2000 NCAA Division III football season

The 2000 NCAA Division III football season, part of the college football season organized by the NCAA at the Division III level in the United States, began in August 2000, and concluded with the NCAA Division III Football Championship, also known as the Stagg Bowl, in December 2000 at Salem Football Stadium in Salem, Virginia. The Mount Union Purple Raiders won their fifth Division III championship by defeating the Saint John's (MN) Johnnies, 10−7.

2000 NCAA Division III football season
Regular season	August – November 2000
Playoffs	November – December 2000
National championship	Salem Football Stadium Salem, VA
Champion	Mount Union (5)
Gagliardi Trophy	Chad Johnson (QB), Pacific Lutheran
NCAA Division III football seasons

The Gagliardi Trophy, given to the most outstanding player in Division III football, was awarded to Chad Johnson, quarterback from Pacific Lutheran.

Conference standings

2000 American Southwest Conference football standings Conf Overall Team   W   L     W   L   Hardin–Simmons $^   9 – 0     12 – 1   Mary Hardin–Baylor   8 – 1     9 – 1   Austin   6 – 3     7 – 3   Howard Payne   6 – 3     6 – 4   McMurry   5 – 4     6 – 4   Texas Lutheran   4 – 5     4 – 6   Mississippi College   3 – 6     3 – 7   Sul Ross   2 – 7     2 – 7   Louisiana College   1 – 8     2 – 8   East Texas Baptist   1 – 8     2 – 8   $ – Conference champion ^ – NCAA Division III playoff participant	2000 Atlantic Central Football Conference standings Conf Overall Team   W   L     W   L   Wesley $^   6 – 0     9 – 2   Ferrum   4 – 2     6 – 4   Methodist   4 – 2     6 – 4   Salisbury State   3 – 3     5 – 5   Frostburg State   3 – 3     4 – 6   Greensboro   1 – 5     5 – 5   Chowan   0 – 6     2 – 7   $ – Conference champion ^ – NCAA Division III playoff participant	2000 Centennial Conference football standings Conf Overall Team   W   L     W   L   Western Maryland $^   7 – 0     10 – 2   Muhlenberg   5 – 2     9 – 2   Ursinus   5 – 2     8 – 3   Johns Hopkins   4 – 3     5 – 5   Dickinson   4 – 3     5 – 5   Swarthmore   2 – 5     4 – 5   Gettysburg   1 – 6     1 – 9   Franklin & Marshall   0 – 7     0 – 10   $ – Conference champion ^ – NCAA Division III playoff participant
2000 College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin football standings Conf Overall Team   W   L     W   L   Illinois Wesleyan +   6 – 1     9 – 1   Millikin +^   6 – 1     9 – 2   Wheaton (IL) +   6 – 1     8 – 2   Augustana (IL)   4 – 3     7 – 3   North Central (IL)   3 – 4     5 – 5   Carthage   1 – 6     4 – 6   North Park   1 – 6     3 – 7   Elmhurst   1 – 6     2 – 8   + – Conference co-champions ^ – NCAA Division III playoff participant	2000 Freedom Football Conference standings Conf Overall Team   W   L     W   L   Springfield (MA) $^   6 – 0     11 – 2   Western Connecticut   5 – 1     10 – 1   Norwich   3 – 3     7 – 3   Plymouth State   3 – 3     5 – 5   Merchant Marine   3 – 3     3 – 6   WPI   1 – 5     2 – 8   Coast Guard   0 – 6     2 – 8   $ – Conference champion ^ – NCAA Division III playoff participant	2000 Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference football standings Conf Overall Team   W   L     W   L   Bluffton +   5 – 1     7 – 3   Hanover +^   5 – 1     8 – 4   Defiance   4 – 2     7 – 3   Anderson (IN)   3 – 3     4 – 6   Franklin (IN)   3 – 3     4 – 6   Manchester   1 – 5     2 – 8   Mount St. Joseph   0 – 6     2 – 8   + – Conference co-champions ^ – NCAA Division III playoff participant
