1971 NCAA College Division football season

The 1971 NCAA College Division football season was the 16th season of college football in the United States organized by the National Collegiate Athletic Association at the NCAA College Division level.

1971 NCAA College Division football season
Champion(s)Delaware (AP, UPI)
Tennessee State (black)
College Division football seasons

Conference standings
1971 Big Sky Conference football standings
Conf  Overall
TeamW L T  W L T
Idaho $ 4 –1 –0  8 –3 –0
No. 7 Boise State 4 –2 –0  10 –2 –0
Montana 3 –2 –0  6 –5 –0
Weber State 3 –2 –1  7 –2 –1
Idaho State 2 –3 –0  6 –4 –0
Northern Arizona 1 –3 –0  5 –5 –0
Montana State 0 –5 –1  2 –7 –1
  • $ – Conference champion
Rankings from College Division AP Poll
1971 California Collegiate Athletic Association football standings
Conf  Overall
TeamW L T  W L T
Cal Poly $ 3 –0 –0  6 –5 –0
Cal State Fullerton 3 –1 –0  7 –4 –0
Valley State 1 –2 –0  4 –7 –0
Cal Poly Pomona 1 –3 –0  6 –5 –0
UC Riverside 0 –2 –0  2 –7 –1
  • $ – Conference champion
1971 College Athletic Conference football standings
Conf  Overall
TeamW L T  W L T
Southwestern (TN) + 3 –1 –0  5 –2 –0
Centre + 3 –1 –0  3 –6 –0
Washington and Lee 2 –2 –0  4 –5 –0
Washington University 1 –3 –0  4 –5 –0
Sewanee 1 –3 –0  2 –6 –0
  • + – Conference co-champions
1971 College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin football standings
Conf  Overall
TeamW L T  W L T
Carthage $^ 8 –0 –0  9 –0 –1
Augustana (IL) 5 –3 –0  5 –4 –0
Carroll (WI) 5 –3 –0  5 –3 –0
Illinois Wesleyan 5 –3 –0  5 –4 –0
Elmhurst 4 –4 –0  4 –5 –0
Millikin 4 –4 –0  5 –4 –0
North Park 4 –4 –0  4 –5 –0
Wheaton (IL) 1 –7 –0  1 –8 –0
North Central (IL) 0 –8 –0  0 –9 –0
  • $ – Conference champion
  • ^ – NAIA Division II playoff participant
1971 Far Western Conference football standings
Conf  Overall
TeamW L T  W L T
No. 11 UPI Chico State + 5 –1 –0  9 –2 –0
UC Davis + 5 –1 –0  9 –1 –0
Cal State Hayward 3 –2 –1  7 –2 –1
Humboldt State 3 –3 –0  7 –4 –0
Sacramento State 2 –3 –1  4 –5 –1
San Francisco State 2 –4 –0  5 –6 –0
Sonoma State 0 –6 –0  2 –8 –0
  • + – Conference co-champions
Rankings from College Division poll
1971 Indiana Collegiate Conference football standings
Conf  Overall
TeamW L T  W L T
Saint Joseph's (IN) $ 4 –0 –0  8 –2 –0
Valparaiso 3 –1 –0  8 –2 –0
Evansville 2 –2 –0  3 –6 –0
Indiana Central * 1 –2 –0  6 –5 –0
Butler 1 –3 –0  3 –7 –0
Wabash * 1 –3 –0  5 –5 –0
DePauw 0 –4 –0  1 –8 –0
  • $ – Conference champion
  • * – ineligible for conference title
1971 Iowa Intercollegiate Athletic Conference football standings
Conf  Overall
TeamW L T  W L T
Luther $ 6 –1 –0  8 –1 –0
Buena Vista 5 –2 –0  6 –2 –0
William Penn 5 –2 –0  6 –3 –0
Central (IA) 4 –3 –0  6 –3 –0
Simpson 4 –3 –0  5 –4 –0
Wartburg 3 –4 –0  4 –5 –0
Upper Iowa 0 –6 –1  2 –6 –1
Dubuque 0 –6 –1  1 –7 –1
  • $ – Conference champion
1971 Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association football standings
Conf  Overall
