# 2007 NCAA Division III football season

The 2007 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 2007, and concluded with the NCAA Division III Football Championship, also known as the Stagg Bowl, in December 2007 at Salem Football Stadium in Salem, Virginia. The Wisconsin–Whitewater Warhawks won their first Division III championship by defeating the Mount Union Purple Raiders, 31−21. This was the third of seven straight championship games between Mount Union (3 wins) and Wisconsin–Whitewater (4 wins).
The Gagliardi Trophy, given to the most outstanding player in Division III football, was awarded to Justin Beaver, running back from Wisconsin–Whitewater.

## Conference standings

2007 American Southwest Conference football standings :
| 2007 American Southwest Conference football standings vteConfOverall Team W L W L  No. 3 Mary Hardin–Baylor $^  8 –0  12 –2   Mississippi College  6 –2  8 –2   Hardin–Simmons  6 –2  6 –4   East Texas Baptist  5 –3  5 –5   Louisiana College  4 –4  5 –5   Sul Ross  3 –5  5 –5   Texas Lutheran  2 –6  2 –8   McMurry  1 –7  2 –8   Howard Payne  1 –7  1 –9   $ – Conference champion^ – NCAA Division III playoff participantRankings from D3football.com | 2007 Atlantic Central Football Conference standings vteConfOverall Team W L W L  No. 5 Wesley $^  4 –0  11 –2   No. 14 Salisbury ^  3 –1  9 –2   Brockport  2 –2  5 –5   Apprentice §  1 –3  4 –6   Frostburg State  0 –4  2 –7   $ – Conference champion^ – NCAA Division III playoff participant§ – Not an NCAA memberRankings from D3football.com | 2007 Centennial Conference football standings vteConfOverall Team W L W L  No. 8 Muhlenberg $^  8 –0  11 –1   Dickinson  6 –2  9 –2   Ursinus  5 –3  7 –3   Gettysburg  5 –3  6 –5   Moravian  4 –4  6 –4   Franklin & Marshall  4 –4  4 –6   Johns Hopkins  3 –5  4 –6   McDaniel  1 –7  1 –9   Juniata  0 –8  1 –9   $ – Conference champion^ – NCAA Division III playoff participantRankings from D3football.com |
| 2007 College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin football standings vteConfOverall Team W L W L  No. 11 North Central (IL) +^  6 –1  9 –3   Illinois Wesleyan +  6 –1  7 –3   Wheaton (IL)  5 –2  8 –2   Carthage  4 –3  7 –3   Elmhurst  3 –4  6 –4   Augustana (IL)  3 –4  5 –5   Millikin  1 –6  2 –8   North Park  0 –7  1 –9   + – Conference co-champions^ – NCAA Division III playoff participantRankings from D3football.com | 2007 Empire 8 Athletic Conference football standings vteConfOverall Team W L W L  No. 7 St. John Fisher +^  5 –1  11 –2   Hartwick +^  5 –1  8 –3   Alfred  4 –2  8 –3   No. 21 Ithaca ^  4 –2  8 –3   Springfield  2 –4  4 –6   Utica  1 –5  3 –7   Norwich  0 –6  2 –8   + – Conference co-champions^ – NCAA Division III playoff participantRankings from D3football.com | 2007 Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference football standings vteConfOverall Team W L W L  No. 18 Franklin (IN) $^  7 –0  9 –2   Mount St. Joseph ^  6 –1  9 –2   Rose-Hulman  4 –3  7 –3   Defiance  4 –3  5 –5   Anderson (IN)  3 –4  4 –6   Hanover  2 –5  2 –8   Manchester  1 –6  3 –7   Bluffton  1 –6  1 –9   $ – Conference champion^ – NCAA Division III playoff participantRankings from D3football.com |