2000 Illini–Badger Football Conference standings Conf Overall Team   W   L     W   L   Aurora $^   7 – 0     7 – 4   Benedictine (IL)   6 – 1     7 – 3   Concordia (WI)   5 – 2     7 – 3   Greenville   3 – 4     6 – 5   MacMurray   3 – 4     5 – 5   Lakeland   3 – 4     4 – 6   Eureka   1 – 6     2 – 8   Concordia (IL)   0 – 7     0 – 9   $ – Conference champion ^ – NCAA Division III playoff participant	2000 Iowa Conference football standings Conf Overall Team   W   L     W   L   Central (IA) $^   10 – 0     12 – 1   Wartburg   9 – 1     9 – 1   Buena Vista   7 – 3     7 – 3   Coe   6 – 4     6 – 4   Simpson (IA)   6 – 4     6 – 4   Luther   5 – 5     5 – 5   Loras   4 – 6     4 – 6   Cornell (IA)   3 – 7     3 – 7   Upper Iowa   3 – 7     3 – 7   William Penn   2 – 8     2 – 8   Dubuque   0 – 10     0 – 10   $ – Conference champion ^ – NCAA Division III playoff participant	2000 Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association football standings Conf Overall Team   W   L     W   L   Hope $^   5 – 0     8 – 2   Albion   3 – 2     7 – 3   Alma   3 – 2     6 – 4   Kalamazoo   3 – 2     5 – 4   Adrian   1 – 4     2 – 8   Olivet   0 – 5     2 – 8   $ – Conference champion ^ – NCAA Division III playoff participant
2000 Middle Atlantic Conference football standings Conf Overall Team   W   L     W   L   Commonwealth Widener x^   5 – 0     12 – 2   Moravian   3 – 2     6 – 4   Susquehanna   2 – 3     7 – 3   Lebanon Valley   2 – 3     4 – 6   Albright   2 – 3     3 – 7   Juniata   1 – 4     1 – 9   Freedom Lycoming x   4 – 0     7 – 2   King's (PA)   3 – 1     7 – 4   Wilkes   2 – 2     5 – 6   Delaware Valley   1 – 3     3 – 7   Fairleigh Dickinson–Florham   0 – 4     1 – 9   x – Division champion/co-champions ^ – NCAA Division III playoff participant	2000 Midwest Conference football standings Conf Overall Team   W   L     W   L   St. Norbert $^   9 – 0     10 – 1   Ripon   8 – 1     9 – 1   Illinois College   5 – 4     6 – 4   Carroll (WI)   5 – 4     5 – 5   Grinnell   5 – 4     5 – 5   Beloit   3 – 6     3 – 7   Lake Forest   3 – 6     3 – 7   Monmouth (IL)   3 – 6     3 – 7   Knox   2 – 7     2 – 8   Lawrence   2 – 7     2 – 8   $ – Conference champion ^ – NCAA Division III playoff participant	2000 Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference football standings Conf Overall Team W   L   T W   L   T Bethel (MN) $^ 9 – 0 – 0 10 – 1 – 0 Saint John's (MN) ^ 8 – 1 – 0 13 – 2 – 0 St. Olaf 6 – 3 – 0 7 – 3 – 0 St. Thomas (MN) 6 – 3 – 0 6 – 4 – 0 Gustavus Adolphus 6 – 3 – 0 6 – 4 – 0 Concordia–Moorhead 4 – 5 – 0 4 – 6 – 0 Augsburg 3 – 6 – 0 3 – 7 – 0 Hamline 2 – 7 – 0 2 – 8 – 0 Carleton 1 – 8 – 0 1 – 9 – 0 Macalester 0 – 9 – 0 1 – 9 – 0 $ – Conference champion ^ – NCAA Division III playoff participant
2000 New England Football Conference standings Conf Overall Team   W   L     W   L   Bogan Division Worcester State x   5 – 1     7 – 2   Bridgewater State xy$^   5 – 1     8 – 3   Fitchburg State   4 – 2     5 – 4   Massachusetts Maritime   3 – 3     5 – 4   Westfield State   2 – 4     3 – 6   Framingham State   2 – 4     3 – 7   Maine Maritime   0 – 6     0 – 9   Boyd Division Salve Regina xy   4 – 1     7 – 3   Nichols   4 – 2     7 – 3   UMass Dartmouth   4 – 2     5 – 4   Curry   3 – 3     6 – 4   MIT   3 – 3     4 – 5   Western New England   2 – 4     4 – 5   UMass–Boston   0 – 5     1 – 9   Championship: Bridgewater State 27, Salve Regina 24 $ – Conference champion x – Division champion/co-champions y – Championship game participant ^ – NCAA Division III playoff participant	2000 New England Small College Athletic Conference football standings Conf Overall Team   W   L     W   L   Amherst +   7 – 1     7 – 1   Colby +   7 – 1     7 – 1   Middlebury +   7 – 1     7 – 1   Trinity (CT)   5 – 3     5 – 3   Williams   5 – 3     5 – 3   Wesleyan   4 – 4     4 – 4   Bates   2 – 6     2 – 6   Tufts   2 – 6     2 – 6   Hamilton   1 – 7     1 – 7   Bowdoin   0 – 8     0 – 8   + – Conference co-champions	2000 New Jersey Athletic Conference football standings Conf Overall Team   W   L     W   L   Montclair State $^   6 – 0     7 – 3   Rowan   5 – 1     7 – 2   Cortland   4 – 2     4 – 6   TCNJ   3 – 3     4 – 5   New Jersey City   2 – 4     3 – 7   William Paterson   1 – 5     2 – 8   Kean   0 – 6     1 – 9   $ – Conference champion ^ – NCAA Division III playoff participant
