# 1980 NCAA Division III football season

The 1980 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 1980, and concluded with the NCAA Division III Football Championship in December 1980 at Garrett-Harrison Stadium in Phenix City, Alabama. The Dayton Flyers won their first Division III championship, defeating the defending national champion Ithaca Bombers by a final score of 63−0.

## Conference changes and new programs

| School | 1979 Conference | 1980 Conference |
| James Madison | D-III Independent | I-AA Independent |

## Conference standings

1980 College Athletic Conference football standings :
| 1980 College Athletic Conference football standings vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T Centre $ 4 –0 –14 –4 –1 Rose–Hulman 4 –1 –06 –4 –0 Sewanee 3 –2 –04 –5 –0 Southwestern (TN) 2 –2 –15 –4 –1 Illinois College 1 –4 –03 –6 –0 Principia 0 –5 –03 –6 –0 $ – Conference champion | 1980 College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin football standings vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T Elmhurst + 6 –2 –07 –2 –0 No. 17 Illinois Wesleyan + 6 –2 –07 –2 –0 Augustana (IL) 5 –3 –06 –3 –0 Carthage 5 –3 –06 –3 –0 Millikin 5 –3 –06 –3 –0 North Central (IL) 5 –3 –06 –3 –0 North Park 2 –6 –03 –6 –0 Wheaton (IL) 1 –7 –02 –7 –0 Carroll (WI) 1 –7 –01 –8 –0 + – Conference co-championsRankings from NAIA Division II poll | 1980 Independent College Athletic Conference football standings vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T Ithaca $^ 3 –0 –012 –1 –0 Alfred 2 –1 –07 –2 –1 Hobart 1 –2 –11 –7 –1 RPI 0 –1 –15 –3 –1 St. Lawrence 1 –3 –05 –4 –0 $ – Conference champion^ – NCAA Division III playoff participant |
| 1980 Iowa Conference football standings vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T Dubuque $^ 6 –1 –08 –2 –1 Buena Vista 5 –2 –06 –3 –0 Luther 5 –2 –06 –3 –0 Central (IA) 5 –2 –05 –4 –0 Simpson (IA) 3 –4 –05 –4 –0 Upper Iowa 2 –5 –03 –6 –0 Wartburg 1 –6 –02 –7 –0 William Penn 1 –6 –03 –7 –0 $ – Conference champion^ – NCAA Division III playoff participant | 1980 Metropolitan Intercollegiate Conference football standings vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T Pace $ 5 –0 –06 –3 –0 Iona 3 –1 –16 –4 –1 Saint Peter's 3 –1 –14 –4 –1 Marist 2 –3 –02 –7 –0 St. John's 1 –4 –03 –7 –0 Brooklyn 0 –5 –01 –9 –0 $ – Conference champion | 1980 Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association football standings vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T Adrian $ 5 –0 –09 –0 –0 Hope 4 –1 –04 –5 –0 Albion 2 –3 –05 –4 –0 Olivet 2 –3 –02 –6 –0 Kalamazoo 1 –4 –03 –5 –0 Alma 1 –4 –02 –7 –0 $ – Conference champion |
| 1980 Middle Atlantic Conference football standings vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T Northern Division Delaware Valley x 7 –0 –07 –3 –0 Lycoming 6 –1 –09 –1 –0 Albright 4 –3 –05 –4 –0 Juniata 4 –3 –04 –5 –0 Wilkes 3 –4 –03 –6 –0 Upsala 2 –5 –03 –6 –1 Susquehanna 2 –5 –02 –7 –0 Fairleigh Dickinson–Florham 0 –7 –01 –8 –0 Southern Division Widener x^ 8 –0 –011 –1 –0 Muhlenberg 7 –1 –08 –1 –0 Franklin & Marshall 6 –2 –07 –2 –0 Western Maryland 5 –3 –05 –4 –0 Gettysburg 4 –3 –16 –3 –1 Moravian 4 –4 –05 –4 –0 Ursinus 3 –4 –13 –5 –1 Swarthmore 3 –5 –04 –5 –0 Dickinson 2 –5 –12 –6 –1 Lebanon Valley 0 –7 –10 –8 –1 Johns Hopkins 0 –8 –01 –8 –0 x – Division champion/co-champions^ – NCAA Division III playoff participant | 1980 Midwest Conference football standings vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T Cornell (IA) + 7 –1 –08 –1 –0 Lawrence + 7 –1 –08 –1 –0 Carleton 6 –2 –06 –3 –0 Coe 4 –3 –05 –4 –0 Ripon 4 –3 –05 –4 –0 Lake Forest 4 –3 –14 –3 –1 Beloit 3 –4 –14 –4 –1 Knox 3 –5 –03 –6 –0 Chicago 1 –7 –01 –8 –0 Grinnell 1 –7 –01 –8 –0 Monmouth (IL) 1 –7 –01 –8 –0 + – Conference co-champions | 1980 Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference football standings vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T Concordia–Moorhead $ 7 –1 –08 –2 –0 No.16 Gustavus Adolphus 6 –2 –07 –3 –0 Saint John's (MN) 5 –3 –05 –3 –0 Hamline 5 –3 –05 –4 –0 St. Olaf 4 –4 –06 –4 –0 Augsburg 4 –4 –05 –5 –0 St. Thomas (MN) 2 –5 –13 –6 –1 Bethel (MN) 2 –6 –02 –8 –0 Macalester 0 –7 –11 –7 –1 $ – Conference championRankings from NAIA Division II poll |