| 2007 Illini–Badger Football Conference standings vteConfOverall Team W L W L  Concordia (WI) +^  6 –1  7 –4   Lakeland +  6 –1  6 –4   Aurora  4 –3  5 –5   Benedictine (IL)  4 –3  5 –5   Greenville  4 –3  5 –5   Concordia (IL)  2 –5  3 –7   Eureka  2 –5  2 –8   MacMurray  0 –7  0 –10   + – Conference co-champions^ – NCAA Division III playoff participant | 2007 Iowa Intercollegiate Athletic Conference football standings vteConfOverall Team W L W L  No. 6 Central (IA) $^  8 –0  12 –1   No. 20 Wartburg  7 –1  8 –2   Coe  5 –3  7 –3   Dubuque  5 –3  7 –3   Luther  4 –4  5 –5   Buena Vista  3 –5  5 –5   Simpson (IA)  3 –5  4 –6   Loras  1 –7  2 –8   Cornell (IA)  0 –8  2 –8   $ – Conference champion^ – NCAA Division III playoff participantRankings from D3football.com | 2007 Liberty League football standings vteConfOverall Team W L W L  RPI +^  6 –1  8 –2   Hobart +^  6 –1  8 –3   Rochester (NY)  5 –2  6 –5   Union (NY)  5 –2  5 –5   St. Lawrence  3 –4  4 –5   WPI  1 –6  4 –6   Susquehanna  1 –6  2 –8   Merchant Marine  1 –6  1 –9   + – Conference co-champions^ – NCAA Division III playoff participant |
| 2007 Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association football standings vteConfOverall Team W L W L  Hope +  6 –1  6 –4   Olivet +^  6 –1  6 –5   Alma  5 –2  5 –5   Adrian  4 –3  7 –3   Tri-State  4 –3  6 –4   Albion  2 –5  2 –8   Wisconsin Lutheran  1 –6  1 –9   Kalamazoo  0 –7  1 –8   + – Conference co-champions^ – NCAA Division III playoff participant | 2007 Middle Atlantic Conference football standings vteConfOverall Team W L W L  Widener $^  7 –0  8 –3   Albright  5 –2  7 –4   Delaware Valley  5 –2  5 –5   Wilkes  4 –3  4 –6   Lebanon Valley  3 –4  4 –6   Lycoming  3 –4  3 –7   King's  1 –6  1 –9   FDU Florham  0 –7  2 –8   $ – Conference champion^ – NCAA Division III playoff participantRankings from D3football.com | 2007 Midwest Conference football standings vteConfOverall Team W L W L  St. Norbert $^  9 –0  10 –1   Monmouth (IL)  7 –2  7 –3   Ripon  7 –2  7 –3   Carroll (WI)  5 –4  5 –5   Lake Forest  5 –4  5 –5   Illinois College  4 –5  4 –6   Lawrence  4 –5  4 –6   Knox  2 –7  3 –7   Beloit  1 –8  1 –9   Grinnell  1 –8  1 –9   $ – Conference champion^ – NCAA Division III playoff participant |
| 2007 Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference football standings vteConfOverall Team W L W L  No. 4 Bethel (MN) $^  8 –0  12 –2   No. 9 Saint John's (MN) ^  7 –1  10 –2   St. Olaf  6 –2  8 –2   Concordia–Moorhead  5 –3  7 –3   Augsburg  3 –5  5 –5   Gustavus Adolphus  3 –5  5 –5   St. Thomas (MN)  2 –6  2 –8   Carleton  1 –7  3 –7   Hamline  1 –7  3 –7   $ – Conference champion^ – NCAA Division III playoff participantRankings from D3football.com | 2007 New England Football Conference standings vteConfOverall Team W L W L  Bogan Division Coast Guard xy  7 –0  8 –2   Bridgewater State  5 –2  6 –4   Maine Maritime  4 –3  5 –4   Westfield State  4 –3  5 –4   Worcester State  3 –4  4 –6   Fitchburg State  3 –4  3 –6   Massachusetts Maritime  1 –6  3 –7   Framingham State  1 –6  2 –7   Boyd Division No. 23 Curry xy$^  7 –0  12 –1   