Wayne Cavadi | NCAA.com | August 27, 2019 When does the DII football season start? Valdosta State wins Division II Football Championship Share The 2019 DII football season is creeping closer. The bulk of the season kicks off Thursday, Sept. 5, with 2018 national runners-up Ferris State amongst a slew of DII football opening night games. 2019 PRESEASON POLL: Here's what we learned from the AFCA top 25 | Full rankings Elizabeth City — who travels to FCS Hampton on August 31 — and Morehouse — which opens in the Tom Benson Hall of Fame Classic against FCS Alabama A&M — get the season underway the weekend of August 31, but the majority of the DII football slate begins the weekend of Sept. 5. 2018 RECAP: Valdosta State defeats Ferris State 49-47 | 11 numbers from record-setting game Though there are some action-packed games Thursday night, the Saturday, Sept. 7 slate, including reigning national champion Valdosta State, gets the 11-week grind of the DII football rolling. That’s when 28 teams begin their quest to find a slot in the 2019 DII football championship playoff bracket. Always in Attack Mode 🔥. #ATTACK pic.twitter.com/85uElABsxs — Valdosta State Football (@valdostastatefb) June 12, 2019 This season’s tournament begins with first-round action on Nov. 23. Four rounds will follow each week before culminating in the national championship game on Dec. 21 at McKinney Independent School District Stadium in McKinney, Texas — the second-straight season the title game returns to McKinney. DII FOOTBALL HEADS TO TEXAS: McKinney ISD to be host until 2021 Nine of the 28 DII football championship tournament teams commence the 2019 season on Thursday night, including an opening night matchup between Ouachita Baptist and Harding, two 2018 playoff teams. Here are some of the bigger matchups from the Thursday night slate and every game from the top 25 and those receiving votes for opening weekend. DII FOOTBALL CHAMPIONSHIP: How the DII tournament works Sunday, Sept. 8 Florida Tech 23, Savannah State 22 (This game was moved due to Hurricane Dorian.) Thursday, Sept. 5 (all times ET): No. 10 Slippery Rock 62, Wayne State (MI) 37 No. 16 Indianapolis 24, No. 23 Ashland 9 No. 21 Wingate 42, Johnson C. Smith 6 Charleston (WV) 42, No. 25 Fairmont State 39 Carson-Newman 20, West Florida 13 Concordia-St. Paul 41, Sioux Falls 17 Southern Arkansas 34, Southern Nazarene 14 Angelo State 45, Western Oregon 20 No. 2 Ferris State 24, Findlay 23 No. 6 Northwest Missouri State 45, Missouri Western 35 Central Missouri 34, No. 11 Fort Hays State 30 No. 5 Ouachita Baptist 16, No. 18 Harding 14 Pittsburg State 37, Central Oklahoma 35 Emporia State 51, Northeastern State 14 No. 14 Minnesota Duluth 52, Minot State 7 Friday, Sept. 6 (all times ET): California (PA) 59, Saint Anselm 13 Saturday, Sept. 7 (all times ET): No. 4 Notre Dame (OH) 33, Concord 10 No. 22 West Chester 14, Bentley 7 No. 15 West Georgia 37, Catawba 9 American International 34, Bowie State 20 Kutztown 54, Assumption 16 Michigan Tech 29, No. 19 Hillsdale 14 Indiana (Pa) 24, New Haven 13 Ohio Dominican 24, Shepherd 21 Augustana (SD) 52, Upper Iowa 0 Winona State 37, Wayne State (Neb.) 20 No. 17 Colorado School of Mines 41, Adams State 10 Colorado Mesa 37, South Dakota Mines 33 Eastern Washington 59, Lindenwood 31 No. 8 Lenoir-Rhyne 68, St. Augustine’s 7 Virginia Union 36, Hampton 17 No. 12 Grand Valley State 35, Edinboro 10 No. 3 Minnesota State 38, Southwest Minnesota State 23 No. 20 Midwestern State 33, Northwestern State 7 No. 7 Tarleton 37, Stephen F. Austin 26 Texas A&M-Commerce 83, Selección Nuevo León 0 No. 1 Valdosta State 38, Albany State 3 No. 24 West Alabama 35, Limestone 18 Fayetteville State 35, Benedict 21 West Texas A&M 35, Azusa Pacific 16 Chadron State 48, Black Hills State 31 Eastern New Mexico 35, Missouri S&T 28 No. 9 Colorado State-Pueblo 36, Dixie State 7 Saginaw Valley State 35, Texas A&M-Kingsville 14 Idaho 41, Central Washington 31 LATEST DII FOOTBALL NEWS 2021 TOURNEY: Relive Ferris State's first national championship TOURNEY FAQS: New bracket format, explained | How the tourney works 2021: The latest Power 10 | Week in review | All rankings HARLON HILL TROPHY: A complete history | 2021 Harlon Hill contenders DII IN THE NFL: Every former DII player on a 2021 53-man roster DII HISTORY: Most played rivalries | Winningest teams | Championship history Ferris State tops the final DII football Power 10 rankings of 2021 Ferris State won its first DII football national championship in program history, finishing the season at 14-0. That puts the Bulldogs at No. 1 in the last rankings of the season. READ MORE There's a new team atop the DII football Power 10 rankings after a weekend of top-10 upsets Seven DII football Power 10 teams fell last week, leading to a complete shakeup in the rankings. Let's breakdown the new-look top 10 and make some predictions for Week 8. READ MORE No. 1 and No. 2 fall as top-25 upsets rock the DII football landscape. Here's what you missed No. 1 no more. West Florida was upset by West Georgia and with No. 2 Northwest Missouri State falling, the top-10 will have a new look. Here's the rundown and some of the best stats of the day. READ MORE