| 1980 New Jersey State Athletic Conference football standings vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T Trenton State $ 6 –0 –08 –1 –1 Montclair State 5 –1 –08 –2 –0 Glassboro State 4 –2 –04 –6 –0 Ramapo 2 –4 –05 –5 –0 William Paterson 2 –4 –05 –5 –0 Kean 2 –4 –04 –5 –0 Jersey City State 0 –6 –02 –8 –0 $ – Conference champion | 1980 New England Football Conference standings vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T Maine Maritime $ 8 –1 –08 –1 –0 New Haven 6 –2 –16 –3 –1 Massachusetts Maritime 6 –3 –06 –3 –0 Plymouth State 5 –3 –16 –3 –1 Bridgewater State 5 –3 –15 –3 –1 Boston State 5 –4 –05 –4 –0 Framingham State 4 –5 –04 –5 –0 Nichols 3 –5 –13 –5 –1 Curry 0 –8 –10 –8 –1 Western Connecticut State 0 –8 –10 –8 –1 $ – Conference champion | 1980 Northern Intercollegiate Conference football standings vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T Minnesota Duluth $ 8 –0 –010 –0 –0 Minnesota Morris ^ 7 –1 –09 –2 –1 No. 11 Moorhead State 6 –2 –08 –2 –0 St. Cloud State 5 –3 –06 –4 –0 Mankato State 3 –5 –03 –7 –0 Southwest State (MN) 2 –5 –13 –6 –1 Winona State 2 –6 –03 –7 –0 Northern State 1 –6 –12 –7 –1 Bemidji State 1 –7 –01 –9 –0 $ – Conference champion^ – NCAA Division III playoff participantRankings from NAIA Division I poll |
| 1980 Ohio Athletic Conference football standings vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T Blue Division Wittenberg xy 6 –0 –08 –2 –0 Ohio Northern 4 –2 –06 –2 –1 Capital 4 –2 –06 –3 –0 Wooster 3 –2 –16 –2 –1 Denison 2 –3 –14 –4 –1 Ohio Wesleyan 1 –5 –02 –6 –1 Muskingum 0 –6 –01 –8 –0 Red Division Baldwin–Wallace xy$^ 5 –0 –010 –1 –0 Mount Union 4 –1 –05 –4 –0 Otterbein 2 –3 –05 –4 –0 Heidelberg 2 –3 –03 –6 –0 Kenyon 1 –4 –03 –6 –0 Marietta 1 –4 –01 –7 –1 Not competing for championship Oberlin   –  1 –8 –0 Championship: Baldwin–Wallace 16, Wittenberg 0 $ – Conference championx – Division champion/co-championsy – Championship game participant^ – NCAA Division III playoff participant | 1980 Old Dominion Athletic Conference football standings vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T Bridgewater $ 4 –1 –06 –3 –0 Maryville (TN) 3 –2 –05 –5 –0 Randolph–Macon 3 –2 –04 –5 –0 Washington and Lee 2 –3 –06 –4 –0 Hampden–Sydney 2 –3 –03 –7 –0 Emory & Henry 1 –4 –02 –8 –0 $ – Conference champion | 1980 Presidents' Athletic Conference football standings vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T Bethany (WV) $^ 7 –0 –09 –1 –0 Carnegie Mellon 6 –1 –08 –1 –0 John Carroll 4 –3 –04 –5 –0 Thiel 4 –3 –04 –5 –0 Allegheny 3 –3 –13 –4 –1 Hiram 2 –4 –12 –6 –1 Washington & Jefferson 1 –6 –02 –7 –0 Case Western Reserve 0 –7 –00 –9 –0 $ – Conference champion^ – NCAA Division III playoff participant |
| 1980 Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference football standings vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T Redlands $ 5 –0 –06 –4 –0 Claremont-Mudd 4 –1 –06 –3 –0 Whittier 3 –2 –05 –5 –0 Occidental 2 –3 –04 –6 –0 La Verne 1 –4 –02 –8 –0 Pomona-Pitzer 0 –5 –00 –9 –0 $ – Conference champion | 1980 Wisconsin State University Conference football standings vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T No. 14 Wisconsin–La Crosse + 6 –2 –08 –2 –0 No. 13 Wisconsin–River Falls + 6 –2 –08 –2 –0 Wisconsin–Whitewater + 6 –2 –08 –3 –0 Wisconsin–Platteville + 6 –2 –07 –3 –0 Wisconsin–Stout 5 –3 –06 –4 –0 Wisconsin–Oshkosh 3 –5 –04 –6 –0 Wisconsin–Stevens Point 2 –6 –04 –6 –0 Wisconsin–Eau Claire 2 –6 –03 –8 –0 Wisconsin–Superior 0 –8 –00 –10 –0 + – Conference co-championsRankings from NAIA Division I poll | 1980 NCAA Division III independents football records vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T Dayton ^   –  14 –0 –0 Millsaps   –  9 –0 –0 Wabash   –  8 –0 –1 Hofstra   –  8 –2 –0 Wagner ^   –  8 –2 –0 DePauw   –  7 –2 –1 Salisbury State   –  7 –3 –1 Catholic University   –  6 –3 –0 Sonoma State   –  6 –4 –0 Canisius   –  5 –4 –0 Brockport   –  5 –4 –1 Buffalo   –  6 –5 –0 Albany   –  5 –5 –0 Georgetown   –  4 –4 –0 San Diego   –  5 –5 –0 UCF   –  4 –4 –1 Saint Mary's   –  5 –6 –0 Duquesne   –  4 –5 –0 Frostburg State   –  4 –5 –0 Grove City   –  4 –5 –0 Norwich   –  4 –6 –0 Rochester (NY)   –  3 –5 –1 St. Norbert   –  3 –6 –0 Cortland   –  3 –7 –0 Colorado College   –  2 –7 –0 Saint Francis (PA)   –  2 –7 –0 Union (NY)   –  1 –7 –0 Fordham   –  0 –9 –0 ^ – NCAA Division III playoff participant |

