# 1987 NCAA Division III football season

The 1987 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 1987, and concluded with the NCAA Division III Football Championship, also known as the Stagg Bowl, in December 1987 at Garrett-Harrison Stadium in Phenix City, Alabama.
Wagner won their first Division III championship by defeating Dayton in the championship game, 19−3. Due to NCAA rule changes in 1991, both schools are now members Football Championship Subdivision (formerly I-AA).

## Conference changes and new programs

| School | 1986 Conference | 1987 Conference |
| Bishop | D-III Independent | Dropped program |
| Drake | Revived program | D-III Independent |
| St. John Fisher | New program | D-III Independent |

## Conference standings

1987 College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin football standings :
| 1987 College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin football standings vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T Augustana (IL) $^ 8 –0 –010 –1 –0 Millikin 6 –2 –06 –3 –0 North Central (IL) 5 –3 –06 –3 –0 Carroll (WI) 5 –3 –05 –4 –0 Elmhurst 4 –4 –05 –4 –0 Illinois Wesleyan 4 –4 –04 –5 –0 Wheaton (IL) 2 –6 –03 –6 –0 Carthage 2 –6 –02 –7 –0 North Park 0 –8 –00 –9 –0 $ – Conference champion^ – NCAA Division III playoff participant | 1987 Centennial Conference football standings vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T Franklin & Marshall $ 7 –0 –09 –1 –1 Dickinson 5 –2 –07 –3 –0 Muhlenberg 5 –2 –07 –3 –0 Gettysburg 4 –3 –07 –3 –0 Johns Hopkins 3 –4 –04 –6 –0 Ursinus 2 –5 –03 –6 –0 Swarthmore 1 –6 –02 –8 –0 Western Maryland 1 –6 –01 –9 –0 $ – Conference champion | 1987 College Athletic Conference football standings vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T Rhodes $ 4 –0 –07 –1 –2 Rose–Hulman 3 –1 –09 –1 –0 Sewanee 1 –3 –05 –4 –0 Centre 1 –3 –04 –5 –0 Earlham 1 –3 –03 –6 –0 $ – Conference champion |
| 1987 Independent College Athletic Conference football standings vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T Ithaca $ 3 –0 –07 –3 –0 Alfred 2 –1 –06 –3 –1 St. Lawrence 2 –2 –05 –4 –0 RPI 1 –1 –05 –5 –0 Hobart 0 –4 –02 –8 –0 $ – Conference champion | 1987 Iowa Conference football standings vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T Central (IA) $^ 7 –1 –011 –2 –0 Luther 6 –2 –08 –2 –0 Buena Vista 5 –3 –05 –5 –0 Wartburg 4 –4 –06 –4 –0 Dubuque 4 –4 –06 –5 –0 William Penn 3 –5 –04 –6 –0 Loras 3 –5 –04 –7 –0 Simpson (IA) 3 –5 –03 –6 –0 Upper Iowa 1 –7 –01 –9 –0 $ – Conference champion^ – NCAA Division III playoff participant | 1987 Liberty Football Conference standings vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T Fordham $ 5 –0 –09 –1 –0 Merchant Marine 3 –2 –04 –5 –0 Iona 2 –3 –05 –4 –0 St. John's 2 –3 –05 –5 –0 C. W. Post 2 –3 –02 –8 –0 Pace 1 –4 –03 –6 –0 $ – Conference champion |