Plymouth State  6 –1  9 –1   Nichols  4 –3  5 –4   UMass Dartmouth  4 –3  5 –5   Endicott  3 –4  3 –6   MIT  2 –5  2 –7   Western New England  1 –6  3 –7   Salve Regina  1 –6  2 –7   Championship: Curry 10, Coast Guard 7 $ – Conference championx – Division champion/co-championsy – Championship game participant^ – NCAA Division III playoff participantRankings from D3football.com | 2007 New England Small College Athletic Conference football standings vteConfOverall Team W L W L  Middlebury $  7 –1  7 –1   Trinity (CT)  6 –2  6 –2   Williams  6 –2  6 –2   Tufts  5 –3  5 –3   Amherst  4 –4  4 –4   Wesleyan  4 –4  4 –4   Bowdoin  3 –5  3 –5   Colby  2 –6  2 –6   Hamilton  2 –6  2 –6   Bates  1 –7  1 –7   $ – Conference champion |
| 2007 New Jersey Athletic Conference football standings vteConfOverall Team W L W L  No. 15 TCNJ +^  6 –1  9 –3   Cortland +  6 –1  8 –3   Montclair State  5 –2  9 –2   Kean  3 –4  5 –5   William Paterson  3 –4  5 –5   Rowan  2 –5  4 –6   Western Connecticut  2 –5  4 –6   Buffalo State  1 –6  2 –8   + – Conference co-champions^ – NCAA Division III playoff participantRankings from D3football.com | 2007 North Coast Athletic Conference football standings vteConfOverall Team W L W L  No. 10 Wabash $^  7 –0  11 –2   Wittenberg  6 –1  8 –2   Oberlin  5 –2  5 –5   Ohio Wesleyan  4 –3  4 –6   Wooster  4 –3  4 –6   Allegheny  3 –4  5 –5   Denison  3 –4  4 –6   Earlham  2 –5  3 –7   Kenyon  1 –6  2 –8   Hiram  0 –7  0 –10   $ – Conference champion^ – NCAA Division III playoff participantRankings from D3football.com | 2007 Northwest Conference football standings vteConfOverall Team W L W L  No. 24 Whitworth $  6 –0  8 –2   Pacific Lutheran  4 –2  7 –2   Linfield  4 –2  6 –3   Willamette  3 –3  4 –6   Puget Sound  2 –4  4 –5   Menlo  2 –4  2 –8   Lewis & Clark  0 –6  0 –9   $ – Conference championRankings from D3football.com |
| 2007 Ohio Athletic Conference football standings vteConfOverall Team W L W L  No. 2 Mount Union $^  9 –0  14 –1   No. 13 Capital ^  7 –2  8 –3   Ohio Northern  6 –3  7 –3   Baldwin–Wallace  5 –4  6 –4   John Carroll  5 –4  6 –4   Otterbein  5 –4  5 –5   Heidelberg  3 –6  4 –6   Marietta  3 –6  3 –7   Wilmington (OH)  2 –7  2 –8   Muskingum  0 –9  0 –10   $ – Conference champion^ – NCAA Division III playoff participantRankings from D3football.com | 2007 Old Dominion Athletic Conference football standings vteConfOverall Team W L W L  Randolph–Macon +  5 –1  8 –2   Hampden–Sydney +^  5 –1  8 –3   Washington and Lee  4 –2  6 –3   Bridgewater  3 –3  7 –3   Guilford  2 –4  6 –4   Catholic University  1 –5  5 –5   Emory & Henry  1 –5  4 –6   $ – Conference champion+ – Conference co-champions^ – NCAA Division III playoff participant | 2007 Presidents' Athletic Conference football standings vteConfOverall Team W L W L  No. 17 Washington & Jefferson $^  6 –0  10 –1   Waynesburg  5 –1  8 –3   Grove City  3 –3  4 –6   Westminster (PA)  2 –4  5 –5   Bethany (WV)  2 –4  4 –6   Thomas More  2 –4  4 –6   Thiel  1 –5  3 –7   Geneva #   –  8 –3   St. Vincent #   –  0 –10   $ – Conference champion^ – NCAA Division III playoff participant # – Provisional NCAA Divisional III member; games not counted in standings Rankings from D3football.com |
