# 2000 NCAA Division III football season

The 2000 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 2000, and concluded with the NCAA Division III Football Championship, also known as the Stagg Bowl, in December 2000 at Salem Football Stadium in Salem, Virginia. The Mount Union Purple Raiders won their fifth Division III championship by defeating the Saint John's (MN) Johnnies, 10−7.
The Gagliardi Trophy, given to the most outstanding player in Division III football, was awarded to Chad Johnson, quarterback from Pacific Lutheran.

## Conference standings

2000 American Southwest Conference football standings :
| 2000 American Southwest Conference football standings vteConfOverall Team W L W L  Hardin–Simmons $^  9 –0  12 –1   Mary Hardin–Baylor  8 –1  9 –1   Austin  6 –3  7 –3   Howard Payne  6 –3  6 –4   McMurry  5 –4  6 –4   Texas Lutheran  4 –5  4 –6   Mississippi College  3 –6  3 –7   Sul Ross  2 –7  2 –7   Louisiana College  1 –8  2 –8   East Texas Baptist  1 –8  2 –8   $ – Conference champion^ – NCAA Division III playoff participant | 2000 Atlantic Central Football Conference standings vteConfOverall Team W L W L  Wesley $^  6 –0  9 –2   Ferrum  4 –2  6 –4   Methodist  4 –2  6 –4   Salisbury State  3 –3  5 –5   Frostburg State  3 –3  4 –6   Greensboro  1 –5  5 –5   Chowan  0 –6  2 –7   $ – Conference champion^ – NCAA Division III playoff participant | 2000 Centennial Conference football standings vteConfOverall Team W L W L  Western Maryland $^  7 –0  10 –2   Muhlenberg  5 –2  9 –2   Ursinus  5 –2  8 –3   Johns Hopkins  4 –3  5 –5   Dickinson  4 –3  5 –5   Swarthmore  2 –5  4 –5   Gettysburg  1 –6  1 –9   Franklin & Marshall  0 –7  0 –10   $ – Conference champion^ – NCAA Division III playoff participant |
| 2000 College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin football standings vteConfOverall Team W L W L  Illinois Wesleyan +  6 –1  9 –1   Millikin +^  6 –1  9 –2   Wheaton (IL) +  6 –1  8 –2   Augustana (IL)  4 –3  7 –3   North Central (IL)  3 –4  5 –5   Carthage  1 –6  4 –6   North Park  1 –6  3 –7   Elmhurst  1 –6  2 –8   + – Conference co-champions^ – NCAA Division III playoff participant | 2000 Freedom Football Conference standings vteConfOverall Team W L W L  Springfield (MA) $^  6 –0  11 –2   Western Connecticut  5 –1  10 –1   Norwich  3 –3  7 –3   Plymouth State  3 –3  5 –5   Merchant Marine  3 –3  3 –6   WPI  1 –5  2 –8   Coast Guard  0 –6  2 –8   $ – Conference champion^ – NCAA Division III playoff participant | 2000 Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference football standings vteConfOverall Team W L W L  Bluffton +  5 –1  7 –3   Hanover +^  5 –1  8 –4   Defiance  4 –2  7 –3   Anderson (IN)  3 –3  4 –6   Franklin (IN)  3 –3  4 –6   Manchester  1 –5  2 –8   Mount St. Joseph  0 –6  2 –8   + – Conference co-champions^ – NCAA Division III playoff participant |
| 2000 Illini–Badger Football Conference standings vteConfOverall Team W L W L  Aurora $^  7 –0  7 –4   Benedictine (IL)  6 –1  7 –3   Concordia (WI)  5 –2  7 –3   Greenville  3 –4  6 –5   MacMurray  3 –4  5 –5   Lakeland  3 –4  4 –6   Eureka  1 –6  2 –8   Concordia (IL)  0 –7  0 –9   $ – Conference champion^ – NCAA Division III playoff participant | 2000 Iowa Conference football standings vteConfOverall Team W L W L  Central (IA) $^  10 –0  12 –1   Wartburg  9 –1  9 –1   Buena Vista  7 –3  7 –3   Coe  6 –4  6 –4   Simpson (IA)  6 –4  6 –4   Luther  5 –5  5 –5   Loras  4 –6  4 –6   Cornell (IA)  3 –7  3 –7   Upper Iowa  3 –7  3 –7   William Penn  2 –8  2 –8   Dubuque  0 –10  0 –10   $ – Conference champion^ – NCAA Division III playoff participant | 2000 Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association football standings vteConfOverall Team W L W L  Hope $^  5 –0  8 –2   Albion  3 –2  7 –3   Alma  3 –2  6 –4   Kalamazoo  3 –2  5 –4   Adrian  1 –4  2 –8   Olivet  0 –5  2 –8   $ – Conference champion^ – NCAA Division III playoff participant |
