1997 NCAA Division I-AA football season

1997 NCAA Division I-AA season
Regular season
Duration	August – November 1997
Payton Award	Brian Finneran – WR (Villanova)
Buchanan Award	Chris McNeil – DE (North Carolina A&T)
Playoff
Duration	November 29 – December 20, 1997
Championship date	December 20, 1997
Championship site	Finley Stadium, Chattanooga, TN
Champion	Youngstown State Penguins
NCAA Division I-AA football seasons
«1996 1998»

The 1997 NCAA Division I-AA football season, part of college football in the United States organized by the National Collegiate Athletic Association at the Division I Football Championship Subdivision level, began in August 1997, and concluded with the National Championship Game of the NCAA Division I Football Championship on December 20, 1997, at Finley Stadium in Chattanooga, Tennessee. The Youngstown State Penguins won their fourth I-AA championship, defeating the McNeese State Cowboys by a final score of 10−9

Conference changes and new programs

• Due to rule changes regarding conference sports sponsorships, the membership of the old Yankee Conference shifted to the Atlantic 10 Conference prior to the 1997 season. All 12 members (Boston University, Connecticut, Delaware, James Madison, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Northeastern, Rhode Island, Richmond, Villanova, and William & Mary) moved into the new conference.

School	1996 Conference	1997 Conference
Austin Peay	Ohio Valley	I-AA Independent
Marshall	Southern (I-AA)	MAC (I-A)
Norfolk State	CIAA (D-II)	I-AA Independent
South Florida	New Program	I-AA Independent
Towson State	I-AA Independent	Patriot
Wofford	I-AA Independent	Southern
Youngstown State	I-AA Independent	Gateway

Conference standings

1997 Atlantic 10 Conference football standings Conf Overall Team   W   L     W   L   New England Division New Hampshire x   5 – 3     5 – 6   Connecticut   4 – 4     7 – 4   Maine   4 – 4     5 – 6   Rhode Island   2 – 6     2 – 9   Boston University   1 – 7     1 – 10   UMass   1 – 7     2 – 9   Mid-Atlantic Division No. 1 Villanova x$^   8 – 0     12 – 1   No. 3 Delaware ^   7 – 1     12 – 2   No. 20 Northeastern   5 – 3     8 – 3   Richmond   4 – 4     6 – 5   William & Mary   4 – 4     7 – 4   James Madison   3 – 5     5 – 6   $ – Conference champion x – Division champion/co-champions ^ – NCAA Division I-AA playoff participant Rankings from The Sports Network poll

1997 Southern Conference football standings Conf Overall Team   W   L     W   L   No. 8 Georgia Southern $^   7 – 1     10 – 3   No. 15 Appalachian State   6 – 2     7 – 4   East Tennessee State   5 – 3     7 – 4   Furman   5 – 3     7 – 4   The Citadel   4 – 4     6 – 5   Chattanooga   4 – 4     7 – 4   Western Carolina   3 – 5     3 – 8   Wofford   2 – 6     3 – 7   VMI   0 – 8     0 – 11   $ – Conference champion ^ – NCAA Division I-AA playoff participant Rankings from The Sports Network I-AA Poll

1997 Southland Football League standings Conf Overall Team   W   L     W   L   No. 7 McNeese State +^   6 – 1     13 – 2   No. 21 Northwestern State +^   6 – 1     8 – 4   No. 13 Stephen F. Austin   5 – 2     8 – 3   Sam Houston State   3 – 4     5 – 6   Nicholls State   3 – 4     5 – 6   Southwest Texas State   2 – 5     5 – 6   Troy State   2 – 5     5 – 6   Jacksonville State   1 – 6     1 – 10   + – Conference co-champions ^ – NCAA Division I-AA playoff participant Rankings from The Sports Network poll

Conference champions

See also: List of NCAA Division I-AA/FCS football seasons

Conference Champions

Atlantic 10 Conference – Villanova Big Sky Conference – Eastern Washington Gateway Football Conference – Western Illinois Ivy League – Harvard Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference – Georgetown Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference – Hampton Northeast Conference – Robert Morris Ohio Valley Conference – Eastern Kentucky Patriot League – Colgate Pioneer Football League – Dayton Southern Conference – Georgia Southern Southland Football League – McNeese State and Northwestern State Southwestern Athletic Conference – Southern

Postseason

Playoff Bracket

	First Round November 29 Campus Sites				Quarterfinals December 6 Campus Sites				Semifinals December 13 Campus Sites				National Championship Game December 20 Finley Stadium Chattanooga, TN
	Villanova*	49
	Colgate	28
					Villanova*	34
					Youngstown State	37
	Youngstown State*	28
	Hampton	13
									Youngstown State	25
									Eastern Washington*	14
	Western Kentucky*	42
	Eastern Kentucky	14
					Western Kentucky	21
					Eastern Washington*	38
	Eastern Washington*	40
	Northwestern State	10
													Youngstown State	10
													McNeese State	9
	Delaware*	24
	Hofstra	14
					Delaware*	16
					Georgia Southern	7
	Georgia Southern*	52
	Florida A&M	37
									Delaware*	21
									McNeese State	23
	McNeese State*	19
	Montana	14
					McNeese State	14
					Western Illinois*	12
	Western Illinois*	31
	Jackson State	24

* Denotes host institution