2024 NCAA Division II football season
2024 NCAA Division II football season | |
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Total No. of teams | 162 |
Regular season | August 29 – November 16, 2024 |
Playoffs | November 23 – December 21, 2024 |
National Championship | McKinney Independent School District Stadium McKinney, TX December 21, 2024 |
The 2024 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, will begin on August 29 and will end on December 21 with the Division II championship at the McKinney Independent School District Stadium in McKinney, Texas.
D-II team wins over FCS teams
August 29: Sioux Falls 34, St. Thomas (MN) 13
September 7: Edinboro 23, Robert Morris 21
September 21: Clark Atlanta 38, Bethune-Cookman 37
September 28: Frostburg State 25, Mercyhurst 24
Conference changes and new programs
School | Former conference | New conference | Ref |
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Anderson (SC) Trojans | New program | SAC | [1] |
Erskine Flying Fleet | SAC | Gulf South | [2][3] |
Lincoln (MO) Blue Tigers | Independent (D-II) | GLVC | [4] |
Mercyhurst Lakers | PSAC | Northeast (FCS) | [5] |
Northeastern State RiverHawks | MIAA | Independent (D-II) | [6] |
Notre Dame (OH) Falcons | Mountain East | School closed | [7] |
Post Eagles | Independent (D-II) | NE-10 | [8] |
Roosevelt Lakers | Mid-States (NAIA) | GLIAC | [9][10] |
Shorter Hawks | Gulf South | Independent (D-II) | [11] |
St. Augustine's Falcons | CIAA | Program suspended | [12][13][14] |
Sul Ross Lobos | ASC (D-III) | Lone Star | [15] |
West Georgia Wolves | Gulf South | UAC (FCS) | [16][17][18] |
Headlines
- January 13 - At the 2024 NCAA Convention, the D-II football membership approved a proposal to add a "Week Zero", allowing schools to play one week earlier than in previous seasons and extending the regular season from 11 weeks to 12.[19] The maximum number of regular-season games remained at 11.
Rankings
The top 25 from the AFCA Coaches' Poll.
Preseason Poll
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Conference standings
Super Region 1
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Super Region 2
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Super Region 3
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Super Region 4
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Postseason
Qualifiers
Bracket
* - Host team
Super Region 1
First Round November 23, 2024 Campus sites | Second Round November 30, 2024 Campus sites | Quarterfinals December 7, 2024 Campus sites | ||||||||||||
1 | Kutztown* | |||||||||||||
New Haven | ||||||||||||||
4 | Slippery Rock* | |||||||||||||
3 | California (PA)* | 30 | ||||||||||||
East Stroudsburg | 27 | |||||||||||||
3 | California (PA) | |||||||||||||
Ashland | ||||||||||||||
2 | Charleston (WV)* |
Super Region 2
First Round November 23, 2023 Campus sites | Second Round November 30, 2023 Campus sites | Quarterfinals December 7, 2023 Campus sites | ||||||||||||
1 | Valdosta State* | |||||||||||||
4 | Miles | |||||||||||||
Carson–Newman | 13 | |||||||||||||
4 | Miles* | 14 | ||||||||||||
3 | West Alabama* | |||||||||||||
Lenoir–Rhyne | ||||||||||||||
Virginia Union | ||||||||||||||
2 | Wingate* |
Super Region 3
First Round November 23, 2023 Campus sites | Second Round November 30, 2023 Campus sites | Quarterfinals December 7, 2023 Campus sites | ||||||||||||
1 | Ferris State* | |||||||||||||
Ouachita Baptist | ||||||||||||||
4 | Central Oklahoma* | |||||||||||||
3 | Pittsburg State* | |||||||||||||
Harding | ||||||||||||||
2 | Grand Valley State | |||||||||||||
Indianapolis | 7 | |||||||||||||
2 | Grand Valley State* | 24 |
Super Region 4
First Round November 23, 2023 Campus sites | Second Round November 30, 2023 Campus sites | Quarterfinals December 7, 2023 Campus sites | ||||||||||||
1 | CSU Pueblo* | |||||||||||||
Minnesota State | ||||||||||||||
4 | Augustana (SD)* | |||||||||||||
3 | Angelo State* | |||||||||||||
Bemidji State | ||||||||||||||
Central Washington | ||||||||||||||
2 | Western Colorado* |
Semifinals & Championship
Teams were re-seeded prior to semifinals.
