1972 NCAA College Division football season

The 1972 NCAA College Division football season was the 17th and final season of college football in the United States organized by the National Collegiate Athletic Association at the NCAA College Division level.

1972 NCAA College Division football season
Champion(s)Delaware (AP, UPI)
Grambling State (black)
football seasons

Conference standings
1972 Big Sky Conference football standings
Conf  Overall
TeamW L T  W L T
Montana State $ 5 –1 –0  8 –3 –0
Idaho State 4 –1 –0  7 –3 –0
Boise State 3 –3 –0  7 –4 –0
Montana 3 –3 –0  3 –8 –0
Idaho 2 –3 –0  4 –7 –0
Weber State 2 –4 –0  5 –5 –0
Northern Arizona 0 –4 –0  3 –8 –0
  • $ – Conference champion
1972 California Collegiate Athletic Association football standings
Conf  Overall
TeamW L T  W L T
No. 3 AP / No. 3 UPI Cal Poly + 3 –0 –0  8 –1 –1
UC Riverside + 3 –0 –0  9 –1 –0
Cal State Fullerton 2 –2 –0  7 –4 –0
Valley State 1 –3 –0  6 –5 –0
Cal Poly Pomona 0 –4 –0  4 –6 –0
  • + – Conference co-champions
Rankings from College Division poll
1972 College Athletic Conference football standings
Conf  Overall
TeamW L T  W L T
Centre $ 3 –0 –0  4 –5 –0
Southwestern (TN) 1 –2 –0  4 –4 –0
Sewanee 1 –2 –0  3 –5 –0
Washington and Lee 1 –2 –0  3 –6 –0
  • $ – Conference champion
1972 College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin football standings
Conf  Overall
TeamW L T  W L T
Carthage $ 7 –1 –0  8 –1 –0
Millikin 6 –2 –0  7 –2 –0
Augustana (IL) 5 –3 –0  6 –3 –0
Carroll (WI) 5 –3 –0  6 –3 –0
Elmhurst 5 –3 –0  6 –3 –0
Illinois Wesleyan 4 –4 –0  4 –5 –0
North Park 2 –5 –1  2 –6 –1
Wheaton (IL) 1 –7 –0  1 –8 –0
North Central (IL) 0 –7 –1  0 –7 –2
  • $ – Conference champion
1972 Far Western Conference football standings
Conf  Overall
TeamW L T  W L T
UC Davis $ 5 –0 –0  6 –2 –2
Humboldt State 4 –1 –0  7 –3 –0
Chico State 2 –3 –0  4 –5 –0
Cal State Hayward 2 –3 –0  2 –8 –0
San Francisco State 1 –4 –0  3 –8 –0
Sacramento State 1 –4 –0  2 –8 –0
  • $ – Conference champion
Rankings from College Division poll
1972 Independent College Athletic Conference football standings
Conf  Overall
TeamW L T  W L T
Alfred $ 3 –0 –0  7 –1 –0
Ithaca 2 –0 –0  5 –4 –0
Hobart 3 –2 –0  7 –2 –0
St. Lawrence 1 –2 –0  5 –4 –0
RIT 0 –2 –0  4 –5 –0
RPI 0 –3 –0  1 –8 –0
  • $ – Conference champion
1972 Indiana Collegiate Conference football standings
Conf  Overall
TeamW L T  W L T
Butler + 4 –1 –0  5 –5 –0
Evansville + 4 –1 –0  5 –5 –0
Wabash 2 –2 –0  4 –6 –0
Indiana Central 2 –3 –0  4 –6 –0
Valparaiso 2 –3 –0  6 –4 –0
Saint Joseph's (IN) 2 –3 –0  4 –4 –1
DePauw 1 –5 –0  2 –7 –0
  • + – Conference co-champions
1972 Iowa Intercollegiate Athletic Conference football standings
Conf  Overall
TeamW L T  W L T
William Penn + 6 –1 –0  9 –1 –0
Buena Vista + 6 –1 –0  7 –2 –0
Central (IA) 5 –2 –0  6 –3 –0
Dubuque 3 –3 –1  5 –4 –1
Luther 3 –4 –0  3 –6 –0
Simpson 1 –4 –2  2 –5 –2
Upper Iowa 1 –5 –1  4 –5 –1
Wartburg 1 –6 –0  3 –6 –0
  • + – Conference co-champions
1972 Metropolitan Intercollegiate Conference football standings
Conf  Overall
TeamW L T  W L T
C. W. Post $ 3 –0 –0  6 –3 –0
Wagner 2 –1 –0  7 –3 –0
Hofstra 1 –2 –0  5 –6 –0
Merchant Marine 0 –3 –0  5 –4 –0
  • $ – Conference champion
1972 Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association football standings
