| Year: | 1979 |
| Regular Season: | August – November 1979 |
| Playoffs: | December 1979 |
| Nc Date: | December 1979 |
| Championship: | Zia Bowl University Stadium Albuquerque, NM |
| Champion: | Delaware |
The 1979 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 1979, and concluded with the NCAA Division II Football Championship in December 1979 at University Stadium in Albuquerque, NM. During the game's two-year stretch in New Mexico, it was referred to as the Zia Bowl. The Delaware Fightin' Blue Hens defeated the Youngstown State Penguins, 38–21, to win their first Division II national title.[1]
| School | 1978 Conference | 1979 Conference | |
|---|---|---|---|
| SIAC (II) | MEAC (I-AA) | ||
| Evergreen (NAIA) | Independent | ||
| MEAC (I-AA) | Independent | ||
| Independent | |||
| MEAC (I-AA) | CIAA (II) | ||
| North Central | |||
| Independent |
See also: List of NCAA Division II football seasons.
| Conference | Champions | |
|---|---|---|
| Association of Mid-Continent Universities | Youngstown State | |
| California Collegiate Athletic Association | Cal Poly | |
| Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association | Virginia Union | |
| Far Western Football Conference | UC Davis | |
| Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference | Saginaw Valley State | |
| Gulf South Conference | Mississippi College | |
| Heartland Collegiate Conference | Saint Joseph's | |
| Missouri Intercollegiate Athletic Association | Northwest Missouri State | |
| North Central Conference | North Dakota | |
| Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference | Alabama A&M |
| Division: | II |
| Year: | 1979 |
| Teams: | 8 |
| Stadium: | University Stadium |
| Location: | Albuquerque, NM |
| Champions: | Delaware |
| Titlecount: | 1st |
| Champgamecount: | 3rd |
| Champcount: | 5 |
| Runnerup: | Youngstown State |
| Gamecount: | 1st |
| Runnercount: | 3 |
| Semifinal1: | Mississippi College |
| Semiscount: | 1 |
| Semifinal2: | Alabama A&M |
| Semiscount2: | 1 |
| Coach: | Tubby Raymond |
| Coachcount: | 1st |
The 1979 NCAA Division II Football Championship playoffs were the sixth single-elimination tournament to determine the national champion of men's NCAA Division II college football. The championship game was held at University Stadium in Albuquerque, NM for the first time. With the game being played in New Mexico for the next two years, it was deemed the Zia Bowl.