Semifinals December 14, 2024 Hosted by higher seeded team | Championship December 21, 2024 McKinney ISD Stadium McKinney, Texas | ||||||||
Bowl games
There are two bowl games which feature teams that did not qualify for the Division II postseason tournament. This is down from four bowl games in the previous season, as the Live United Texarkana Bowl went defunct and the Florida Beach Bowl is not being held for 2024 due to funding issues.[21] Additionally, a regular season conference game between North Greenville and Shorter was postponed due to Hurricane Helene; it was rescheduled for the first week of the Division II postseason, restructured as a quasi-bowl game and dubbed the "Helene Relief Bowl".[22]
Date | Time (EST) | Game | Site | Television | Teams | Affiliations | Results |
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Dec. 7 | 1:00 pm | Heritage Bowl | Tiger Stadium Corsicana, Texas |
TBD | Texas–Permian Basin Central Missouri |
LSC MIAA |
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2:00 p.m. | America's Crossroads Bowl | Hobart High School Hobart, Indiana |
(Livestream) | Truman Tiffin |
GLVC GMAC |
Coaching changes
Preseason and in-season
This is restricted to coaching changes that took place on or after May 1, 2024, 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 position |
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New Mexico Highlands | Ron Hudson | May 1, 2024 | Fired[23] | Kurt Taufa'asau[24] | New Mexico Military head coach (2021–2023) |
American International | Lou Conte | May 23, 2024 | Hired as head coach by Westfield State[25] | Daniel Chipka (interim)[26] | American International offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach (2023) |
Henderson State | Scott Maxfield | June 26, 2024 | Retired | Greg Holsworth[27] | Henderson State assistant head coach and defensive coordinator (2017–2023) |
Emory & Henry | Curt Newsome | July 30, 2024 | Resigned[28] | Quintin Hunter (interim; named full-time on November 11, 2024)[29] | Emory & Henry offensive coordinator and wide receivers coach (2021–2023) |
McKendree | Mike Babcock | August 6, 2024 | Hired as assistant by UCLA[30] | Jason Rejfek[31] (interim; named full-time on November 19, 2024)[32] | McKendree defensive coordinator and defensive backs coach (2019–2023) |
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 position |
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Elizabeth City State | Marcus Hilliard | November 14, 2024 | Fired[33] | David Castillo (interim) | Elizabeth City State defensive coordinator (2023–2024) |
Lane | Vyron Brown | November 15, 2024 | Resigned[34] | Tommie Lewis Jr. (interim) | Lane assistant head coach, defensive coordinator, and defensive line coach (2024) |
Adams State | Jarrell Harrison | November 18, 2024 | Resigned[35] | ||
Concord | Brian Ferguson | November 18, 2024 | Fired[36] | David Blake (interim) | Concord associate head coach and defensive coordinator (2024) |
Washburn | Craig Schurig | November 18, 2024 | Fired[37] | Zach Watkins (interim) | Washburn co-defensive coordinator and defensive backs coach (2014–2024) |
Northwest Missouri State | Rich Wright | November 19, 2024 | Contract expired[38] | Chad Bostwick (interim) | Northwest Missouri State co-defensive coordinator and linebackers coach (2011–2024) |
Texas A&M–Kingsville | Mike Salinas | November 19, 2024 | Resigned (became school's athletic director)[39] | Jamison Bisch (interim) | Texas A&M–Kingsville defensive coordinator (2023–2024) |
See also
- 2024 NCAA Division I FBS football season
- 2024 NCAA Division I FCS football season
- 2024 NCAA Division III football season
- 2024 NAIA football season
- 2024 U Sports football season
References
- ^ "Are You Ready for Trojan Football?". andersonuniversity.edu. Anderson University. 22 September 2023. Retrieved May 29, 2024.
- ^ "Erskine Football | Fleet agree to join Gulf South Conference as Football Affiliate Member for 2024 season". erskinesports.com. Erskine College. January 27, 2023. Retrieved May 29, 2024.
- ^ "Erskine Football | Fleet to be part of rebirth of football in Conference Carolinas in 2025". erskinesports.com. Erskine College. January 26, 2023. Retrieved May 29, 2024.
- ^ "Lincoln to Leave MIAA After 43 years". themiaa.com. Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association. January 26, 2023. Retrieved May 29, 2024.
- ^ "Mercyhurst University marks new era in athletics with move to Division I". hurstathletics.com. Mercyhurst University. April 4, 2024. Retrieved May 29, 2024.
- ^ "MIAA Approves Northeastern State's Request to Play as an Independent Institution in Football". themiaa.com. Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association. November 20, 2023. Retrieved May 29, 2024.
- ^ "Last day of classes at Notre Dame College; school closing after more than 100 years". cleveland19.com. May 2, 2024. Retrieved May 29, 2024.
- ^ "Post University Football To Join Northeast-10 As Associate Member". posteagles.com. Post University. May 10, 2023. Retrieved May 29, 2024.
- ^ "ROOSEVELT JOINS NCAA DIVISION II". roosevelt.edu. Roosevelt University. July 13, 2023. Retrieved May 30, 2024.
