# 2001 NCAA Division III football season

The 2001 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 2001, and concluded with the NCAA Division III Football Championship, also known as the Stagg Bowl, in December 2001 at Salem Football Stadium in Salem, Virginia. The Mount Union Purple Raiders won their sixth, and second consecutive, Division III championship by defeating the Bridgewater (VA) Eagles, 30−27.
The Gagliardi Trophy, given to the most outstanding player in Division III football, was awarded to Chuck Moore, running back from Mount Union.

## Conference and program changes
### Conference changes

| School | 2000 Conference | 2001 Conference |
| Christopher Newport | New program | Dixie |

### Program changes

* After Salisbury State University shortened its name to Salisbury University in 2001, the Salisbury State Sea Gulls became the Salisbury Sea Gulls at the start of the 2001 season.

## Conference standings

2001 American Southwest Conference football standings :
| 2001 American Southwest Conference football standings vteConfOverall Team W L W L  Hardin–Simmons $^  8 –0  8 –2   Mary Hardin–Baylor ^  7 –1  8 –2   Howard Payne  7 –2  8 –2   Mississippi College  6 –3  7 –3   East Texas Baptist  4 –5  5 –5   Austin  3 –5  3 –6   Louisiana College  3 –6  4 –6   Sul Ross  3 –6  3 –7   Texas Lutheran  2 –7  2 –8   McMurry  0 –8  0 –9   $ – Conference champion^ – NCAA Division III playoff participant | 2001 Atlantic Central Football Conference standings vteConfOverall Team W L W L  Wesley $  3 –0  7 –3   Frostburg State  2 –1  4 –5   Salisbury  1 –2  4 –6   Apprentice §  0 –3  2 –7   $ – Conference champion§ – Not an NCAA member | 2001 Centennial Conference football standings vteConfOverall Team W L W L  Western Maryland +^  5 –1  8 –3   Muhlenberg +  5 –1  7 –4   Johns Hopkins  4 –2  6 –3   Ursinus  3 –3  6 –4   Dickinson  3 –3  5 –5   Gettysburg  1 –5  4 –6   Franklin & Marshall  0 –6  1 –9   + – Conference co-champions^ – NCAA Division III playoff participant |
| 2001 College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin football standings vteConfOverall Team W L W L  Augustana (IL) +^  6 –1  10 –2   Illinois Wesleyan +  6 –1  7 –2   Millikin  5 –2  8 –2   Wheaton (IL)  5 –2  6 –4   Carthage  3 –4  6 –4   North Central (IL)  2 –5  3 –7   Elmhurst  1 –6  2 –8   North Park  0 –7  2 –8   + – Conference co-champions^ – NCAA Division III playoff participant | 2001 Dixie Conference football standings vteConfOverall Team W L W L  Ferrum +  5 –1  6 –4   Christopher Newport +^  5 –1  5 –5   Greensboro  3 –3  5 –5   Methodist  3 –3  5 –5   Shenandoah  3 –3  5 –5   Chowan  2 –4  2 –7   Averett  0 –6  1 –8   + – Conference co-champions^ – NCAA Division III playoff participant | 2001 Freedom Football Conference standings vteConfOverall Team W L W L  Western Connecticut +^  5 –1  8 –2   Plymouth State +  5 –1  7 –3   Merchant Marine  3 –3  4 –5   Springfield (MA)  3 –3  4 –5   WPI  3 –3  4 –6   Norwich  1 –5  4 –6   Coast Guard  1 –5  2 –7   + – Conference co-champions^ – NCAA Division III playoff participant |
| 2001 Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference football standings vteConfOverall Team W L W L  Anderson (IN) +  5 –1  8 –2   Defiance +^  5 –1  8 –3   Bluffton  4 –2  5 –5   Hanover  4 –2  5 –5   Franklin (IN)  2 –4  3 –7   Manchester  1 –5  2 –8   Mount St. Joseph  0 –6  0 –10   + – Conference co-champions^ – NCAA Division III playoff participant | 2001 Illini–Badger Football Conference standings vteConfOverall Team W L W L  MacMurray $^  7 –0  9 –2   Aurora  6 –1  7 –2   Concordia (WI)  4 –3  6 –4   Benedictine (IL)  4 –3  4 –6   Lakeland  3 –4  4 –6   Greenville  2 –5  5 –5   Concordia (IL)  1 –6  1 –9   Eureka  1 –6  1 –9   $ – Conference champion^ – NCAA Division III playoff participant | 2001 Iowa Conference football standings vteConfOverall Team W L W L  Central (IA) $^  8 –1  9 –2   Wartburg  7 –2  8 –2   Cornell (IA)  6 –3  7 –3   Coe  6 –3  6 –4   Buena Vista  4 –5  5 –5   Loras  4 –5  5 –5   Simpson (IA)  4 –5  4 –6   Upper Iowa  3 –6  3 –7   Luther  2 –7  3 –7   Dubuque  1 –8  2 –8   $ – Conference champion^ – NCAA Division III playoff participant |
