2023 junior college football season

The 2023 junior college football season was the season of intercollegiate junior college football running from September to December 2023. The season ended with three national champions: two from the National Junior College Athletic Association's (NJCAA) Division I and Division III and one from the California Community College Athletic Association (3C2A).

The NJCAA Division I champion was Iowa Western who defeated 61–14 in the NJCAA National Football Championship. The NJCAA Division III champion was DuPage who defeated 33–29 in the Red Grange Bowl. The 3C2A champion was who defeated 24–21 in the 3C2A State Championship.

Conference changes and new programs

Membership changes

Top 5 matchups

Rankings are based on the NJCAA Division I, NJCAA Division III, and 3C2A polls.

Regular season

• Week 2
• No. 1 <small>(D3)</small> DuPage defeated No. 4 <small>(D3)</small> Rochester C&T, 24–21 (Rochester Regional Stadium and Bubble, Rochester, Minnesota)

• Week 3
• No. 1 <small>(D1)</small> Hutchinson defeated No. 5 <small>(D1)</small> Iowa Central, 27–2 (Dodger Stadium, Fort Dodge, Iowa)
• No. 2 <small>(D3)</small> NDSCS defeated No. 3 <small>(D3)</small> Minnesota State C&T, 30–14 (Fergus Falls, Minnesota)

• Week 4
• No. 1 <small>(D3)</small> DuPage defeated No. 2 <small>(D3)</small> NDSCS, 38–31 (Frank Vertin Field, Wahpeton, North Dakota)
• No. 3 <small>(D3)</small> Rochester C&T defeated No. 5t <small>(D3)</small> Mesabi Range, 37–21 (Virginia, Minnesota)
• No. 1 <small>(3C2A)</small> San Mateo defeated No. 5 <small>(3C2A)</small> American River, 24–23 (College Heights Stadium, San Mateo, California)

• Week 5
• No. 2 <small>(D1)</small> Iowa Western defeated No. 1 <small>(D3)</small> DuPage, 41–14 (Bob MacDougall Field, Glen Ellyn, Illinois)

• Week 7
• No. 2 <small>(D1)</small> Iowa Western defeated No. 5 <small>(D1)</small> Snow, 20–13 (Terry Foote Stadium, Ephraim, Utah)
• No. 4 <small>(D3)</small> Rochester C&T defeated No. 2 <small>(D3)</small> NDSCS, 28–27 (Frank Vertin Field, Wahpeton, North Dakota)

• Week 8
• No. 3 <small>(D3)</small> NDSCS defeated No. 4 <small>(D3)</small> Mesabi Range, 14–7 (Frank Vertin Field, Wahpeton, North Dakota)

• Week 9
• No. 3 <small>(D1)</small> Kilgore defeated No. 4 <small>(D1)</small> Trinity Valley, 37–17 (R. E. St. John Memorial Stadium, Kilgore, Texas)

• Week 10
• No. 5 <small>(3C2A)</small> San Mateo defeated No. 1 <small>(3C2A)</small> CC of San Francisco, 44–17 (College Heights Stadium, San Mateo, California)
• No. 4 <small>(3C2A)</small> Fullerton defeated No. 2 <small>(3C2A)</small> Riverside City, 17–16 (Wheelock Stadium, Riverside, California)

• Week 12
• No. 1 <small>(D1)</small> Hutchinson defeated No. 2 <small>(D1)</small> Iowa Western, 42–28 (Gowans Stadium, Hutchinson, Kansas)

Conference playoffs

• MCAC playoffs
• No. 3 <small>(D3)</small> NDSCS defeated No. 4 <small>(D3)</small> Mesabi Range, 21–17 (Frank Vertin Field, Wahpeton, North Dakota)
• No. 2 <small>(D3)</small> Rochester C&T defeated No. 3 <small>(D3)</small> NDSCS, 24–16 (Husky Stadium, St. Cloud, Minnesota)

Postseason

• NJCAA Division I Semifinal
• No. 4 <small>(D1)</small> East Mississippi defeated No. 1 <small>(D1)</small> Hutchinson, 27–23 (Gowans Stadium, Hutchinson, Kansas)
• No. 2 <small>(D1)</small> Iowa Western defeated No. 3 <small>(D1)</small> Kilgore, 47–7, (Titan Stadium, Council Bluffs, Iowa)

• NJCAA Division I Championship
• No. 2 <small>(D1)</small> Iowa Western defeated No. 4 <small>(D1)</small> East Mississippi, 61–14, (War Memorial Stadium, Little Rock, Arkansas)

• Red Grange Bowl (NJCAA Division III Championship)
• No. 1 <small>(D3)</small> DuPage defeated No. 2 <small>(D3)</small> Rochester C&T, 33–29 (Bob MacDougall Field, Glen Ellyn, Illinois)

• NCFC playoffs
• No. 4 <small>(3C2A)</small> American River defeated No. 5 <small>(3C2A)</small> CC of San Francisco, 41–6 (Beaver Stadium, Sacramento, California)
• No. 3 <small>(3C2A)</small> San Mateo defeated No. 4 <small>(3C2A)</small> American River, 30–27 (College Station Stadium, San Mateo, California)

NJCAA Division III team wins over NJCAA Division I teams

Upsets

This section lists instances of unranked teams defeating NJCAA Division I, NJCAA Division III, and 3C2A-ranked teams during the season.

