Here’s everything you need to know leading up to the 2026 NCAA DIII football selection show that will reveal the full 40-team championship field for the single-elimination tournament.
The championship bracket will be revealed during a selection show on Sunday, Nov. 15, live-streamed here on NCAA.com. For selections, 28 teams earn automatic bids, with the remaining spots filled by at-large bids.
2026 DIII football championship bracket:
Click or tap here for the 2026 interactive bracket
2026 DIII football championship schedule:
- Selection show: 5 p.m. ET on Sunday, Nov. 15 on NCAA.com
- First round: Saturday, Nov. 21
- Second round: Saturday, Nov. 28
- Third Round: Saturday, Dec. 5
- Quarterfinals: Saturday, Dec. 12
- Semifinals: Saturday, Dec. 19
- Finals: Sunday, Jan. 3
Future DIII football championship site
| YEAR | CHAMPIONSHIP LOCATION | FINAL DATE |
|---|---|---|
| 2027 | Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium, Canton, Ohio | Jan. 5, 2028 |
NCAA DIII football championship history
| Year | Champion | Coach | Score | Runner-Up | Site |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | UW-River Falls | Matt Walker | 24-14 | North Central (IL) | Canton, Ohio |
| 2024 | North Central (IL) | Brad Spencer | 41-25 | Mount Union | Houston, Texas |
| 2023 | Cortland | Curt Fitzpatrick | 38-37 | North Central (IL) | Salem, Virginia |
| 2022 | North Central (IL) | Brad Spencer | 28-21 | Mount Union | Annapolis, Maryland |
| 2021 | Mary Hardin-Baylor | Pete Fredenburg | 57-24 | North Central (IL) | Canton, Ohio |
| 2020 | Canceled due to Covid-19 | — | — | — | — |
| 2019 | North Central (IL) | Jeff Thorne | 41-14 | Wisconsin-Whitewater | Shenandoah, Texas |
| 2018 | Mary Hardin-Baylor | Pete Fredenburg | 24-16 | Mount Union | Shenandoah, Texas |
| 2017 | Mount Union | Vince Kehres | 12-0 | Mary Hardin-Baylor | Salem, Va. |
| 2016 | Mary Hardin-Baylor | Pete Fredenburg | 10-7 | Wisconsin-Oshkosh | Salem, Va. |
| 2015 | Mount Union | Vince Kehres | 49-35 | St. Thomas (Minn.) | Salem, Va. |
| 2014 | Wisconsin-Whitewater | Lance Leipold | 43-34 | Mount Union | Salem, Va. |
| 2013 | Wisconsin-Whitewater | Lance Leipold | 52-14 | Mount Union | Salem, Va. |
| 2012 | Mount Union | Larry Kehres | 28-10 | St. Thomas (Minn.) | Salem, Va. |
| 2011 | Wisconsin-Whitewater | Lance Leipold | 13-10 | Mount Union | Salem, Va. |
| 2010 | Wisconsin-Whitewater | Lance Leipold | 31-21 | Mount Union | Salem, Va. |
| 2009 | Wisconsin-Whitewater | Lance Leipold | 38-28 | Mount Union | Salem, Va. |
| 2008 | Mount Union | Larry Kehres | 31-26 | Wisconsin-Whitewater | Salem, Va. |
| 2007 | Wisconsin-Whitewater | Lance Leipold | 31-21 | Mount Union | Salem, Va. |
| 2006 | Mount Union | Larry Kehres | 35-16 | Wisconsin-Whitewater | Salem, Va. |
| 2005 | Mount Union | Larry Kehres | 35-28 | Wisconsin-Whitewater | Salem, Va. |
| 2004 | Linfield | Jay Locey | 28-21 | Mary Hardin-Baylor | Salem, Va. |
| 2003 | St. John’s (Minn.) | John Gagliardi | 24-6 | Mount Union | Salem, Va. |
| 2002 | Mount Union | Larry Kehres | 48-7 | Trinity (Texas) | Salem, Va. |
| 2001 | Mount Union | Larry Kehres | 30-27 | Bridgewater (Va.) | Salem, Va. |
| 2000 | Mount Union | Larry Kehres | 10-7 | St. John’s (Minn.) | Salem, Va. |
| 1999 | Pacific Lutheran | Frosty Western | 42-13 | Rowan | Salem, Va. |
| 1998 | Mount Union | Larry Kehres | 44-24 | Rowan | Salem, Va. |
| 1997 | Mount Union | Larry Kehres | 61-12 | Lycoming | Salem, Va. |
| 1996 | Mount Union | Larry Kehres | 56-24 | Rowan | Salem, Va. |
| 1995 | Wisconsin-La Crosse | Roger Harring | 36-7 | Rowan | Salem, Va. |
| 1994 | Albion | Pete Schmidt | 38-15 | Washington & Jefferson | Salem, Va. |
| 1993 | Mount Union | Larry Kehres | 34-24 | Rowan | Salem, Va. |
| 1992 | Wisconsin-La Crosse | Roger Harring | 16-12 | Washington & Jefferson | Bradenton, Fla. |
| 1991 | Ithaca | Jim Butterfield | 34-20 | Dayton | Bradenton, Fla. |
| 1990 | Allegheny | Ken O’Keefe | 21-14 | Lycoming | Bradenton, Fla. |
| 1989 | Dayton | Mike Kelly | 17-7 | Union (NY) | Phenix City, Ala. |
| 1988 | Ithaca | Jim Butterfield | 39-24 | Central (Iowa) | Phenix City, Ala. |
| 1987 | Wagner | Walkt Hameline | 19-3 | Dayton | Phenix City, Ala. |
| 1986 | Augustana (Ill.) | Bob Reade | 31-3 | Salisbury | Phenix City, Ala. |
| 1985 | Augustana (Ill.) | Bob Reade | 20-7 | Ithaca | Phenix City, Ala. |
| 1984 | Augustana (Ill.) | Bob Reade | 21-12 | Central (Iowa) | Kings Island, Ohio |
| 1983 | Augustana (Ill.) | Bob Reade | 21-17 | Union (NY) | Kings Island, Ohio |
| 1982 | West Georgia | Bobby Pate | 14-0 | Augustana (Ill.) | Phenix City, Ala. |
| 1981 | Widener | Bill Manlove | 24-10 | Dayton | Phenix City, Ala. |
| 1980 | Dayton | Rick Carter | 63-0 | Ithaca | Phenix City, Ala. |
| 1979 | Ithaca | Jim Butterfield | 14-10 | Wittenberg | Phenix City, Ala. |
| 1978 | Baldwin-Wallace | Lee Tressel | 24-10 | Wittenberg | Phenix City, Ala. |
| 1977 | Widener | Bill Manlove | 39-36 | Wabash | Phenix City, Ala. |
| 1976 | St. John’s (Minn.) | John Gagliardi | 31-28 | Towson | Phenix City, Ala. |
| 1975 | Wittenberg | Dave Maurer | 28-0 | Ithaca | Phenix City, Ala. |
| 1974 | Central (Iowa) | Ron Schipper | 10-8 | Ithaca | Phenix City, Ala. |
| 1973 | Wittenberg | Dave Maurer | 41-0 | Juniata | Phenix City, Ala. |
Source: www.ncaa.com
