1982 NCAA Division II football season

1982 NCAA Division II football season
Regular season	August – November 1982
Postseason	December 1982
National Championship	Palm Bowl Veterans Stadium McAllen, TX
Champions	Southwest Texas State (2)
Division II football season «1981 1983»

The 1982 NCAA Division II football season, part of college football in the United States organized by the National Collegiate Athletic Association at the Division II level, began in August 1982, and concluded with the NCAA Division II Football Championship on December 11, 1982 at McAllen Veterans Memorial Stadium in McAllen, Texas. During the game's five-year stretch in McAllen, the "City of Palms", it was referred to as the Palm Bowl.

Southwest Texas State defeated UC Davis in the championship game, 34–9, to win their second overall and second consecutive Division II national title.

Conference changes and new programs

• One team upgraded from Division II to Division I-AA prior to the season.
• The Far Western Football Conference changed its name to the Northern California Athletic Conference. Its membership remained the same.
• The Western Football Conference was formed by eight football-playing schools in California and Utah.

School	1981 Conference	1982 Conference
Alabama State	D-II Independent	SWAC (I-AA)
Central Florida	D-III Independent	D-II Independent

Conference standings

1982 Lone Star Conference football standings Conf     Overall Team W   L   T     W   L   T SW Texas State $^ 7 – 0 – 0     14 – 0 – 0 East Texas State 4 – 3 – 0     6 – 4 – 0 Abilene Christian 4 – 3 – 0     6 – 4 – 0 Stephen F. Austin 4 – 3 – 0     6 – 5 – 0 Angelo State 4 – 3 – 0     5 – 5 – 0 Texas A&I 2 – 5 – 0     5 – 6 – 0 Howard Payne 1 – 6 – 0     3 – 7 – 0 Sam Houston State 1 – 6 – 0     3 – 8 – 0 $ – Conference champion ^ – Division II playoff participant

1982 Missouri Intercollegiate Athletic Association football standings Conf     Overall Team W   L   T     W   L   T NE Missouri State $^ 5 – 0 – 0     9 – 2 – 0 Central Missouri State 3 – 2 – 0     7 – 3 – 0 Missouri-Rolla 3 – 2 – 0     8 – 3 – 0 SE Missouri State 3 – 2 – 0     5 – 5 – 1 NW Missouri State 0 – 4 – 1     2 – 7 – 1 Lincoln (MO) 0 – 4 – 1     1 – 8 – 1 $ – Conference champion ^ – Division II playoff participant

Conference summaries

See also: List of NCAA Division II football seasons

Conference Champions

Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association – Virginia Union Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference – Hillsdale Gulf South Conference – Jacksonville State Lone Star Conference – Southwest Texas State Missouri Intercollegiate Athletic Association – Northeast Missouri State North Central Conference – North Dakota State Northern California Athletic Conference – UC Davis Northern Intercollegiate Conference – Minnesota State–Moorhead Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference – East Stroudsburg Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference – Colorado Mesa South Atlantic Conference – Carson-Newman Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference – Fort Valley State

Postseason

1982 NCAA Division II National Football Championship playoffs
Teams	8
Finals Site	Veterans Stadium McAllen, TX
Champions	Southwest Texas State (2nd title)
Runner-Up	UC Davis (1st championship game)
Semifinalists	Jacksonville State North Dakota State

The 1982 NCAA Division II Football Championship playoffs were the 10th single-elimination tournament to determine the national champion of men's NCAA Division II college football. The championship game was held at McAllen Veterans Memorial Stadium in McAllen, Texas for the second time.

Playoff bracket

	First round Campus sites					Semifinals Campus sites					Championship McAllen Veterans Memorial Stadium McAllen, TX
	Southwest Texas State		27
	Fort Valley State		6
						Southwest Texas State		19
						Jacksonville State		14
	Jacksonville State		34
	Northwest Missouri State		21
											Southwest Texas State		34
											UC Davis		9
	North Dakota State		21
	Virginia Union		20
						North Dakota State		14
						UC Davis		19
	UC Davis		42
	Northern Michigan		21

See also

• 1982 NAIA Division I football season
• 1982 NAIA Division II football season