# 1983 NCAA Division II football season

The 1983 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 1983, and concluded with the NCAA Division II Football Championship on December 10, 1983, at McAllen Veterans Memorial Stadium in McAllen, Texas. During the game's five-year stretch in McAllen, the "City of Palms", it was referred to as the Palm Bowl. The North Dakota State Bison defeated the Central State (Ohio), 41–21, to win their first Division II national title.

## Conference changes and new programs

| School | 1982 Conference | 1983 Conference |
| Cal Poly Pomona | Western | Dropped Program |
| Fisk | SIAC | CAC (D-III) |
| West Georgia | D-III Independent | Gulf South |

## Conference standings

1983 Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association football standings :
| 1983 Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association football standings vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T Northern No. 6 Virginia Union xy$^ 6 –1 –010 –2 –0 Saint Paul's (VA) 4 –3 –07 –3 –0 Hampton 4 –3 –05 –5 –0 Norfolk State 3 –4 –05 –5 –0 Elizabeth City State 2 –5 –04 –6 –0 Virginia State 2 –5 –04 –6 –0 Southern Winston-Salem State xy 6 –0 –18 –2 –1 North Carolina Central 6 –1 –08 –1 –1 Livingstone 3 –4 –05 –4 –0 Johnson C. Smith 2 –5 –02 –8 –0 Fayetteville State 1 –5 –11 –8 –1 Bowie State 1 –6 –01 –9 –0 Championship: Virginia Union 34, Winston-Salem State 7 $ – Conference championx – Division champion/co-championsy – Championship game participant^ – NCAA Division II playoff participantRankings from NCAA Division II Football Committee poll | 1983 Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference football standings vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T No. 7 Saginaw Valley State $^ 6 –0 –09 –3 –0 No. 8 Hillsdale 4 –2 –08 –2 –0 Wayne State (MI) 4 –2 –07 –3 –0 Northwood 3 –3 –04 –4 –0 Grand Valley State 3 –3 –04 –6 –0 Michigan Tech 1 –5 –03 –7 –0 Ferris State 0 –6 –00 –9 –0 $ – Conference champion^ – NAIA Division I playoff participantRankings from NAIA Division I poll | 1983 Gulf South Conference football standings vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T No. 3 North Alabama $^ 8 –0 –011 –1 –1 Mississippi College 4 –3 –08 –3 –0 Troy State 4 –3 –06 –5 –0 Livingston 4 –4 –06 –4 –0 Jacksonville State 4 –4 –06 –5 –0 Tennessee–Martin 3 –4 –04 –7 –0 Delta State 3 –5 –05 –5 –0 Valdosta State 2 –5 –05 –6 –0 West Georgia 1 –5 –04 –6 –0 $ – Conference champion^ – NCAA Division II playoff participantRankings from NCAA Division II Football Committee poll |
| 1983 Heartland Collegiate Conference standings vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T Butler $^ 5 –0 –19 –1 –1 Indiana Central 4 –1 –16 –3 –1 Evansville 2 –1 –33 –4 –3 Ashland 2 –4 –05 –5 –0 Franklin (IN) 2 –4 –04 –6 –0 Valparaiso 2 –4 –04 –6 –0 Saint Joseph's (IN) 1 –4 –12 –7 –1 $ – Conference champion^ – NCAA Division II playoff participant | 1983 Lone Star Conference football standings vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T No. 2 Southwest Texas State +^ 6 –1 –09 –2 –0 East Texas State + 6 –1 –08 –2 –0 Stephen F. Austin 5 –2 –07 –4 –0 Abilene Christian 4 –3 –07 –3 –0 Angelo State 3 –4 –05 –6 –0 Texas A&I 2 –5 –02 –9 –0 Sam Houston State 1 –6 –04 –7 –0 Howard Payne 1 –6 –02 –8 –0 + – Conference co-champions^ – NCAA Division II playoff participantRankings from NCAA Division II Football Committee poll | 1983 Missouri Intercollegiate Athletic Association football standings vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T Missouri–Rolla + 4 –1 –08 –2 –0 Central Missouri State + 4 –1 –06 –5 –0 NE Missouri State 3 –2 –04 –7 –0 NW Missouri State 2 –3 –05 –6 –0 Lincoln (MO) 1 –4 –02 –8 –0 SE Missouri State 1 –4 –01 –9 –0 + – Conference co-champions |
| 1983 North Central Conference football standings vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T No. 5 North Dakota State +^ 8 –1 –012 –1 –0 No. 10 Nebraska–Omaha + 8 –1 –09 –2 –0 South Dakota 6 –3 –07 –4 –0 Augustana (SD) 4 –5 –05 –6 –0 Northern Colorado 4 –5 –04 –6 –0 North Dakota 4 –5 –06 –5 –0 St. Cloud State 4 –5 –05 –6 –0 Mankato State 3 –6 –04 –7 –0 South Dakota State 3 –6 –05 –6 –0 Morningside 1 –8 –01 –10 –0 + – Conference co-champions^ – NCAA Division II playoff participantRankings from NCAA Division II Football Committee poll | 1983 Northern California Athletic Conference football standings vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T No. 1 UC Davis $^ 6 –0 –011 –1 –0 Sacramento State 4 –1 –15 –5 –1 Chico State 3 –2 –14 –5 –1 Cal State Hayward 3 –3 –06 –4 –0 Humboldt State 3 –3 –04 –6 –0 San Francisco State 1 –5 –02 –8 –0 Sonoma State 0 –6 –02 –9 –0 $ – Conference champion^ – NCAA Division II playoff participantRankings from NCAA Division II Football Committee poll | 1983 Northern Intercollegiate Conference football standings vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T No. 20 Winona State $ 5 –1 –07 –4 –0 Moorhead State 4 –2 –06 –3 –0 Minnesota Duluth 4 –2 –06 –4 –0 Minnesota Morris 2 –3 –14 –4 –2 Northern State 1 –3 –24 –4 –2 Southwest State (MN) 1 –3 –23 –6 –2 Bemidji State 1 –4 –14 –6 –1 $ – Conference championRankings from NAIA Division I poll |
| 1983 Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference football standings vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T East Division East Stroudsburg xy 5 –1 –07 –4 –0 Kutztown 4 –2 –06 –4 –0 Bloomsburg 4 –2 –05 –5 –0 Millersville 3 –3 –04 –6 –0 West Chester 2 –3 –07 –3 –0 Mansfield 1 –4 –04 –6 –0 Cheyney 1 –5 –03 –7 –0 West Division Clarion xy$ 5 –1 –09 –2 –0 Edinboro 4 –2 –08 –2 –0 California (PA) 4 –2 –07 –3 –0 IUP 4 –2 –05 –5 –0 Slippery Rock 3 –3 –06 –4 –0 Shippensburg 1 –5 –04 –6 –0 Lock Haven 0 –6 –03 –7 –0 Championship: Clarion 27, East Stroudsburg 14 $ – Conference championx – Division champion/co-championsy – Championship game participant | 1983 Western Football Conference standings vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T Cal State Northridge + 2 –1 –06 –4 –0 Santa Clara + 2 –1 –06 –4 –0 Cal Poly 1 –2 –05 –6 –0 Portland State 1 –2 –03 –7 –0 + – Conference co-champions | 1983 NCAA Division II independents football records vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T No. 7 Central State (OH) ^   –  12 –1 –0 No. 4 Towson State ^   –  10 –2 –0 Northern Michigan   –  8 –2 –0 Saint Mary's   –  8 –2 –0 Southern Connecticut State   –  8 –2 –0 Eastern Washington   –  5 –5 –0 UCF   –  5 –6 –0 Central Connecticut   –  4 –6 –0 American International   –  4 –7 –0 Kentucky State   –  2 –7 –2 Morgan State   –  2 –8 –0 Liberty   –  2 –9 –0 New Haven   –  1 –9 –0 ^ – NCAA Division II playoff participantRankings from NCAA Division II Football Committee poll |