TeamW L T  W L T
Alma + 4 –1 –0  7 –2 –0
Adrian + 4 –1 –0  5 –4 –0
Olivet 2 –2 –1  3 –4 –1
Kalamazoo 2 –3 –0  5 –3 –0
Hope 2 –3 –0  4 –5 –0
Albion 0 –4 –1  0 –7 –2
  • + – Conference co-champions
1971 Mid-American Conference football standings
Conf  Overall
TeamW L T  W L T
No. 14 Toledo $ 5 –0 –0  12 –0 –0
Bowling Green 4 –1 –0  6 –4 –0
Western Michigan 2 –3 –0  7 –3 –0
Miami 2 –3 –0  7 –3 –0
Ohio 2 –3 –0  5 –5 –0
Kent State 0 –5 –0  3 –8 –0
  • $ – Conference champion
Rankings from AP Poll
1971 Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference football standings
Conf  Overall
TeamW L T  W L T
Morgan State $ 5 –0 –1  6 –4 –1
North Carolina Central 5 –1 –0  7 –2 –0
North Carolina A&T 3 –2 –1  6 –4 –1
South Carolina State 3 –2 –1  6 –3 –1
Maryland Eastern Shore 1 –4 –1  1 –5 –2
Howard 1 –5 –0  4 –5 –0
Delaware State 1 –5 –0  1 –8 –0
  • $ – Conference champion
1971 Middle Atlantic Conference football standings
Conf  Overall
TeamW L T  W L T
Northern
Upsala x 4 –3 –0  5 –3 –0
Albright 3 –3 –1  3 –5 –1
Delaware Valley 3 –4 –0  4 –4 –0
Juniata 1 –4 –2  3 –4 –2
Lycoming 2 –5 –0  2 –6 –0
Susquehanna 0 –5 –1  3 –6 –1
Wilkes * 4 –0 –0  6 –2 –0
Wagner * 3 –1 –0  5 –4 –0
Southern
Franklin & Marshall x 6 –1 –0  6 –2 –0
Western Maryland 4 –1 –0  5 –4 –0
Johns Hopkins 5 –2 –0  6 –3 –0
Moravian 6 –3 –0  6 –3 –0
Lebanon Valley 5 –3 –0  5 –4 –0
Pennsylvania Military 4 –3 –0  7 –3 –0
Ursinus 4 –3 –0  4 –4 –0
Muhlenberg 5 –4 –0  5 –4 –0
Dickinson 3 –4 –0  3 –5 –0
Haverford 1 –6 –0  2 –6 –0
Swarthmore 0 –8 –0  0 –8 –0
  • x – Division champion/co-champions
  • * – Ineligible due to insufficient conference games
1971 Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference football standings
Conf  Overall
TeamW L T  W L T
Saint John's (MN) + 6 –1 –0  8 –1 –0
Gustavus Adolphus + 6 –1 –0  6 –4 –0
Minnesota–Duluth 5 –2 –0  6 –3 –1
Concordia (MN) 4 –3 –0  7 –3 –0
Hamline 4 –3 –0  7 –3 –0
St. Thomas (MN) 2 –5 –0  3 –7 –0
Macalester 1 –6 –0  1 –7 –1
Augsburg 0 –7 –0  1 –8 –0
  • + – Conference co-champions
1971 Missouri Intercollegiate Athletic Association football standings
Conf  Overall
TeamW L T  W L T
NE Missouri State $ 6 –0 –0  9 –1 –0
SE Missouri State 4 –2 –0  7 –3 –1
Lincoln (MO) 3 –3 –0  5 –5 –0
Missouri–Rolla 2 –3 –1  4 –6 –1
NW Missouri State 2 –4 –0  4 –5 –0
Central Missouri State 2 –4 –0  4 –6 –0
SW Missouri State 1 –4 –1  1 –8 –1
  • $ – Conference champion
1971 New Jersey State Athletic Conference football standings
Conf  Overall
TeamW L T  W L T
Montclair State $ 3 –0 –0  7 –2 –0
Jersey City State 1 –2 –0  5 –2 –0
Glassboro State 1 –2 –0  2 –6 –0
Trenton State 1 –2 –0  2 –6 –0
  • $ – Conference champion
1971 North Central Conference football standings
Conf  Overall
TeamW L T  W L T
North Dakota $ 5 –1 –0  6 –3 –1
North Dakota State 4 –2 –0  7 –2 –0
Northern Iowa 4 –2 –0  4 –5 –0
Morningside 3 –3 –0  6 –4 –0
South Dakota 3 –3 –0  3 –7 –0
South Dakota State 2 –4 –0  3 –7 –0
Augustana (SD) 0 –6 –0  1 –8 –1