| 2007 Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference football standings vteConfOverall Team W L W L  No. 25 Redlands +^  5 –1  8 –2   Cal Lutheran +  5 –1  5 –4   Occidental  4 –2  7 –2   Whittier  3 –3  4 –5   Claremont–Mudd–Scripps  2 –4  3 –6   Pomona–Pitzer  1 –5  2 –7   La Verne  1 –5  1 –8   + – Conference co-champions^ – NCAA Division III playoff participantRankings from D3football.com | 2007 Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference football standings vteConfOverall Team W L W L  No. 16 Trinity (TX) +^  6 –1  9 –2   Millsaps +  6 –1  8 –2   DePauw  5 –2  8 –2   Centre  4 –3  6 –4   Rhodes  4 –3  6 –4   Austin  2 –5  4 –6   Colorado College  1 –6  4 –6   Sewanee  0 –7  1 –8   Birmingham–Southern #   –  1 –7   + – Conference co-champions^ – NCAA Division III playoff participant # – Provisional Division III member; games not counted in standings Rankings from D3football.com | 2007 University Athletic Association football standings vteConfOverall Team W L W L  No. 22 Case Western Reserve $^  3 –0  11 –1   Carnegie Mellon  2 –1  7 –4   Washington University  1 –2  7 –3   Chicago  0 –3  4 –5   $ – Conference champion^ – Division III playoff participantRankings from D3football.com |
| 2007 Upper Midwest Athletic Conference football standings vteConfOverall Team W L W L  North Northwestern (MN) xy$#  7 –0  7 –2   Martin Luther  5 –2  6 –3   Crown #  4 –3  5 –3   Minnesota–Morris #  4 –3  4 –4   Trinity Bible §  1 –6  1 –8   South Rockford xy  5 –2  6 –3   Westminster (MO)  4 –3  4 –5   Blackburn  3 –4  3 –6   Maranatha Baptist  1 –6  2 –7   Principia  1 –6  1 –8   Championship: Northwestern (MN) 28, Rockford 27 $ – Conference championx – Division champion/co-championsy – Championship game participant # – Provisional NCAA Division III member § – Not an NCAA member | 2007 USA South Athletic Conference football standings vteConfOverall Team W L W L  No. 19 North Carolina Wesleyan $^  7 –0  9 –3   Christopher Newport  6 –1  7 –3   Maryville (TN)  4 –3  7 –3   Ferrum  4 –3  5 –5   Methodist  4 –3  4 –6   Shenandoah  2 –5  2 –8   Greensboro  1 –6  2 –8   Averett  0 –7  0 –10   $ – Conference champion^ – NCAA Division III playoff participantRankings from D3football.com | 2007 Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference football standings vteConfOverall Team W L W L  No. 1 Wisconsin–Whitewater $^  7 –0  14 –1   No. 12 Wisconsin–Eau Claire ^  5 –2  9 –3   Wisconsin–Oshkosh  4 –3  7 –3   Wisconsin–Stevens Point  3 –4  6 –4   Wisconsin–La Crosse  3 –4  5 –4   Wisconsin–Stout  3 –4  4 –6   Wisconsin–River Falls  2 –5  3 –7   Wisconsin–Platteville  1 –6  2 –8   $ – Conference champion^ – NCAA Division III playoff participantRankings from D3football.com |
| 2007 NCAA Division III independents football records vteConfOverall Team W L W L  Chapman   –  6 –3   Husson   –  6 –3   Huntingdon   –  5 –5   Macalester   –  4 –5   Morrisville State #   –  3 –7   Mount Ida   –  3 –7   Gallaudet   –  2 –6   Becker   –  2 –7   SUNY Maritime   –  2 –8   LaGrange   –  0 –10   # – Provisional Division III member |

