2001 NCAA Division II football season

The 2001 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 on August 30, 2001, and concluded with the NCAA Division II Football Championship on December 8, 2001 at Braly Municipal Stadium in Florence, Alabama, hosted by the University of North Alabama.

2001 NCAA Division II football season
Regular season	August 30 – November 10, 2001
Playoffs	November 17 – December 8, 2001[1]
National Championship	Braly Municipal Stadium Florence, AL
Champion	North Dakota
Harlon Hill Trophy	Dusty Bonner, Valdosta State

North Dakota defeated Grand Valley State in the championship game, 17–14, to win their first Division II national title.[2]

The Harlon Hill Trophy was awarded to Dusty Bonner, quarterback from Valdosta State, his second consecutive Hill Trophy.

Conference and program changes

• The Northeast-10 Conference began sponsorship of football this season with 10 member teams from the Northeast.
• The Great Northwest Athletic Conference began its first sponsorship of football during the 2001 season (it was disbanded in 2006 and re-formed again in 2008).

School	2000 Conference	2001 Conference
American International	Eastern Football Conference	Northeast 10
Assumption	Eastern Football Conference	Northeast 10
Bentley	Eastern Football Conference	Northeast 10
Bryant	Eastern Football Conference	Northeast 10
Central Washington	Central States Football League (NAIA)	GNAC
C.W. Post	Eastern Football Conference	Northeast 10
Humboldt State	Central States Football League (NAIA)	GNAC
Lincoln (MO)	Central States Football League (NAIA)	D-II Independent
Pace	Eastern Football Conference	Northeast 10
Saint Anselm	Eastern Football Conference	Northeast 10
Southern Connecticut	Eastern Football Conference	Northeast 10
Stonehill	Eastern Football Conference	Northeast 10
UMass Lowell	Eastern Football Conference	Northeast 10
Western Oregon	Central States Football League (NAIA)	GNAC
Western Washington	Central States Football League (NAIA)	GNAC

Conference standings

2001 Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference football standings Conf     Overall Team   W   L         W   L   No. 2 Grand Valley State ^   9 – 0         13 – 1   No. 9 Saginaw Valley State ^   9 – 1         11 – 2   Ferris State   7 – 3         7 – 4   Indianapolis   6 – 4         7 – 4   Ashland   5 – 5         6 – 5   Michigan Tech   5 – 5         5 – 5   Northern Michigan   3 – 7         4 – 7   Northwood   3 – 6         3 – 6   Wayne State (MI)   3 – 6         3 – 7   Findlay   3 – 7         3 – 8   Hillsdale   3 – 7         3 – 8   Mercyhurst   2 – 7         2 – 7   ^ – NCAA Division II playoff participant Rankings from AFCA poll	2001 Great Northwest Athletic Conference football standings Conf     Overall Team   W   L         W   L   No. 23 Western Washington $   3 – 0         8 – 3   Western Oregon   1 – 2         4 – 5   Humboldt State   1 – 2         4 – 7   Central Washington   1 – 2         4 – 7   $ – Conference champion First Humboldt State vs. Western Oregon game (Oct. 13) did not count as a conference game Rankings from AFCA Poll	2001 Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association football standings Conf     Overall Team   W   L         W   L   Pittsburg State $^   8 – 1         11 – 2   Central Missouri State   7 – 2         10 – 2   Truman State   6 – 3         8 – 3   Missouri Western State   6 – 3         8 – 3   NW Missouri State   6 – 3         7 – 4   Southwest Baptist   4 – 5         6 – 5   Emporia State   3 – 6         5 – 6   Missouri Southern State   3 – 6         4 – 6   Washburn   2 – 7         3 – 8   Missouri-Rolla   0 – 9         2 – 9   $ – Conference champion ^ – NCAA Division II playoff participant Rankings from AFCA Poll
2001 North Central Conference football standings Conf     Overall Team   W   L         W   L   No. 4 North Dakota $^   7 – 1         14 – 1   No. 15 Nebraska–Omaha ^   6 – 2         8 – 3   No. 22 North Dakota State   5 – 3         7 – 3   Northern Colorado   4 – 4         7 – 4   South Dakota State   4 – 4         5 – 6   Augustana (SD)   3 – 5         5 – 5   Minnesota State   3 – 5         4 – 7   St. Cloud State   3 – 5         4 – 7   South Dakota   1 – 7         2 – 8   $ – Conference champion ^ – NCAA Division II playoff participant Rankings from AFCA Poll	2001 Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference football standings Conf     Overall Team   W   L         W   L   Chadron State $^   8 – 0         10 – 1   Nebraska–Kearney   7 – 1         8 – 2   Mesa State   5 – 3         7 – 4   Western State   5 – 3         6 – 5   Colorado Mines   4 – 4         7 – 4   New Mexico Highlands   3 – 5         4 – 7   Fort Hays State   2 – 6         3 – 8   Adams State   1 – 7         2 – 9   Fort Lewis   1 – 7         2 – 9   $ – Conference champion ^ – NCAA Division II playoff participant	2001 Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference football standings Conf     Overall Team   W   L         W   L   No. 10 Tuskegee +   6 – 1         11 – 1   Morehouse +   6 – 1         8 – 2   No. 21 Fort Valley State +   6 – 1         8 – 3   Albany State   3 – 4         4 – 6   Miles   3 – 4         4 – 7   Kentucky State   2 – 5         3 – 8   Lane   1 – 6         3 – 7   Clark Atlanta   1 – 6         1 – 10   + – Conference co-champions Rankings from AFCA Poll
2001 NCAA Division II independents football records Conf     Overall Team   W   L         W   L   No. 12 UC Davis ^   –         10 – 3   New Haven   –         5 – 4   Quincy   –         2 – 8   Saint Joseph's (IN)   –         2 – 8   ^ – NCAA Division II playoff participant Rankings from AFCA poll

