# 1977 NCAA Division III football season

The 1977 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 1977, and concluded with the NCAA Division III Football Championship in December 1977 at Garrett-Harrison Stadium in Phenix City, Alabama. The Widener Pioneers won their first Division III championship, defeating the Wabash Little Giants by a final score of 39−36.

## Conference standings

1977 College Athletic Conference football standings :
| 1977 College Athletic Conference football standings vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T Southwestern (TN) $ 4 –0 –09 –1 –1 Rose–Hulman 3 –1 –05 –5 –0 Centre 1 –3 –03 –6 –0 Principia 1 –3 –02 –6 –0 Sewanee 1 –3 –02 –7 –0 $ – Conference champion | 1977 College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin football standings vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T Illinois Wesleyan + 6 –2 –06 –3 –0 Millikin + 6 –2 –06 –3 –0 North Central (IL) 5 –3 –06 –3 –0 Carthage 4 –4 –05 –4 –0 Wheaton (IL) 4 –4 –05 –4 –0 Elmhurst 4 –4 –05 –4 –0 Augustana (IL) 4 –4 –04 –5 –0 Carroll (WI) 3 –5 –04 –5 –0 North Park 0 –8 –00 –9 –0 + – Conference co-champions | 1977 Independent College Athletic Conference football standings vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T Ithaca $ 4 –0 –06 –3 –0 Hobart 4 –1 –07 –2 –0 St. Lawrence 3 –2 –07 –2 –0 RPI 1 –2 –04 –5 –0 Alfred 1 –3 –04 –5 –0 RIT 0 –5 –00 –8 –1 $ – Conference champion |
| 1977 Indiana Collegiate Conference football standings vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T Saint Joseph's (IN) + 3 –1 –05 –4 –0 Butler + 3 –1 –05 –5 –0 Indiana Central 2 –1 –16 –2 –1 Valparaiso 1 –2 –13 –6 –1 Evansville 0 –4 –01 –8 –0 + – Conference co-champions | 1977 Iowa Conference football standings vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T Central (IA) $^ 7 –0 –09 –1 –0 Wartburg 6 –1 –07 –2 –0 Buena Vista 5 –2 –07 –2 –0 William Penn 3 –4 –06 –4 –0 Luther 3 –4 –05 –5 –0 Dubuque 2 –5 –04 –6 –0 Simpson (IA) 2 –5 –02 –7 –0 Upper Iowa 0 –7 –02 –7 –0 $ – Conference champion^ – NCAA Division III playoff participant | 1977 Metropolitan Intercollegiate Conference football standings vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T Fordham $ 3 –0 –08 –2 –0 C. W. Post 3 –0 –05 –3 –1 Hofstra 3 –2 –06 –3 –0 Merchant Marine 1 –2 –03 –6 –0 Wagner 1 –4 –02 –7 –0 Seton Hall 0 –3 –03 –5 –0 $ – Conference champion |
| 1977 Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association football standings vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T Albion $^ 5 –0 –08 –2 –0 Hope 4 –1 –06 –3 –0 Adrian 2 –2 –14 –4 –1 Alma 2 –3 –06 –3 –0 Kalamazoo 1 –4 –03 –5 –0 Olivet 0 –4 –10 –8 –1 $ – Conference champion^ – NCAA Division III playoff participant | 1977 Middle Atlantic Conference football standings vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T Northern Division Albright x 5 –1 –07 –2 –0 Upsala 5 –1 –07 –2 –0 Lycoming 4 –2 –06 –3 –0 Juniata 3 –3 –05 –5 –0 Wilkes 3 –3 –04 –5 –0 Susquehanna 1 –5 –02 –7 –0 Delaware Valley 0 –6 –02 –7 –0 Southern Division Widener x^ 6 –0 –011 –1 –0 Franklin & Marshall 7 –1 –07 –2 –0 Dickinson 5 –2 –16 –2 –1 Muhlenberg 5 –3 –06 –3 –0 Swarthmore 4 –4 –14 –4 –1 Lebanon Valley 3 –5 –03 –6 –0 Western Maryland 2 –4 –12 –6 –1 Moravian 2 –5 –02 –7 –0 Ursinus 2 –5 –02 –7 –0 Johns Hopkins 0 –8 –11 –8 –1 Gettysburg * 1 –1 –03 –7 –0 x – Division champion/co-champions^ – NCAA Division III playoff participant * – Ineligible due to insufficient conference games | 1977 Midwest Conference football standings vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T East Division Ripon xy$ 4 –0 –08 –1 –0 Lawrence 3 –1 –08 –1 –0 Lake Forest 2 –2 –04 –4 –0 Chicago 1 –3 –02 –6 –0 Beloit 0 –4 –00 –9 –0 West Division Cornell (IA) xy 5 –0 –08 –1 –0 Coe 4 –1 –05 –4 –0 Monmouth (IL) 3 –2 –05 –4 –0 Grinnell 1 –3 –14 –4 –1 Knox 1 –3 –13 –5 –1 Carleton 0 –5 –01 –7 –0 Championship: Ripon 10, Cornell (IA) 7 $ – Conference championx – Division champion/co-championsy – Championship game participant |
| 1977 Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference football standings vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T Saint John's (MN) $^ 7 –0 –07 –2 –0 Concordia–Moorhead 5 –2 –07 –3 –0 Gustavus Adolphus 5 –2 –06 –4 –0 St. Thomas (MN) 3 –3 –14 –5 –1 Augsburg 3 –4 –03 –6 –0 St. Olaf 2 –4 –15 –4 –1 Hamline 2 –5 –02 –7 –0 Macalester 0 –7 –00 –9 –0 $ – Conference champion^ – NCAA Division III playoff participant | 1977 New England Football Conference standings vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T Massachusetts Maritime $ 7 –1 –08 –1 –0 Bridgewater State 5 –3 –06 –3 –0 Maine Maritime 5 –3 –05 –3 –0 Boston State 4 –3 –14 –4 –1 Curry 4 –4 –05 –4 –0 Nichols 4 –4 –05 –4 –0 New Haven 3 –5 –03 –5 –0 Framingham State 2 –6 –03 –6 –0 Plymouth State 1 –6 –12 –6 –1 $ – Conference champion | 1977 New Jersey State Athletic Conference football standings vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T Glassboro State $ 5 –0 –07 –3 –0 Montclair State 3 –2 –06 –4 –0 Trenton State 3 –2 –04 –5 –0 Kean 2 –2 –13 –6 –1 William Paterson 1 –3 –14 –4 –1 Jersey City State 0 –5 –01 –8 –0 $ – Conference champion |