## Conference champions

* Conference champions
* American Southwest Conference – Mary Hardin–Baylor
* Atlantic Central Football Conference – Wesley
* Centennial Conference – Muhlenberg
* College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin – Illinois Wesleyan and North Central (IL)
* Empire 8 Conference – Hartwick and St. John Fisher
* Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference – Franklin
* Illini-Badger Football Conference‡ – Concordia (WI) and Lakeland
* Iowa Intercollegiate Athletic Conference – Central (IA)
* Liberty League – Hobart and RPI
* Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association – Hope and Olivet
* Middle Atlantic Conference – Widener
* Midwest Conference – St. Norbert
* Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference – Bethel (MN)
* New England Football Conference – Coast Guard (Bogan Division), Curry (Boyd Division)
* Championship Game: Curry 10, Coast Guard 7
* New England Small College Athletic Conference – Middlebury
* New Jersey Athletic Conference – SUNY Cortland and TCNJ
* North Coast Athletic Conference – Wabash
* Northwest Conference – Whitworth
* Ohio Athletic Conference – Mount Union
* Old Dominion Athletic Conference – Hampden–Sydney
* Presidents' Athletic Conference – Washington & Jefferson
* Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference – Cal Lutheran and Redlands
* Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference – Millsaps and Trinity (TX)
* University Athletic Association – Case Western Reserve
* Upper Midwest Athletic Conference – Northwestern–St. Paul
* USA South Athletic Conference – North Carolina Wesleyan
* Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference – Wisconsin–Whitewater

## Postseason

The 2007 NCAA Division III Football Championship playoffs were the 35th 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 Salem Football Stadium in Salem, Virginia for the 15th time.

### Qualification

Twenty-two conferences met the requirements for an automatic ("Pool A") bid to the playoffs. Besides the NESCAC, which does not participate in the playoffs, four conferences had no Pool A bid. The NWC was in the second year of the two-year waiting period, while the ACFC, UAA, and UMAC failed to meet the seven-member requirement. The PAC received a Pool A bid for the first time, having attained seven members and passed through the waiting period.
Schools not in Pool A conferences were eligible for Pool B. The number of Pool B bids was determined by calculating the ratio of Pool A conferences to schools in those conferences and applying that ratio to the number of Pool B schools. The 22 Pool A conferences contained 190 schools, an average of 8.6 teams per conference. Thirty schools were in Pool B, enough for three bids.
The remaining seven playoff spots were at-large ("Pool C") teams.