| 1987 Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association football standings vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T Hope $ 5 –0 –06 –3 –0 Adrian 4 –1 –07 –2 –0 Albion 3 –2 –05 –4 –0 Alma 2 –3 –05 –4 –0 Olivet 1 –4 –02 –6 –1 Kalamazoo 0 –5 –01 –8 –0 $ – Conference champion | 1987 Middle Atlantic Conference football standings vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T Susquehanna + 7 –2 –08 –2 –0 Widener + 7 –2 –08 –2 –0 Lycoming 6 –2 –16 –2 –1 Juniata 6 –3 –07 –3 –0 Moravian 6 –3 –06 –4 –0 Wilkes 6 –3 –07 –3 –0 Delaware Valley 3 –5 –13 –6 –1 Albright 1 –8 –02 –8 –0 Lebanon Valley 1 –8 –02 –8 –0 Upsala 1 –8 –01 –9 –0 + – Conference co-champions | 1987 Midwest Conference football standings vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T North Division St. Norbert xy$ 6 –1 –07 –3 –0 Lawrence 5 –2 –06 –3 –0 Ripon 2 –5 –03 –6 –0 Lake Forest 2 –5 –02 –6 –0 Beloit 0 –7 –01 –8 –0 South Division Monmouth (IL) xy 7 –0 –09 –1 –0 Coe 5 –2 –06 –3 –0 Knox 5 –2 –06 –3 –0 Cornell (IA) 4 –3 –05 –4 –0 Grinnell 1 –6 –01 –7 –0 Illinois College 0 –7 –01 –8 –0 Championship: St. Norbert 20, Monmouth (IL) 15 $ – Conference championx – Division champion/co-championsy – Championship game participant |
| 1987 Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference football standings vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T Gustavus Adolphus $^ 9 –0 –010 –1 –0 Saint John's (MN) ^ 7 –2 –08 –3 –0 Concordia–Moorhead 7 –2 –07 –3 –0 Carleton 5 –4 –06 –4 –0 Hamline 5 –4 –06 –4 –0 St. Thomas (MN) 5 –4 –05 –5 –0 Macalester 3 –6 –04 –6 –0 St. Olaf 3 –6 –03 –7 –0 Augsburg 0 –8 –10 –9 –1 Bethel (MN) 0 –8 –10 –9 –1 $ – Conference champion^ – NCAA Division III playoff participant | 1987 New England Football Conference standings vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T North Division Plymouth State xy$ 5 –0 –010 –1 –0 Curry 3 –1 –07 –1 –0 Nichols 3 –2 –05 –4 –0 Lowell 2 –2 –04 –4 –0 Western New England 1 –4 –02 –6 –0 Maine Maritime 0 –5 –00 –8 –0 South Division Worcester State xy 5 –0 –07 –2 –0 Westfield State 3 –2 –06 –3 –0 Massachusetts Maritime 3 –2 –04 –4 –0 Bridgewater State 3 –2 –04 –5 –0 Framingham State 1 –4 –02 –6 –0 Fitchburg State 0 –5 –00 –8 –0 Championship: Plymouth State 40, Worcester State 0 $ – Conference championx – Division champion/co-championsy – Championship game participant | 1987 New Jersey Athletic Conference football standings vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T Kean $ 5 –1 –09 –2 –0 Montclair State 5 –1 –08 –2 –0 Glassboro State 4 –2 –06 –4 –0 William Paterson 4 –2 –07 –3 –0 Trenton State 2 –4 –04 –6 –0 Jersey City State 1 –5 –04 –6 –0 Ramapo 0 –6 –01 –9 –0 $ – Conference champion |
| 1987 North Coast Athletic Conference football standings vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T Allegheny $^ 6 –0 –09 –1 –1 Ohio Wesleyan 4 –2 –05 –5 –0 Wooster 3 –3 –05 –4 –0 Case Western Reserve 3 –3 –05 –4 –0 Denison 2 –4 –05 –5 –0 Oberlin 2 –4 –02 –8 –0 Kenyon 1 –5 –02 –8 –0 $ – Conference champion^ – NCAA Division III playoff participant | 1987 Ohio Athletic Conference football standings vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T Capital $^ 6 –1 –17 –2 –2 Baldwin–Wallace 6 –2 –07 –3 –0 Mount Union 6 –2 –06 –4 –0 Muskingum 5 –2 –16 –4 –0 Wittenberg 5 –3 –06 –4 –0 Ohio Northern 3 –5 –04 –6 –0 Marietta 2 –6 –03 –7 –0 Heidelberg 1 –7 –02 –8 –0 Otterbein 1 –7 –02 –8 –0 $ – Conference champion^ – NCAA Division III playoff participant | 1987 Old Dominion Athletic Conference football standings vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T Hampden–Sydney $ 4 –1 –05 –5 –0 Emory & Henry ^ 4 –1 –011 –3 –0 Randolph–Macon 3 –2 –04 –5 –1 Bridgewater 1 –4 –04 –6 –0 Washington and Lee 1 –4 –03 –6 –0 Maryville (TN) 1 –4 –01 –8 –0 $ – Conference champion^ – NCAA Division III playoff participantHampden–Sydney won the conference title by virtue of a head-to-head win over Emory & Henry. |
