1976 NCAA Division II football season


The 1976 NCAA Division II football season, part of college football in the United States organized by the National Collegiate Athletic Association at the Division II level, began in August 1976 and concluded with the championship game on December 11 at Memorial Stadium in Wichita Falls, Texas. The Montana State Bobcats defeated the Akron Zips 24-13 in the Pioneer Bowl to win their only Division II national title.

Conference changes and new programs

Conference standings

Conference summaries

Conference Champions

Big Sky Conference – Montana State
Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association – Norfolk State
Far Western Football Conference – UC Davis
Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference – Northwood
Gulf South Conference – Troy State
Lone Star Conference – Texas A&I
Missouri Intercollegiate Athletic Association – Northeast Missouri State and Southeast Missouri State
North Central Conference –
Northern Intercollegiate Conference – Minnesota–Morris
Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference – East Stroudsburg
Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference – Western State
South Atlantic Conference – Elon
Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference – Bethune-Cookman
Yankee Conference – New Hampshire

Postseason

The 1976 NCAA Division II Football Championship playoffs were the fourth single-elimination tournament to determine the national champion of men's Division II college football. The championship game was held at Memorial Stadium in Wichita Falls, Texas for the first time.

Playoff bracket

* Denotes host institution