## Conference summaries

* Conference Champions
* Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association – Virginia Union
* Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference – Saginaw Valley State
* Gulf South Conference – North Alabama
* Heartland Collegiate Conference – Butler
* Lone Star Conference – East Texas State and Southwest Texas State
* Missouri Intercollegiate Athletic Association – Central Missouri State and Missouri–Rolla
* North Central Conference – Nebraska–Omaha and North Dakota State
* Northern California Athletic Conference – UC Davis
* Northern Intercollegiate Conference – Winona State
* Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference – Clarion
* Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference – Colorado Mesa
* South Atlantic Conference – Carson-Newman
* Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference – Fort Valley State

## Postseason

The 1983 NCAA Division II Football Championship playoffs were the 11th single-elimination tournament to determine the national champion of men's NCAA Division II college football. The championship game was held at McAllen Veterans Memorial Stadium in McAllen, Texas, for the third consecutive time.

### Playoff bracket

| First round Campus sites | First round Campus sites | First round Campus sites | Semifinals Campus sites | Semifinals Campus sites | Semifinals Campus sites | Championship McAllen Veterans Memorial Stadium McAllen, TX | Championship McAllen Veterans Memorial Stadium McAllen, TX | Championship McAllen Veterans Memorial Stadium McAllen, TX |
| UC Davis | UC Davis | 25 | | | | | | |
| Butler | Butler | 6 | | | | | | |
| Butler | Butler | 6 | UC Davis | UC Davis | 17 | | | |
| | | | North Dakota State | North Dakota State | 26 | | | |
| North Dakota State | North Dakota State | 24 | North Dakota State | North Dakota State | 26 | | | |
| Towson State | Towson State | 17 | | | | | | |
| Towson State | Towson State | 17 | | | | North Dakota State | North Dakota State | 41 |
| | | | | | | Central State (OH) | Central State (OH) | 21 |
| North Alabama | North Alabama | 16 | | | | | | | Central State (OH) | Central State (OH) | 21 |
| Virginia Union | Virginia Union | 14 | | | | | | |
| Virginia Union | Virginia Union | 14 | North Alabama | North Alabama | 24 | | | |
| | | | Central State (OH) | Central State (OH) | 27 | | | |
| Central State (OH) | Central State (OH) | 24 | Central State (OH) | Central State (OH) | 27 | | | |
| Southwest Texas State | Southwest Texas State | 16 | | | | | | |