| 2001 Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association football standings vteConfOverall Team W L W L  Albion $  5 –0  8 –2   Hope  4 –1  7 –2   Alma  3 –2  6 –4   Adrian  2 –3  2 –8   Kalamazoo  1 –4  5 –4   Olivet  0 –5  1 –9   $ – Conference champion | 2001 Middle Atlantic Conference football standings vteConfOverall Team W L W L  Widener $^  10 –0  12 –1   Lycoming  8 –1  8 –1   King's (PA)  7 –2  7 –3   Albright  5 –4  6 –4   Juniata  4 –5  5 –5   Susquehanna  4 –5  4 –6   Wilkes  4 –5  4 –6   Moravian  3 –5  4 –5   Delaware Valley  2 –7  3 –7   Fairleigh Dickinson–Florham  1 –7  1 –8   Lebanon Valley  1 –8  1 –9   $ – Conference champion^ – NCAA Division III playoff participant | 2001 Midwest Conference football standings vteConfOverall Team W L W L  Ripon +  7 –1  8 –2   St. Norbert +^  8 –1  9 –1   Monmouth (IL)  6 –2  8 –2   Grinnell  5 –3  5 –5   Illinois College  4 –4  6 –4   Lake Forest  4 –4  5 –5   Beloit  2 –6  3 –7   Carroll (WI)  2 –6  2 –7   Knox  2 –6  2 –7   Lawrence  1 –7  2 –8   + – Conference co-champions^ – NCAA Division III playoff participant |
| 2001 Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference football standings vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T Bethel (MN) +^ 8 –1 –09 –2 –0 Saint John's (MN) +^ 8 –1 –011 –3 –0 St. Thomas (MN) 7 –2 –07 –3 –0 Gustavus Adolphus 6 –3 –07 –3 –0 St. Olaf 5 –4 –06 –4 –0 Concordia–Moorhead 4 –5 –05 –5 –0 Augsburg 4 –5 –04 –6 –0 Hamline 2 –7 –02 –8 –0 Carleton 1 –8 –01 –9 –0 Macalester 0 –9 –00 –10 –0 + – Conference co-champions^ – NCAA Division III playoff participant | 2001 New England Small College Athletic Conference football standings vteConfOverall Team W L W L  Williams $  8 –0  8 –0   Amherst  7 –1  7 –1   Tufts  6 –2  6 –2   Colby  4 –4  4 –4   Middlebury  4 –4  4 –4   Trinity (CT)  4 –4  4 –4   Wesleyan  4 –4  4 –4   Bates  1 –7  1 –7   Bowdoin  1 –7  1 –7   Hamilton  1 –7  1 –7   $ – Conference champion | 2001 New England Football Conference standings vteConfOverall Team W L W L  Bogan Division Westfield State xy$^  6 –0  10 –1   Worcester State  5 –1  10 –1   Bridgewater State  3 –3  5 –4   Framingham State  2 –4  2 –7   Maine Maritime  2 –4  2 –7   Massachusetts Maritime  2 –4  2 –7   Fitchburg State  1 –5  2 –7   Boyd Division Nichols xy  5 –0  6 –4   Curry  4 –1  9 –2   UMass Dartmouth  3 –2  6 –4   Salve Regina  2 –3  4 –4   Western New England  1 –4  3 –5   MIT  0 –5  1 –8   Championship: Westfield State 12, Nichols 0 $ – Conference championx – Division champion/co-championsy – Championship game participant^ – NCAA Division III playoff participant |
| 2001 New Jersey Athletic Conference football standings vteConfOverall Team W L W L  Rowan +^  5 –1  11 –2   Montclair State +^  5 –1  9 –2   TCNJ  4 –2  6 –4   Cortland  3 –3  5 –5   William Paterson  2 –4  3 –7   Kean  1 –5  2 –7   New Jersey City  1 –5  1 –8   + – Conference co-champions^ – NCAA Division III playoff participant | 2001 North Coast Athletic Conference football standings vteConfOverall Team W L W L  Wittenberg $^  7 –0  11 –2   Ohio Wesleyan  6 –1  9 –1   Wabash  6 –1  8 –2   Allegheny  4 –3  5 –5   Earlham  3 –4  4 –6   Wooster  3 –4  4 –6   Denison  2 –5  2 –8   Oberlin  2 –5  2 –8   Hiram  1 –6  3 –7   Kenyon  1 –6  1 –9   $ – Conference champion^ – NCAA Division III playoff participant | 2001 Northwest Conference football standings vteConfOverall Team W L W L  Linfield +  4 –1  7 –2   Whitworth +  4 –1  7 –2   Pacific Lutheran +^  4 –1  8 –3   Willamette  2 –3  4 –5   Lewis & Clark  1 –4  3 –6   Puget Sound  0 –5  0 –9   + – Conference co-champions^ – NCAA Division III playoff participant |