  • $ – Conference champion
1971 Ohio Valley Conference football standings
Conf  Overall
TeamW L T  W L T
No. 6 AP / No. 12 UPI Western Kentucky $ 6 –1 –0  8 –2 –0
Tennessee Tech 5 –2 –0  8 –2 –0
Middle Tennessee 5 –2 –0  7 –4 –0
Morehead State 4 –3 –0  7 –3 –0
Murray State 3 –3 –1  5 –4 –1
Eastern Kentucky 3 –4 –0  5 –6 –0
Austin Peay 1 –6 –0  2 –8 –0
East Tennessee State 0 –6 –1  0 –9 –1
  • $ – Conference champion
Rankings from College Division poll
1971 Presidents' Athletic Conference football standings
Conf  Overall
TeamW L T  W L T
John Carroll $ 4 –1 –0  4 –5 –0
Thiel 3 –2 –0  5 –3 –0
Washington & Jefferson 3 –2 –0  0 –5 –3
Allegheny 2 –3 –0  4 –4 –0
Bethany (WV) 2 –3 –0  3 –5 –1
Case Western Reserve 1 –4 –0  3 –6 –0
  • $ – Conference champion
1971 Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference football standings
Conf  Overall
TeamW L T  W L T
Occidental $ 3 –1 –0  3 –6 –0
Claremont-Mudd 3 –2 –0  7 –2 –0
Whittier 3 –2 –0  5 –4 –1
Pomona 3 –2 –0  4 –5 –0
La Verne 1 –3 –0  1 –6 –1
Redlands 1 –4 –0  2 –8 –0
  • $ – Conference champion
1971 Southland Conference football standings
Conf  Overall
TeamW L T  W L T
No. 4 Louisiana Tech + 4 –1 –0  9 –2 –0
Trinity (TX) + 4 –1 –0  8 –2 –0
Lamar + 4 –1 –0  5 –6 –0
SW Louisiana 2 –2 –1  5 –4 –1
Arkansas State 1 –3 –1  4 –4 –1
Abilene Christian 1 –4 –0  5 –5 –0
Texas–Arlington 1 –4 –0  2 –9 –0
  • $ – Conference champion
Rankings from AP Poll
1971 Southwestern Athletic Conference football standings
Conf  Overall
TeamW L T  W L T
Grambling $ 5 –1 –0  9 –2 –0
Jackson State 4 –1 –1  9 –1 –1
No. 16 UPI Alcorn A&M 4 –2 –0  6 –3 –0
Texas Southern 3 –2 –1  7 –2 –1
Prairie View A&M 2 –4 –0  3 –7 –0
Mississippi Valley State 1 –5 –0  4 –7 –0
Southern 1 –5 –0  2 –7 –1
  • $ – Conference champion
Rankings from College Division poll
1971 Yankee Conference football standings
Conf  Overall
TeamW L T  W L T
Connecticut + 3 –1 –1  5 –3 –1
UMass + 3 –1 –1  4 –4 –1
New Hampshire 3 –2 –0  4 –4 –1
Rhode Island 2 –3 –0  3 –6 –0
Vermont 2 –3 –0  2 –7 –0
Maine 1 –4 –0  2 –6 –0
  • + – Conference co-champions
1971 NCAA College Division independents football records
Conf  Overall
TeamW L T  W L T
No. 1 Delaware   –    10 –1 –0
No. 5 Tennessee State   –    9 –1 –0
Colorado College   –    7 –1 –0
No. 8 Akron   –    8 –2 –0
Samford   –    8 –2 –0
No. 3 Eastern Michigan   –    7 –1 –2
Northern Michigan   –    7 –3 –0
Hawaii   –    7 –4 –0
Santa Clara   –    6 –4 –0
Southern Illinois   –    6 –4 –0
Tampa   –    6 –5 –0
UNLV   –    5 –4 –1
Bucknell   –    5 –5 –0
Central Michigan   –    5 –5 –0
Milwaukee   –    5 –5 –0
Nevada   –    5 –5 –0
Wayne State (MI)   –    4 –4 –0
Hofstra   –    5 –6 –0
Cortland   –    4 –5 –0
Northeastern   –    4 –5 –0
Portland State   –    4 –5 –0
Northeast Louisiana   –    4 –6 –1
Indiana State   –    4 –6 –0
Saint Mary's   –    3 –5 –0
Rose-Hulman   –    3 –6 –0
Drexel   –    2 –6 –0
Chattanooga   –    2 –9 –0
Rankings from AP Poll

