The 2025 NCAA Division II football season, part of college football in the United States organized by the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) at the Division II level, began on August 28 and ended on December 20 with the Division II championship at the McKinney Independent School District Stadium in McKinney, Texas.
Conference changes and new programs Conference Carolinas resumed sponsoring football in 2025, after dropping the sport 50 years earlier prior to the 1975 season. School Former conference New conference Barton Bulldogs SAC Carolinas Chowan Hawks Gulf South Carolinas Erskine Flying Fleet Gulf South Carolinas Ferrum Panthers ODAC (D-III) Carolinas Jamestown Jimmies North Star (NAIA) NSIC Limestone Saints SAC School closed Mississippi College Choctaws Gulf South Dropped program New Haven Chargers NE-10 Northeast (D-I FCS) North Greenville Trailblazers Gulf South Carolinas Shorter Hawks Independent (D-II) Carolinas UNC Pembroke Braves Mountain East Carolinas
Headlines January 17 – At the 2025 NCAA Convention, Division II's football-sponsoring delegates approved a proposal to award automatic bids to the playoffs for the conference champion of each football-sponsoring conference, replacing the earned access model. April 23 – In accordance with Division II championship policy, which states that automatic qualifiers must make up no more than 50% of the playoff field, the Division II Executive Board approved the expansion of the football playoff bracket from 28 to 32 teams, effective with the 2025 season.
Kickoff games
Top 10 matchups This section lists games between top ten ranked teams in the AFCA Coaches poll during the season.
Regular season
Postseason tournament
Upsets Regular season upsets This section lists unranked teams defeating AFCA Coaches poll-ranked teams during the season.
Notes:
Postseason upsets This section lists unseeded teams defeating seeded teams during the playoffs. Seed rankings appears in parentheses.
Rankings
Conference standings Super Region 1
Super Region 2
Super Region 3
Super Region 4
Postseason
Automatic bids (16) Automatic bidsSuper RegionConferenceSchoolRecordAppearanceLastSuper Region 1CIAAJohnson C. Smith10–11st— Mountain EastFrostburg State9–21st—Northeast-10Bentley7–34th2021PSACKutztown11–08th2024Super Region 2CarolinasNorth Greenville7–43rd2016Gulf SouthValdosta State6–421st2024South AtlanticNewberry9–16th2021SIACAlbany State10–115th2021Super Region 3GLIACFerris State11–016th2024GLVCIndianapolis10–110th2024Great MidwestFindlay10–13rd2021Northern SunMinnesota Duluth10–113th2021Super Region 4Great AmericanHarding11–08th2024Lone StarCentral Washington10–19th2024MIAAPittsburg State9–222nd2024Rocky MountainCSU Pueblo10–111th2024
At-large bids (16) At-large bidsSuper RegionSchoolConferenceRecordAppearanceLastSuper Region 1Virginia UnionCIAA10–113th2024IUPPSAC7–320th2022AssumptionNortheast-108–25th2022California (PA)PSAC8–39th2024Super Region 2West FloridaGulf South9–16th2023WingateSouth Atlantic9–27th2024BenedictSIAC9–23rd2023Kentucky StateSIAC9–21st—Super Region 3AshlandGreat Midwest9–210th2024TrumanGLVC8–35th1994Minnesota StateNorthern Sun8–316th2024NorthwoodGreat Midwest9–25th2006Super Region 4Chadron StateRocky Mountain8–39th2012UT Permian BasinLone Star9–22nd2023Western ColoradoRocky Mountain9–27th2024Northwest Missouri StateMIAA9–227th2022
Bracket Host team indicated either by higher seed or * where applicable.
Super Region 1
Super Region 2
Super Region 3
Super Region 4
Semifinals and championship Teams were re-seeded prior to semifinals.
Bowl games Three bowl games were held which featured teams that did not qualify for the postseason tournament. This was up from only two bowls in past season, with the addition of the First Americans Bowl.