| 2000 Middle Atlantic Conference football standings vteConfOverall Team W L W L  Commonwealth Widener x^  5 –0  12 –2   Moravian  3 –2  6 –4   Susquehanna  2 –3  7 –3   Lebanon Valley  2 –3  4 –6   Albright  2 –3  3 –7   Juniata  1 –4  1 –9   Freedom Lycoming x  4 –0  7 –2   King's (PA)  3 –1  7 –4   Wilkes  2 –2  5 –6   Delaware Valley  1 –3  3 –7   Fairleigh Dickinson–Florham  0 –4  1 –9   x – Division champion/co-champions^ – NCAA Division III playoff participant | 2000 Midwest Conference football standings vteConfOverall Team W L W L  St. Norbert $^  9 –0  10 –1   Ripon  8 –1  9 –1   Illinois College  5 –4  6 –4   Carroll (WI)  5 –4  5 –5   Grinnell  5 –4  5 –5   Beloit  3 –6  3 –7   Lake Forest  3 –6  3 –7   Monmouth (IL)  3 –6  3 –7   Knox  2 –7  2 –8   Lawrence  2 –7  2 –8   $ – Conference champion^ – NCAA Division III playoff participant | 2000 Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference football standings vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T Bethel (MN) $^ 9 –0 –010 –1 –0 Saint John's (MN) ^ 8 –1 –013 –2 –0 St. Olaf 6 –3 –07 –3 –0 St. Thomas (MN) 6 –3 –06 –4 –0 Gustavus Adolphus 6 –3 –06 –4 –0 Concordia–Moorhead 4 –5 –04 –6 –0 Augsburg 3 –6 –03 –7 –0 Hamline 2 –7 –02 –8 –0 Carleton 1 –8 –01 –9 –0 Macalester 0 –9 –01 –9 –0 $ – Conference champion^ – NCAA Division III playoff participant |
| 2000 New England Football Conference standings vteConfOverall Team W L W L  Bogan Division Worcester State x  5 –1  7 –2   Bridgewater State xy$^  5 –1  8 –3   Fitchburg State  4 –2  5 –4   Massachusetts Maritime  3 –3  5 –4   Westfield State  2 –4  3 –6   Framingham State  2 –4  3 –7   Maine Maritime  0 –6  0 –9   Boyd Division Salve Regina xy  4 –1  7 –3   Nichols  4 –2  7 –3   UMass Dartmouth  4 –2  5 –4   Curry  3 –3  6 –4   MIT  3 –3  4 –5   Western New England  2 –4  4 –5   UMass–Boston  0 –5  1 –9   Championship: Bridgewater State 27, Salve Regina 24 $ – Conference championx – Division champion/co-championsy – Championship game participant^ – NCAA Division III playoff participant | 2000 New England Small College Athletic Conference football standings vteConfOverall Team W L W L  Amherst +  7 –1  7 –1   Colby +  7 –1  7 –1   Middlebury +  7 –1  7 –1   Trinity (CT)  5 –3  5 –3   Williams  5 –3  5 –3   Wesleyan  4 –4  4 –4   Bates  2 –6  2 –6   Tufts  2 –6  2 –6   Hamilton  1 –7  1 –7   Bowdoin  0 –8  0 –8   + – Conference co-champions | 2000 New Jersey Athletic Conference football standings vteConfOverall Team W L W L  Montclair State $^  6 –0  7 –3   Rowan  5 –1  7 –2   Cortland  4 –2  4 –6   TCNJ  3 –3  4 –5   New Jersey City  2 –4  3 –7   William Paterson  1 –5  2 –8   Kean  0 –6  1 –9   $ – Conference champion^ – NCAA Division III playoff participant |
