The magic of the NCAA Division III football playoffs has molded some of the greatest programs in college football history, seen its share of glory and heartbreak and helped turn players and coaches who likely would’ve been unknown otherwise into champions and monumental figures in the sport’s history.

If that sounds like your thing, and if you are looking to get away from “higher-level” NCAA football programming for a bit, look no further than Division III, as it welcomes you with open arms.

One thing that must be understood if you’re a casual observer or watching Division III for the first time, however, is that there is a very different process to postseason play, compared to how Divisions I and Division II handle things. 

It’s a playoff qualification system that places a massive amount of pressure on its teams in regular-season play, as automatic bids are limited, and at-large bids are scarce – and only getting scarcer in 2023.

Got questions? Good, because this guide will help fans understand how teams that qualify for the Division III Playoffs.

Stick around, too, as FloFootball will be streaming high-stakes Division III football matchups all season long. The 2023 season will get going later this month.

Here’s the lowdown on what makes a Division III football program a playoff team, who gets in and stays out and what system the division uses to determine its annual playoff bracket.

On August 6, 1973 the NCAA membership voted to reorganize into three divisions.

Today, we begin a year-long celebration of the 50th anniversary of our division.

Happy anniversary, Division III!#DIII50 | #WhyD3 pic.twitter.com/l4Qz9uWXEd

— NCAA Division III (@NCAADIII) August 6, 2023

How Many Teams Make The NCAA Division III Football Playoffs?

Division III plays its football postseason – officially called the NCAA Division III Football Championship – in a 32-team, single-elimination tournament, a number of teams that has remained the same since 2005. 

All qualified teams are competing to move on and advance far enough for the right to play in the Amos Alonzo Stagg Bowl, the division’s national title game, held every December (with the exception of 2020’s pandemic-canceled game) since 1973, the first season of the NCAA’s current three-division system. 

Which Teams Qualify For The NCAA Division III Football Playoffs?

There are very specific requirements in order to earn a bid to the Division III playoffs, and if you don’t earn an automatic bid … well, you might just be out of luck. 

Of the 32 bids awarded, 28 are automatically given out to conference winners, up from 27, as the Landmark Conference (mostly featuring schools in eastern Pennsylvania) will begin sponsoring football this season. 

The other four bids – down from five because of the Landmark’s new auto-bid – to be handed out this season are at-large bids, with the amount available to different teams fitting different criteria (more on that later in this piece) having the potential to vary year by year. 

Winning your league, therefore, arguably is more important in Division III than any other level of football in the NCAA, as it’s truly the only surefire way to ensure you’ll be playing postseason football.

Kickoff is just 10 days away! Pat and Greg have what you need to know before Week 1, including your questions, in the latest https://t.co/h9aVxkhxEE podcast: https://t.co/UgVNfWEsiF #d3fb

— D3football.com (@d3football) August 21, 2023

What If You’re Not A Conference Champion? How Can You Qualify?

Division III conference champions are considered as part “Pool A.”

Most other teams in the division that have elected to participate in the playoffs and are not conference champions are considered “Pool C” teams, with the bids determined by a variety of factors used by the NCAA’s selection committee, including win-loss record, strength of schedule and results against common Division III opponents, among various other criteria. 

However, where the at-large bid process is thrown for a loop is when “Pool B” schools come into play – that is, teams that are independents or are playing in leagues without automatic bids, yet they wish to participate in the postseason, too. 

Pool B only comes into play when the number of schools fitting that bill is more than the average number of schools per Pool A conference. 

For example, in 2018, the nine Pool B schools exceeded the Pool A average of 8.8 per league, giving the Pool B schools one auto-bid for that year. The number of bids given to those schools (if they’re given at all) varies each year and depends on the number of schools that fit the criteria. 

As many as four Pool B schools have been awarded bids in the 32-team era, but since 2019 – and including for this upcoming season – there have been no Pool B bids awarded, as only two independent Division III teams are slated to play in 2023.

Which Teams Don’t Participate In The Playoffs Or Are Independent For 2023?

Division III football’s two independent teams for 2023 are New York’s Hilbert College, which began football in 2022, and Lyon College out of Arkansas, which is playing its first season at the Division III level, after previously playing in the NAIA. 

And, of the 29 football-sponsoring conferences in Division III, only one – the New England Small Collegiate Athletic Conference – does not opt to participate in the postseason. So, while there are some strong programs in the NESCAC, such as Trinity, which has had seven perfect seasons since 2000, including last season, you won’t be seeing the league’s teams competing in the Division III playoffs. 

Which Teams Have The Most Appearances In The NCAA Division III Football Playoffs?

In the playoff era, no team has more postseason appearances than the most successful program in the division’s history, Mount Union (Ohio). 

The Purple Raiders have 33 playoff appearances in their storied history and are the only Division III program to reach 100 postseason wins, many of which were achieved during its record-setting 13 runs to the national championship – more than double the next-winningest team. 

Saint John’s (Minnesota) is second in playoff trips with 28, most of which were under the tutelage of hall-of-fame coach John Gagliardi, the winningest coach at any level (489 victories) in the history of college football. 

Three other programs have hit the 20-appearance mark – Washington & Jefferson (Pennsylvania), Central (Iowa) and Ithaca (New York). Wisconsin-Whitewater and Wittenberg (Ohio) are at 19 bids and can join the club with postseason appearances in 2023.