Coaching changes Preseason and in-season This is restricted to coaching changes that took place on or after May 1, 2025, and will include any changes announced after a team's last regularly scheduled games but before its playoff games. School Outgoing coach Date Reason Replacement Previous positionSeton HillDaniel DayJune 6, 2025ResignedKevin MaySeton Hill defensive coordinator and linebackers coach (2019–2024) Edward WatersToriano MorganJuly 16, 2025Hired as co-offensive coordinator by Tennessee StateBrian Jenkins (interim; named full-time on September 19, 2025)Edward Waters offensive coordinator and associate head coach (2019–2024) Mars HillTim CliftonAugust 11, 2025RetiredKevin BarnetteMars Hill defensive coordinator (1989–2024)MillersvilleJ. C. MorganOctober 6, 2025FiredBrian Ferguson (interim)Millersville offensive coordinator (2025)Northern MichiganShane RichardsonNovember 7, 2025ResignedBilly Lindquist (interim)Northern Michigan offensive coordinator and associate head coach (2023–2025)
End of season This list includes coaching changes announced during the season that did not take effect until the end of the season. School Outgoing coach Date Reason Replacement Previous positionArkansas–MonticelloHud JacksonNovember 9, 2025Resigned (became school's athletic director, effective at season's end)Gary GoffMcNeese head coach (2022–2024)Winston-Salem StateRobert MasseyNovember 9, 2025FiredTory WoodburyNorfolk State special teams coordinator (2025)West LibertyRoger WaialaeNovember 10, 2025Retired (effective at season's end)Chad SalisburyCalifornia (PA) offensive coordinator (2017–2025)ShippensburgMark MaciejewskiNovember 10, 2025Retired (effective at season's end)Drew GallardyShippensburg offensive coordinator and offensive line coach (2024–2025)Savannah StateAaron KeltonNovember 14, 2025ResignedThomas HowardFayetteville State defensive coordinator (2025)Concordia–St. PaulShannon CurrierNovember 17, 2025FiredJoshua SchumacherSaginaw Valley State special teams coordinator and linebackers coach (2025)Eastern New MexicoKelley LeeNovember 17, 2025FiredArt Briles head coach (2022–2025)Glenville StateMike KellarNovember 18, 2025Contract not renewedJake CasteelWest Virginia defensive assistant (2025)Northwestern Oklahoma StateRonnie JonesNovember 18, 2025FiredJerry PartridgeUT Martin assistant head coach and defensive coordinator (2025)West Virginia WesleyanDwayne MartinNovember 20, 2025FiredMike KellarGlenville State head coach (2019–2025)Bowie StateKyle JacksonNovember 21, 2025Contract not renewedDawson OdumsNorfolk State head coach (2021–2024)Saginaw Valley StateRyan BradyDecember 3, 2025FiredMichael EngleIndianapolis offensive coordinator (2024–2025)MorehouseTerance MathisDecember 10, 2025FiredBrad SherrodTexas Wesleyan head coach (2024–2025)Central WashingtonChris FiskDecember 12, 2025Hired as head coach by Portland StateScott PowerWisconsin assistant defensive backs coach (2025)FindlayKory AllenDecember 14, 2025Hired as assistant coach by ToledoTyler JohnsGardner–Webb offensive coordinator (2024–2025)Albany StateQuinn GrayDecember 15, 2025Hired as head coach by Florida A&MDavid BowserJohnson C. Smith linebackers coach & director of player personnel (2023–2025)Clark AtlantaTeddy KeatonDecember 16, 2025FiredTerry SimsAlabama State assistant head coach and defensive run game coordinator (2024–2025)UT Permian BasinKris McCulloughDecember 23, 2025Hired as head coach by Gardner–WebbChris SoftleyLubbock Christian HS (TX) head coach (2016–2025)EdinboroMatthew ScottDecember 29, 2025Hired as defensive coordinator by AlbanyEric Crandall (interim)Edinboro defensive coordinator (2025)Carson–NewmanAshley IngramDecember 30, 2025Hired as head coach by VMITyler Almond/Carson–Newman defensive coordinator and linebackers coach (2024–2025)Northern MichiganBilly Lindquist (interim)January 5, 2026Permanent replacementMatt JanusWisconsin–La Crosse head coach (2020–2025)HardingPaul SimmonsJanuary 6, 2026Resigned (named as team's general manager)Roddy MoteHarding defensive coordinator & linebackers coach (2017–2025)MillersvilleBrian Ferguson (interim)January 14, 2026Permanent replacement Drew FolmarBucknell offensive coordinator (2025)Delta StateTodd CooleyJanuary 22, 2026Hired as assistant by Ole MissDavid DeanLanier County HS (GA) head coach (2024–2025)Wayne State (MI)Tyrone WheatleyFebruary 10, 2026ResignedTerrence IsaacRochester C&T head coach (2022–2025)TiffinBrett EkkensFebruary 17, 2026Hired as assistant by Arizona CardinalsZack BlairTiffin offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach (2024–2025)
See also 2025 NCAA Division I FBS football season 2025 NCAA Division I FCS football season 2025 NCAA Division III football season 2025 NAIA football season 2025 U Sports football season
References