| 1970 NCAA College Division football season | |
|---|---|
| Champion(s) | Arkansas State (AP, UPI) Tennessee State (black) |
The1970 NCAA College Division football season was the 15th season ofcollege football in the United States organized by theNational Collegiate Athletic Association at theNCAA College Division level.
| School | 1969 Conference | 1970 Conference |
|---|---|---|
| Cal State Fullerton | New Program | CCAA |
| Central Michigan | IIAC | Independent |
| Eastern Illinois | IIAC | Independent |
| Fordham | Reactivated Program | Independent |
| Georgetown | Reactivated Program | Independent |
| Illinois State | IIAC | Independent |
| Saint Mary's | Reactivated Program | Independent |
| Western Illinois | IIAC | Independent |
College Division teams (also referred to as "small college") were ranked in polls by theAP (a panel of writers) and byUPI (coaches). The national champion(s) for each season were determined by the final poll rankings, published at or near the end of the regular season, before any bowl games were played.
In 1970, both UPI and AP rankedArkansas State (10–0) number one.[1][2] The 34 coaches on the UPI board rankedTampa second, followed byMontana, while the AP panel ranked Montana second, followed byNorth Dakota State. Arkansas State went on to beatCentral Missouri State in thePecan Bowl, 38–21,[3] while Montana lost to North Dakota State in theCamellia Bowl, 31–16.
United Press International (coaches) final poll
| Associated Press (writers) final poll
†Includes NAIA playoff win |
The postseason consisted of fourbowl games as regional finals, all played on December 12.
| Bowl | Region | Location | Winning team | Losing team | Ref | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Boardwalk | East | Atlantic City, New Jersey | Delaware | 38 | Morgan State | 23 | |
| Grantland Rice | Mideast | Baton Rouge, Louisiana | Tennessee State | 26 | Southwestern Louisiana | 25 | |
| Pecan | Midwest | Arlington, Texas | Arkansas State | 38 | Central Missouri State | 21 | [7] |
| Camellia | West | Sacramento, California | North Dakota State | 31 | Montana | 16 | [8] |
This was the final year for thePecan Bowl; it was succeeded by thePioneer Bowl inWichita Falls in1971.