### Playoff bracket

| First Round Campus Sites | First Round Campus Sites | First Round Campus Sites | Second Round Campus Sites | Second Round Campus Sites | Second Round Campus Sites | Quarterfinals Campus Sites | Quarterfinals Campus Sites | Quarterfinals Campus Sites | Semifinals Campus Sites | Semifinals Campus Sites | Semifinals Campus Sites | National Championship Game Salem Football Stadium Salem, Virginia | National Championship Game Salem Football Stadium Salem, Virginia | National Championship Game Salem Football Stadium Salem, Virginia |
| Mount Union | Mount Union | 42 | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| Ithaca | Ithaca | 18 | Mount Union | Mount Union | 59 | | | | | | | | | |
| TCNJ | TCNJ | 17 | TCNJ | TCNJ | 7 | | | | | | | | | |
| RPI | RPI | 14 | | | | Mount Union | Mount Union | 52 | | | | | | |
| Curry | Curry | 42 | | | | St. John Fisher | St. John Fisher | 10 | | | | | | |
| Hartwick | Hartwick | 21 | Curry | Curry | 7 | | | | | | | | | |
| St. John Fisher | St. John Fisher | 24 | St. John Fisher | St. John Fisher | 38 | | | | | | | | | |
| Hobart | Hobart | 7 | | | | | | | Mount Union | Mount Union | 62 | | | |
| Central (IA) | Central (IA) | 38 | | | | | | | Bethel (MN) | Bethel (MN) | 14 | | | |
| Olivet | Olivet | 17 | Central (IA) | Central (IA) | 37 | | | | | | | | | |
| Saint John's (MN) | Saint John's (MN) | 41 | Saint John's (MN) | Saint John's (MN) | 7 | | | | | | | | | |
| Redlands | Redlands | 13 | | | | Central (IA) | Central (IA) | 13 | | | | | | |
| Wisconsin–Eau Claire | Wisconsin–Eau Claire | 24 | | | | Bethel (MN) | Bethel (MN) | 27 | | | | | | |
| St. Norbert | St. Norbert | 20 | Wisconsin–Eau Claire | Wisconsin–Eau Claire | 12 | | | | | | | | | |
| Bethel (MN) | Bethel (MN) | 28 | Bethel (MN) | Bethel (MN) | 21 | | | | | | | | | |
| Concordia Wisconsin | Concordia Wisconsin | 0 | | | | | | | | | | Mount Union | Mount Union | 21 |
| North Carolina Wesleyan | North Carolina Wesleyan | 35* | | | | | | | | | | Wisconsin–Whitewater | Wisconsin–Whitewater | 31 |
| Washington & Jefferson | Washington & Jefferson | 34 | North Carolina Wesleyan | North Carolina Wesleyan | 0 | | | | | | | | | |
| Mary Hardin–Baylor | Mary Hardin–Baylor | 52 | Mary Hardin–Baylor | Mary Hardin–Baylor | 64 | | | | | | | | | |
| Trinity (TX) | Trinity (TX) | 23 | | | | Mary Hardin–Baylor | Mary Hardin–Baylor | 27 | | | | | | |
| Muhlenberg | Muhlenberg | 31 | | | | Wesley | Wesley | 10 | | | | | | |
| Salisbury | Salisbury | 21 | Muhlenberg | Muhlenberg | 21 | | | | | | | | | |
| Wesley | Wesley | 45 | Wesley | Wesley | 38 | | | | | | | | | |
| Hampden–Sydney | Hampden–Sydney | 17 | | | | | | | Mary Hardin–Baylor | Mary Hardin–Baylor | 7 | | | |
| Wisconsin–Whitewater | Wisconsin–Whitewater | 34 | | | | | | | Wisconsin–Whitewater | Wisconsin–Whitewater | 16 | | | |
| Capital | Capital | 14 | Wisconsin–Whitewater | Wisconsin–Whitewater | 59 | | | | | | | | | |
| North Central (IL) | North Central (IL) | 44 | North Central (IL) | North Central (IL) | 28 | | | | | | | | | |
| Franklin | Franklin | 42 | | | | Wisconsin–Whitewater | Wisconsin–Whitewater | 47 | | | | | | |
| Wabash | Wabash | 31 | | | | Wabash | Wabash | 7 | | | | | | |
| Mount St. Joseph | Mount St. Joseph | 21 | Wabash | Wabash | 38 | | | | | | | | | |
| Case Western | Case Western | 21 | Case Western | Case Western | 23 | | | | | | | | | |
| Widener | Widener | 20 | | | | | | | | | | | | |
* Overtime

### Bowl games

| Date | Bowl | Location | Home team | Away team | Score |
| November 17 | ECAC North Atlantic Bowl | Currier Field Plymouth, New Hampshire | Plymouth State | Bridgewater State | 24–21 |
| November 17 | Victory Bowl | Reeves Field Beaver Falls, Pennsylvania | Malone (NAIA) | Geneva | 45–17 |