2016 NCAA Division II football season


The 2016 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 on September 1, 2016 and ended with the NCAA Division II Football Championship on December 17, 2016 at Children's Mercy Park in Kansas City, Kansas. Northwest Missouri State successfully defended their national title from the previous season, winning their sixth overall championship, by defeating North Alabama.

Conference changes and new programs

Membership changes

completed their transition to Division II and became eligible for the postseason.

Conference standings

Super Region 1

Super Region 2

Super Region 3

Super Region 4

NCAA Division II Tournament

The 2016 NCAA Division II Football Championship Postseason involved 28 schools playing in a single-elimination tournament to determine the national champion of men's NCAA Division II college football.
The tournament began on November 19, 2016 and concluded on December 17, 2016 with the 2016 NCAA Division II National Football Championship game at Children's Mercy Park in Kansas City, Kansas.

Format

The top seven teams per super regional made up the field of 28 teams.
Twelve first-round games were conducted on the campus of one of highest seed of that matchup. In addition, one team per super regional earned first-round byes. Second-round winners met in the quarterfinals at the campus site of the highest seed. Quarterfinal winners advanced to play in the semifinals on the campus of the highest seed. The championship took place at Children's Mercy Park.

Qualifiers

The following teams were qualifiers for the 2016 NCAA Division II Football Tournament.
ConferenceTeamAppearanceLast bid
PSACCalifornia 6th2011
Mountain EastFairmont State1stNever
PSACIndiana 17th2015
Northeast-10LIU3rd2005
CIAAWinston-Salem State2nd2013
Mountain EastShepherd10th2015
Northeast-10Assumption2nd2015
MIAANorthwest Missouri State21st2015
MIAAEmporia State4th2015
NSICMinnesota–Duluth10th2014
NSICSioux Falls3rd2015
GNACAzusa Pacific1stNever
Great AmericanHarding2nd2014
MIAACentral Missouri3rd2010
Gulf SouthNorth Alabama21st2015
Gulf SouthValdosta State15th2015
IndependentUNC Pembroke3rd2013
South AtlanticNewberry4th2015
SIACTuskegee4th2015
Gulf SouthFlorida Tech1stNever
IndependentNorth Greenville2nd2011
GLIACGrand Valley State18th2015
Lone StarTexas A&M–Commerce5th2015
RMACColorado Mesa5th2007
GLIACFerris State8th2015
Lone StarMidwestern State7th2015
Great Lakes ValleySouthwest Baptist1stNever
RMACColorado Mines4th2014

Super Regional One

Super Regional Two

Super Regional Three

Super Regional Four

† Overtime

Final Four

Teams that make it to the Final Four are re-seeded for the semifinal matches. The semifinal matchups are hosted by the team with the highest seed.

Bowl games

Attendances