| 2000 Northwest Conference football standings vteConfOverall Team W L W L  Linfield $^  5 –0  9 –1   Pacific Lutheran ^  4 –1  9 –2   Whitworth  3 –2  6 –3   Puget Sound  2 –3  5 –4   Lewis & Clark  1 –4  3 –6   Willamette  0 –5  3 –7   $ – Conference champion^ – NCAA Division III playoff participant | 2000 North Coast Athletic Conference football standings vteConfOverall Team W L W L  Wittenberg $^  7 –0  12 –1   Allegheny  6 –1  7 –3   Ohio Wesleyan  4 –3  6 –4   Earlham  4 –3  6 –4   Wooster  4 –3  6 –4   Hiram  2 –5  3 –7   Wabash  5 –2  6 –4   Denison  2 –5  2 –8   Kenyon  1 –6  3 –7   Oberlin  0 –7  0 –10   $ – Conference champion^ – NCAA Division III playoff participant | 2000 Ohio Athletic Conference football standings vteConfOverall Team W L W L  Mount Union $^  9 –0  14 –0   Ohio Northern ^  8 –1  9 –3   Wilmington (OH)  7 –2  7 –3   John Carroll  6 –3  7 –3   Baldwin–Wallace  5 –4  5 –5   Muskingum  3 –6  4 –6   Otterbein  3 –6  4 –6   Capital  2 –7  3 –7   Marietta  2 –7  3 –7   Heidelberg  0 –9  0 –10   $ – Conference champion^ – NCAA Division III playoff participant |
| 2000 Old Dominion Athletic Conference football standings vteConfOverall Team W L W L  Emory & Henry $^  5 –1  8 –3   Bridgewater ^  5 –1  10 –2   Catholic University  4 –2  6 –4   Washington and Lee  2 –4  5 –5   Hampden–Sydney  2 –4  4 –6   Randolph–Macon  2 –4  3 –7   Guilford  1 –5  1 –9   $ – Conference champion^ – NCAA Division III playoff participant | 2000 Presidents' Athletic Conference football standings vteConfOverall Team W L W L  Washington & Jefferson $^  4 –0  9 –2   Grove City  3 –1  6 –4   Waynesburg  2 –2  6 –4   Bethany (WV)  1 –3  5 –5   Thiel  0 –4  2 –8   Westminster (PA) *  0 –0  8 –2   $ – Conference champion^ – NCAA Division III playoff participant * Completing reclassification from NCAA Division II—games did not count in conference standings. | 2000 Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference football standings vteConfOverall Team W L W L  Redlands $  5 –0  7 –2   Whittier  4 –1  4 –5   Occidental  2 –3  5 –4   La Verne  2 –3  2 –7   Claremont-Mudd  1 –4  4 –5   Cal Lutheran  1 –4  3 –6   $ – Conference champion |
| 2000 Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference football standings vteConfOverall Team W L W L  Trinity (TX) +^  4 –2  10 –3   DePauw +  4 –2  6 –4   Sewanee +  4 –2  6 –4   Rhodes  3 –3  5 –4   Centre  3 –3  5 –5   Millsaps  2 –4  5 –5   Rose–Hulman  1 –5  2 –8   + – Conference co-champions^ – NCAA Division III playoff participant | 2000 Upstate Collegiate Athletic Association football standings vteConfOverall Team W L W L  Hobart +^  3 –1  9 –2   Union (NY) +^  3 –1  9 –2   Rochester (NY) +  3 –1  6 –3   RPI  1 –3  3 –6   St. Lawrence  0 –4  1 –9   + – Conference co-champions^ – NCAA Division III playoff participant | 2000 Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference football standings vteConfOverall Team W L W L  Wisconsin–Stout $^  7 –0  10 –1   Wisconsin–La Crosse  6 –1  7 –3   Wisconsin–River Falls  5 –2  6 –4   Wisconsin–Eau Claire  4 –3  6 –4   Wisconsin–Whitewater  3 –4  5 –5   Wisconsin–Oshkosh  1 –6  3 –7   Wisconsin–Platteville  1 –6  2 –8   Wisconsin–Stevens Point  1 –6  2 –8   $ – Conference champion^ – NCAA Division III playoff participant |
| 2000 NCAA Division III independents football records vteConfOverall Team W L W L  Thomas More   –  9 –1   Brockport   –  8 –1   Ithaca   –  7 –3   Buffalo State   –  7 –4   Hartwick   –  7 –4   Menlo   –  6 –4   Principia   –  5 –4   Pomona-Pitzer   –  4 –4   Alfred   –  4 –6   Colorado College   –  3 –6   Maryville (TN)   –  3 –7   Wisconsin Lutheran   –  3 –7   Chapman   –  2 –7   Westminster (MO)   –  2 –8   Maranatha Baptist   –  1 –8   Blackburn   –  1 –9   Rockford   –  1 –9   St. John Fisher   –  1 –9   Mount Ida   –  0 –8 |

