# 2001 NCAA Division II football season

The 2001 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 on August 30, 2001, and concluded with the NCAA Division II Football Championship on December 8, 2001 at Braly Municipal Stadium in Florence, Alabama, hosted by the University of North Alabama.
North Dakota defeated Grand Valley State in the championship game, 17–14, to win their first Division II national title.
The Harlon Hill Trophy was awarded to Dusty Bonner, quarterback from Valdosta State, his second consecutive Hill Trophy.

## Conference and program changes

* The Northeast-10 Conference began sponsorship of football this season with 10 member teams from the Northeast.
* The Great Northwest Athletic Conference began its first sponsorship of football during the 2001 season (it was disbanded in 2006 and re-formed again in 2008).
| School | 2000 Conference | 2001 Conference |
| American International | Eastern Football Conference | Northeast 10 |
| Assumption | Eastern Football Conference | Northeast 10 |
| Bentley | Eastern Football Conference | Northeast 10 |
| Bryant | Eastern Football Conference | Northeast 10 |
| Central Washington | Columbia Football Association (NAIA) | GNAC |
| C.W. Post | Eastern Football Conference | Northeast 10 |
| Humboldt State | Columbia Football Association (NAIA) | GNAC |
| Lincoln (MO) | Central States Football League (NAIA) | D-II Independent |
| Pace | Eastern Football Conference | Northeast 10 |
| Saint Anselm | Eastern Football Conference | Northeast 10 |
| Southern Connecticut | Eastern Football Conference | Northeast 10 |
| Stonehill | Eastern Football Conference | Northeast 10 |
| UMass Lowell | Eastern Football Conference | Northeast 10 |
| Western Oregon | Columbia Football Association (NAIA) | GNAC |
| Western Washington | Columbia Football Association (NAIA) | GNAC |

