List of Former DII Football schools since 2000

[Tech Boys]

Found some info on Georgia Southwestern State and King. The years listed above are wrong.

The GSW Hurricanes wiki page says they had football between 1983 and 1989. It is sourced to The Helmet Project. http://www.nationalchamps.net/Helmet_Project/past.htm

King played 29 seasons and got their nickname because of a historic football game in 1922 when they beat (now) Lenoir-Rhyne 206-0. https://king.prestosports.com/information/Why_Tornado and https://heraldcourier.com/sports/his...3cb929611.html

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Read the story after posting the link from The Herald, it includes some fantastic history. The King-LR game was cut short by 12 minutes due to darkness so the score would have been much worse.

The program began in the 1890s, took a break during the first decade of the 20th century, experienced another hiatus during World War I and then roared through the roaring '20s.
...

King's final game would be played on Thanksgiving Day in 1941, a scoreless tie with Carson-Newman as the Tornado finished with a 5-3-1 mark.

[UWFMubbish]

GSW had an NAIA football team because I played against them in 1985 and 1986 when they had All-American LB Roger Glover. Dude was the size of a safety, but he could bring it!

[ESU Warrior]

Alaska had a football team?

[Fightingscot82]

UC Davis was a very good D2 program before moving to D1. In fact if you look at the list of championship game participants most have moved up.

West Virginia Tech was D2 before merging with WVU, cutting football & moving to NAIA.

[psugorilla]

Yeah the list I posted was just schools since 2000-ish that have moved up/down/or dropped football.

Lamar did briefly play at the D2 level. they were part of the LSC. I swear they did. Might have only been 1 year. I don't think they ever officially classified as D2.
Wasn't there a Georgia or Alabama school who played in the GSC for like 1 year? South Alabama?

[boatcapt]

UC Davis was a very good D2 program before moving to D1. In fact if you look at the list of championship game participants most have moved up.

West Virginia Tech was D2 before merging with WVU, cutting football & moving to NAIA.

WV Tech actually became part of WVU circa 2004...before they dropped football, left DII and moved to the NAIA (2006). Still refered to by most people as WV Tech vice WVU Tech.

A little inside on WVT. They were REALLY circling the drain as a school. Poor management, cratering enrollment and big debt made their prospects of staying open about as close to zero as you can get. WVU came in, replaced management, infused cash, focused their academics and MOVED the entire school 30 miles to the former campus of Mountain State University. Enrollment has rebounded and while they aren't out of the woods yet, their prospects of staying open are much improved. There is even some rumblings about them restarting their football program. I've even heard some rumblings that they may want to rejoin DII at some point.

[Tech Boys]

Yeah the list I posted was just schools since 2000-ish that have moved up/down/or dropped football.

Lamar did briefly play at the D2 level. they were part of the LSC. I swear they did. Might have only been 1 year. I don't think they ever officially classified as D2.
Wasn't there a Georgia or Alabama school who played in the GSC for like 1 year? South Alabama?

University of New Orleans (non-football) was a GSC provisional member for less than a year. They decided in March of that year to stay D1.

[Tech Boys]

Lambuth was also trying to move from NAIA to D2. They had at least a scheduling agreement with the GSC. Their last football season was 2010 and they closed in Summer 2011.

[psugorilla]

Lambuth was also trying to move from NAIA to D2. They had at least a scheduling agreement with the GSC. Their last football season was 2010 and they closed in Summer 2011.

Absolutely forgot all about Lambuth. Thanks for that reminder.

[ccmoney8]

As I was noticing some of the teams we have lost over the last couple of years I started thinking about just how many we have lost the last 20 years or so. I started writing down a list of all the teams I could think of that are no longer in D2 I know I am likely missing a couple here and there especially those who tried to transition into d2 but didn't stay after a year or two. So if I am missing any please add to the list.

In no particular order, we no longer have:

Abilene Christian
Bryant
Incarnate Word
Lamar
NC Central
North Dakota
South Dakota
North Dakota St
South Dakota St
Dixie State
Merrimack
North Alabama
Tarleton St
Augustana (they're still here but looking to transition to d1)
Brevard
McMurry
Nebraska Omaha
Azusa Pacific
OK Panhandle St
Cheyney
Florida Tech
Humboldt State
CW (LIU) Post
Malone
Mansfield
MN Crookston
Paine College
St. Cloud St
Saint Joseph's
St. Paul's
Stillman
Urbana
WV Tech
Western Washington
Morningside
Northern Colorado
Central Arkansas
Mn. Morris

Did not know Morningside was once D2. NSIC??? Also never heard of Paine before.

[wscsuperfan]

Did not know Morningside was once D2. NSIC??? Also never heard of Paine before.

Morningside was in the North Central Conference

[UCObluejay]

http://fs.ncaa.org/Docs/stats/footba...ds/2020/D2.pdf

Pages 73 and 74.

[Wildcat Khan]

Alaska had a football team?

Yes, Alaska Fairbanks. We talked about it recently in GNAC forums and someone even posted a picture

[ctrabs74]

Did not know Morningside was once D2. NSIC??? Also never heard of Paine before.

Paine is a small HBCU located in Augusta, Ga. which was part of the SIAC before they lost their NCAA membership in 2020 and subsequently joined the NCCAA.

https://paineathletics.com/news/2021...the-nccaa.aspx

And, yes, I vaguely remember Paine's one season of football. The school has been struggling mightily, hence the loss of their NCAA membership due to lack of accreditation.

[cwfenn]

University of New Orleans (non-football) was a GSC provisional member for less than a year. They decided in March of that year to stay D1.

If I remember right, that was an absolute mess - I think they went down to D3, then D2, and finally decided to be D1 and change conferences.