1997 NAIA football season

The 1997 NAIA football season, as part of the 1997 college football season in the United States, was the 42nd season of college football sponsored by the NAIA. It was the first season after 27 season of the NAIA's two-division structure.

The season was played from August to November 1997, culminating in the 1997 NAIA Football National Championship, played this year on December 20, 1997 at Jim Carroll Stadium in Savannah, Tennessee.[1]

Findlay defeated Willamette in the championship game, 14–7, to win their fourth NAIA national title.[2]

Conference champions

Conference Champion Record
Columbia Western Oregon
Central Washington
3–1
Frontier Montana Tech 6–0
Heart of America Benedictine
Evangel
8–1
Kansas Ottawa
Southwestern (KS)
7–1
Mid-South Campbellsville
Georgetown (KY)
5–1
Mid-States Mideast Division: Geneva
Midwest Division: Findlay
6–0
6–0
Nebraska-Iowa Doane 6–0
North Dakota Jamestown 6–0
South Dakota-Iowa Sioux Falls

Postseason

First Round
November 18, 1997
Campus sites
Quarterfinals
December 6, 1997
Campus sites
Semifinals
December 13, 1997
Campus sites
Championship
December 20, 1997
Savannah, TN
            
  Benedictine (KS) 30
  Jamestown 55
  Jamestown 6
  Sioux Falls 29
  Ottawa 14
  Sioux Falls 57
  Sioux Falls 7
  Willamette 17
  Minnesota–Crookston 10
  Montana Tech 51
  Montana Tech 24
  Willamette 50
  Western Oregon 20
  Willamette 26
  Willamette 7
  Findlay 14
  Southwestern (KS) 28
  Doane 53
  Doane 59
  Evangel 20
  McKendree 6
  Evangel 46
  Doane 25
  Findlay 26
  Campbellsville 14
  Geneva 34
  Geneva 7
  Findlay 28
  Westminster (PA) 0
  Findlay 40

See also

References

  1. "1997 NAIA Football Playoffs". JonFMorse.com. Retrieved November 26, 2015.
  2. "NAIA Championship History" (PDF). NAIA. pp. 4–11. Retrieved November 18, 2015.
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