## Conference champions

* Conference champions
* American Southwest Conference – Hardin–Simmons
* Atlantic Central Football Conference – Wesley
* Centennial Conference – Western Maryland
* College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin – Illinois Wesleyan, Millikin, and Wheaton (IL)
* Dixie Intercollegiate Football Conference – No Champion Named
* Freedom Football Conference – Springfield
* Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference – Bluffton and Hanover
* Illini-Badger Football Conference – Aurora
* Iowa Intercollegiate Athletic Conference – Central (IA)
* Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association – Hope
* Middle Atlantic Conference – Widener
* Midwest Conference – St. Norbert
* Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference – Bethel (MN)
* New England Football Conference – Nichols and Salve Regina (Blue Division), Bridgewater State (Red Division)
* Championship Game: Bridgewater State 27, Salve Regina 24
* New England Small College Athletic Conference – Amherst, Colby, and Middlebury
* New Jersey Athletic Conference – Montclair State
* North Coast Athletic Conference – Wittenberg
* Northwest Conference – Linfield
* Ohio Athletic Conference – Mount Union
* Old Dominion Athletic Conference – Emory & Henry
* Presidents' Athletic Conference – Washington & Jefferson
* Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference – Redlands
* Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference – DePauw, Sewanee, and Trinity (TX)
* University Athletic Association – Chicago
* Upper Midwest Athletic Conference – Mount Senario
* Upstate Collegiate Athletic Conference – Hobart, Rochester, and Union (NY)
* Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference – Wisconsin–Stout