Conf  Overall
TeamW L T  W L T
Alma + 4 –1 –0  8 –1 –0
Adrian + 4 –1 –0  5 –4 –0
Hope 3 –1 –1  6 –2 –1
Olivet 2 –3 –0  3 –6 –0
Kalamazoo 1 –3 –1  2 –5 –1
Albion 0 –5 –0  2 –7 –0
  • + – Conference co-champions
1972 Mid-American Conference football standings
Conf  Overall
TeamW L T  W L T
Kent State $ 4 –1 –0  6 –5 –1
Bowling Green 3 –1 –1  6 –3 –1
Western Michigan 2 –2 –1  7 –3 –1
Miami 2 –3 –0  7 –3 –0
Toledo 2 –3 –0  6 –5 –0
Ohio 1 –4 –0  3 –8 –0
  • $ – Conference champion
1972 Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference football standings
Conf  Overall
TeamW L T  W L T
North Carolina Central $ 5 –1 –0  9 –2 –0
North Carolina A&T 4 –2 –0  8 –2 –0
Morgan State 4 –2 –0  5 –5 –0
Maryland Eastern Shore 4 –2 –0  4 –5 –0
Howard 2 –4 –0  6 –4 –0
Delaware State 2 –4 –0  5 –4 –0
South Carolina State 0 –6 –0  1 –9 –0
  • $ – Conference champion
1972 Middle Atlantic Conference football standings
Conf  Overall
TeamW L T  W L T
Northern
Albright x 7 –0 –0  8 –1 –0
Juniata 5 –1 –0  6 –3 –0
Wilkes 4 –2 –0  4 –5 –0
Delaware Valley 4 –4 –0  4 –4 –0
Upsala 3 –4 –0  3 –5 –0
Susquehanna 2 –4 –0  3 –6 –0
Lycoming 2 –5 –0  2 –6 –0
Wagner * 2 –1 –0  7 –3 –0
Southern
Franklin & Marshall x 8 –0 –0  9 –0 –0
Widener 6 –1 –0  8 –1 –0
Johns Hopkins 5 –2 –0  5 –3 –0
Ursinus 5 –3 –0  5 –3 –0
Dickinson 4 –3 –0  4 –4 –0
Lebanon Valley 4 –5 –0  4 –5 –0
Moravian 3 –6 –0  3 –7 –0
Muhlenberg 2 –7 –0  1 –8 –0
Swarthmore 1 –7 –0  0 –7 –0
Western Maryland 0 –5 –0  3 –6 –1
Haverford † 0 –7 –0  0 –0 –0
  • x – Division champion/co-champions
  • * – Ineligible due to insufficient conference games
    † – Haverford forfeited all games on schedule; opponents received conference victory but overall record not affected
1972 Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference football standings
Conf  Overall
TeamW L T  W L T
Gustavus Adolphus $ 6 –1 –0  6 –4 –0
Saint John's (MN) 5 –2 –0  7 –2 –0
Concordia–Moorhead 4 –3 –0  6 –3 –0
Minnesota–Duluth 4 –3 –0  5 –4 –0
St. Thomas (MN) 3 –4 –0  6 –4 –0
Augsburg 3 –4 –0  5 –4 –0
Hamline 3 –4 –0  5 –4 –0
Macalester 0 –7 –0  0 –9 –0
  • $ – Conference champion
1972 Missouri Intercollegiate Athletic Association football standings
Conf  Overall
TeamW L T  W L T
Lincoln (MO) + 5 –1 –0  9 –1 –0
NW Missouri State + 5 –1 –0  7 –3 –0
SE Missouri State 4 –2 –0  5 –4 –1
NE Missouri State 2 –3 –1  6 –4 –1
SW Missouri State 2 –4 –0  4 –6 –0
Central Missouri State 1 –4 –1  3 –7 –1
Missouri–Rolla 1 –5 –0  2 –9 –0
  • + – Conference co-champions
1972 New England Football Conference standings
Conf  Overall
TeamW L T  W L T
Maine Maritime $ 3 –1 –0  5 –3 –0
Plymouth State 3 –1 –1  4 –2 –1
Curry 4 –2 –0  5 –3 –0
Nichols 3 –2 –0  5 –2 –1
Bridgewater State 2 –2 –0  4 –5 –0
Boston State 1 –3 –1  1 –6 –1
New England College 0 –5 –0  0 –7 –0
  • $ – Conference champion
1972 New Jersey State Athletic Conference football standings
Conf  Overall
TeamW L T  W L T
Jersey City State + 4 –1 –0  8 –1 –0
Glassboro State + 4 –1 –0  7 –2 –0
Montclair State + 3 –1 –0  6 –4 –0
Trenton State 2 –3 –0  2 –6 –1
William Paterson 1 –4 –0  2 –7 –0
Newark State 0 –4 –0  2 –6 –0
  • $ – Conference champion
1972 North Central Conference football standings
Conf  Overall
TeamW L T  W L T
North Dakota + 6 –1 –0  10 –1 –0
