# 1984 NCAA Division III football season

The 1984 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 1984, and concluded with the NCAA Division III Football Championship, also known as the Stagg Bowl, in December 1984 at Galbreath Field in Kings Island, Mason, Ohio. The Augustana (IL) Vikings won the second of their four consecutive Division III championships by defeating the Central (Iowa) Dutch by a final score of 21−12.

## Conference and program changes
### Conference changes

* The North Coast Athletic Conference began football play in 1984.

### Program changes

* Fisk University closed its football program.
* After Southwestern University at Memphis changed its name to Rhodes College in 1984, the Southwestern Lynx became the Rhodes Lynx at the start of the 1984 season.
* The Villanova University football program was officially reinstated with St. Lawrence University head coach Andy Talley hired to the same position, as a Division III program. The program simply practiced and redshirted the entire team in preparation for a 1985 launch as a limited-season team.

## Conference standings

1984 Centennial Conference football standings :
| 1984 Centennial Conference football standings vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T Swarthmore + 6 –1 –08 –1 –0 Gettysburg + 6 –1 –08 –2 –0 Muhlenberg 5 –2 –06 –3 –0 Franklin & Marshall 4 –3 –05 –4 –0 Johns Hopkins 3 –4 –05 –4 –0 Ursinus 2 –5 –04 –5 –0 Western Maryland 2 –5 –03 –6 –0 Dickinson 0 –7 –01 –9 –0 + – Conference co-champions | 1984 College Athletic Conference football standings vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T Centre $ 4 –0 –07 –2 –0 Rose–Hulman 3 –1 –04 –5 –0 Earlham 2 –2 –04 –5 –0 Rhodes 1 –3 –04 –4 –0 Sewanee 0 –4 –00 –9 –0 $ – Conference champion | 1984 College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin football standings vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T Augustana (IL) $^ 8 –0 –012 –0 –0 Millikin 7 –1 –07 –2 –0 Elmhurst 5 –3 –06 –3 –0 Wheaton (IL) 5 –3 –06 –3 –0 Illinois Wesleyan 5 –3 –05 –4 –0 Carroll (WI) 2 –6 –03 –6 –0 Carthage 2 –6 –02 –7 –0 North Central (IL) 2 –6 –02 –7 –0 North Park 0 –8 –00 –9 –0 $ – Conference champion^ – NCAA Division III playoff participant |
| 1984 Independent College Athletic Conference football standings vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T Ithaca $ 3 –0 –010 –1 –0 Alfred 2 –1 –06 –4 –0 Hobart 2 –2 –05 –4 –0 RPI 1 –1 –05 –4 –0 St. Lawrence 0 –4 –01 –8 –0 $ – Conference champion | 1984 Iowa Conference football standings vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T Central (IA) $^ 7 –0 –011 –1 –0 Wartburg 5 –2 –07 –2 –0 Buena Vista 5 –2 –07 –3 –0 Luther 4 –3 –05 –3 –0 William Penn 3 –4 –05 –5 –0 Dubuque 2 –5 –03 –6 –0 Simpson (IA) 1 –6 –02 –7 –0 Upper Iowa 1 –6 –01 –9 –0 $ – Conference champion^ – NCAA Division III playoff participant | 1984 Metropolitan Intercollegiate Conference football standings vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T St. John's $ 3 –0 –07 –2 –0 Pace 1 –2 –03 –5 –0 Marist 1 –2 –02 –7 –0 Brooklyn 1 –2 –02 –8 –0 Saint Peter's 0 –0 –00 –1 –0 $ – Conference championSaint Peter's cancelled the remainder of their season after their first game. |
| 1984 Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association football standings vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T Hope $ 5 –0 –09 –0 –0 Alma 4 –1 –06 –3 –0 Albion 3 –2 –05 –4 –0 Adrian 2 –3 –05 –4 –0 Olivet 1 –4 –01 –8 –0 Kalamazoo 0 –5 –01 –8 –0 $ – Conference champion | 1984 Middle Atlantic Conference football standings vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T Widener $ 7 –1 –08 –2 –0 Lycoming 6 –2 –08 –2 –0 Moravian 6 –2 –07 –2 –0 Susquehanna 5 –3 –06 –3 –0 Delaware Valley 4 –4 –05 –5 –0 Upsala 3 –5 –04 –6 –0 Albright 2 –6 –03 –6 –0 Juniata 2 –5 –13 –6 –1 Wilkes 0 –7 –11 –7 –1 $ – Conference champion | 1984 Midwest Conference football standings vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T North Division Beloit xy 6 –1 –08 –2 –0 St. Norbert 6 –1 –06 –2 –0 Lake Forest 5 –2 –06 –2 –0 Ripon 2 –4 –12 –6 –1 Lawrence 1 –5 –12 –6 –1 Chicago 1 –6 –03 –6 –0 South Division Cornell (IA) xy$ 6 –1 –08 –2 –0 Coe x 6 –1 –06 –3 –0 Monmouth (IL) 3 –4 –03 –6 –0 Grinnell 2 –5 –02 –6 –0 Knox 2 –5 –02 –6 –0 Illinois College 1 –6 –01 –8 –0 Championship: Cornell 31, Beloit 14 $ – Conference championx – Division champion/co-championsy – Championship game participant |
