| Type: | NCAA Division III |
| Year: | 1973 |
| Prevtype: | NCAA College Division |
| Regular Season: | August – November 1973 |
| Playoffs: | November – December 1973 |
| Championship: | Garrett–Harrison Stadium Phenix City, AL |
| Champion: | Wittenberg |
The 1973 NCAA Division III football season, part of college football in the United States organized by the National Collegiate Athletic Association at the Division III level, began in August 1973, and concluded with the NCAA Division III Football Championship in December 1973 at Garrett–Harrison Stadium in Phenix City, Alabama. This was the first season for Division III (and Division II) football, which were formerly in the College Division in 1972 and prior.
Wittenberg won their first Division III championship, defeating in the championship game by a score of 41−0.[1]
| School | 1972 conference | 1973 conference | |
|---|---|---|---|
| New program | NCAA Division III independent | ||
| Seton Hall | New program | Metropolitan Interscholastic Conference | |
| Salisbury State | New program | NCAA Division III independent |
| Conference | Champion(s) | |
|---|---|---|
| Southwestern at Memphis | ||
| Carthage | ||
| Champion unknown | ||
| Buena Vista | ||
| Hope | ||
| North: Juniata South: Franklin & Marshall | ||
| Coe | ||
| Minnesota–Duluth St. Thomas (MN) | ||
| Nichols | ||
| Montclair State | ||
| Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (Division III) | Fisk | |
| Redlands |
The 1973 NCAA Division III Football Championship playoffs were the first single-elimination tournament to determine the national champion of men's NCAA Division III college football. The inaugural edition had only four teams (in comparison with the 32 teams competing as of 2014). The championship game was held at Garrett-Harrison Stadium in Phenix City, Alabama. The Wittenberg Tigers defeated the Juniata College Eagles, 41−0, to win their first national title.[2]
This is restricted to coaching changes that took place during the season.
This list includes all head coaching changes announced during or after the season.
| School | Outgoing coach | Reason | Replacement | Previous position | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bridgeport | Ed Farrell | Hired as head coach for Davidson[6] | Ray Murphy[7] | East Stroudsburg offensive coordinator (1973) | |
| Brockport | Gerry D'Agostino | Resigned | Dave Hutter[8] | Brockport assistant coach (1971–1973) | |
| East Stroudsburg | Charles Reese | Leave of absence[9] | Dennis Douds (full-season interim, hired full-time on January 29, 1975)[10] | East Stroudsburg defensive coordinator (1968–1973) | |
| Elmhurst | Wendell Harris | Resigned | Al Hanke[11] | Lake Forest assistant coach (1954–1973) | |
| Hamline | Dick Mulkern | Resigned[12] | Jim Sessions[13] | Marietta assistant coach (1973) | |
| Jersey City State | Jack Stephans | Resigned[14] | Bill McKeown[15] | Northeastern offensive coordinator (1972–1973) | |
| Maryville (TN) | Boydson Baird (full-season interim) | Permanent replacement hired | Jim Jordan[16] | Carson–Newman defensive backs coach (1973) | |
| RIT | Tom Coughlin | Hired as quarterbacks coach for Syracuse[17] | Lou Spiotti[18] | Rochester defensive backs coach (1972–1973) | |
| Saint Mary's (CA) | Leo McKillip | Hired as defensive coordinator for the Edmonton Eskimos[19] | Jim McDonald[20] | Saint Mary's (CA) offensive line coach (1971–1973) | |
| Saint Peter's | Vinnie Carlesimo | Resigned | Joe Coviello[21] | North Bergen HS (NJ) (1960–1972) | |
| San Diego | Andy Vinci | Hired as head coach by Cal Poly Pomona[22] | Dick Logan[23] | San Francisco State offensive coordinator (1970–1973) | |
| Simpson | Al Paone | Resigned | Larry Johnson (full-season interim)[24] | Simpson head baseball coach (1970–1974) | |
| Swarthmore | Millard Robinson (full-season interim) | Not retained[25] | Lew Elverson | Swarthmore head coach (1946–1972) | |
| Trenton State | Pete Carmichael | Hired as defensive coordinator for Columbia[26] | Dick Curl[27] | Trenton State offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach (1973) | |
| Wabash | Dick Bowman[28] | Hired as defensive line coach for Army | Frank Navarro[29] | Columbia head coach (1968–1973) | |
| William Paterson | Phil Zofrea | Resigned[30] | Bob Trocolor[31] | New York Giants scout (1970ish–1973) | |
| Wisconsin–Platteville | Gil Krueger | Hired as head coach for Northern Michigan[32] | Bob Seamans[33] | Wisconsin–Platteville defensive coordinator (1969–1973) |