1978 NCAA Division III football season

The 1978 NCAA Division III football season, part of college football in the United States organized by the National Collegiate Athletic Association at the Division III level, began in August 1978, and concluded with the NCAA Division III Football Championship in December 1978 at Garrett–Harrison Stadium in Phenix City, Alabama. The Baldwin–Wallace Yellow Jackets won their first Division III championship, defeating the Wittenberg Tigers by a score of 24−10.

1978 NCAA Division III football season
Regular season	August – November 1978
Playoffs	November – December 1978
National championship	Garrett–Harrison Stadium Phenix City, AL
Champion	Baldwin–Wallace
NCAA Division III football seasons

Conference standings

1978 College Athletic Conference football standings Conf Overall Team W   L   T W   L   T Southwestern (TN) + 3 – 1 – 0 6 – 3 – 0 Sewanee + 3 – 1 – 0 4 – 4 – 0 Rose–Hulman 2 – 2 – 0 5 – 4 – 1 Centre 2 – 2 – 0 3 – 6 – 0 Principia 0 – 4 – 0 0 – 9 – 0 + – Conference co-champions	1978 College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin football standings Conf Overall Team W   L   T W   L   T No. 11 Elmhurst + 7 – 1 – 0 8 – 1 – 0 Millikin + 7 – 1 – 0 8 – 1 – 0 North Central (IL) 5 – 3 – 0 6 – 3 – 0 Carroll (WI) 5 – 3 – 0 6 – 3 – 0 Wheaton (IL) 5 – 3 – 0 6 – 3 – 0 Augustana (IL) 3 – 5 – 0 4 – 5 – 0 Illinois Wesleyan 3 – 5 – 0 4 – 5 – 0 Carthage 1 – 7 – 0 1 – 8 – 0 North Park 0 – 8 – 0 0 – 9 – 0 + – Conference co-champions Rankings from NAIA Division II poll	1978 Iowa Conference football standings Conf Overall Team W   L   T W   L   T Buena Vista + 5 – 2 – 0 7 – 2 – 0 Dubuque + 5 – 2 – 0 7 – 2 – 0 Luther + 5 – 2 – 0 6 – 3 – 0 Central (IA) + 5 – 2 – 0 5 – 4 – 0 Wartburg 3 – 4 – 0 4 – 5 – 0 Simpson (IA) 2 – 5 – 0 4 – 5 – 0 Upper Iowa 2 – 5 – 0 4 – 6 – 0 William Penn 1 – 6 – 0 1 – 9 – 0 + – Conference co-champions
1978 Independent College Athletic Conference football standings Conf Overall Team W   L   T W   L   T Ithaca $^ 3 – 0 – 0 9 – 2 – 0 St. Lawrence ^ 3 – 1 – 0 8 – 2 – 0 Alfred 1 – 2 – 0 5 – 4 – 0 Hobart 1 – 3 – 0 2 – 6 – 0 RPI 0 – 2 – 0 1 – 8 – 0 $ – Conference champion ^ – NCAA Division III playoff participant	1978 Metropolitan Intercollegiate Conference football standings Conf Overall Team W   L   T W   L   T Pace $ 5 – 0 – 0 6 – 2 – 0 Brooklyn 3 – 2 – 0 5 – 4 – 0 Iona 2 – 2 – 0 5 – 4 – 0 Saint Peter's 2 – 2 – 0 5 – 4 – 0 St. John's 2 – 3 – 0 5 – 5 – 0 Marist 0 – 5 – 0 1 – 8 – 0 $ – Conference champion	1978 Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association football standings Conf Overall Team W   L   T W   L   T Hope $ 5 – 0 – 0 8 – 1 – 0 Adrian 4 – 1 – 0 6 – 3 – 0 Kalamazoo 3 – 2 – 0 6 – 2 – 0 Albion 2 – 3 – 0 3 – 5 – 0 Olivet 1 – 4 – 0 2 – 7 – 0 Alma 0 – 5 – 0 4 – 5 – 0 $ – Conference champion
1978 Middle Atlantic Conference football standings Conf Overall Team W   L   T W   L   T Northern Division Lycoming x 5 – 1 – 0 7 – 2 – 0 Upsala x 5 – 1 – 0 7 – 2 – 0 Juniata 4 – 2 – 0 5 – 4 – 0 Wilkes 3 – 3 – 0 4 – 5 – 0 Albright 3 – 3 – 0 3 – 6 – 0 Susquehanna 1 – 5 – 0 1 – 8 – 0 Delaware Valley 0 – 6 – 0 1 – 8 – 0 Southern Division Widener x 5 – 1 – 0 8 – 1 – 0 Western Maryland 5 – 1 – 1 7 – 1 – 1 Franklin & Marshall 6 – 2 – 0 7 – 2 – 0 Muhlenberg 5 – 2 – 1 6 – 2 – 1 Gettysburg 3 – 3 – 0 5 – 5 – 0 Dickinson 3 – 4 – 1 3 – 5 – 1 Lebanon Valley 3 – 4 – 0 5 – 4 – 0 Swarthmore 3 – 5 – 0 4 – 5 – 0 Moravian 2 – 5 – 1 3 – 5 – 1 Johns Hopkins 2 – 5 – 0 3 – 6 – 0 Ursinus 1 – 6 – 0 2 – 7 – 0 x – Division champion/co-champions	1978 Midwest Conference football standings Conf Overall Team W   L   T W   L   T Red Division Ripon xy$ 4 – 1 – 0 8 – 2 – 0 Cornell (IA) x 4 – 1 – 0 7 – 2 – 0 Lawrence 3 – 2 – 0 7 – 2 – 0 Monmouth (IL) 2 – 3 – 0 5 – 3 – 0 Coe 2 – 3 – 0 4 – 5 – 0 Knox 0 – 5 – 0 2 – 6 – 0 Blue Division Lake Forest xy 4 – 0 – 0 5 – 4 – 0 Beloit 3 – 1 – 0 4 – 4 – 0 Carleton 2 – 2 – 0 3 – 5 – 0 Chicago 1 – 3 – 0 3 – 5 – 0 Grinnell 0 – 4 – 0 2 – 6 – 0 Championship: Ripon 25, Lake Forest 7 $ – Conference champion x – Division champion/co-champions y – Championship game participant	1978 Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference football standings Conf Overall Team W   L   T W   L   T No. 1 Concordia–Moorhead * + 7 – 1 – 0 11 – 1 – 0 St. Olaf +^ 7 – 1 – 0 9 – 2 – 0 No. 15 Gustavus Adolphus 6 – 2 – 0 8 – 2 – 0 No. T–20 Saint John's (MN) 5 – 3 – 0 6 – 3 – 0 St. Thomas (MN) 4 – 4 – 0 5 – 4 – 0 Hamline 3 – 4 – 1 5 – 4 – 1 Augsburg 2 – 5 – 1 3 – 6 – 1 Bethel (MN) 1 – 7 – 0 2 – 8 – 0 Macalester 0 – 8 – 0 0 – 9 – 0 + – Conference co-champions ^ – NCAA Division III playoff participant * – NAIA Division II playoff participant Rankings from NAIA Division II poll
1978 New England Football Conference standings Conf Overall Team W   L   T W   L   T Nichols + 6 – 2 – 0 6 – 2 – 0 Boston State + 6 – 2 – 0 6 – 3 – 0 Massachusetts Maritime 5 – 3 – 0 6 – 3 – 0 New Haven 5 – 3 – 0 6 – 3 – 0 Curry 4 – 3 – 1 5 – 3 – 1 Framingham State 4 – 4 – 0 5 – 4 – 0 Bridgewater State 3 – 5 – 0 3 – 6 – 0 Plymouth State 2 – 6 – 0 3 – 6 – 0 Maine Maritime 0 – 7 – 1 0 – 7 – 1 + – Conference co-champions	1978 New Jersey State Athletic Conference football standings Conf Overall Team W   L   T W   L   T Montclair State $ 5 – 0 – 0 8 – 2 – 0 Glassboro State 4 – 1 – 0 7 – 3 – 0 Trenton State 3 – 2 – 0 6 – 3 – 0 William Paterson 2 – 3 – 0 3 – 7 – 0 Jersey City State 1 – 4 – 0 2 – 7 – 0 Kean 0 – 5 – 0 3 – 7 – 0 $ – Conference champion	1978 Northern Intercollegiate Conference football standings Conf Overall Team W   L   T W   L   T Minnesota Morris $^ 8 – 0 – 0 11 – 1 – 0 Minnesota Duluth 6 – 2 – 0 7 – 3 – 0 St. Cloud State 6 – 2 – 0 6 – 5 – 0 Moorhead State 5 – 3 – 0 6 – 5 – 0 Mankato State 4 – 4 – 0 7 – 4 – 0 Michigan Tech 4 – 4 – 0 4 – 6 – 0 Winona State 2 – 6 – 0 2 – 9 – 0 Southwest State (MN) 1 – 7 – 0 2 – 8 – 0 Bemidji State 0 – 8 – 0 0 – 9 – 0 $ – Conference champion ^ – NCAA Division III playoff participant
1978 Ohio Athletic Conference football standings Conf Overall Team W   L   T W   L   T Blue Division Wittenberg xy+^ 5 – 0 – 0 10 – 1 – 1 Capital 3 – 2 – 0 6 – 3 – 0 Wooster 3 – 2 – 0 6 – 3 – 0 Marietta 2 – 3 – 0 5 – 4 – 0 Muskingum 1 – 4 – 0 3 – 5 – 1 Otterbein 1 – 4 – 0 2 – 6 – 1 Red Division Baldwin–Wallace xy+^ 5 – 0 – 0 11 – 0 – 1 Ohio Northern 3 – 2 – 0 5 – 4 – 0 Denison 3 – 2 – 0 4 – 4 – 1 Mount Union 2 – 3 – 0 4 – 4 – 1 Ohio Wesleyan 2 – 3 – 0 3 – 5 – 1 Heidelberg 0 – 5 – 0 0 – 9 – 0 Not competing for championship Kenyon   –   3 – 6 – 0 Oberlin   –   0 – 9 – 0 Championship: Baldwin–Wallace 17, Wittenberg 17 + – Conference co-champions x – Division champion/co-champions y – Championship game participant ^ – NCAA Division III playoff participant	1978 Old Dominion Athletic Conference football