Conference summaries

See also: List of NCAA Division II football seasons

Conference Champions

Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association – Virginia Union Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference – Grand Valley State Great Northwest Athletic Conference – Western Washington Gulf South Conference – Valdosta State Lone Star Conference – Tarleton State and Texas A&M–Kingsville Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association – Pittsburg State North Central Conference – North Dakota Northeast-10 Conference – C.W. Post Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference – Winona State Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference – Bloomsburg (East), Indiana (PA) (West) Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference – Chadron State South Atlantic Conference – Catawba Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference – Fort Valley State, Morehouse and Tuskegee West Virginia Intercollegiate Athletic Conference – Glenville State

Postseason

2001 NCAA Division II Football Championship
Teams	16
Finals Site	Braly Municipal Stadium Florence, AL
Champion	North Dakota (1st title, title game)
Runner-up	Grand Valley State (1st title game)
Semifinalists	Catawba UC Davis
Winning Coach	championship

The 2001 NCAA Division II Football Championship playoffs were the 28th single-elimination tournament to determine the national champion of men's NCAA Division II college football. The championship game was held at Braly Municipal Stadium in Florence, Alabama for the 15th time.

Playoff bracket

	First round Campus sites				Quarterfinals Campus sites				Semifinals Campus sites				Championship Braly Municipal Stadium Florence, AL
	North Dakota	42
	Winona State	28
					North Dakota	38
					Pittsburg State	0
	Pittsburg State	20
	Nebraska–Omaha	7
									North Dakota	14
									UC Davis	2
	Tarleton State	28
	Chadron State	24
					Tarleton State	25
					UC Davis	42
	UC Davis	37
	Texas A&M–Kingsville	32
													North Dakota	17
													Grand Valley State	14
	Valdosta State	40
	Fort Valley State	24
					Valdosta State	34
					Catawba	37*
	Catawba	35
	Central Arkansas	34
									Catawba	16
									Grand Valley State	34
	Grand Valley State	42
	Bloomsburg	14
					Grand Valley State	33
					Saginaw Valley State	30
	Saginaw Valley State	33
	Indiana (PA)	32

References

1. "2000-2004 Grand Valley State Schedules". College Football Warehouse. cfbdatawarehouse.com. Archived from the original on January 11, 2014. Retrieved January 11, 2014.
2. "2001 NCAA Division II National Football Championship Bracket" (PDF). NCAA. NCAA.org. p. 14. Retrieved January 11, 2014.