## Conference champions

* Conference champions
* College Athletic Conference – Centre
* College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin – Elmhurst and Illinois Wesleyan
* Independent College Athletic Conference – Ithaca
* Iowa Intercollegiate Athletic Conference – Dubuque
* Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association – Adrian
* Middle Atlantic Conference – Delaware Valley (North), Widener (South)
* Midwest Collegiate Athletic Conference – Cornell College and Lawrence
* Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference – Concordia–Moorhead
* New England Football Conference – Maine Maritime
* New Jersey State Athletic Conference – Trenton State
* Northwest Conference – Linfield
* Ohio Athletic Conference – Baldwin Wallace (Red Division), Wittenberg (Blue Division)
* Old Dominion Athletic Conference – Bridgewater
* Presidents' Athletic Conference – Bethany (WV)
* Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference – Redlands
* Texas Intercollegiate Athletic Association – McMurry
* Twin Rivers Conference – Mount Senario
* Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference – Wisconsin–La Crosse, Wisconsin–Platteville, Wisconsin–River Falls, and Wisconsin–Whitewater

## Postseason

The 1980 NCAA Division III Football Championship playoffs were the eighth 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 eighth consecutive year. Like the previous five 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 |
| Ithaca | Ithaca | 41 | | | | | | |
| Wagner | Wagner | 13 | | | | | | |
| Wagner | Wagner | 13 | Ithaca | Ithaca | 36 | | | |
| | | | Minnesota–Morris | Minnesota–Morris | 0 | | | |
| Minnesota–Morris | Minnesota–Morris | 41 | Minnesota–Morris | Minnesota–Morris | 0 | | | |
| Dubuque | Dubuque | 35 | | | | | | |
| Dubuque | Dubuque | 35 | | | | Ithaca | Ithaca | 0 |
| | | | | | | Dayton | Dayton | 63 |
| Dayton | Dayton | 34 | | | | | | | Dayton | Dayton | 63 |
| Baldwin Wallace | Baldwin Wallace | 0 | | | | | | |
| Baldwin Wallace | Baldwin Wallace | 0 | Dayton | Dayton | 28 | | | |
| | | | Widener | Widener | 24 | | | |
| Widener | Widener | 43 | Widener | Widener | 24 | | | |
| Bethany (WV) | Bethany (WV) | 12 | | | | | | |