NCAA Division II football championship | |
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In operation | 1973–present |
Preceded by | Small-college polls (AP, UPI) |
Number of playoff teams | 28 |
Championship trophy | NCAA Division II National Championship Trophy |
Television partner(s) | ESPNU |
Most playoff appearances | Northwest Missouri State (24) |
Most playoff championships | Northwest Missouri State (6) |
Current champion | Harding (1) |
The NCAA Division II football championship is an American college football tournament played annually to determine a champion at the NCAA Division II level. It was first held in 1973, as a single-elimination playoff with eight teams. The tournament field has subsequently been expanded three times: to 16 teams in 1988, 24 teams in 2004, and 28 teams in 2016.
The national championship game has been held in eight different cities. Former sites include Sacramento, California (1973–1975); Wichita Falls, Texas (1976–1977); Longview, Texas (1978); Albuquerque, New Mexico (1979–1980); McAllen, Texas (1981–1985); Florence, Alabama (1986–2013); and Kansas City, Kansas (2014–2017).[1] From 1973 through 1985 (with the exception of 1978) the championship game carried a bowl designation (see NCAA Division II bowl games).
Since 2018, the championship game has been played at the McKinney ISD Stadium and Community Event Center in McKinney, Texas.[2] Since 1994, the games have been broadcast on ESPN.