standings Conf Overall Team W   L   T W   L   T Randolph–Macon $ 4 – 0 – 0 5 – 4 – 0 Hampden–Sydney 2 – 2 – 0 5 – 5 – 0 Emory & Henry 2 – 2 – 0 2 – 7 – 0 Bridgewater 1 – 3 – 0 3 – 6 – 0 Washington and Lee 1 – 3 – 0 2 – 8 – 0 $ – Conference champion	1978 Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference football standings Conf Overall Team W   L   T W   L   T East Division East Stroudsburg xy$ 5 – 0 – 0 10 – 1 – 0 Cheyney 4 – 1 – 0 6 – 3 – 0 Bloomsburg 3 – 2 – 0 6 – 4 – 0 Millersville 2 – 3 – 0 6 – 3 – 0 Kutztown 1 – 4 – 0 2 – 7 – 0 Mansfield 0 – 5 – 0 2 – 8 – 0 West Division No. 17 Clarion xy 5 – 1 – 0 8 – 3 – 0 Shippensburg x 5 – 1 – 0 7 – 3 – 0 Slippery Rock 4 – 2 – 0 6 – 3 – 0 Edinboro 3 – 3 – 0 3 – 6 – 1 Indiana (PA) 2 – 4 – 0 4 – 5 – 1 California (PA) 1 – 4 – 1 2 – 7 – 1 Lock Haven 0 – 5 – 1 1 – 8 – 1 Championship: East Stroudsburg 49, Clarion 4 $ – Conference champion x – Division champion/co-champions y – Championship game participant Shippensburg was ineligible for conference title game. Rankings from NAIA Division I poll
1978 Presidents' Athletic Conference football standings Conf Overall Team W   L   T W   L   T Carnegie Mellon $^ 6 – 1 – 0 9 – 2 – 0 Hiram 5 – 2 – 0 6 – 2 – 0 John Carroll 4 – 3 – 0 5 – 4 – 0 Washington & Jefferson 4 – 3 – 0 5 – 4 – 0 Allegheny 3 – 3 – 1 4 – 3 – 1 Thiel 3 – 3 – 1 4 – 4 – 1 Bethany (WV) 2 – 5 – 0 2 – 6 – 0 Case Western Reserve 0 – 7 – 0 2 – 7 – 0 $ – Conference champion ^ – NCAA Division III playoff participant	1978 Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference football standings Conf Overall Team W   L   T W   L   T Redlands $ 5 – 0 – 0 9 – 1 – 0 Claremont-Mudd 4 – 1 – 0 6 – 3 – 0 Whittier 3 – 2 – 0 6 – 3 – 0 Occidental 2 – 3 – 0 4 – 6 – 0 La Verne 1 – 4 – 0 1 – 7 – 0 Pomona-Pitzer 0 – 5 – 0 0 – 7 – 0 $ – Conference champion	1978 Wisconsin State University Conference football standings Conf Overall Team W   L   T W   L   T No. 7 Wisconsin–La Crosse +^ 7 – 1 – 0 9 – 2 – 0 Wisconsin–Whitewater + 7 – 1 – 0 7 – 4 – 0 No. 12 Wisconsin–Eau Claire 6 – 2 – 0 8 – 2 – 0 Wisconsin–Stout 5 – 3 – 0 7 – 3 – 0 Wisconsin–Oshkosh 3 – 5 – 0 4 – 6 – 0 Wisconsin–River Falls 3 – 5 – 0 4 – 6 – 0 Wisconsin–Stevens Point 2 – 6 – 0 4 – 6 – 0 Wisconsin–Platteville 2 – 5 – 0 3 – 7 – 0 Wisconsin–Superior 1 – 7 – 0 2 – 9 – 0 + – Conference co-champions ^ – NAIA Division I playoff participant Rankings from NAIA Division I poll
1978 NCAA Division III independents football records Conf Overall Team W   L   T W   L   T Maryville (TN)   –   8 – 1 – 0 Wabash   –   8 – 1 – 0 Georgetown   –   7 – 1 – 0 James Madison   –   8 – 2 – 0 Dayton ^   –   9 – 2 – 1 Albany   –   7 – 3 – 0 Catholic University   –   7 – 3 – 0 Fordham   –   7 – 3 – 0 Saint Mary's   –   7 – 3 – 0 San Diego   –   7 – 3 – 0 Colorado College   –   6 – 3 – 0 Bowie State   –   5 – 4 – 0 Brockport   –   5 – 4 – 0 Millsaps   –   5 – 4 – 0 Norwich   –   5 – 4 – 0 Rochester (NY)   –   5 – 4 – 0 Cortland   –   5 – 5 – 0 Grove City   –   4 – 4 – 1 Salisbury State   –   5 – 5 – 0 Canisius   –   4 – 5 – 0 Hofstra   –   4 – 5 – 0 Saint Francis (PA)   –   4 – 5 – 0 Union (NY)   –   3 – 5 – 0 Buffalo   –   3 – 6 – 0 Frostburg State   –   3 – 7 – 0 St. Norbert   –   3 – 7 – 0 Plattsburgh   –   2 – 6 – 0 DePauw   –   2 – 7 – 0 Wagner   –   2 – 8 – 0 Fairleigh Dickinson–Florham   –   1 – 8 – 0 ^ – NCAA Division III playoff participant