| 1977 Northern Intercollegiate Conference football standings vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T Minnesota Morris $^ 7 –0 –010 –2 –0 Bemidji State 5 –2 –06 –4 –0 Moorhead State 5 –2 –06 –4 –0 Minnesota Duluth 4 –3 –07 –3 –0 St. Cloud State 4 –3 –05 –6 –0 Michigan Tech 1 –6 –03 –7 –0 Winona State 1 –6 –03 –7 –0 Southwest State (MN) 1 –6 –01 –8 –0 $ – Conference champion^ – NCAA Division III playoff participant | 1977 Ohio Athletic Conference football standings vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T Blue Division Baldwin–Wallace xy$ 5 –0 –09 –1 –0 Otterbein 4 –1 –08 –1 –0 Marietta 3 –2 –03 –6 –0 Mount Union 2 –3 –04 –5 –0 Ohio Wesleyan 1 –4 –02 –6 –1 Denison 0 –5 –00 –8 –1 Red Division Wittenberg xy 5 –0 –09 –1 –0 Muskingum 4 –1 –07 –2 –0 Wooster 3 –2 –06 –3 –0 Capital 2 –3 –05 –4 –0 Ohio Northern 1 –4 –02 –7 –0 Heidelberg 0 –5 –01 –8 –0 Not competing for championship Kenyon   –  4 –5 –0 Oberlin   –  1 –7 –0 Championship: Baldwin–Wallace 14, Wittenberg 7 $ – Conference championx – Division champion/co-championsy – Championship game participant | 1977 Old Dominion Athletic Conference football standings vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T Hampden–Sydney $^ 4 –0 –09 –2 –0 Randolph–Macon 2 –1 –14 –5 –1 Emory & Henry 2 –2 –03 –7 –0 Washington and Lee 1 –3 –03 –8 –0 Bridgewater 0 –3 –13 –5 –1 $ – Conference champion^ – NCAA Division III playoff participant |
| 1977 Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference football standings vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T East Division No. 4 Millersville xy 5 –0 –08 –2 –0 Kutztown 4 –1 –07 –2 –0 East Stroudsburg 3 –2 –06 –2 –0 Bloomsburg 2 –3 –04 –5 –0 Cheyney 1 –4 –04 –5 –0 Mansfield 0 –5 –02 –6 –1 West Division No. 8 Clarion xy$ 5 –0 –19 –0 –1 Shippensburg 4 –2 –06 –4 –0 Slippery Rock 3 –2 –14 –4 –1 Lock Haven 3 –3 –05 –5 –0 Indiana (PA) 2 –3 –14 –4 –1 Edinboro 2 –3 –13 –6 –1 California (PA) 0 –6 –02 –8 –0 Championship: Clarion 25, Millersville 24 $ – Conference championx – Division champion/co-championsy – Championship game participantRankings from NAIA Division I poll | 1977 Presidents' Athletic Conference football standings vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T Carnegie Mellon $ 7 –0 –08 –1 –0 Allegheny 5 –2 –05 –3 –0 Case Western Reserve 5 –2 –05 –4 –0 Washington & Jefferson 3 –3 –14 –4 –1 Hiram 3 –4 –03 –6 –0 Thiel 2 –4 –12 –5 –1 Bethany (WV) 2 –5 –02 –7 –0 John Carroll 0 –7 –02 –7 –0 $ – Conference champion | 1977 Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference football standings vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T Redlands $ 5 –0 –06 –3 –0 No. T–14 Whittier 4 –1 –08 –2 –0 Occidental 3 –2 –05 –4 –0 La Verne 2 –3 –04 –5 –0 Claremont-Mudd 1 –4 –01 –7 –0 Pomona-Pitzer 0 –5 –00 –8 –0 $ – Conference championRedlands forfeited two non-conference wins.Rankings from NAIA Division II poll |
| 1977 Wisconsin State University Conference football standings vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T No. 6 Wisconsin–Stevens Point $^ 7 –0 –18 –2 –1 Wisconsin–Whitewater 6 –2 –07 –4 –0 Wisconsin–La Crosse 5 –2 –16 –2 –2 Wisconsin–Platteville 5 –3 –07 –3 –0 Wisconsin–Oshkosh 3 –5 –05 –5 –0 Wisconsin–Eau Claire 3 –5 –05 –6 –0 Wisconsin–River Falls 3 –5 –04 –6 –0 Wisconsin–Stout 2 –6 –02 –8 –0 Wisconsin–Superior 1 –7 –01 –9 –0 $ – Conference champion^ – NAIA Division I playoff participantRankings from NAIA Division I poll | 1977 NCAA Division III independents football records vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T Wabash ^   –  11 –2 –0 Albany ^   –  9 –2 –0 Norwich   –  7 –2 –0 Maryville (TN)   –  6 –2 –0 Dayton   –  8 –3 –0 Canisius   –  5 –2 –2 Rochester (NY)   –  6 –3 –0 Ashland   –  6 –4 –0 Grove City   –  6 –4 –0 James Madison   –  5 –5 –0 Salisbury State   –  5 –5 –0 Brockport   –  4 –5 –0 Fairleigh Dickinson–Florham   –  4 –5 –0 Saint Mary's   –  4 –5 –0 Colorado College   –  3 –6 –0 Union (NY)   –  2 –5 –1 Bowie State   –  3 –7 –0 San Diego   –  3 –7 –0 Saint Peter's   –  2 –5 –0 Millsaps   –  2 –6 –0 Georgetown   –  2 –7 –0 Cortland   –  2 –8 –0 Plattsburgh   –  1 –6 –1 DePauw   –  1 –9 –0 St. Norbert   –  0 –10 –0 $ – Conference champion^ – NCAA Division III playoff participant |