2000 Northwest Conference football standings Conf Overall Team   W   L     W   L   Linfield $^   5 – 0     9 – 1   Pacific Lutheran ^   4 – 1     9 – 2   Whitworth   3 – 2     6 – 3   Puget Sound   2 – 3     5 – 4   Lewis & Clark   1 – 4     3 – 6   Willamette   0 – 5     3 – 7   $ – Conference champion ^ – NCAA Division III playoff participant	2000 North Coast Athletic Conference football standings Conf Overall Team   W   L     W   L   Wittenberg $^   7 – 0     12 – 1   Allegheny   6 – 1     7 – 3   Ohio Wesleyan   4 – 3     6 – 4   Earlham   4 – 3     6 – 4   Wooster   4 – 3     6 – 4   Hiram   2 – 5     3 – 7   Wabash   5 – 2     6 – 4   Denison   2 – 5     2 – 8   Kenyon   1 – 6     3 – 7   Oberlin   0 – 7     0 – 10   $ – Conference champion ^ – NCAA Division III playoff participant	2000 Ohio Athletic Conference football standings Conf Overall Team   W   L     W   L   Mount Union $^   9 – 0     14 – 0   Ohio Northern ^   8 – 1     9 – 3   Wilmington (OH)   7 – 2     7 – 3   John Carroll   6 – 3     7 – 3   Baldwin–Wallace   5 – 4     5 – 5   Muskingum   3 – 6     4 – 6   Otterbein   3 – 6     4 – 6   Capital   2 – 7     3 – 7   Marietta   2 – 7     3 – 7   Heidelberg   0 – 9     0 – 10   $ – Conference champion ^ – NCAA Division III playoff participant
2000 Old Dominion Athletic Conference football standings Conf Overall Team   W   L     W   L   Emory & Henry $^   5 – 1     8 – 3   Bridgewater ^   5 – 1     10 – 2   Catholic University   4 – 2     6 – 4   Washington and Lee   2 – 4     5 – 5   Hampden–Sydney   2 – 4     4 – 6   Randolph–Macon   2 – 4     3 – 7   Guilford   1 – 5     1 – 9   $ – Conference champion ^ – NCAA Division III playoff participant	2000 Presidents' Athletic Conference football standings Conf Overall Team   W   L     W   L   Washington & Jefferson $^   4 – 0     9 – 2   Grove City   3 – 1     6 – 4   Waynesburg   2 – 2     6 – 4   Bethany (WV)   1 – 3     5 – 5   Thiel   0 – 4     2 – 8   Westminster (PA) *   0 – 0     8 – 2   $ – Conference champion ^ – NCAA Division III playoff participant * Completing reclassification from NCAA Division II—games did not count in conference standings.	2000 Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference football standings Conf Overall Team   W   L     W   L   Redlands $   5 – 0     7 – 2   Whittier   4 – 1     4 – 5   Occidental   2 – 3     5 – 4   La Verne   2 – 3     2 – 7   Claremont-Mudd   1 – 4     4 – 5   Cal Lutheran   1 – 4     3 – 6   $ – Conference champion
2000 Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference football standings Conf Overall Team   W   L     W   L   Trinity (TX) +^   4 – 2     10 – 3   DePauw +   4 – 2     6 – 4   Sewanee +   4 – 2     6 – 4   Rhodes   3 – 3     5 – 4   Centre   3 – 3     5 – 5   Millsaps   2 – 4     5 – 5   Rose–Hulman   1 – 5     2 – 8   + – Conference co-champions ^ – NCAA Division III playoff participant	2000 Upstate Collegiate Athletic Association football standings Conf Overall Team   W   L     W   L   Hobart +^   3 – 1     9 – 2   Union (NY) +^   3 – 1     9 – 2   Rochester (NY) +   3 – 1     6 – 3   RPI   1 – 3     3 – 6   St. Lawrence   0 – 4     1 – 9   + – Conference co-champions ^ – NCAA Division III playoff participant	2000 Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference football standings Conf Overall Team   W   L     W   L   Wisconsin–Stout $^   7 – 0     10 – 1   Wisconsin–La Crosse   6 – 1     7 – 3   Wisconsin–River Falls   5 – 2     6 – 4   Wisconsin–Eau Claire   4 – 3     6 – 4   Wisconsin–Whitewater   3 – 4     5 – 5   Wisconsin–Oshkosh   1 – 6     3 – 7   Wisconsin–Platteville   1 – 6     2 – 8   Wisconsin–Stevens Point   1 – 6     2 – 8   $ – Conference champion ^ – NCAA Division III playoff participant
2000 NCAA Division III independents football records Conf Overall Team   W   L     W   L   Thomas More   –     9 – 1   Brockport   –     8 – 1   Ithaca   –     7 – 3   Buffalo State   –     7 – 4   Hartwick   –     7 – 4   Menlo   –     6 – 4   Principia   –     5 – 4   Pomona-Pitzer   –     4 – 4   Alfred   –     4 – 6   Colorado College   –     3 – 6   Maryville (TN)   –     3 – 7   Wisconsin Lutheran   –     3 – 7   Chapman   –     2 – 7   Westminster (MO)   –     2 – 8   Maranatha Baptist   –     1 – 8   Blackburn   –     1 – 9   Rockford   –     1 – 9   St. John Fisher   –     1 – 9   Mount Ida   –     0 – 8

