ – Conference championEach team played one other conference member twice. A head-to-head sweep of the two games counted as one win for the winner and one loss for the loser in the conference standings. A split of the two games counted as a tie for each team. | 1989 Wisconsin State University Conference football standings vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T No. 4 Wisconsin–La Crosse $^ 7 –1 –012 –2 –0 No. 9 Wisconsin–Stevens Point ^ 6 –1 –18 –2 –1 No. 22 Wisconsin–River Falls 6 –2 –07 –3 –0 Wisconsin–Platteville 5 –2 –16 –2 –1 No. 24 Wisconsin–Eau Claire 5 –3 –07 –3 –0 Wisconsin–Whitewater 2 –5 –14 –5 –1 Wisconsin–Stout 2 –6 –03 –7 –0 Wisconsin–Oshkosh 1 –6 –13 –6 –1 Wisconsin–Superior 0 –8 –01 –9 –0 $ – Conference champion^ – NAIA Division II playoff participantRankings from NAIA Division II poll |
| 1989 NCAA Division III independents football records vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T Dayton ^   –  13 –0 –1 Union (NY) ^   –  13 –1 –0 Frostburg State   –  9 –1 –0 Aurora   –  8 –1 –0 Ferrum ^   –  11 –2 –0 Cortland ^   –  9 –2 –0 Catholic University   –  8 –2 –0 UC Santa Barbara   –  8 –2 –0 San Diego   –  7 –2 –0 Quincy   –  7 –2 –1 Hofstra ^   –  8 –3 –0 Drake   –  7 –3 –0 Wagner   –  6 –3 –0 Duquesne   –  6 –4 –0 Albany   –  5 –4 –0 Canisius   –  5 –4 –0 Mercyhurst   –  5 –4 –0 Fairleigh Dickinson–Florham   –  4 –4 –1 Wesley   –  4 –5 –0 Buffalo   –  4 –6 –0 Maryville (TN)   –  4 –6 –0 Menlo   –  3 –6 –0 Brockport   –  3 –7 –0 Salisbury State   –  2 –6 –1 Norwich   –  2 –7 –1 Davidson   –  2 –8 –0 Georgetown   –  2 –8 –0 Western Connecticut State   –  2 –8 –0 Buffalo State   –  1 –8 –0 Colorado College   –  1 –8 –0 Saint Peter's   –  0 –7 –0 Methodist   –  0 –10 –0 ^ – NCAA Division III playoff participant |

## Conference champions

* Conference champions
* Centennial Conference – Dickinson
* College Athletic Conference – Centre
* College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin – Millikin
* Indiana Collegiate Athletic Conference – Hanover
* Iowa Intercollegiate Athletic Conference – Central (IA)
* Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association – Adrian and Albion
* Middle Atlantic Conference – Lycoming and Susquehanna
* Midwest Collegiate Athletic Conference – St. Norbert
* Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference – Saint John's (MN)
* New England Football Conference – Bridgewater State
* New Jersey State Athletic Conference – Montclair State
* North Coast Athletic Conference – Kenyon and Ohio Wesleyan
* Ohio Athletic Conference – John Carroll
* Old Dominion Athletic Conference – Randolph-Macon
* Presidents' Athletic Conference – Carnegie Mellon and Washington & Jefferson
* Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference – Occidental
* Texas Intercollegiate Athletic Association – Howard Payne and Tarleton State
* Upper Midwest Athletic Conference – Mount Senario
* Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference – Wisconsin–La Crosse

## Postseason

The 1989 NCAA Division III Football Championship playoffs were the 17th annual single-elimination tournament to determine the national champion of men's NCAA Division III college football. The championship Stagg Bowl game was held at Garrett-Harrison Stadium in Phenix City, Alabama for the 15th, and final, time and for the fifth consecutive year. Like the previous four tournaments, this year's bracket featured sixteen teams.

### Playoff bracket

| First Round Campus Sites | First Round Campus Sites | First Round Campus Sites | 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, Alabama | National Championship Game Garrett-Harrison Stadium Phenix City, Alabama | National Championship Game Garrett-Harrison Stadium Phenix City, Alabama |
| Union (NY) | Union (NY) | 42 | | | | | | | | | | |
| Cortland | Cortland | 14 | | | | | | | | | | |
| Cortland | Cortland | 14 | Union (NY) | Union (NY) | 45 | | | | | | | |
| | | | Montclair State | Montclair State | 6 | | | | | | | |
| Montclair State | Montclair State | 23 | Montclair State | Montclair State | 6 | | | | | | | |
| Hofstra | Hofstra | 6 | | | | | | | | | | |
| Hofstra | Hofstra | 6 | | | | Union (NY) | Union (NY) | 37 | | | | |
| | | | | | | Ferrum | Ferrum | 21 | | | | |
| Lycoming | Lycoming | 21 | | | | | | | Ferrum | Ferrum | 21 | | | | |
| Dickinson | Dickinson | 0 | | | | | | | | | | |
| Dickinson | Dickinson | 0 | Lycoming | Lycoming | 24 | | | | | | | |
| | | | Ferrum | Ferrum | 49 | | | | | | | |
| Ferrum | Ferrum | 41 | Ferrum | Ferrum | 49 | | | | | | | |
| Washington & Jefferson | Washington & Jefferson | 7 | | | | | | | | | | |
| Washington & Jefferson | Washington & Jefferson | 7 | | | | | | | | Union (NY) | Union (NY) | 7 |
| | | | | | | | | | | Dayton | Dayton | 17 |
| Dayton | Dayton | 35 | | | | | | | | | | | Dayton | Dayton | 17 |
| John Carroll | John Carroll | 10 | | | | | | | | | | |
| John Carroll | John Carroll | 10 | Dayton | Dayton | 28 | | | | | | | |
| | | | Millikin | Millikin | 16 | | | | | | | |
| Millikin | Millikin | 21 | Millikin | Millikin | 16 | | | | | | | |
| Augustana (IL) | Augustana (IL) | 12 | | | | | | | | | | |
| Augustana (IL) | Augustana (IL) | 12 | | | | Dayton | Dayton | 28 | | | | |
| | | | | | | Saint John's (MN) | Saint John's (MN) | 0 | | | | |
| Central (IA) | Central (IA) | 55 | | | | | | | Saint John's (MN) | Saint John's (MN) | 0 | | | | |
| St. Norbert | St. Norbert | 7 | | | | | | | | | | |
| St. Norbert | St. Norbert | 7 | Central (IA) | Central (IA) | 24 | | | | | | | |
| | | | Saint John's (MN) | Saint John's (MN) | 27 | | | | | | | |
| Saint John's (MN) | Saint John's (MN) | 42 | Saint John's (MN) | Saint John's (MN) | 27 | | | | | | | |
| Simpson | Simpson | 35 | | | | | | | | | | |