Rankings
Main article: 1971 NCAA College Division football rankings

College Division teams (also referred to as "small college") were ranked in polls by the AP (a panel of writers) and by UPI (coaches). The national champion(s) for each season were determined by the final poll rankings, published at or near the end of the regular season, before any bowl games were played.

College Division final polls

Delaware, who during the regular season had defeated Rutgers, Villanova, and Boston University, averaged 40 points per game, and had a 9–1 record, was ranked first by both UPI and AP; both polls also ranked McNeese State (9–0–1) second, and Eastern Michigan (7–0–2) third.[1][2]

Bowl games

The postseason consisted of four bowl games as regional finals, all played on December 11. This was the first year for the Pioneer Bowl; it succeeded the Pecan Bowl, which had been played in Arlington, Texas.

Top-ranked Delaware met C.W. Post in the Boardwalk Bowl; played indoors at Convention Hall,[5] Delaware won by 50 points in a rout.[6] The next two teams in the polls both lost; Eastern Michigan was defeated by Louisiana Tech in the Pioneer Bowl, and McNeese State fell to Tennessee State—led by future National Football League quarterback Joe Gilliam—in the Grantland Rice Bowl. Out west in the Camellia Bowl, Boise State mounted a 25–0 fourth quarter comeback to defeat Chico State.[7]

Bowl Region Location Winning team Losing team Ref
Boardwalk East Atlantic City, New Jersey Delaware 72 C.W. Post 22 [8]
Grantland Rice Mideast Baton Rouge, Louisiana Tennessee State 26 McNeese State 23 [9]
Pioneer Midwest Wichita Falls, Texas Louisiana Tech 14 Eastern Michigan 3 [10]
Camellia West Sacramento, California Boise State 32 Chico State 28 [11]

References
  1. "Delaware Named Best In Nation", Daily News (Huntingdon, Pa.), Nov. 24, 1971, p4
  2. "North Dakota Number Nine", Daily Journal (Fergus Falls, Minnesota), Nov. 24, 1971, p12
  3. UPI (November 24, 1971). "Final Small College Poll". Palladium-Item. Richmond, Indiana. Retrieved February 24, 2017 – via newspapers.com.
  4. "AP Football Poll: Small Colleges (final)". Spokane Daily Chronicle. Spokane, Washington. Associated Press. November 24, 1971. p. 12 – via news.google.com.
  5. "Little All-American backs battle in Boardwalk Bowl". Spokesman-Review. Spokane, Washington. Associated Press. December 11, 1971. p. 22.
  6. "East champs win handily in Boardwalk". Spokesman-Review. Spokane, Washington. Associated Press. December 12, 1971. p. 9, sports.
  7. "Eric Guthrie rallies Boise". Spokesman-Review. (Spokane, Washington). Associated Press. December 12, 1971. p. 9, sports.
  8. "Delaware thrashes C.W. Post for eastern college supremacy". Lewiston Morning Tribune. Idaho. Associated Press. December 12, 1971. p. 16.
  9. "Gilliam sparks Tennessee State". Spokesman-Review. Spokane, Washington. Associated Press. December 12, 1971. p. 9, sports.
  10. "Louisiana Tech Pioneer winner". Spokesman-Review. Spokane, Washington. Associated Press. December 12, 1971. p. 9, sports.
  11. "Boise State uses fourth quarter rally to take Camellia Bowl win". Lewiston Morning Tribune. Idaho. Associated Press. December 12, 1971. p. 15.
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