| 2001 Ohio Athletic Conference football standings vteConfOverall Team W L W L  Mount Union $^  9 –0  14 –0   Ohio Northern  8 –1  8 –2   Capital  6 –3  7 –3   John Carroll  6 –3  7 –3   Baldwin–Wallace  5 –4  5 –5   Wilmington (OH)  4 –5  5 –5   Otterbein  3 –6  4 –6   Muskingum  2 –7  3 –7   Marietta  1 –8  2 –8   Heidelberg  1 –8  1 –9   $ – Conference champion^ – NCAA Division III playoff participant | 2001 Old Dominion Athletic Conference football standings vteConfOverall Team W L W L  Bridgewater $^  6 –0  12 –1   Emory & Henry  3 –3  5 –5   Hampden–Sydney  3 –3  5 –5   Washington and Lee  3 –3  5 –5   Guilford  3 –3  4 –6   Randolph–Macon  2 –4  4 –6   Catholic University  1 –5  3 –7   $ – Conference champion^ – NCAA Division III playoff participant | 2001 Presidents' Athletic Conference football standings vteConfOverall Team W L W L  Washington & Jefferson $^  4 –0  11 –1   Bethany (WV)  2 –2  6 –3   Waynesburg  2 –2  3 –7   Grove City  1 –3  2 –8   Thiel  1 –3  2 –8   Westminster (PA) *  0 –0  4 –5   $ – Conference champion^ – NCAA Division III playoff participant * Completing reclassification from NCAA Division II—games did not count in conference standings. |
| 2001 Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference football standings vteConfOverall Team W L W L  Occidental $  5 –0  8 –1   Cal Lutheran  3 –2  6 –3   Redlands  3 –2  5 –3   Claremont-Mudd-Scripps  2 –3  5 –3   Whittier  2 –3  2 –7   La Verne  0 –5  1 –8   $ – Conference champion | 2001 Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference football standings vteConfOverall Team W L W L  Trinity (TX) $^  6 –0  9 –2   Centre  5 –1  9 –1   DePauw  4 –2  5 –5   Millsaps  3 –3  6 –4   Sewanee  2 –4  5 –5   Rhodes  1 –5  5 –5   Rose–Hulman  0 –6  2 –8   $ – Conference champion^ – NCAA Division III playoff participant | 2001 Upstate Collegiate Athletic Association football standings vteConfOverall Team W L W L  RPI $  4 –0  8 –1   Union (NY)  3 –1  9 –2   Hobart  2 –2  6 –3   Rochester (NY)  1 –3  3 –7   St. Lawrence  0 –4  0 –10   $ – Conference champion |
| 2001 Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference football standings vteConfOverall Team W L W L  Wisconsin–Eau Claire +  5 –2  8 –2   Wisconsin–Stevens Point +^  5 –2  8 –3   Wisconsin–Stout  4 –3  6 –3   Wisconsin–River Falls  4 –3  4 –5   Wisconsin–La Crosse  3 –4  4 –6   Wisconsin–Platteville  3 –4  4 –6   Wisconsin–Whitewater  2 –5  5 –5   Wisconsin–Oshkosh  2 –5  3 –6   + – Conference co-champions^ – NCAA Division III playoff participant | 2001 NCAA Division III independents football records vteConfOverall Team W L W L  Thomas More ^   –  11 –1   Ithaca ^   –  11 –2   Brockport ^   –  9 –2   Menlo   –  8 –2   Hartwick   –  7 –4   Rockford   –  5 –4   Alfred   –  4 –5   Martin Luther   –  4 –5   Wisconsin Lutheran   –  4 –5   Chapman   –  3 –6   Colorado College   –  3 –6   Maranatha Baptist   –  3 –6   Principia   –  2 –4   St. John Fisher   –  3 –7   Pomona-Pitzer   –  2 –6   Maryville (TN)   –  2 –8   Westminster (MO)   –  2 –8   Buffalo State   –  1 –8   Mount Ida   –  1 –8   Utica   –  0 –8   Blackburn   –  0 –10   ^ – NCAA Division III playoff participant |

