NCAA Football: Kings of the II

Having graduated from Slippery University of Pennsylvania, the Rock’s football team has had major success on the field beginning in 2019 and through last season. This year was a down season after SRU lost four of 10 games to finish 6-4 but in 2024 the team finished 12-1 reaching the NCAA Division II semi-finals before falling to a team that has established a dynasty in division II football, Ferris State University.

Slippery Rock held their own last year losing 48-38 and while all the attention right now is on the big boys of division I, the division II championship took place on January 20 played at the McKinney ISD Stadium & Community Event Center in McKinney, Texas. Once again Ferris State was there to defend their national title of 2024 facing Harding University it was the Bisons of Harding versus the Bulldogs of Ferris State.

Both these teams went into the game with 15-0 records so someone’s “0” had to go. Since 2021, Ferris State has won the national title four times. In those four victories they defeated Valdosta State 58-17 in 2021, Colorado School of Mines 41-14 the following season and then last year blasted Valdosta State off the field once again, winning 49-14. Then there was their latest championship run capped off by a victory over Harding University 42-21.

The Bulldogs are a scoring machine. In their 16-game undefeated season they averaged 52.8 points per game. Name me another school that has done that and also won four titles in five seasons. Harding, who was undefeated before the title game, came close with a 43.5 mark.

These smaller schools of Division II football may not get the attention of the big boys like Alabama, Georgia, Oklahoma, Oregon, Notre Dame, etc., etc., but unlike the division above, there are schools in Division II that have dominated the sport of football. More recently, Ferris State University is one of those.

As a huge Pittsburgh Steelers fan, we in Steelers Nation take pride in the fact that our team won four Super Bowls in six years from 1974-1979. In the past six NFL seasons the Kansas City Chiefs won three so they came close to matching Pittsburgh. But they were also losers in one Super Bowl, so they did match Pittsburgh for appearances in that time frame.

The New England Patriots are tied with the Steelers for most Super Bowl victories with six, but they too failed to ever win four in six seasons. Then there is the Ferris State Bulldogs and their domination of Division II football. Head Coach Tony Annese has built himself a small dynasty and Ferris State has won 29 straight home games. On the road they have won ten straight.

Then there is Northwest Missouri State. With the NCAA Division II championship dating back 53 seasons, Northwest Missouri State has won the most with six. Harding has never won the title up until this year and North Dakota State is second in titles with five. With Ferris State’s victory over Harding on December 20, they now find themselves in a tie with Grand Valley State who has won four as well.

Other schools that have won the title multiple times are North Alabama (3), Valdosta State (3), Minnesota-Duluth (2), North Colorado 92), Pittsburg State (2), Texas State (2), and Troy with two titles. The teams mentioned above represent winning the national title 66% of the 53 championships.

There is no grand prize for finishing second in any championship, but these schools were runners-up more than once:

• Valdosta State (2024)
• Colorado School of Mines (2023)
• Colorado School of Mines (2022)
• Valdosta State (2021)
• Ferris State (2018)
• North Alabama (2016)
• Northwest Missouri State (2008)
• Northwest Missouri State (2007)
• Northwest Missouri State (2006)
• Northwest Missouri State (2005)
• Pittsburg State (2004)
• Valdosta State (2002)
• Carson-Newman (1999)
• Carson-Newman (1998)
• Carson-Newman (1996)
• Pittsburg State (1995)
• Indiana (Pa.) (1993)
• Indiana (Pa.) (1990)
• North Alabama (1985)
• North Dakota State (1984)
• North Dakota State (1981)

Winning back-to-back championships is difficult in any sport but in Division II football, a handful of teams have done it, some more than once. The list:

• Ferris State (2025)
• Ferris State (2024)
• Ferris State (2022)
• Ferris State (2021)
• Grand Valley State (2006)
• Grand Valley State (2005)
• Grand Valley State (2003)
• Grand Valley State (2002)
• North Alabama (1994)
• North Alabama (1993)
• North Dakota State (1986)
• North Dakota State (1985)
• Northwest Missouri State (2016)
• Northwest Missouri State (2015)
• Northwest Missouri State (1999)
• Northwest Missouri State (1998)
• Texas State (1982)
• Texas State (1981)

As you can see above, Grand Valley State dominated this division in the early 2000’s winning four titles in five seasons thus beating the Steelers mark of four in six. North Dakota State won five in eight seasons from 1983-1990. Northwest Missouri State, with the most titles, won six in 18 seasons.

So, while the world watches the Division I tournament to determine a national champion, there are those fans of small schools intently watching schools like Ferris State and Harding as well as alum from other small schools such as in my case with Slippery Rock compete for a playoff spot and more preferably a national title. Don’t forget there is more to college football than the big boys.

Additionally, if you are unaware there is also Division III football and they too have their tournament. That title will be decided on January 4, 2026, and the two teams vying for the title will be UW-River Falls and North Central in Illinois. River Falls outlasted Johns Hopkins 48-41 while North Central won by 20 over John Carroll 41-21.