## Conference standings

2001 Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association football standings :
| 2001 Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association football standings vteConfOverall Team W L W L  Eastern Virginia Union xy  5 –1  8 –2   Bowie State  4 –2  7 –3   Virginia State  2 –4  3 –6   Elizabeth City State  0 –6  2 –8   Western Winston-Salem State xy$  5 –1  9 –3   Fayetteville State  4 –2  6 –4   North Carolina Central  3 –3  5 –4   Johnson C. Smith  1 –5  2 –7   Livingstone  0 –6  1 –8   Championship: Virginia Union 31, Winston-Salem State 24 $ – Conference championx – Division champion/co-championsy – Championship game participant | 2001 Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference football standings vteConfOverall Team W L W L  No. 2 Grand Valley State $^  9 –0  13 –1   No. 9 Saginaw Valley State ^  9 –1  11 –2   Ferris State  7 –3  7 –4   Indianapolis  6 –4  7 –4   Ashland  5 –5  6 –5   Michigan Tech  5 –5  5 –5   Northern Michigan  3 –7  4 –7   Northwood  3 –6  3 –6   Wayne State (MI)  3 –6  3 –7   Findlay  3 –7  3 –8   Hillsdale  3 –7  3 –8   Mercyhurst  2 –7  2 –7   $ – Conference champion^ – NCAA Division II playoff participantRankings from AFCA poll | 2001 Great Northwest Athletic Conference football standings vteConfOverall Team W L W L  No. 23 Western Washington $  3 –0  8 –3   Western Oregon  1 –2  4 –5   Humboldt State  1 –2  4 –7   Central Washington  1 –2  4 –7   $ – Conference championFirst Humboldt State vs. Western Oregon game (Oct. 13) did not count as a conference gameRankings from AFCA Poll |
| 2001 Gulf South Conference football standings vteConfOverall Team W L W L  No. 1 Valdosta State $^  9 –0  12 –1   No. 16 Arkansas Tech  7 –2  8 –2   No. 14 Central Arkansas ^  7 –2  9 –3   No. 25 West Georgia  6 –3  8 –3   Delta State  6 –3  7 –3   Southern Arkansas  5 –4  5 –5   Arkansas–Monticello  4 –5  5 –6   Harding  4 –5  4 –6   North Alabama  3 –6  4 –6   Ouachita Baptist  2 –7  3 –7   Henderson State  1 –8  1 –10   West Alabama  0 –9  1 –10   $ – Conference champion^ – NCAA Division II playoff participantRankings from AFCA poll | 2001 Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association football standings vteConfOverall Team W L W L  No. 6 Pittsburg State $^  8 –1  11 –2   No. 20 Central Missouri State  7 –2  10 –2   Truman  6 –3  8 –3   Missouri Western  6 –3  8 –3   NW Missouri State  6 –3  7 –4   Southwest Baptist  4 –5  6 –5   Emporia State  3 –6  5 –6   Missouri Southern  3 –6  4 –6   Washburn  2 –7  3 –8   Missouri–Rolla  0 –9  2 –9   $ – Conference champion^ – NCAA Division II playoff participantRankings from AFCA Poll | 2001 North Central Conference football standings vteConfOverall Team W L W L  No. 4 North Dakota $^  7 –1  14 –1   No. 15 Nebraska–Omaha ^  6 –2  8 –3   No. 22 North Dakota State  5 –3  7 –3   Northern Colorado  4 –4  7 –4   South Dakota State  4 –4  5 –6   Augustana (SD)  3 –5  5 –5   Minnesota State  3 –5  4 –7   St. Cloud State  3 –5  4 –7   South Dakota  1 –7  2 –8   $ – Conference champion^ – NCAA Division II playoff participantRankings from AFCA Poll |
| 2001 Northeast-10 Conference football standings vteConfOverall Team W L W L  No. 19 C. W. Post y$  9 –1  11 –1   Bentley y  8 –2  9 –3   American International  8 –2  8 –2   Merrimack  6 –4  6 –4   Southern Connecticut  6 –4  6 –4   Saint Anselm  5 –5  5 –5   Bryant  4 –5  4 –5   Pace  4 –5  4 –5   Stonehill  3 –7  4 –7   UMass Lowell  1 –9  1 –9   Assumption  0 –10  1 –10   Championship: C. W. Post 43, Bentley 6 $ – Conference championy – Championship game participantRankings from AFCA poll | 2001 Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference football standings vteConfOverall Team W L W L  No. 13 Winona State $^  9 –0  10 –2   No. 24 Minnesota Duluth  7 –2  9 –3   Concordia–St. Paul  6 –3  8 –3   Bemidji State  5 –4  7 –4   Minnesota State–Moorhead  4 –5  4 –6   Minnesota–Crookston  4 –5  4 –7   Northern State  4 –5  4 –7   Wayne State (NE)  3 –6  4 –7   Southwest State (MN)  3 –6  3 –8   Minnesota Morris  0 –9  0 –11   $ – Conference champion^ – NCAA Division II playoff participantRankings from AFCA Poll | 2001 Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference football standings vteConfOverall Team W L W L  East Division No. 5 Bloomsburg x^  6 –0  9 –2   East Stroudsburg  5 –1  7 –3   Kutztown  4 –2  6 –4   West Chester  3 –3  5 –4   Millersville  2 –4  3 –8   Mansfield  1 –5  2 –8   Cheyney  0 –6  0 –10   West Division No. 8 IUP x^  6 –0  8 –2   Shippensburg  5 –1  8 –3   Slippery Rock  3 –3  6 –4   Edinboro  3 –3  4 –6   Clarion  2 –4  4 –7   California (PA)  1 –5  5 –5   Lock Haven  1 –5  3 –8   x – Division champion/co-champions^ – NCAA Division II playoff participantRankings from AFCA poll |
| 2001 Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference football standings vteConfOverall Team W L W L  Chadron State $^  8 –0  10 –1   Nebraska–Kearney  7 –1  8 –2   Mesa State  5 –3  7 –4   Western State (CO)  5 –3  6 –5   Colorado Mines  4 –4  7 –4   New Mexico Highlands  3 –5  4 –7   Fort Hays State  2 –6  3 –8   Adams State  1 –7  2 –9   Fort Lewis  1 –7  2 –9   $ – Conference champion^ – NCAA Division II playoff participant | 2001 South Atlantic Conference football standings vteConfOverall Team W L W L  No. 7 Catawba $^  6 –1  11 –2   No. 18 Tusculum  5 –3  8 –2   Carson–Newman  5 –2  6 –3   Presbyterian  5 –2  7 –4   Mars Hill  4 –3  7 –4   Lenoir–Rhyne  2 –5  2 –7   Wingate  1 –6  4 –7   Newberry  0 –7  4 –7   $ – Conference champion^ – NCAA Division II playoff participantRankings from AFCA poll | 2001 Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference football standings vteConfOverall Team W L W L  No. 10 Tuskegee +  6 –1  11 –1   Morehouse +  6 –1  8 –2   No. 21 Fort Valley State +  6 –1  8 –3   Albany State  3 –4  4 –6   Miles  3 –4  4 –7   Kentucky State  2 –5  3 –8   Lane  1 –6  3 –7   Clark Atlanta  1 –6  1 –10   + – Conference co-championsRankings from AFCA Poll |
| 2001 West Virginia Intercollegiate Athletic Conference football standings vteConfOverall Team W L W L  Glenville State $  6 –1  6 –3   Shepherd  5 –2  8 –2   Fairmont State  5 –2  6 –3   West Virginia Tech  4 –3  5 –6   West Liberty State  3 –4  5 –5   West Virginia Wesleyan  3 –4  3 –6   West Virginia State  2 –5  4 –7   Concord  0 –7  1 –9   $ – Conference champion | 2001 NCAA Division II independents football records vteConfOverall Team W L W L  No. 12 UC Davis ^   –  10 –3   New Haven   –  5 –4   Western New Mexico   –  3 –7   Quincy   –  2 –8   Saint Joseph's (IN)   –  2 –8   ^ – NCAA Division II playoff participantRankings from AFCA poll |

