The Cortland Red Dragons are the DIII football champions for the first time in program history. A back-and-forth scoring match ended with one victor, as Cortland defeated North Central (IL) 38-37 to win the title.
In Friday’s matchup, both teams were tied 31 a piece with 7:16 left on the clock in the fourth quarter. Cortland’s Cole Burgess’ second TD of the night came on a 21-yard pass from junior QB Zac Boyes with 1:41 left. North Central (IL) QB Luke Lehnen’s 60-yard TD pass to DeAngelo Hardy gave the Cardinals a possibility to win their fourth Stagg Bowl in a row, but a failed two-point conversion fell incomplete to close out the game.
Boyes accounted for 472 of Cortland’s 503 offensive yards, 349 through the air and 154 on the ground.
Cortland finishes its first national championship-winning season 14-1 overall.
Here is the schedule of the 2023 NCAA Division III football tournament:
2023 NCAA Division III football tournament schedule, scores
Opening Round: Saturday, Nov. 18
- Mount Union 56, Alfred State 14
- Alma 32DePauw 17
- Cortland 28, Endicott 17
- Grove City 21, Susquehanna 20
- Johns Hopkins 62, Western Connecticut State 20
- Union (NY) 24, Delaware Valley 16
- Ithaca 21, Springfield 7
- Randolph-Macon 28, Christopher Newport 20
- Wisconsin-La Crosse 62, Minnesota-Morris 7
- Aurora 20, Coe 7
- Trinity (TX) 20, Hardin-Simmons 6
- North Central (IL) 65, Belhaven 0
- Wartburg 49, Illinois College 14
- Wheaton (IL) 41, Mount St. Joseph 34
- Wisconsin-Whitewater 42, Bethel (MN) 14
- Whitworth 42, Chapman 28
Second Round: Saturday, Nov. 25
Quarterfinals: Saturday, Dec. 2
Semifinals: Saturday, Dec. 9
Championship: Friday, December 15
2023 NCAA Division III football tournament bracket
Click or tap here for a closer look at the bracket
DIII Championship History
| Year | Champion | Coach | Score | Runner-Up | Site |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | North Central (IL) | Brad Spencer | 28-21 | Mount Union | Annapolis, Maryland |
| 2021 | Mary Hardin-Baylor | Pete Fredenburg | 57-24 | North Central | Canton, Ohio |
| 2020 | Canceled due to Covid-19 | — | — | — | — |
| 2019 | North Central (IL) | Jeff Thorne | 41-14 | Wisconsin-Whitewater | Shenandoah, Texas |
| 2018 | Mary Hardin-Baylor | Pete Fredenburg | 24-16 | Mount Union | Shenandoah, Texas |
| 2017 | Mount Union | Vince Kehres | 12-0 | Mary Hardin-Baylor | Salem, Va. |
| 2016 | Mary Hardin-Baylor | Pete Fredenburg | 10-7 | Wisconsin-Oshkosh | Salem, Va. |
| 2015 | Mount Union | Vince Kehres | 49-35 | St. Thomas (Minn.) | Salem, Va. |
| 2014 | Wisconsin-Whitewater | Lance Leipold | 43-34 | Mount Union | Salem, Va. |
| 2013 | Wisconsin-Whitewater | Lance Leipold | 52-14 | Mount Union | Salem, Va. |
| 2012 | Mount Union | Larry Kehres | 28-10 | St. Thomas (Minn.) | Salem, Va. |
| 2011 | Wisconsin-Whitewater | Lance Leipold | 13-10 | Mount Union | Salem, Va. |
