A graduate of Slippery University of Pennsylvania, Rock’s football team saw major success on the field starting in 2019 and continuing through last season. This year was a tough season after SRU lost four of 10 games to finish 6-4, but in 2024 the team finished 12-1, reaching the NCAA Division II semifinals before falling to a team that established a dynasty in Division II football, Ferris State University.
Slippery Rock held on last year losing 48-38 and although all the attention is currently on the Division I big boys, the Division II championship was held on January 20 at the McKinney ISD Stadium & Community Event Center in McKinney, Texas. Once again, Ferris State was there to defend its 2024 national title against Harding University: the Harding Bisons against the Ferris State Bulldogs.
These two teams came into the game with a 15-0 record, so someone’s “0” had to go. As of 2021, Ferris State has won the national title four times. In those four wins, they beat Valdosta State 58-17 in 2021, Colorado School of Mines 41-14 the following season, and then last year they knocked Valdosta State off the field again, winning 49-14. Then there was their final championship run capped by a victory over Harding University 42-21.
The Bulldogs are a scoring machine. During their 16-game undefeated season, they averaged 52.8 points per game. Name me another school that has done that and also won four titles in five seasons. Harding, who was undefeated heading into the title match, came closer with a 43.5 rating.
These smaller Division II football schools may not get the attention of the big guys like Alabama, Georgia, Oklahoma, Oregon, Notre Dame, etc., etc., but unlike the division above, some Division II schools have dominated the sport of football. More recently, Ferris State University is one of them.
As a huge Pittsburgh Steelers fan, we at Steelers Nation are proud of the fact that our team won four Super Bowls in six years, from 1974 to 1979. In the last six NFL seasons, the Kansas City Chiefs won three, tying them with Pittsburgh. But they were also losers in a Super Bowl, so they tied Pittsburgh for appearances during that span.
The New England Patriots are tied with the Steelers for the most Super Bowl victories with six, but they too have failed to win four in six seasons. Then there are the Ferris State Bulldogs and their domination of Division II football. Head coach Tony Annese has built a small dynasty and Ferris State has won 29 straight home games. On the road, they have won ten times in a row.
Then there’s Northwest Missouri State. With the NCAA Division II championship going back 53 seasons, Northwest Missouri State has the most wins with six. Harding never won the title until this year and North Dakota State is second with five titles. With Ferris State’s win over Harding on Dec. 20, they now find themselves tied with Grand Valley State which has also won four.
Other schools that have won the title multiple times are North Alabama (3), Valdosta State (3), Minnesota-Duluth (2), North Colorado 92), Pittsburg State (2), Texas State (2) and Troy with two titles. The teams mentioned above represent 66% of the national titles won in the 53 championships.
There is no grand prize for finishing second in a championship, but these schools have been runners-up more than once:
- Valdosta State (2024)
- Colorado School of Mines (2023)
- Colorado School of Mines (2022)
- Valdosta State (2021)
- Ferris State (2018)
- North Alabama (2016)
- Northwest Missouri State (2008)
- Northwest Missouri State (2007)
- Northwest Missouri State (2006)
- Northwest Missouri State (2005)
- Pittsburgh State (2004)
- Valdosta State (2002)
- Carson-Newman (1999)
- Carson-Newman (1998)
- Carson-Newman (1996)
- Pittsburgh State (1995)
- Indiana (Pa.) (1993)
- Indiana (Pa.) (1990)
- North Alabama (1985)
- North Dakota State (1984)
- North Dakota State (1981)
Winning back-to-back championships is difficult in any sport, but in Division II football, a handful of teams have done it, some more than once. The list:
- Ferris State (2025)
- Ferris State (2024)
- Great State (2022)
- Great State (2021)
- State of the Great Valley (2006)
- State of the Great Valley (2005)
- State of the Great Valley (2003)
- State of the Great Valley (2002)
- North Alabama (1994)
- North Alabama (1993)
- North Dakota State (1986)
- North Dakota State (1985)
- Northwest Missouri State (2016)
- Northwest Missouri State (2015)
- Northwest Missouri State (1999)
- Northwest Missouri State (1998)
- State of Texas (1982)
- State of Texas (1981)
As you can see above, Grand Valley State dominated this division in the early 2000s, winning four titles in five seasons, breaking the Steelers’ mark of four out of six. North Dakota State won five in eight seasons from 1983 to 1990. Northwest Missouri State, with the most titles, won six in 18 seasons.
So while the world watches the Division I tournament to determine a national champion, there are fans of small schools intently watching schools like Ferris State and Harding as well as alumni of other small schools like in my case with Slippery Rock competing for a playoff spot and, preferably, a national title. Remember, college football isn’t just for the big boys.
Also, if you don’t know, there is also Division III football and they have their tournament too. That title will be decided on January 4, 2026 and the two teams vying for the title will be UW-River Falls and North Central in Illinois. River Falls outlasted Johns Hopkins 48-41 while North Central won by 20 over John Carroll 41-21.
