The 1976 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 1976, and concluded with the NCAA Division III Football Championship in December 1976 at Garrett-Harrison Stadium in Phenix City, Alabama. The Saint John's Johnnies won their first Division III championship, defeating the Towson State Tigers by a final score of 31−28.
Conference and program changes The Virginia College Conference (now the Old Dominion Athletic Conference) began football play in 1976.
Conference standings
Conference champions Conference championsCollege Athletic Conference – Sewanee College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin – Carroll (WI) Independent College Athletic Conference – Alfred Iowa Intercollegiate Athletic Conference – Wiliam Penn Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association – Albion Middle Atlantic Conference – Albright (North), Franklin & Marshall (South) Midwest Collegiate Athletic Conference – Cornell College, Knox, and Monmouth Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference – Saint John's (MN) New England Football Conference – Nichols New Jersey State Athletic Conference – Glassboro State Northwest Conference – Linfield Old Dominion Athletic Conference – Randolph-Macon Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference – East Stroudsburg Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (Division III) – Fort Valley State Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference – Redlands Texas Intercollegiate Athletic Association – Trinity (TX) Twin Rivers Conference – Concordia–St. Paul, Loras, Maranatha Baptist, Northwestern–St. Paul, and Northwestern (WI) Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference – Wisconsin–Oshkosh, Wisconsin–Platteville, and Wisconsin–River Falls
Postseason The 1976 NCAA Division III Football Championship playoffs were the fourth 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 fourth consecutive year. Like the previous championship, eight teams competed in this edition.
Playoff bracket
Coaching changes This list includes all head coaching changes announced during or after the season. School Outgoing coach Reason Replacement Previous positionAlfredAlex YunevichRetiredSam SandersLehigh defensive coordinator and recruiting coordinator (1973–1976)BeloitBob NichollsResignedEd DeGeorgeColorado College defensive coordinator (1967–1976)Carroll (WI)Steve MillerHired as head coach for MorningsideRobert LarsenHartford Union HS (WI) head coach (1963–1976)DePauwTommy MontResignedBob BergmanRose–Hulman head coach (1968–1976)DubuqueLarry PohlmanHired as head coach for Muncie Central HS (IN)Don BirminghamIowa Lakes head coach (1974–1976)EvansvilleJames A. ByersResignedJohn MosesEvansville defensive coordinator (1976)HamlineJim SessionsResignedBob SadekNorthern Michigan defensive backs coach (1974–1976)HobartGeorge W. DavisResignedDave UrickHobart defensive line coach (1971–1976)JuniataWalt NadzakHired as head coach for ConnecticutDean RossiJuniata offensive coordinator (1972–1976)KnoxAlbert ReillyResignedJoe CampanelliCornell (IA) defensive backs coach (1975–1976)Merchant MarineClive RushFiredPete CarmichaelColumbia defensive coordinator (1974–1976)MillikinSkip MathiesonHired as quarterbacks coach for CincinnatiMerle ChapmanMillikin offensive coordinator (1973–1976)MoravianRocco CalvoResignedEd LittleMoravian offensive line coach and recruiting coordinator (1968–1976)OlivetBob FriedlundResignedChuck CilibraiseOlivet High School head coach (1972–1976)Rose–HulmanBob BergmanHired as head coach for DePauwJoe TouchtonRose–Hulman defensive coordinator (1971–1976)Upper IowaEverett Eischeid (interim)Permanent replacement hired/retiredDennis CarylNorthwestern (IA) offensive coordinator (1974–1976)ValparaisoNorm AmundsenResignedBill KochValparaiso defensive coordinator (1975–1976)Western MarylandRon JonesResignedJim HindmanWestern Maryland defensive assistant (1976)William PennCraig BollerHired as defensive line coach for TennesseeJim SpryIndian Hills head coach (1975–1976)
See also 1976 NCAA Division I football season 1976 NCAA Division II football season 1976 NAIA Division I football season 1976 NAIA Division II football season
References and notes