South Dakota + 6 –1 –0  9 –1 –0
North Dakota State + 6 –1 –0  8 –2 –0
Mankato State 3 –4 –0  6 –5 –0
Northern Iowa 3 –4 –0  4 –5 –0
South Dakota State 2 –5 –0  6 –5 –0
Morningside 1 –6 –0  2 –8 –0
Augustana (SD) 1 –6 –0  2 –8 –0
  • + – Conference co-champions
1972 Ohio Valley Conference football standings
Conf  Overall
TeamW L T  W L T
No. 8 Tennessee Tech $ 7 –0 –0  10 –2 –0
Western Kentucky 5 –2 –0  7 –3 –0
Middle Tennessee 4 –2 –1  7 –3 –1
Morehead State 3 –3 –1  3 –6 –1
Eastern Kentucky 3 –4 –0  5 –6 –0
Murray State 2 –5 –0  4 –6 –0
East Tennessee State 2 –5 –0  3 –7 –0
Austin Peay 1 –6 –0  3 –8 –0
  • $ – Conference champion
Rankings from UPI poll
1972 Presidents' Athletic Conference football standings
Conf  Overall
TeamW L T  W L T
Thiel $ 6 –1 –0  7 –2 –0
John Carroll 5 –2 –0  7 –3 –0
Allegheny 5 –2 –0  5 –4 –0
Carnegie Mellon 4 –3 –0  4 –5 –0
Bethany (WV) 3 –4 –0  4 –5 –0
Case Western Reserve 3 –4 –0  4 –5 –0
Hiram 2 –5 –0  3 –6 –0
Washington & Jefferson 0 –7 –0  0 –8 –1
  • $ – Conference champion
1972 Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference football standings
Conf  Overall
TeamW L T  W L T
Whittier $ 5 –0 –0  7 –2 –1
Redlands 4 –1 –0  5 –5 –0
La Verne 3 –2 –0  6 –3 –0
Claremont-Mudd 1 –4 –0  3 –6 –0
Occidental 1 –4 –0  2 –7 –0
Pomona-Pitzer 1 –4 –0  2 –7 –0
  • $ – Conference champion
1972 Southland Conference football standings
Conf  Overall
TeamW L T  W L T
No. 2 Louisiana Tech $ 5 –0 –0  12 –0 –0
Texas–Arlington 4 –1 –0  5 –6 –0
No. T–10 McNeese State 3 –2 –0  8 –3 –0
Lamar 3 –2 –0  8 –3 –0
SW Louisiana 1 –4 –0  5 –6 –0
Arkansas State 1 –4 –0  4 –7 –0
Abilene Christian 1 –4 –0  3 –8 –0
  • $ – Conference champion
Rankings from AP Poll
1972 Southwestern Athletic Conference football standings
Conf  Overall
TeamW L T  W L T
No. 8 AP / #9 UPI Grambling + 5 –1 –0  11 –2 –0
Jackson State + 5 –1 –0  8 –3 –0
Alcorn A&M 4 –1 –1  5 –3 –1
Texas Southern 3 –2 –1  5 –4 –1
Mississippi Valley State 1 –5 –0  5 –5 –0
Prairie View A&M 1 –5 –0  5 –5 –0
Southern 1 –5 –0  2 –7 –1
  • + – Conference co-champions
Rankings from College Division poll
1972 Yankee Conference football standings
Conf  Overall
TeamW L T  W L T
UMass $ 5 –0 –0  9 –2 –0
Connecticut 4 –1 –0  4 –5 –0
Vermont 3 –2 –0  4 –5 –0
New Hampshire 2 –3 –0  4 –5 –0
Maine 1 –4 –0  3 –6 –0
Rhode Island 0 –5 –0  3 –7 –0
  • $ – Conference champion
1972 NCAA College Division independents football records
Conf  Overall
TeamW L T  W L T
No. 5 Tennessee State   –    11 –1 –0
No. 1 Delaware   –    10 –1 –0
Colorado College   –    8 –1 –0
Tampa   –    10 –2 –0
Hawaii   –    8 –3 –0
Indiana State   –    7 –3 –0
Northeastern   –    6 –2 –0
Bucknell   –    6 –3 –0
Cortland   –    6 –3 –0
San Diego   –    6 –3 –1
Eastern Michigan   –    6 –4 –0
Milwaukee   –    6 –4 –0
Samford   –    5 –3 –2
Lake Forest   –    4 –3 –1
Nevada   –    6 –5 –0
Central Michigan   –    5 –5 –1
Fordham   –    5 –5 –0
Rose-Hulman   –    5 –5 –0
Santa Clara   –    4 –4 –1
Akron   –    3 –4 –2
Saint Mary's   –    3 –4 –0
Drexel   –    3 –6 –0
Northeast Louisiana   –    3 –7 –0
Portland State   –    3 –8 –0
Wayne State (MI)   –    2 –5 –1
Northern Michigan   –    2 –8 –0
Saint Peter's   –    2 –8 –0
Chattanooga   –    2 –9 –0
Southern Illinois   –    1 –8 –1
UNLV   –    1 –10 –0
Rankings from AP Poll

