The 1978 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 in August 1978, and concluded with the NCAA Division II Football Championship in December 1978 at Lobo Stadium in Longview, Texas . The Eastern Illinois Panthers defeated the Delaware Fightin' Blue Hens , 10–9, to win their first Division II national title.[ 1]
Four conferences, the Big Sky Conference Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference Ohio Valley Conference Yankee Conference Division I-AA level of college football. All of their members, alongside seven independents, departed at the same time, a total of 35 schools in all.
This was the first season for the Mid-Continent Conference Illinois , Iowa , Michigan , and Ohio .
This was the first season for the Heartland Collegiate Conference Kentucky , Indiana , and Ohio . Five of its members were formerly in the Indiana Collegiate Conference , which disbanded upon creation of the HCC.
1978 Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference football standings
Conf. Overall
Team W
L
T W
L
T
East Stroudsburg xy$
5
–
0
–
0
10
–
1
–
0
Cheyney
4
–
1
–
0
6
–
3
–
0
Bloomsburg
3
–
2
–
0
6
–
4
–
0
Millersville
2
–
3
–
0
6
–
3
–
0
Kutztown
1
–
4
–
0
2
–
7
–
0
Mansfield
0
–
5
–
0
2
–
8
–
0
No. 17 Clarion xy
5
–
1
–
0
8
–
3
–
0
Shippensburg x
5
–
1
–
0
7
–
3
–
0
Slippery Rock
4
–
2
–
0
6
–
3
–
0
Edinboro
3
–
3
–
0
3
–
6
–
1
Indiana (PA)
2
–
4
–
0
4
–
5
–
1
California (PA)
1
–
4
–
1
2
–
7
–
1
Lock Haven
0
–
5
–
1
1
–
8
–
1
Championship : East Stroudsburg 49 , Clarion 4
$ – Conference champion x – Division champion/co-champions y – Championship game participant Shippensburg was ineligible for conference title game.
1978 Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference football standings
Conf. Overall
Team W
L
T W
L
T
No. 3 Florida A&M x^
5
–
0
–
0
12
–
1
–
0
Bethune–Cookman
3
–
2
–
0
7
–
3
–
1
Alabama A&M
4
–
1
–
0
7
–
4
–
0
Morris Brown
4
–
4
–
0
5
–
5
–
0
Albany State
3
–
3
–
1
4
–
5
–
1
Tuskegee
3
–
3
–
0
3
–
7
–
0
Clark x
7
–
2
–
0
7
–
2
–
0
Fort Valley State
4
–
3
–
2
6
–
3
–
2
Knoxville
5
–
2
–
0
6
–
4
–
0
Morehouse
4
–
5
–
0
4
–
5
–
0
Savannah State
4
–
5
–
0
4
–
6
–
0
Miles
2
–
5
–
1
2
–
6
–
1
Lane
1
–
4
–
2
1
–
5
–
2
x – Division champion/co-champions ^ – NCAA Division I-AA playoff participant Associated Press poll
1978 West Virginia Intercollegiate Athletic Conference football standings
Conf. Overall
Team W
L
T W
L
T
Shepherd xy
6
–
3
–
0
7
–
4
–
0
West Virginia Wesleyan
6
–
3
–
0
6
–
3
–
0
Fairmont State
5
–
4
–
0
5
–
4
–
1
Salem
4
–
5
–
0
4
–
6
–
0
West Liberty State
2
–
7
–
0
2
–
8
–
0
No. 6 Concord xy$^
8
–
1
–
0
10
–
2
–
0
West Virginia Tech
6
–
3
–
0
6
–
3
–
0
West Virginia State
6
–
3
–
0
6
–
4
–
0
Glenville State
1
–
7
–
0
2
–
7
–
0
Bluefield State
0
–
9
–
0
0
–
10
–
0
Championship: Concord 35 , Shepherd 14
$ – Conference champion x – Division champion/co-champions y – Championship game participant ^ – NAIA Division I playoff participant
1978 NCAA Division II independents football records
Conf. Overall
Team W
L
T W
L
T
No. 9 American International
–
6
–
2
–
1
No. 3 Delaware ^
–
10
–
4
–
0
No. 10 Puget Sound
–
9
–
2
–
0
Kentucky State
–
7
–
2
–
1
Alabama State
–
8
–
3
–
0
Santa Clara
–
5
–
6
–
0
Arkansas–Pine Bluff
–
4
–
6
–
0
Northern Colorado
–
4
–
6
–
0
Springfield
–
4
–
6
–
0
Central Connecticut
–
3
–
7
–
0
Southern Connecticut State
–
3
–
7
–
0
United States International
–
2
–
8
–
0
Central State (OH)
–
2
–
9
–
0
West Chester
–
2
–
9
–
0
^ – NCAA Division II playoff participant Associated Press poll
† While the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SIAC) was a Division II conference, Florida A&M (FAMU) had successfully petitioned the NCAA for Division I classification (Division I-AA in football), which took effect on September 1, 1978.[ 7] 1978 Division I-AA postseason , winning the Division I-AA championship.
1978 NCAA Division II Football Championship Teams 8 Finals Site Champion Runner-up Semifinalists Winning coach
The 1978 NCAA Division II Football Championship playoffs were the sixth single-elimination tournament to determine the national champion of men's NCAA Division II college football. The championship game was held at Lobo Stadium in Longview, Texas for the first time.
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Seasons
Playoffs
Championship games
Records & statistics