2003 NCAA Division III football season

2003 NCAA Division III football season
Regular season	August – November 2003
Playoffs	November – December 2003
National championship	Salem Football Stadium Salem, VA
Champions	Saint John's (MN) (2)
Gagliardi Trophy	Blake Elliott (WR, P, KR), Saint John's (MN)
Division III football seasons « 2002 2004 »

The 2003 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 2003, and concluded with the NCAA Division III Football Championship, also known as the Stagg Bowl, in December 2003 at Salem Football Stadium in Salem, Virginia. The Saint John's (MN) Johnnies won second Division III championship by defeating the three-time defending national champion Mount Union Purple Raiders, 24−6.

The Gagliardi Trophy, given to the most outstanding player in Division III football, was awarded to Blake Elliott, wide receiver, punter, and kick returner from Saint John's (MN).^[1]

Conference champions

Conference champions

American Southwest Conference – East Texas Baptist, Hardin–Simmons, and Mary Hardin–Baylor Atlantic Central Football Conference – Frostburg State Centennial Conference – Johns Hopkins and Muhlenberg College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin – Wheaton (IL) Empire 8 Conference – Ithaca Freedom Football Conference‡ – Springfield Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference – Hanover Illini-Badger Football Conference – Concordia (WI) Iowa Intercollegiate Athletic Conference – Wartburg Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association – Hope Middle Atlantic Conference – Lycoming Midwest Conference – St. Norbert Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference – Saint John's (MN) New England Football Conference – Westfield State (Bogan Division), Curry (Boyd Division) Championship Game: Curry 36, Westfield State 0 New England Small College Athletic Conference – Trinity (CT) New Jersey Athletic Conference – Montclair State North Coast Athletic Conference – Allegheny Northwest Conference – Linfield Ohio Athletic Conference – Mount Union Old Dominion Athletic Conference – Bridgewater Presidents' Athletic Conference – Waynesburg< Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference – Redlands Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference – Centre and Trinity (TX) University Athletic Association – Washington–Saint Louis Upper Midwest Athletic Conference – Westminster (MO) Upstate Collegiate Athletic Conference – Hobart and RPI USA South Athletic Conference – Christopher Newport and Shenandoah Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference – Wisconsin–La Crosse

Postseason

The 2003 NCAA Division III Football Championship playoffs were the 31st 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 11th time. This was the fifth bracket to feature 28 teams since last expanding in 1999.^[2]

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	39
	UW–La Crosse	52			UW–La Crosse	14
	Concordia Wisconsin	13							Mount Union	56
	Wheaton (IL)	55							Wheaton (IL)	10
	Hope	45			Wheaton (IL)	16
	Baldwin Wallace	54			Baldwin Wallace	12
	Hanover	32											Mount Union	66
													Bridgewater (VA)	0
					Lycoming	16*
	East Texas Baptist	42			East Texas Baptist	15
	Trinity (TX)	41							Lycoming	9
	Bridgewater (VA)	28							Bridgewater (VA)	13
	Waynesburg	24			Bridgewater (VA)	26
	Christopher Newport	24			Christopher Newport	3
	Muhlenberg	20															Mount Union	6
																	Saint John's (MN)	24
					Springfield	34
	RPI	34			RPI	40
	Curry	20							RPI	21
	Ithaca	14							Ithaca	16
	Brockport	9			Ithaca	33
	Montclair State	20			Montclair State	13
	Allegheny	19											RPI	10
													Saint John's (MN)	38
					Saint John's (MN)	38
	St. Norbert	26**			St. Norbert	13
	Simpson	20							Saint John's (MN)	31
	Wartburg	21							Linfield	25
	Bethel (MN)	7			Wartburg	20
	Linfield	31			Linfield	23
	Redlands	23

* Overtime

See also

• 2003 NCAA Division I-A football season
• 2003 NCAA Division I-AA football season
• 2003 NCAA Division II football season

References

1. "All-Time Division III Football Championship Records" (PDF). NCAA. NCAA.org. pp. 4–15. Retrieved November 28, 2014.
2. "2003 NCAA Division III National Football Championship Bracket" (PDF). NCAA. NCAA.org. p. 15. Retrieved November 28, 2014.