| 1987 Presidents' Athletic Conference football standings vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T Washington & Jefferson $^ 6 –0 –010 –1 –0 Hiram ^ 5 –1 –08 –2 –0 Carnegie Mellon 4 –2 –07 –2 –1 John Carroll 3 –3 –05 –4 –0 Grove City 2 –4 –03 –6 –0 Thiel 1 –5 –02 –6 –0 Bethany (WV) 0 –6 –00 –8 –1 $ – Conference champion^ – NCAA Division III playoff participant | 1987 Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference football standings vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T Occidental + 4 –0 –16 –2 –1 Claremont-Mudd + 4 –0 –15 –4 –0 La Verne 2 –2 –13 –6 –0 Whittier 1 –3 –14 –6 –0 Pomona-Pitzer 1 –3 –13 –6 –0 Redlands 0 –4 –11 –8 –0 + – Conference co-championsEach team played one other conference member twice. A head-to-head sweep of the two games counted as one win for the winner and one loss for the loser in the conference standings. A split of the two games counted as a tie for each team. | 1987 Wisconsin State University Conference football standings vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T Wisconsin–Whitewater + 6 –2 –08 –2 –1 No. 25 Wisconsin–River Falls + 6 –2 –07 –3 –0 No. 24 Wisconsin–Eau Claire 5 –3 –06 –4 –0 Wisconsin–La Crosse 5 –3 –06 –4 –0 Wisconsin–Stout 5 –3 –06 –5 –0 Wisconsin–Platteville 4 –4 –06 –5 –0 Wisconsin–Oshkosh 3 –5 –06 –5 –0 Wisconsin–Superior 2 –6 –03 –7 –0 No. 4 Wisconsin–Stevens Point ^ 0 –8 –00 –15 –0 + – Conference co-champions^ – NAIA Division II playoff participant Wisconsin–Stevens Point finished the season with an overall record of 12–2–1 and a conference mark of 7–1, winning the WSUC title and advancing to the NAIA Division II Football National Championship playoffs, where they tied Pacific Lutheran in the title game, sharing the NAIA Division II title. In May 1988, Stevens Point forfeited its 12 wins, the one tie, and the conference and NAIA titles because of the use of two ineligible players.Rankings from NAIA Division II poll |
| 1987 NCAA Division III independents football records vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T Wagner ^   –  13 –1 –0 Rochester (NY) ^   –  9 –2 –0 Hofstra ^   –  8 –2 –0 UC Santa Barbara   –  8 –2 –0 Wabash   –  8 –2 –0 Dayton ^   –  11 –3 –0 Ferrum ^   –  8 –2 –1 Salisbury State   –  7 –2 –0 Georgetown   –  6 –2 –1 DePauw   –  7 –3 –0 Menlo ^   –  7 –3 –0 Millsaps   –  7 –3 –0 Canisius   –  6 –3 –1 San Diego   –  6 –3 –1 Mercyhurst   –  6 –4 –0 Cortland   –  5 –4 –0 Fairleigh Dickinson–Florham   –  5 –4 –0 Albany   –  5 –5 –0 Drake   –  5 –5 –0 Norwich   –  4 –4 –1 Union (NY)   –  5 –5 –0 Aurora   –  4 –5 –0 Stony Brook   –  4 –5 –0 Brockport   –  3 –6 –0 Buffalo   –  3 –7 –0 Catholic University   –  3 –7 –0 Saint Francis (PA)   –  2 –6 –0 Brooklyn   –  2 –7 –0 Colorado College   –  2 –7 –0 Duquesne   –  2 –7 –0 Frostburg State   –  2 –8 –0 Saint Peter's   –  2 –8 –0 Marist   –  1 –7 –0 Quincy   –  1 –7 –0 Western Connecticut State   –  1 –8 –1 Buffalo State   –  1 –9 –0 Wesley   –  0 –9 –0 ^ – NCAA Division III playoff participant |