Rankings
Main article: 1972 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

Both the UPI and AP panels ranked Delaware (10–0) first, followed by Louisiana Tech (11–0), and Cal Poly (8–0–1).[1][2] Louisiana Tech later defeated Tennessee Tech in the Grantland Rice Bowl, while Cal Poly lost to North Dakota in the Camellia Bowl. Delaware declined an invitation to face UMass (7–2) in the Boardwalk Bowl, and did not play in the postseason.[3]

Bowl games

The postseason consisted of four bowl games as regional finals, all played on December 10.

Bowl Region Location Winning team Losing team Ref
Boardwalk East Atlantic City, New Jersey UMass 35 UC Davis 14
Grantland Rice Mideast Baton Rouge, Louisiana Louisiana Tech 35 Tennessee Tech 0
Pioneer Midwest Wichita Falls, Texas Tennessee State 29 Drake 7
Camellia West Sacramento, California North Dakota 38 Cal Poly 21 [6]

Black college national championship

Grambling defeated North Carolina Central in the inaugural Pelican Bowl to capture the black college football national championship.[7]

References
  1. "UPI Names Delaware College Div. Grid King", Pacific Stars and Stripes, Nov. 24, 1972, p19
  2. "AP Poll Picks Hens as Little Big Men", Pacific Stars and Stripes, Nov. 25, 1972, p19
  3. "Hens Scratch Bowl...". Philadelphia Daily News. November 22, 1972. Retrieved February 22, 2017 – via newspapers.com.
  4. UPI (November 22, 1972). "Delaware Names As Small College National Champs". The Brownsville Herald. Brownsville, Texas. Retrieved February 25, 2017 – via newspapers.com.
  5. "Delaware Top Squad". The Clarion-Ledger. Jackson, Mississippi. Associated Press. November 23, 1972. Retrieved February 25, 2017 – via newspapers.com.
  6. "Cal Poly upset". Eugene Register-Guard. Oregon. Associated Press. December 10, 1972. p. 4B.
  7. AP Staff Reporters (December 3, 1972). "Grambling wins and claims title". New York Times. Associated Press. Retrieved January 11, 2011.
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