| 1984 Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference football standings vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T Hamline $ 8 –0 –19 –0 –1 Gustavus Adolphus 6 –2 –16 –2 –1 St. Thomas (MN) 6 –2 –16 –3 –1 Saint John's (MN) 6 –3 –06 –3 –0 St. Olaf 4 –3 –25 –3 –2 Macalester 4 –5 –06 –5 –0 Concordia–Moorhead 3 –5 –14 –5 –1 Carleton 2 –6 –03 –7 –0 Augsburg 2 –7 –02 –8 –0 Bethel (MN) 0 –8 –00 –10 –0 $ – Conference champion | 1984 New England Football Conference standings vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T Plymouth State $^ 9 –0 –010 –1 –0 Western Connecticut State 8 –1 –09 –1 –0 Curry 7 –2 –07 –2 –0 Massachusetts Maritime 6 –3 –06 –3 –0 Westfield State 4 –5 –04 –5 –0 Maine Maritime 3 –5 –14 –5 –1 Bridgewater State 2 –7 –02 –7 –0 Nichols 2 –7 –02 –7 –0 Western New England 2 –7 –02 –7 –0 Framingham State 1 –7 –11 –7 –1 $ – Conference champion^ – NCAA Division III playoff participant | 1984 New Jersey State Athletic Conference football standings vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T Montclair State $ 6 –0 –07 –3 –0 Glassboro State 4 –2 –04 –5 –0 Kean 3 –2 –14 –4 –1 Ramapo 2 –3 –15 –3 –1 Jersey City State 2 –4 –05 –4 –0 Trenton State 2 –4 –03 –7 –0 William Paterson 1 –5 –02 –8 –0 $ – Conference champion |
| 1984 North Coast Athletic Conference football standings vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T Case Western Reserve $ 6 –0 –09 –0 –0 Denison 4 –2 –08 –2 –0 Kenyon 4 –2 –07 –3 –0 Oberlin 3 –3 –04 –6 –0 Ohio Wesleyan 3 –3 –03 –6 –0 Allegheny 1 –5 –03 –7 –0 Wooster 0 –6 –00 –9 –0 $ – Conference champion | 1984 Ohio Athletic Conference football standings vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T Baldwin–Wallace $ 8 –0 –09 –1 –0 Muskingum 7 –1 –09 –1 –0 Mount Union 5 –3 –06 –4 –0 Wittenberg 5 –3 –06 –4 –0 Capital 3 –5 –05 –5 –0 Heidelberg 3 –5 –03 –7 –0 Ohio Northern 2 –5 –12 –6 –1 Otterbein 2 –6 –03 –7 –0 Marietta 0 –7 –11 –8 –1 $ – Conference champion | 1984 Old Dominion Athletic Conference football standings vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T Randolph–Macon $^ 5 –0 –09 –2 –0 Hampden–Sydney 3 –2 –08 –2 –0 Emory & Henry 3 –2 –06 –4 –0 Washington and Lee 2 –3 –06 –4 –0 Maryville (TN) 1 –4 –02 –7 –0 Bridgewater 1 –4 –01 –8 –0 $ – Conference champion^ – NCAA Division III playoff participant |
| 1984 Presidents' Athletic Conference football standings vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T Washington & Jefferson $^ 6 –0 –09 –2 –0 Carnegie Mellon 5 –1 –06 –3 –0 Bethany (WV) 3 –3 –03 –6 –0 John Carroll 2 –4 –04 –5 –0 Grove City 2 –4 –03 –6 –0 Hiram 2 –4 –03 –6 –0 Thiel 1 –5 –03 –6 –0 $ – Conference champion^ – NCAA Division III playoff participant | 1984 Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference football standings vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T Occidental $^ 5 –0 –010 –1 –0 Whittier 3 –1 –16 –4 –0 La Verne 2 –1 –26 –3 –0 Redlands 1 –3 –15 –5 –0 Claremont-Mudd 1 –3 –13 –5 –1 Pomona-Pitzer 0 –4 –11 –6 –1 $ – Conference champion^ – NCAA Division III playoff participantEach team played two other conference members 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. | 1984 Wisconsin State University Conference football standings vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T Wisconsin–River Falls + 7 –1 –08 –2 –0 Wisconsin–Whitewater + 7 –1 –08 –3 –0 No. 10 Wisconsin–La Crosse 6 –2 –08 –2 –0 No. 11 Wisconsin–Eau Claire 5 –3 –08 –3 –0 Wisconsin–Stevens Point 4 –4 –06 –5 –0 Wisconsin–Platteville 4 –4 –05 –6 –0 Wisconsin–Oshkosh 2 –6 –03 –7 –0 Wisconsin–Stout 1 –7 –02 –9 –0 Wisconsin–Superior 0 –8 –00 –11 –0 + – Conference co-championsRankings from NAIA Division II poll |
| 1984 NCAA Division III independents football records vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T Dayton ^   –  10 –1 –0 Hofstra   –  9 –1 –0 Mercyhurst   –  8 –1 –0 Millsaps   –  8 –1 –0 Norwich   –  9 –2 –0 Union (NY) ^   –  9 –2 –0 Wabash   –  8 –2 –0 Salisbury State   –  6 –3 –0 Frostburg State   –  6 –3 –1 Buffalo   –  6 –4 –0 DePauw   –  6 –4 –0 Wagner   –  6 –4 –0 Buffalo State   –  5 –4 –0 Catholic University   –  5 –4 –0 Albany   –  5 –5 –0 Fordham   –  5 –5 –0 Fairleigh Dickinson–Florham   –  4 –5 –0 Stony Brook   –  4 –5 –0 Cortland   –  4 –6 –0 Duquesne   –  3 –5 –0 Canisius   –  2 –8 –0 Iona   –  2 –8 –0 San Diego   –  1 –8 –1 Georgetown   –  1 –6 –0 Saint Francis (PA)   –  1 –7 –0 Brockport   –  1 –8 –0 Colorado College   –  1 –8 –0 Rochester (NY)   –  1 –8 –0 ^ – NCAA Division III playoff participant |