## Conference champions

* Conference champions
* American Southwest Conference – Hardin–Simmons
* Atlantic Central Football Conference – Wesley
* Centennial Conference – Western Maryland and Muhlenberg
* College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin – Augustana (IL) and Illinois Wesleyan
* Dixie Intercollegiate Football Conference – Christopher Newport and Ferrum
* Freedom Football Conference – Plymouth State and Western Connecticut State
* Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference – Anderson and Defiance
* Illini-Badger Football Conference – MacMurray
* Iowa Intercollegiate Athletic Conference – Central (IA)
* Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association – Albion
* Middle Atlantic Conference – Widener
* Midwest Conference – Ripon and St. Norbert
* Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference – Bethel (MN) and Saint John's (MN)
* New England Football Conference – Westfield State (Bogan Division), Nichols (Boyd Division)
* Championship Game: Westfield State 12, Nichols 0
* New England Small College Athletic Conference – Williams
* New Jersey Athletic Conference – Rowan
* North Coast Athletic Conference – Wittenberg
* Northwest Conference – Linfield, Pacific Lutheran, and Whitworth
* Ohio Athletic Conference – Mount Union
* Old Dominion Athletic Conference – Bridgewater
* Presidents' Athletic Conference – Washington & Jefferson
* Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference – Occidental
* Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference – Trinity (TX)
* University Athletic Association – Washington–Saint Louis
* Upper Midwest Athletic Conference – Northwestern–St. Paul
* Upstate Collegiate Athletic Conference – RPI
* Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference – Wisconsin–Eau Claire and Wisconsin–Stevens Point

## Postseason

The 2001 NCAA Division III Football Championship playoffs were the 29th 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 ninth time. This was the third bracket to feature 28 teams since last expanding in 1999.

### 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 | 32 | | | | | | | | | |
| Augustana (IL) | Augustana (IL) | 54 | Augustana (IL) | Augustana (IL) | 7 | | | | | | | | | |
| Defiance | Defiance | 14 | | | | Mount Union | Mount Union | 49 | | | | | | |
| Wittenberg | Wittenberg | 38* | | | | Wittenberg | Wittenberg | 21 | | | | | | |
| Hardin–Simmons | Hardin–Simmons | 35 | Wittenberg | Wittenberg | 41 | | | | | | | | | |
| Thomas More | Thomas More | 34 | Thomas More | Thomas More | 0 | | | | | | | | | |
| MacMurray | MacMurray | 30 | | | | | | | Mount Union | Mount Union | 35 | | | |
| | | | | | | | | | Saint John's (MN) | Saint John's (MN) | 14 | | | |
| | | | Central (IA) | Central (IA) | 21 | | | | | | | | | |
| Pacific Lutheran | Pacific Lutheran | 27* | Pacific Lutheran | Pacific Lutheran | 27* | | | | | | | | | |
| Whitworth | Whitworth | 26 | | | | Pacific Lutheran | Pacific Lutheran | 6 | | | | | | |
| Saint John's (MN) | Saint John's (MN) | 27 | | | | Saint John's (MN) | Saint John's (MN) | 31 | | | | | | |
| St. Norbert | St. Norbert | 20 | Saint John's (MN) | Saint John's (MN) | 9 | | | | | | | | | |
| UW–Stevens Point | UW–Stevens Point | 37 | UW–Stevens Point | UW–Stevens Point | 7 | | | | | | | | | |
| Bethel (MN) | Bethel (MN) | 27 | | | | | | | | | | Mount Union | Mount Union | 30 |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | Bridgewater (VA) | Bridgewater (VA) | 27 |
| | | | RPI | RPI | 10 | | | | | | | | | |
| Ithaca | Ithaca | 35 | Ithaca | Ithaca | 27 | | | | | | | | | |
| Montclair State | Montclair State | 23 | | | | Ithaca | Ithaca | 0 | | | | | | |
| Rowan | Rowan | 40 | | | | Rowan | Rowan | 48 | | | | | | |
| Brockport | Brockport | 17 | Rowan | Rowan | 43 | | | | | | | | | |
| West. Conn. State | West. Conn. State | 8 | West. Conn. State | West. Conn. State | 14 | | | | | | | | | |
| Westfield State | Westfield State | 7 | | | | | | | Rowan | Rowan | 24 | | | |
| | | | | | | | | | Bridgewater (VA) | Bridgewater (VA) | 29 | | | |
| | | | Bridgewater (VA) | Bridgewater (VA) | 41 | | | | | | | | | |
| Trinity (TX) | Trinity (TX) | 30 | Trinity (TX) | Trinity (TX) | 37 | | | | | | | | | |
| Mary Hardin–Baylor | Mary Hardin–Baylor | 6 | | | | Bridgewater (VA) | Bridgewater (VA) | 57 | | | | | | |
| Widener | Widener | 56 | | | | Widener | Widener | 32 | | | | | | |
| Christopher Newport | Christopher Newport | 7 | Widener | Widener | 46 | | | | | | | | | |
| Wash. & Jefferson | Wash. & Jefferson | 24 | Wash. & Jefferson | Wash. & Jefferson | 30 | | | | | | | | | |
| Western Maryland | Western Maryland | 21 | | | | | | | | | | | | |
* Overtime