NAIA national football championship

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The National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics national football championship is decided by a post-season playoff system featuring the best NAIA college football teams in the United States. Under sponsorship of the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics, the championship game has been played annually since 1956. In 1970, NAIA football was divided into two divisions, Division I and Division II, with a championship game played in each division. In 1997, NAIA football was again consolidated into one division. The game is now played in Savannah, Hardin County, Tennessee at Jim Carroll Stadium.


Over the years, the NAIA championship games were played under a variety of names:

  • Aluminum Bowl (1956)
  • Holiday Bowl (1957-1960, not to be confused with the NCAA Division I bowl of the same name)
  • Camellia Bowl (1961-1963)
  • Champion Bowl (1964-1976 and 1980-1996, Division I games only)
  • Apple Bowl (1977, Division I game only)
  • Palm Bowl (1978-1979, Division I games only)
Year Champion Score Defeated Site
1956 Montana State & St. Joseph's (IN) 0-01 Little Rock, Arkansas
1957 Pittsburg State (KS) 27-26 Hillsdale (MI) Saint Petersburg, Florida
1958 Northeastern State University (OK) 19-13 Northern Arizona University Saint Petersburg, Florida
1959 Texas A&I 20-7 Lenoir-Rhyne College (NC) Saint Petersburg, Florida
1960 Lenoir-Rhyne College (NC) 15-14 Humboldt State (CA) Saint Petersburg, Florida
1961 Pittsburg State 12-7 Linfield (OR) Sacramento, California
1962 Central State (OK) 28-13 Lenoir-Rhyne College (NC) Sacramento, California
1963 St. John’s (MN) 33-27 Prairie View A&M University (TX) Sacramento, California
1964 Concordia-Moorhead (MN) & Sam Houston State (TX) 7-71 Augusta, Georgia
1965 St. John’s 33-0 Linfield (OR) Augusta, Georgia
1966 Waynesburg College(PA) 42-21 University of Wisconsin-Whitewater Tulsa, Oklahoma
1967 Fairmont State (WV) 28-21 Eastern Washington University Morgantown, West Virginia
1968 Troy State (AL) 43-35 Texas A&I Montgomery, Alabama
1969 Texas A&I 32-7 Concordia-Moorhead Kingsville, Texas
1970-I Texas A&I 48-7 Wofford (SC) Greenville, South Carolina
1970-II Westminster (PA) 21-16 Anderson (IN) New Castle, Pennsylvania
1971-I Livingston (AL) 14-12 Arkansas Tech Birmingham, Alabama
1971-II California Lutheran 30-14 Westminster (PA) Thousand Oaks, California
1972-I East Texas State 21-18 Carson-Newman College(TN) Commerce, Texas
1972-II Missouri Southern 21-14 Northwestern (IA) Joplin, Missouri
1973-I Abilene Christian (TX) 42-14 Elon University(NC) Shreveport, Louisiana
1973-II Northwestern (IA) 10-3 Glenville State College (WV) Huntington, West Virginia
1974-I Texas A&I 34-23 Henderson State (AR) Kingsville, Texas
1974-II Texas Lutheran 42-0 Missouri Valley College Seguin, Texas
1975-I Texas A&I 37-0 Salem (WV) Kingsville, Texas
1975-II Texas Lutheran 34-8 California Lutheran Thousand Oaks, California
1976-I Texas A&I 26-0 Central Arkansas Kingsville, Texas
1976-II Westminster (PA) 20-13 Redlands (CA) Redlands, California
1977-I Abilene Christian (TX) 24-7 Southwestern Oklahoma Seattle, Washington
1977-II Westminster (PA) 17-9 California Lutheran Thousand Oaks, California
1978-I Angelo State (TX) 24-14 Elon University(NC) McAllen, Texas
1978-II Concordia-Moorhead 7-0 Findlay (OH) Findlay, Ohio
1979-I Texas A&I 20-14 Central State (Oklahoma) McAllen, Texas
1979-II Findlay (OH) 51-6 Northwestern (IA) Findlay, Ohio
1980-I Elon University(NC) 17-10 Northeastern State (OK) Burlington, North Carolina
1980-II Pacific Lutheran University (WA) 38-10 Wilmington (OH) Tacoma, Washington
1981-I Elon University (NC) 3-0 Pittsburg State Burlington, North Carolina
1981-II Austin College (TX) &Concordia-Moorhead 24-241 Sherman, Texas
1982-I Central State (Oklahoma) 14-11 Mesa State College(CO) Edmond, Oklahoma
1982-II Linfield (OR) 33-15 William Jewell College (MO) McMinnville, Oregon
1983-I Carson-Newman College (TN) 36-28 Mesa State College (CO) Grand Junction, Colorado
1983-II Northwestern (IA) 25-21 Pacific Lutheran University(WA) Tacoma, Washington
1984-I Carson-Newman College(TN) & Central Arkansas 19-191 Conway, Arkansas
1984-II Linfield (OR) 33-22 Northwestern (IA) McMinnville, Oregon
1985-I Hillsdale College & Central Arkansas 10-101 Conway, Arkansas
1985-II University of Wisconsin-La Crosse 24-7 Pacific Lutheran University(WA) Tacoma, Washington
1986-I Carson-Newman College(TN) 17-0 Cameron University(OK) Jefferson City, Tennessee
1986-II Linfield (OR) 17-0 Baker University (KS) McMinnville, Oregon
1987-I Cameron University(OK) 30-2 Carson-Newman College(TN) Lawton, Oklahoma
1987-II Pacific Lutheran University(WA) &Vacant 2 Tacoma, Washington
1988-I Carson-Newman College(TN) 56-21 Adams State College(CO) Jefferson City, Tennessee
1988-II Westminster (PA) 21-14 University of Wisconsin-La Crosse New Wilmington, Pennsylvania
1989-I Carson-Newman College(TN) 34-20 Emporia State (KS) Jefferson City, Tennessee
1989-II Westminster (PA) 51-30 University of Wisconsin-La Crosse Canton, Ohio
1990-I Central State (Ohio) 38-16 Mesa State College(CO) Grand Junction, Colorado
1990-II Peru State (NE) 17-7 Westminster (PA) Omaha, Nebraska
1991-I Central Arkansas 19-16 Central State (Ohio) Wilberforce, Ohio
1991-II Georgetown (KY) 28-20 Pacific Lutheran University (WA) Georgetown, Kentucky
1992-I Central State (Ohio) 19-16 Gardner-Webb University(NC) Boiling Springs, North Carolina
1992-II Findlay (OH) 26-13 Linfield (OR) Portland, Oregon
1993-I East Central (OK) 49-35 Glenville State College (WV) Ada, Oklahoma
1993-II Pacific Lutheran University(WA) 50-20 Westminster (PA) Portland, Oregon
1994-I Northeastern State (OK) 13-12 Arkansas-Pine Bluff Pine Bluff, Arkansas
1994-II Westminster (PA) 27-7 Pacific Lutheran University(WA) Portland, Oregon
1995-I Central State (OH) 37-7 Northeastern State (OK) Tahlequah, Oklahoma
1995-II Central Washington & Findlay (OH) 21-21 1 Tacoma, Washington
1996-I Southwestern Oklahoma 33-31 Montana Tech Weatherford, Oklahoma
1996-II Sioux Falls (SD) 47-25 Western Washington University Savannah, Tennessee
1997 Findlay (OH) 14-7 Willamette University (OR) Savannah, Tennessee
1998 Azusa Pacific (CA) 17-14 Olivet Nazarene (IL) Savannah, Tennessee
1999 Northwestern Oklahoma State University 34-26 Georgetown College Savannah, Tennessee
2000 Georgetown College 20-0 Northwestern Oklahoma State University Savannah, Tennessee
2001 Georgetown College 49-27 University of Sioux Falls (SD) Savannah, Tennessee
2002 Carroll (MT) 28-7 Georgetown College Savannah, Tennessee
2003 Carroll 41-28 Northwestern Oklahoma State University Savannah, Tennessee
2004 Carroll 15-13 St. Francis (IN) Savannah, Tennessee
2005 Carroll 27-10 St. Francis (IN) Savannah, Tennessee
2006 Sioux Falls (SD) 23-19 St. Francis (IN) Savannah, Tennessee

