| Type: | NCAA Division III |
| Year: | 1974 |
| Regular Season: | August – November 1974 |
| Playoffs: | November – December 1974 |
| Championship: | Garrett-Harrison Stadium Phenix City, AL |
| Champion: | Central (IA) |
The 1974 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 1974, and concluded with the NCAA Division III Football Championship in December 1974 at Garrett-Harrison Stadium in Phenix City, Alabama. The Central Dutch won their first Division III championship, defeating the Ithaca Bombers by a final score of 10−8.[1]
| Conference | Champion(s) | |
|---|---|---|
| Rose–Hulman | ||
| Illinois Wesleyan Millikin | ||
| Independent College Athletic Conference | Ithaca | |
| Iowa Intercollegiate Athletic Conference | Central (IA) | |
| Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association | Olivet | |
| Middle Atlantic Conference | Wilkes (North) Franklin & Marshall (South) | |
| Midwest Collegiate Athletic Conference | Coe | |
| Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference | Concordia–Moorhead Saint John's (MN) | |
| New England Football Conference | Boston State Nichols | |
| New Jersey State Athletic Conference | Glassboro State | |
| Northwest Conference | Linfield | |
| Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference | Clark Atlanta | |
| Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference | Redlands | |
| Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference | Wisconsin–La Crosse Wisconsin–Platteville Wisconsin–Whitewater |
The 1974 NCAA Division III Football Championship playoffs were the second annual single-elimination tournament to determine the national champion of men's NCAA Division III college football. The championship game was held at Garrett-Harrison Stadium in Phenix City, Alabama. Like the 1973 championship, this year's bracket featured only four teams.[2]
This list includes all head coaching changes announced during or after the season.
| School | Outgoing coach | Reason | Replacement | Previous position | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Boston State | Lary Kuharich | Hired as defensive coordinator for Rhode Island[3] | Mac Singleton[4] | Boston State director of intramural athletics (1974) | |
| Dubuque | Maury Waugh | Resigned[5] | Larry Pohlman[6] | Crown Point HS (IN) head coach (1972–1974) | |
| Fordham | Dean Loucks | Fired[7] | Dave Rice[8] | Western Connecticut head coach (1972–1974) | |
| Franklin & Marshall | Bob Curtis | Hired as head coach for Bucknell[9] | Tom Gilburg[10] | Lehigh linebackers coach (1971–1974) | |
| Hofstra | Howdy Myers | Retired[11] | Bill Leete[12] | Hofstra defensive coordinator (1969–1974) | |
| Kean | Ron SanFillipo | Hired as athletic director for Caldwell HS (NJ)[13] | John Allen[14] | Kean backfield coach (1973–1974) | |
| North Central (IL) | N/A | Hired co-head coach | Ron Guenther[15] | Boston College offensive line coach (1971–1974) | |
| North Park | Mike Watson | Hired as athletic director for Minnehaha Academy (MN)[16] | Gene Mitz[17] | Drake offensive line coach (1973–1974) | |
| Norwich | Joseph G. Sabol | Hired as head coach for Gettysburg[18] | Barry Mynter[19] | Norwich defensive coordinator (1965–1974) | |
| Otterbein | Bob Agler | Retired[20] | Rich Seils[21] | Otterbein backfield coach (1973–1974) | |
| Simpson | Larry Johnson (full-season interim) | Permanent replacement hired | Maury Waugh[22] | Dubuque head coach (1969–1974) | |
| Swarthmore | Lew Elverson | Retired[23] | Tom Lapinski[24] | Mount Pleasant HS (DE) head coach (1972–1974) | |
| Trenton State | Dick Curl | Hired as wide receivers coach and tight ends coach for Rutgers[25] | Carmen Piccone[26] | Cornell offensive coordinator (1967–1974) | |
| William Paterson | Bob Trocolor | Resigned[27] | Jack Stephans[28] | William Paterson assistant coach (1974) | |
| Wisconsin–Superior | Ed Bender | Resigned | Mertz Mortorelli[29] | Wisconsin–Superior head coach (1954–1969) | |
| Wooster | Pat O'Brien | Fired[30] | Don Hunsinger[31] | Capital defensive coordinator (1973–1974) |