Regular season

• Week 1
• Highland (KS) 20, No. 7 <small>(D1)</small> Coffeyville, 14

• Week 2
• Monroe 31, No. 5 <small>(D3)</small> Nassau 13
• Contra Costa 45, No. 23 <small>(3C2A)</small> Feather River 14
• Bakersfield 29, No. 21 <small>(3C2A)</small> Long Beach City 27

• Week 3
• Copiah–Lincoln 23, No. 8 <small>(D1)</small> East Mississippi
• Tyler 52, No. 13 <small>(D1)</small> Georgia Military
• Mississippi Gulf Coast 49, No. 3 <small>(D1)</small> Northwest Mississippi 14
• College of the Canyons 17, No. 21 <small>(3C2A)</small> Palomar 7

• Week 4
• Georgia Military 17, No. 9 <small>(D1)</small> Lackawanna 9
• Nassau 13, No. 5t <small>(D3)</small> Hudson Valley 6

• Week 5
• Highland (KS) 3, No. 14 <small>(D1)</small> Garden City 0
• Navarro 24, No. 3 <small>(D1)</small> Kilgore
• Allan Hancock 17, No. 25 <small>(3C2A)</small> Moorpark 10

• Week 6
• Minnesota State C&T 32, No. 3 <small>(D3)</small> Rochester C&T 29
• Fresno City 31, No. 16 <small>(3C2A)</small> College of the Sequoias 28
• Allan Hancock 21, No. 19 <small>(3C2A)</small> Bakersfield 13

• Week 7
• New Mexico Military 31, No. 6 <small>(D1)</small> Tyler 17
• Mesabi Range 34, No. 3 <small>(D3)</small> Minnesota State C&T 28

• Week 8
• East Central (MS) 28, No. 9 <small>(D1)</small> Northeast Mississippi
• Copiah–Lincoln 28, No. 4 <small>(D1)</small> Mississippi Gulf Coast 23
• Cisco 21, No. 14 <small>(D1)</small> New Mexico Military 10
• Sacramento City 34, No. 22 <small>(3C2A)</small> Contra Costa 7

• Week 10
• Mississippi Delta 36, No. 4 <small>(D1)</small> Jones 33
• Coffeyville 15, No. 13 <small>(D1)</small> Butler (KS) 7
• Santa Rosa 17, No. 19 <small>(3C2A)</small> Sierra 14
• Mt. San Jacinto 16, No. 20 <small>(3C2A)</small> Saddleback 13

• Week 11
• Navarro 34, No. 12 <small>(D1)</small> Tyler 24
• Nassau 24, No. 5 <small>(D3)</small> Louisburg 21

• Week 12
• Georgia Military 31, No. 11 <small>(D1)</small> Lackawanna 24

Postseason

• MCAC playoffs
• Central Lakes 26, No. 5 <small>(D3)</small> Minnesota State C&T 12

• Bowl games
• Contra Costa 21, No. 15 <small>(3C2A)</small> Fresno City 14 (Gridiron Classic Bowl)

Conference standings

NJCAA Division I

NJCAA Division III

3C2A

SCFA

NCFC

Rankings

Preseason polls

3C2A final regular season rankings

Final rankings

Postseason

Playoffs

NJCAA Division I

3C2A

SCFA playoffs

NCFC playoffs

State Championship

Bowl games

The NJCAA Division I and 3C2A had fourteen bowl games combined, featuring teams that did not qualify for their respective leagues' postseason tournament.

Awards and honors

Individual honors

All-Americans

2023 All-NJCAA Division I Team:

Offense

Defense

2023 All-NJCAA Division III Team:

Offense

Defense

2023 All-California Community College Team:

Offense

Defense

Coaching changes

This list includes all head coaching changes announced during or after the season.

See also

• 2023 NCAA Division I FBS football season
• 2023 NCAA Division I FCS football season
• 2023 NCAA Division II football season
• 2023 NCAA Division III football season
• 2023 NAIA football season
• 2023 U Sports football season

Notes

References