## Conference champions

* Conference champions
* Centennial Conference – Gettysburg and Swarthmore
* College Athletic Conference – Centre
* College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin – Augustana (IL)
* Independent College Athletic Conference – Ithaca
* Iowa Intercollegiate Athletic Conference – Central College (IA)
* Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association – Hope
* Middle Atlantic Conference – Widener
* Midwest Collegiate Athletic Conference – Cornell College
* Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference – Hamline
* New England Football Conference – Plymouth State
* New Jersey State Athletic Conference – Montclair State
* North Coast Athletic Conference – Case Western Reserve
* Northwest Conference – Linfield
* Ohio Athletic Conference – Baldwin Wallace
* Old Dominion Athletic Conference – Randolph-Macon
* Presidents' Athletic Conference – Washington & Jefferson
* Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference – Occidental
* Texas Intercollegiate Athletic Association – Austin
* Upper Midwest Athletic Conference – Northwestern–St. Paul
* Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference – Wisconsin–River Falls and Wisconsin–Whitewater

## Postseason

The 1984 NCAA Division III Football Championship playoffs were the 12th 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 Galbreath Field at the College Football Hall of Fame in Kings Island, Mason, Ohio for the second consecutive time. This was the final tournament to feature eight teams before expanding to sixteen in 1985.

### Playoff bracket

| Quarterfinals Campus Sites | Quarterfinals Campus Sites | Quarterfinals Campus Sites | Semifinals Campus Sites | Semifinals Campus Sites | Semifinals Campus Sites | National Championship Game Galbreath Field Kings Island, Mason, OH | National Championship Game Galbreath Field Kings Island, Mason, OH | National Championship Game Galbreath Field Kings Island, Mason, OH |
| Union (NY) | Union (NY) | 26 | | | | | | |
| Plymouth State | Plymouth State | 14 | | | | | | |
| Plymouth State | Plymouth State | 14 | Union (NY) | Union (NY) | 6 | | | |
| | | | Augustana (IL) | Augustana (IL) | 23 | | | |
| Augustana (IL) | Augustana (IL) | 14 | Augustana (IL) | Augustana (IL) | 23 | | | |
| Dayton | Dayton | 13 | | | | | | |
| Dayton | Dayton | 13 | | | | Augustana (IL) | Augustana (IL) | 21 |
| | | | | | | Central (IA) | Central (IA) | 12 |
| Washington & Jefferson | Washington & Jefferson | 22 | | | | | | | Central (IA) | Central (IA) | 12 |
| Randolph–Macon | Randolph–Macon | 21 | | | | | | |
| Randolph–Macon | Randolph–Macon | 21 | Washington & Jefferson | Washington & Jefferson | 0 | | | |
| | | | Central (IA) | Central (IA) | 20 | | | |
| Central (IA) | Central (IA) | 23 | Central (IA) | Central (IA) | 20 | | | |
| Occidental | Occidental | 22 | | | | | | |