## Conference champions

* Conference champions
* Centennial Conference – Franklin & Marshall
* College Athletic Conference – Rhodes
* College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin – Augustana (IL)
* Independent College Athletic Conference‡ – Ithaca
* Iowa Intercollegiate Athletic Conference – Central (IA)
* Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association – Hope
* Middle Atlantic Conference – Susquehanna and Widener
* Midwest Collegiate Athletic Conference – St. Norbert
* Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference – Gustavus Adolphus
* New England Football Conference – Plymouth State
* New Jersey State Athletic Conference – Kean
* North Coast Athletic Conference – Allegheny
* Ohio Athletic Conference – Capital
* Old Dominion Athletic Conference – Hampden–Sydney
* Presidents' Athletic Conference – Washington & Jefferson
* Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference – Claremont–Mudd–Scripps and Occidental
* Texas Intercollegiate Athletic Association – Tarleton State
* Upper Midwest Athletic Conference – Mount Senario
* Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference – Wisconsin–River Falls and Wisconsin–Whitewater

## Postseason

The 1987 NCAA Division III Football Championship playoffs were the 15th 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 Garrett-Harrison Stadium in Phenix City, Alabama for the 13th time and for the third consecutive year. Like the previous two tournaments, this year's bracket featured sixteen teams.

### Playoff bracket

| First Round Campus Sites | First Round Campus Sites | First Round Campus Sites | 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, Alabama | National Championship Game Garrett-Harrison Stadium Phenix City, Alabama | National Championship Game Garrett-Harrison Stadium Phenix City, Alabama |
| Wagner | Wagner | 38 | | | | | | | | | | |
| Rochester (NY) | Rochester (NY) | 14 | | | | | | | | | | |
| Rochester (NY) | Rochester (NY) | 14 | Wagner | Wagner | 21 | | | | | | | |
| | | | Fordham | Fordham | 0 | | | | | | | |
| Fordham | Fordham | 41 | Fordham | Fordham | 0 | | | | | | | |
| Hofstra | Hofstra | 6 | | | | | | | | | | |
| Hofstra | Hofstra | 6 | | | | Wagner | Wagner | 20 | | | | |
| | | | | | | Emory & Henry | Emory & Henry | 13 | | | | |
| Washington & Jefferson | Washington & Jefferson | 23* | | | | | | | Emory & Henry | Emory & Henry | 13 | | | | |
| Allegheny | Allegheny | 17 | | | | | | | | | | |
| Allegheny | Allegheny | 17 | Washington & Jefferson | Washington & Jefferson | 16 | | | | | | | |
| | | | Emory & Henry | Emory & Henry | 23 | | | | | | | |
| Emory and Henry | Emory and Henry | 49 | Emory & Henry | Emory & Henry | 23 | | | | | | | |
| Ferrum | Ferrum | 7 | | | | | | | | | | |
| Ferrum | Ferrum | 7 | | | | | | | | Wagner | Wagner | 19 |
| | | | | | | | | | | Dayton | Dayton | 3 |
| Dayton | Dayton | 52 | | | | | | | | | | | Dayton | Dayton | 3 |
| Capital | Capital | 28 | | | | | | | | | | |
| Capital | Capital | 28 | Dayton | Dayton | 38 | | | | | | | |
| | | | Augustana (IL) | Augustana (IL) | 36 | | | | | | | |
| Augustana (IL) | Augustana (IL) | 53 | Augustana (IL) | Augustana (IL) | 36 | | | | | | | |
| Hiram | Hiram | 0 | | | | | | | | | | |
| Hiram | Hiram | 0 | | | | Dayton | Dayton | 34 | | | | |
| | | | | | | Central (IA) | Central (IA) | 0 | | | | |
| Saint John's (MN) | Saint John's (MN) | 7 | | | | | | | Central (IA) | Central (IA) | 0 | | | | |
| Gustavus Adolphus | Gustavus Adolphus | 3 | | | | | | | | | | |
| Gustavus Adolphus | Gustavus Adolphus | 3 | Saint John's (MN) | Saint John's (MN) | 3 | | | | | | | |
| | | | Central (IA) | Central (IA) | 13 | | | | | | | |
| Central (IA) | Central (IA) | 17 | Central (IA) | Central (IA) | 13 | | | | | | | |
| Menlo | Menlo | 0 | | | | | | | | | | |