## Conference champions

* Conference champions
* College Athletic Conference – Southwestern at Memphis
* College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin – Illinois Wesleyan and Millikin
* Independent College Athletic Conference – Champion Unknown
* Iowa Intercollegiate Athletic Conference – Central (IA)
* Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association – Albion
* Middle Atlantic Conference – Albright (North), Widener (South)
* Midwest Collegiate Athletic Conference – Ripon
* Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference – Saint John's (MN)
* New England Football Conference – Massachusetts Maritime
* New Jersey State Athletic Conference – Glassboro State
* Northwest Conference – Linfield
* Old Dominion Athletic Conference – Hampden–Sydney
* Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference – Clarion
* Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (Division III) – Clark Atlanta and Miles
* Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference – Redlands
* Texas Intercollegiate Athletic Association – Tarleton State
* Twin Rivers Conference – Concordia–St. Paul
* Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference – Wisconsin–Stevens Point

## Postseason

The 1977 NCAA Division III Football Championship playoffs were the fifth annual single-elimination tournament to determine the national champion of men's NCAA Division III college football. The championship game was held at Garrett-Harrison Stadium in Phenix City, Alabama for the fifth consecutive year. Like the previous two championships, eight teams competed in this edition.

### Playoff bracket

| Quarterfinals Campus Sites | Quarterfinals Campus Sites | Quarterfinals Campus Sites | Semifinals Campus Sites | Semifinals Campus Sites | Semifinals Campus Sites | National Championship Game Garrett-Harrison Stadium Phenix City, AL | National Championship Game Garrett-Harrison Stadium Phenix City, AL | National Championship Game Garrett-Harrison Stadium Phenix City, AL |
| Minnesota–Morris | Minnesota–Morris | 13 | | | | | | |
| Albion | Albion | 10 | | | | | | |
| Albion | Albion | 10 | Minnesota–Morris | Minnesota–Morris | 21 | | | |
| | | | Wabash | Wabash | 37 | | | |
| Wabash | Wabash | 20 | Wabash | Wabash | 37 | | | |
| Saint John's (MN) | Saint John's (MN) | 9 | | | | | | |
| Saint John's (MN) | Saint John's (MN) | 9 | | | | Wabash | Wabash | 36 |
| | | | | | | Widener | Widener | 39 |
| Widener | Widener | 19 | | | | | | | Widener | Widener | 39 |
| Central (IA) | Central (IA) | 0 | | | | | | |
| Central (IA) | Central (IA) | 0 | Widener | Widener | 33 | | | |
| | | | Albany | Albany | 15 | | | |
| Albany | Albany | 51 | Albany | Albany | 15 | | | |
| Hampden–Sydney | Hampden–Sydney | 41 | | | | | | |