## Conference summaries

* Conference Champions
* Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association – Virginia Union
* Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference – Grand Valley State
* Great Northwest Athletic Conference – Western Washington
* Gulf South Conference – Valdosta State
* Lone Star Conference – Tarleton State and Texas A&M–Kingsville
* Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association – Pittsburg State
* North Central Conference – North Dakota
* Northeast-10 Conference – C.W. Post
* Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference – Winona State
* Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference – Bloomsburg (East), Indiana (PA) (West)
* Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference – Chadron State
* South Atlantic Conference – Catawba
* Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference – Fort Valley State, Morehouse and Tuskegee
* West Virginia Intercollegiate Athletic Conference – Glenville State

## Postseason

The 2001 NCAA Division II Football Championship playoffs were the 28th 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 15th 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 |
| North Dakota | 42 | | | | | | | |
| Winona State | 28 | | | | | | | |
| Winona State | 28 | North Dakota | 38 | | | | | |
| | | Pittsburg State | 0 | | | | | |
| Pittsburg State | 20 | Pittsburg State | 0 | | | | | |
| Nebraska–Omaha | 7 | | | | | | | |
| Nebraska–Omaha | 7 | | | North Dakota | 14 | | | |
| | | | | UC Davis | 2 | | | |
| Tarleton State | 28 | | | | | UC Davis | 2 | | | |
| Chadron State | 24 | | | | | | | |
| Chadron State | 24 | Tarleton State | 25 | | | | | |
| | | UC Davis | 42 | | | | | |
| UC Davis | 37 | UC Davis | 42 | | | | | |
| Texas A&M–Kingsville | 32 | | | | | | | |
| Texas A&M–Kingsville | 32 | | | | | | North Dakota | 17 |
| | | | | | | | Grand Valley State | 14 |
| Valdosta State | 40 | | | | | | | | Grand Valley State | 14 |
| Fort Valley State | 24 | | | | | | | |
| Fort Valley State | 24 | Valdosta State | 34 | | | | | |
| | | Catawba | 37* | | | | | |
| Catawba | 35 | Catawba | 37* | | | | | |
| Central Arkansas | 34 | | | | | | | |
| Central Arkansas | 34 | | | Catawba | 16 | | | |
| | | | | Grand Valley State | 34 | | | |
| Grand Valley State | 42 | | | | | Grand Valley State | 34 | | | |
| Bloomsburg | 14 | | | | | | | |
| Bloomsburg | 14 | Grand Valley State | 33 | | | | | |
| | | Saginaw Valley State | 30 | | | | | |
| Saginaw Valley State | 33 | Saginaw Valley State | 30 | | | | | |
| IUP | 32 | | | | | | | |