- ^ "Lakers Litter All-MSFA Teams For Final NAIA Season". rooseveltlakers.com. Roosevelt University. November 20, 2023. Retrieved May 30, 2024.
- ^ "Shorter Athletics Announces Their Move to Conference Carolinas". goshorterhawks.com. Shorter University. January 27, 2023. Retrieved May 30, 2024.
- ^ "Struggling HBCU 'Suspends' Football Program For The Fall Season". SI.com. April 4, 2024. Retrieved May 30, 2024.
- ^ "St. Augustine's will compete in every other sport except football — for now". hbcusports.com. April 20, 2024. Retrieved May 30, 2024.
- ^ "Former St. Augustine's football players describe suspension of 2024 football as 'heartbreaking' ". hbcusports.com. April 19, 2024. Retrieved May 30, 2024.
- ^ "Sul Ross State to join the LSC on July 1, 2024". lonestarconference.org. Lone Star Conference. July 22, 2023. Retrieved May 30, 2024.
- ^ "UWG, United Athletic Conference Reveal 2024 Conference Football Slate". uwgathletics.com. University of West Georgia. November 14, 2023. Retrieved May 30, 2024.
- ^ "UWG Athletics to Transition to NCAA Division I". westga.edu. Retrieved May 30, 2024.
- ^ "UAC Welcomes West Georgia as its 11th Member". uacfootball.com. United Athletic Conference. August 8, 2023. Retrieved May 30, 2024.
- ^ "Division II approves football scheduling proposal, pair of championship changes" (Press release). NCAA. January 13, 2024. Retrieved May 9, 2024.
- ^ "Defending national champion Harding preseason No. 1". afca.com. AFCA. August 12, 2024. Retrieved August 12, 2024.
- ^ Gaither, Steven (November 4, 2024). "HBCU football bowl game won't happen this year". Lexington Herald-Leader. Retrieved November 4, 2024.
- ^ Harris, Kennedi (November 22, 2024). "NGU hosts Hurricane Relief Bowl, collecting donations for Western North Carolina". WHNS.
- ^ "NMHU And Head Football Coach Ron Hudson Part Ways" (Press release). New Mexico Highlands University Athletics. May 1, 2024. Retrieved May 21, 2024.
- ^ "Kurt Taufa'asau Named NMHU Head Football Coach". New Mexico Highlands University Athletics. May 29, 2024. Retrieved May 30, 2024.
- ^ "Lou Conte, Jr. Named Head Football Coach at Westfield State". 2024-06-04.
- ^ "AIC Names Daniel Chipka as Interim Head Football Coach". American International University Athletics. May 23, 2024. Retrieved June 2, 2024.
- ^ "Scott Maxfield Announces Retirement, Greg Holsworth Promoted to Head Football Coach" (Press release). Henderson State University Athletics. June 26, 2024. Retrieved June 26, 2024.
- ^ "Emory & Henry Head Football Coach Curt Newsome Steps Down". July 30, 2024.
- ^ "Emory & Henry Removes Interim Tag, Quintin Hunter Named Head Football Coach" (Press release). Emory & Henry University. November 11, 2024. Retrieved November 19, 2024.
- ^ "Sources: D-II head coach leaves post to take job at UCLA". Football Scoop. August 7, 2024. Retrieved August 7, 2024.
- ^ "McKendree Announces the Resignation of Coach Babcock; Names Jason Rejfek Interim Head Coach". August 6, 2024.
- ^ Bennett, Max (November 19, 2024). "McKendree Athletics Names Jason Rejfek Head Football Coach; Interim Tag Dropped". McKendree University. Retrieved November 19, 2024.
- ^ Samuels, Doug (November 14, 2024). "Source: Elizabeth City State has decided to make a head coaching change". Footballscoop. Retrieved November 14, 2024.
- ^ "Brown steps down as head football coach". Lane College. November 15, 2024. Retrieved November 16, 2024.
- ^ Barnett, Zach (November 18, 2024). "Adams State announces head coaching change". Footballscoop. Retrieved November 18, 2024.
- ^ "Concord Announces Head Football Coaching Change". Concord University. November 18, 2024. Retrieved November 18, 2024.
- ^ "Washburn University announces coaching change for football program". Washburn University. November 18, 2024. Retrieved November 18, 2024.
- ^ "Northwest announces change in leadership of Bearcat football program" (Press release). Northwest Missouri State University. November 19, 2024. Retrieved November 19, 2024.
- ^ "Texas A&M-Kingsville names Michael Salinas AD; Bisch named interim head football coach". Corpus Christi Caller-Times. November 19, 2024. Retrieved November 19, 2024.