| 2010 | Wisconsin-Whitewater | Lance Leipold | 31-21 | Mount Union | Salem, Va. |
| 2009 | Wisconsin-Whitewater | Lance Leipold | 38-28 | Mount Union | Salem, Va. |
| 2008 | Mount Union | Larry Kehres | 31-26 | Wisconsin-Whitewater | Salem, Va. |
| 2007 | Wisconsin-Whitewater | Lance Leipold | 31-21 | Mount Union | Salem, Va. |
| 2006 | Mount Union | Larry Kehres | 35-16 | Wisconsin-Whitewater | Salem, Va. |
| 2005 | Mount Union | Larry Kehres | 35-28 | Wisconsin-Whitewater | Salem, Va. |
| 2004 | Linfield | Jay Locey | 28-21 | Mary Hardin-Baylor | Salem, Va. |
| 2003 | St. John's (Minn.) | John Gagliardi | 24-6 | Mount Union | Salem, Va. |
| 2002 | Mount Union | Larry Kehres | 48-7 | Trinity (Texas) | Salem, Va. |
| 2001 | Mount Union | Larry Kehres | 30-27 | Bridgewater (Va.) | Salem, Va. |
| 2000 | Mount Union | Larry Kehres | 10-7 | St. John's (Minn.) | Salem, Va. |
| 1999 | Pacific Lutheran | Frosty Western | 42-13 | Rowan | Salem, Va. |
| 1998 | Mount Union | Larry Kehres | 44-24 | Rowan | Salem, Va. |
| 1997 | Mount Union | Larry Kehres | 61-12 | Lycoming | Salem, Va. |
| 1996 | Mount Union | Larry Kehres | 56-24 | Rowan | Salem, Va. |
| 1995 | Wisconsin-La Crosse | Roger Harring | 36-7 | Rowan | Salem, Va. |
| 1994 | Albion | Pete Schmidt | 38-15 | Washington & Jefferson | Salem, Va. |
| 1993 | Mount Union | Larry Kehres | 34-24 | Rowan | Salem, Va. |
| 1992 | Wisconsin-La Crosse | Roger Harring | 16-12 | Washington & Jefferson | Bradenton, Fla. |
| 1991 | Ithaca | Jim Butterfield | 34-20 | Dayton | Bradenton, Fla. |
| 1990 | Allegheny | Ken O'Keefe | 21-14 | Lycoming | Bradenton, Fla. |
| 1989 | Dayton | Mike Kelly | 17-7 | Union (N.Y.) | Phenix City, Ala. |
| 1988 | Ithaca | Jim Butterfield | 39-24 | Central (Iowa) | Phenix City, Ala. |
| 1987 | Wagner | Walkt Hameline | 19-3 | Dayton | Phenix City, Ala. |
| 1986 | Augustana (Ill.) | Bob Reade | 31-3 | Salisbury | Phenix City, Ala. |
| 1985 | Augustana (Ill.) | Bob Reade | 20-7 | Ithaca | Phenix City, Ala. |
| 1984 | Augustana (Ill.) | Bob Reade | 21-12 | Central (Iowa) | Kings Island, Ohio |
| 1983 | Augustana (Ill.) | Bob Reade | 21-17 | Union (N.Y.) | Kings Island, Ohio |
| 1982 | West Georgia | Bobby Pate | 14-0 | Augustana (NY) | Phenix City, Ala. |
| 1981 | Widener | Bill Manlove | 24-10 | Dayton | Phenix City, Ala. |
| 1980 | Dayton | Rick Carter | 63-0 | Ithaca | Phenix City, Ala. |
| 1979 | Ithaca | Jim Buttersfield | 14-10 | Wittenberg | Phenix City, Ala. |
| 1978 | Baldwin-Wallace | Lee Tressel | 24-10 | Wittenberg | Phenix City, Ala. |
| 1977 | Widener | Bill Manlove | 39-36 | Wabash | Phenix City, Ala. |
| 1976 | St. John's (Minn.) | John Gagliardi | 31-28 | Towson | Phenix City, Ala. |
| 1975 | Wittenberg | Dave Maurer | 28-0 | Ithaca | Phenix City, Ala. |
| 1974 | Central (Iowa) | Ron Schipper | 10-8 | Ithaca | Phenix City, Ala. |
| 1973 | Wittenberg | Dave Maurer | 41-0 | Juniata | Phenix City, Ala. |