1 Game ended in a tie and teams are co champions.

2 Pacific Lutheran (WA) and the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point played to a 16-16 tie in the championship game. Wisconsin-Stevens Point forfeited its entire 1987 schedule because of the use of an ineligible student-athlete. Pacific Lutheran is considered a co-champion with the other position vacated.

[edit] Most National Championships

Team Championships Winning years
Texas A&I 7 1959, 1969, 1970, 1974, 1975, 1976, 1979
Westminster 6 1970, 1976, 1977, 1988, 1989, 1994
Carson-Newman 5 1983, 1984, 1986, 1988, 1989
Carroll College (MT) 4 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005
Findlay 4 1979, 1992, 1995, 1997
Central Arkansas 3 1984, 1985, 1991
Central State (OK) 3 1990, 1992, 1995
Concordia-Moorhead (MN) 3 1964, 1978, 1981
Georgetown (KY) 3 1991, 2000, 2001
Linfield College 3 1982, 1984, 1986
Pacific Lutheran 3 1980, 1987, 1993
Abilene Christian 2 1973, 1977
Central State 2 1962, 1982
Elon 2 1980, 1981
Northeastern State 2 1958, 1994
Northwestern (IA) 2 1973, 1983
Pittsburg State 2 1957, 1961
St. John's 2 1963, 1965
Sioux Falls 2 1996, 2006
Texas Lutheran 2 1974, 1975
Angelo State 1 1978
Austin College 1 1981
Azusa Pacific 1 1998
California Lutheran 1 1971
Cameron University 1 1987
Central Washington 1 1993
East Central 1 1993
East Texas State 1 1972
Fairmont State 1 1967
Hillsdale College 1 1985
Lenoir-Rhyne 1 1960
Livingston 1 1971
Missouri Southern 1 1972
Montana State 1 1956
Northwestern Oklahoma 1 1999
Peru State 1 1990
Sam Houston State 1 1964
St. Joseph's (IN) 1 1956
Southwestern Oklahoma 1 1996
Waynesburg 1 1966
Wisconsin-La Crosse 1 1985

[edit] External link

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