Conference champions

Conference champions

American Southwest Conference – Hardin–Simmons Atlantic Central Football Conference – Wesley Centennial Conference – Western Maryland College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin – Illinois Wesleyan, Millikin, and Wheaton (IL) Dixie Intercollegiate Football Conference – No Champion Named Freedom Football Conference – Springfield Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference – Bluffton and Hanover Illini-Badger Football Conference – Aurora Iowa Intercollegiate Athletic Conference – Central (IA) Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association – Hope Middle Atlantic Conference – Widener Midwest Conference – St. Norbert Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference – Bethel (MN) New England Football Conference – Nichols and Salve Regina (Blue Division), Bridgewater State (Red Division) Championship Game: Bridgewater State 27, Salve Regina 24 New England Small College Athletic Conference – Amherst, Colby, and Middlebury New Jersey Athletic Conference – Montclair State North Coast Athletic Conference – Wittenberg Northwest Conference – Linfield Ohio Athletic Conference – Mount Union Old Dominion Athletic Conference – Emory & Henry Presidents' Athletic Conference – Washington & Jefferson Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference – Redlands Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference – DePauw, Sewanee, and Trinity (TX) University Athletic Association – Chicago Upper Midwest Athletic Conference – Mount Senario Upstate Collegiate Athletic Conference – Hobart, Rochester, and Union (NY) Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference – Wisconsin–Stout

Postseason

The 2000 NCAA Division III Football Championship playoffs were the 28th annual single-elimination tournament to determine the national champion of men's NCAA Division III college football. The championship Stagg Bowl game was held at Salem Football Stadium in Salem, Virginia for the eighth time. This was the second bracket to feature 28 teams since last expanding in 1999.

