Previewing the Division III football playoffs

The Division III football playoffs will kick off this weekend after a regular season full of twists and turns.

The Division III football national championship, also known as the Stagg Bowl, will be played on Sunday, Jan. 5 at Shell Energy Stadium in Houston, Texas.

What’s new about this year’s playoffs? What’s important about the first weekend? Who will take home the Gagliardi Trophy? How can fans tune in to each game? All of these questions are discussed below.

A new format

The playoff format expanded from 32 teams to 40 over the offseason, allowing for more at-large bids and less fan uproar over postseason “snubs”.

Out of those 40 teams, 28 have won their conference and have earned an auto-bid, while 12 of those have earned an at-large bid.

The previous years saw each of those 32 teams play in the first round of action. This year, only 16 out of the 40 get to take the field during this weekend.

During the previous years, the playoffs ran from the third Saturday in November to the third Friday in December without a “bye week”.

This season, the playoffs start on the fourth Saturday in November and end on the first Sunday in January with a “bye week” between the semifinals and the championship during the holiday season.

What to watch for in the “play-in” round

UW-La Crosse will host Northwestern (MN) this weekend. The UW-La Crosse Eagles faced a UMAC opponent in the 2023 playoffs, beating Minnesota-Morris in the first round by a score of 62-7.

The Northwestern (MN) Eagles return to the Division III playoffs after missing out in 2023.

The Bethel (MN) Royals have two losses this season, both to undefeated Saint John’s (MN), and they’ll host a Coe team whose 52.4 rushing yards allowed per game is tied for fourth-lowest in Division III.

Endicott has not won a playoff game since 2010, but a big opportunity to change that looms against an Alfred State team whose football program started in 2013.

A battle of West Coast teams shows Whitworth, a team coming off of a 31-7 home loss to Linfield in the NWC championship last week, hosting SCIAC champion Pomona-Pitzer.

Two Lone Star state teams clash as Mary Hardin-Baylor, a team that beat two teams twice and UW-Whitewater once, travels to face a Trinity (TX) team that has won this head-to-head one out of five times.

Maryville (TN) has not made the playoffs since 2018, and they’ll travel to face a two-loss Berry team that could make a 2024 Week 2 rematch with DePauw if they win.

The Ursinus Bears’ lone loss this season is to fellow playoff team Johns Hopkins, and the Bears will travel to face a King’s team that hasn’t won the MAC since 2002.

Bracket 1

Saint John’s (MN) will host the winner of UW-La Crosse and Northwestern (MN) and are the top seed for Bracket 1.

The Saint John’s (MN) Johnnies are led by senior quarterback Aaron Syverson, whose 43 passing touchdowns are tied for second-best in Division III.

The winner of that game will play the winner of host Susquehanna and visitor Hobart.

The Susquehanna River Hawks have had trouble getting out of the first round, and they’ll host a Hobart team that hasn’t won the Liberty League or made a playoff game since 2016 when they lost to Mount Union in the first round by a score of 38-21.

On the other side of Bracket 1, Lake Forest will host the winner of host Bethel (MN) and visitor Coe.

The Lake Forest Foresters are 10-0, and their 17 defensive interceptions are tied for seventh in Division III.

ARC champions Wartburg lost in the semifinals last year, and next weekend they will host WIAC champions UW-Platteville, a team that is in the playoffs for the first time since 2016.

Bracket 2

Top-seeded Cortland will face the winner of Endicott and Alfred State. The Cortland Red Dragons are defending Stagg Bowl champions.

A battle of undefeated teams showcases host and NEWMAC champions Springfield, who is known for their run-heavy offense, and visitor MASCAC champions Mass-Dartmouth, who has won their second-ever outright conference title.

Stagg Bowl championship runner-up North Central (IL) will host the winner of Pomona-Pitzer and Whitworth. The North Central (IL) Cardinals have won two Stagg Bowls and have appeared in four.

MIAA champions Hope won their first conference title since 2019, and they’ll host the NACC champions Aurora, a team that has not lost a conference game since 2018.

Bracket 3

Hardin-Simmons will host the winner of Trinity (TX) and Mary Hardin-Baylor. The Hardin-Simmons Cowboys’ 45.1 points per game ranks 17th in all of Division III.

NWC champions Linfield, a perennial playoff contender, will host a Texas Lutheran team that has not made the playoffs in 10 years.

A red-hot DePauw team that features Nathan McCahill, a quarterback who has thrown for 43 passing touchdowns and three interceptions, will host the winner of Berry and Maryville (TN).

A battle of one-loss northeastern teams features host Johns Hopkins off of a 14-game conference win streak in the Centennial, and visitor Grove City, who has not played a non-conference game all season.

Bracket 4

Triple-option superstar, Salisbury will host the winner of Keystone State one-loss teams King’s and Ursinus.

Randolph-Macon, a team that has won three straight ODAC titles, will host 27-time PAC champions Washington & Jefferson.

Undefeated yet lately struggling to pull off lopsided victories as per the Purple Raider standard, Mount Union will play host to the winner of John Carroll and Mount St. Joseph.

Carnegie Mellon makes its fourth straight playoff appearance as they will host a Centre team that last made it into the Dance in 2018.

How to follow the action

All games are broadcast on ESPN+, however, the national championship game will be found on ESPN.

Bryan Portney is a first-year broadcast journalism major. To contact him, email bep5295@psu.edu.