2023 NCAA Division II Football Championship Game


The 2023 NCAA Division II Football Championship Game was a college football game played on December 16, 2023, at McKinney ISD Stadium in McKinney, Texas. The game determined the national champion of NCAA Division II for the 2023 season. The game was scheduled to begin at 12:00 p.m. CST and was broadcast by ESPNU.
The game featured the two finalists of the 28-team playoff bracket, which began on November 18, 2022. The three-seed Harding Bisons from the Great American Conference defeated the top-seeded Colorado Mines Orediggers from the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference, 38–7. The win gave the Harding football program its first national championship.

Teams

The participants of the 2023 NCAA Division II Football Championship Game were the finalists of the 2023 Division II Playoffs, which began on November 18 with four 7-team brackets to determine super region champions, who then qualified for the national semifinals.

National semifinals

Super region champions were reseeded 1 to 4 for the national semifinals.

Statistics

StatisticHardingColorado Mines
First downs2118
First downs rushing205
First downs passing112
First downs penalty01
Third down efficiency7–117–12
Fourth down efficiency2–20–3
Total plays–net yards60–56354–344
Rushing attempts–net yards58–50221–71
Yards per rush8.73.4
Yards passing46270
Pass completions–attempts2–233–24
Interceptions thrown01
Punt returns–total yards0–00–0
Kickoff returns–total yards2–171–3
Punts–average yardage1–36.02–41.5
Fumbles–lost0–01–0
Penalties–yards2–172–20
Time of possession36:1023:50