Playoff bracket

	First Round Campus Sites					Second Round Campus Sites					Quarterfinals Campus Sites					Semifinals Campus Sites					National Championship Game Salem Football Stadium Salem, Virginia
						Mount Union		32
	Ohio Northern		47			Ohio Northern		15
	Millikin		21								Mount Union		32
	Hanover		20								Wittenberg		21
	Hope		3			Hanover		21
	Wittenberg		31			Wittenberg		32
	Aurora		20													Mount Union		70
																Widener		30
						Brockport		6
	Springfield		31			Springfield		13
	Montclair State		29								Springfield		27
	Widener		33								Widener		61
	Union (NY)		26			Widener		40
	Hobart		25			Hobart		14
	Bridgewater State		0																		Mount Union		10
																					Saint John's (MN)		7
						Linfield		17
	Central (IA)		28			Central (IA)		20*
	St. Norbert		14								Central (IA)		18
	Pacific Lutheran		41								Saint John's (MN)		21
	Bethel (MN)		13			Pacific Lutheran		21
	Saint John's (MN)		26			Saint John's (MN)		28*
	UW–Stout		19													Saint John's (MN)		38
																Hardin–Simmons		14
						Hardin–Simmons		32
	Western Maryland		38			Western Maryland		10
	Emory & Henry		14								Hardin–Simmons		33
	Trinity (TX)		21								Trinity (TX)		30
	Wesley		3			Trinity (TX)		47*
	Bridgewater (VA)		59			Bridgewater (VA)		41
	Wash. & Jefferson		42

* Overtime

Final AFCA Top 25 Poll

Team	Final Record	Points
1. Mount Union	14-0	1,150
2. St. John's	13–2	1,104
3. Hardin-Simmons	12–1	991
4. Central(IA)	12–1	983
5. Wittenberg	12–1	974
6. Widener	12–2	876
7. Pacific Lutheran	9–2	821
8. Linfield	9–1	795
9. Wisconsin-Stout	10–1	673
10. Springfield	11–2	603
11. Western Maryland	10–2	572
12. Brockport State	8–1	564
13. Trinity(TX)	10–3	537
14. Bethel	10–1	481
15. Bridgewater	10–2	428
16. Washington & Jefferson	9–2	406
17. St. Norbert	10–1	387
18. Wartburg	9–1	362
19. Ohio Northern	9–3	354
20. Western Connecticut State	10–1	282
21. Millikin	9–2	274
22. Union	9–2	265
23. Illinois Wesleyan	9–1	251
24. Mary Hardin-Baylor	9–1	152
25. Hanover	8–4	120

Others receiving votes: Wesley, 86; Hobart, 78; Thomas More, 76; Montclair St., 74; Hope, 65; Rowan, 44; Aurora, 34; Ripon, 20; Emory & Henry, 20; Middlebury, 14; Amherst, 11; Bridgewater St., 9; Wheaton, 8; Lycoming, 4; Augustana, 2.

Awards

Gagliardi Trophy: Chad Johnson, Pacific Lutheran

AFCA Coach of the Year: Larry Kehres, Mount Union

AFCA Regional Coach of the Year: Region 1: Mike DeLong, Springfield Region 2: Bill Zwaan, Widener Region 3: Pete Fredenburg, Mary Hardin-Baylor Region 4: Larry Kehres, Mount Union Region 5: Ed Meierkort, Wisconsin-Stout

See also

• 2000 NCAA Division I-A football season
• 2000 NCAA Division I-AA football season
• 2000 NCAA Division II football season