Conference champions

Conference champions

College Athletic Conference – Southwestern at Memphis and Sewanee College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin – Elmhurst and Millikin Independent College Athletic Conference – Ithaca Iowa Intercollegiate Athletic Conference – Buena Vista, Central (IA), Dubuque, and Luther Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association – Hope Middle Atlantic Conference – Lycoming (North), Widener (South) Midwest Collegiate Athletic Conference – Cornell College and Ripon Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference – Concordia–Moorhead and St. Olaf New England Football Conference – Boston State and Nichols New Jersey State Athletic Conference – Montclair State Northwest Conference – Linfield Old Dominion Athletic Conference – Randolph-Macon Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference – East Stroudsburg Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference – Redlands Texas Intercollegiate Athletic Association – Tarleton State Twin Rivers Conference – Northwestern (WI) Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference – Wisconsin–La Crosse and Wisconsin–Whitewater

Postseason

The 1978 NCAA Division III Football Championship playoffs were the sixth annual single-elimination tournament to determine the national champion of men's NCAA Division III college football. The championship game was held at Garrett-Harrison Stadium in Phenix City, Alabama for the sixth consecutive year. Like the previous three championships, eight teams competed in this edition.

Playoff bracket

	Quarterfinals Campus sites					Semifinals Campus sites					National Championship Game Garrett–Harrison Stadium Phenix City, AL
	Minnesota–Morris		23
	St. Olaf		10
						Minnesota–Morris		14
						Wittenberg		35
	Wittenberg		6
	Ithaca		3
											Wittenberg		10
											Baldwin–Wallace		24
	Carnegie Mellon		24
	Dayton		21
						Carnegie Mellon		6
						Baldwin–Wallace		31
	Baldwin–Wallace		71
	St. Lawrence		7

See also

• 1978 NCAA Division I-A football season
• 1978 NCAA Division I-AA football season
• 1978 NCAA Division II football season
• 1978 NAIA Division I football season
• 1978 NAIA Division II football season