## Postseason

The 2000 NCAA Division III Football Championship playoffs were the 28th 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 eighth time. This was the second 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 | | | | | | | | | |
| Ohio Northern | Ohio Northern | 47 | Ohio Northern | Ohio Northern | 15 | | | | | | | | | |
| Millikin | Millikin | 21 | | | | Mount Union | Mount Union | 32 | | | | | | |
| Hanover | Hanover | 20 | | | | Wittenberg | Wittenberg | 21 | | | | | | |
| Hope | Hope | 3 | Hanover | Hanover | 21 | | | | | | | | | |
| Wittenberg | Wittenberg | 31 | Wittenberg | Wittenberg | 32 | | | | | | | | | |
| Aurora | Aurora | 20 | | | | | | | Mount Union | Mount Union | 70 | | | |
| | | | | | | | | | Widener | Widener | 30 | | | |
| | | | Brockport | Brockport | 6 | | | | | | | | | |
| Springfield | Springfield | 31 | Springfield | Springfield | 13 | | | | | | | | | |
| Montclair State | Montclair State | 29 | | | | Springfield | Springfield | 27 | | | | | | |
| Widener | Widener | 33 | | | | Widener | Widener | 61 | | | | | | |
| Union (NY) | Union (NY) | 26 | Widener | Widener | 40 | | | | | | | | | |
| Hobart | Hobart | 25 | Hobart | Hobart | 14 | | | | | | | | | |
| Bridgewater State | Bridgewater State | 0 | | | | | | | | | | Mount Union | Mount Union | 10 |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | Saint John's (MN) | Saint John's (MN) | 7 |
| | | | Linfield | Linfield | 17 | | | | | | | | | |
| Central (IA) | Central (IA) | 28 | Central (IA) | Central (IA) | 20* | | | | | | | | | |
| St. Norbert | St. Norbert | 14 | | | | Central (IA) | Central (IA) | 18 | | | | | | |
| Pacific Lutheran | Pacific Lutheran | 41 | | | | Saint John's (MN) | Saint John's (MN) | 21 | | | | | | |
| Bethel (MN) | Bethel (MN) | 13 | Pacific Lutheran | Pacific Lutheran | 21 | | | | | | | | | |
| Saint John's (MN) | Saint John's (MN) | 26 | Saint John's (MN) | Saint John's (MN) | 28* | | | | | | | | | |
| UW–Stout | UW–Stout | 19 | | | | | | | Saint John's (MN) | Saint John's (MN) | 38 | | | |
| | | | | | | | | | Hardin–Simmons | Hardin–Simmons | 14 | | | |
| | | | Hardin–Simmons | Hardin–Simmons | 32 | | | | | | | | | |
| Western Maryland | Western Maryland | 38 | Western Maryland | Western Maryland | 10 | | | | | | | | | |
| Emory & Henry | Emory & Henry | 14 | | | | Hardin–Simmons | Hardin–Simmons | 33 | | | | | | |
| Trinity (TX) | Trinity (TX) | 21 | | | | Trinity (TX) | Trinity (TX) | 30 | | | | | | |
| Wesley | Wesley | 3 | Trinity (TX) | Trinity (TX) | 47* | | | | | | | | | |
| Bridgewater (VA) | Bridgewater (VA) | 59 | Bridgewater (VA) | Bridgewater (VA) | 41 | | | | | | | | | |
| Wash. & Jefferson | Wash. & Jefferson | 42 | | | | | | | | | | | | |
* Overtime

## Final AFCA Top 25 Poll

| Team | Final Record | Points |
| 1. Mount Union | 14-0 | 1,150 |
| 2. St. John's | 13–2 | 1,104 |
| 3. Hardin-Simmons | 12–1 | 991 |
| 4. Central(IA) | 12–1 | 983 |
| 5. Wittenberg | 12–1 | 974 |
| 6. Widener | 12–2 | 876 |
| 7. Pacific Lutheran | 9–2 | 821 |
| 8. Linfield | 9–1 | 795 |
| 9. Wisconsin-Stout | 10–1 | 673 |
| 10. Springfield | 11–2 | 603 |
| 11. Western Maryland | 10–2 | 572 |
| 12. Brockport State | 8–1 | 564 |
| 13. Trinity(TX) | 10–3 | 537 |
| 14. Bethel | 10–1 | 481 |
| 15. Bridgewater | 10–2 | 428 |
| 16. Washington & Jefferson | 9–2 | 406 |
| 17. St. Norbert | 10–1 | 387 |
| 18. Wartburg | 9–1 | 362 |
| 19. Ohio Northern | 9–3 | 354 |
| 20. Western Connecticut State | 10–1 | 282 |
| 21. Millikin | 9–2 | 274 |
| 22. Union | 9–2 | 265 |
| 23. Illinois Wesleyan | 9–1 | 251 |
| 24. Mary Hardin-Baylor | 9–1 | 152 |
| 25. Hanover | 8–4 | 120 |
Others receiving votes: Wesley, 86; Hobart, 78; Thomas More, 76; Montclair St., 74; Hope, 65; Rowan, 44; Aurora, 34; Ripon, 20; Emory & Henry, 20; Middlebury, 14; Amherst, 11; Bridgewater St., 9; Wheaton, 8; Lycoming, 4; Augustana, 2.

## Awards

Gagliardi Trophy: Chad Johnson, Pacific Lutheran
AFCA Coach of the Year: Larry Kehres, Mount Union
AFCA Regional Coach of the Year: Region 1: Mike DeLong, Springfield Region 2: Bill Zwaan, Widener Region 3: Pete Fredenburg, Mary Hardin-Baylor Region 4: Larry Kehres, Mount Union Region 5: Ed Meierkort, Wisconsin-Stout