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Football championship game
The NAIA football national championship is decided by a post-season playoff system featuring the best National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) college football teams in the United States. Under sponsorship of the NAIA, the championship game has been played annually since 1956.[ 1]
In 1970, NAIA football was divided into two divisions based on enrollment, Division I and Division II , with a championship game played in each division. In 1997, NAIA football was again consolidated back into one division.
NAIA schools are allowed to offer 24 full varsity football scholarships which can be divided up as they wish. Junior varsity scholarship players do not count towards the total.
Texas A&I (now known as Texas A&M–Kingsville) is still the most prolific program with seven NAIA championships, despite having been in NCAA Division II since 1980. Carroll College of Montana is the most successful team still playing at the NAIA level, with six national titles.
Keiser is the current champion, having defeated the Northwestern Red Raiders in the 2023 title game, 31–21.
Game name
Over the years, the NAIA championship games were played under a variety of names:
Aluminum Bowl (1956)
Holiday Bowl (1957–1960)[ a]
Camellia Bowl (1961–1963)[ b]
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)
Results
Season
Date
Champion
Score
Runner-up
Location
Winning head coach(es)
1956
December 22, 1956
Montana State Saint Joseph's (IN)
0–0[ c]
Little Rock, Arkansas
Tony Storti Bob Jauron
1957
December 21, 1957
Pittsburg State
27–26
Hillsdale
Saint Petersburg, Florida
Carnie Smith
1958
December 20, 1958
Northeastern State
19–13
Arizona State–Flagstaff
Saint Petersburg, Florida
Harold "Tuffy" Stratton
1959
December 19, 1959
Texas A&I
20–7
Lenoir–Rhyne
Saint Petersburg, Florida
Gil Steinke
1960
December 17, 1960
Lenoir–Rhyne
15–14
Humboldt State
Saint Petersburg, Florida
Clarence Stasavich
1961
December 9, 1961
Pittsburg State
12–7
Linfield
Sacramento, California
Carnie Smith
1962
December 8, 1962
Central State (OK)
28–13
Lenoir–Rhyne
Sacramento, California
Al Blevins
1963
December 14, 1963
Saint John's (MN)
33–27
Prairie View A&M
Sacramento, California
John Gagliardi
1964
December 12, 1964
Concordia (MN) Sam Houston State
7–7[ c]
Augusta, Georgia
Jake Christiansen Paul Pierce
1965
December 11, 1965
Saint John's (MN)
33–0
Linfield
Augusta, Georgia
John Gagliardi
1966
December 10, 1966
Waynesburg
42–21
Wisconsin–Whitewater
Tulsa, Oklahoma
Carl DePasqua
1967
December 9, 1967
Fairmont State
28–21
Eastern Washington
Morgantown, West Virginia
Harold "Deacon" Duvall
1968
December 14, 1968
Troy State
43–35
Texas A&I
Montgomery, Alabama
Billy Atkins
1969
December 13, 1969
Texas A&I
32–7
Concordia (MN)
Kingsville, Texas
Gil Steinke
1970
December 12, 1970
Texas A&I
48–7
Wofford
Greenville, South Carolina
Gil Steinke
1971
December 11, 1971
Livingston
14–12
Arkansas Tech
Birmingham, Alabama
Mickey Andrews
1972
December 9, 1972
East Texas State
21–18
Carson–Newman
Commerce, Texas
Ernest Hawkins
1973
December 8, 1973
Abilene Christian
42–14
Elon
Shreveport, Louisiana
Wally Bullington
1974
December 14, 1974
Texas A&I
34–23
Henderson State
Kingsville, Texas
Gil Steinke
1975
December 13, 1975
Texas A&I
37–0
Salem
Kingsville, Texas
Gil Steinke
1976
December 11, 1976
Texas A&I
26–0
Central Arkansas
Kingsville, Texas
Gil Steinke
1977
December 10, 1977
Abilene Christian
24–7
Southwestern Oklahoma State
Seattle, Washington
DeWitt Jones
1978
December 16, 1978
Angelo State
34–14
Elon
McAllen, Texas
Jim Hess
1979
December 15, 1979
Texas A&I
20–14
Central State (OK)
McAllen, Texas
Ron Harms
1980
December 20, 1980
Elon
17–10
Northeastern State
Burlington, North Carolina
Jerry Tolley
1981
December 19, 1981
Elon
3–0
Pittsburg State
Burlington, North Carolina
Jerry Tolley
1982
December 18, 1982
Central State (OK)
14–11
Mesa State
Edmond, Oklahoma
Gary Howard
1983
December 17, 1983
Carson–Newman
36–28
Mesa State
Grand Junction, Colorado
Ken Sparks
1984
December 15, 1984
Carson–Newman Central Arkansas
19–19[ c]
Conway, Arkansas
Ken Sparks Harold Horton
1985
December 21, 1985
Hillsdale Central Arkansas
10–10[ c]
Conway, Arkansas
Dick Lowry Harold Horton
1986
December 20, 1986
Carson–Newman
17–0
Cameron
Jefferson City, Tennessee
Ken Sparks
1987
December 19, 1987
Cameron
30–2
Carson–Newman
Lawton, Oklahoma
Brian Naber
1988
December 17, 1988
Carson–Newman
56–21
Adams State
Jefferson City, Tennessee
Ken Sparks
1989
December 16, 1989
Carson–Newman
34–20
Emporia State
Jefferson City, Tennessee
Ken Sparks
1990
December 8, 1990
Central State (OH)
38–16
Mesa State
Grand Junction, Colorado
Billy Joe
1991
December 14, 1991
Central Arkansas
19–16
Central State (OH)
Wilberforce, Ohio
Mike Isom
1992
December 12, 1992
Central State (OH)
19–16
Gardner–Webb
Boiling Springs, North Carolina
Billy Joe
1993
December 11, 1993
East Central
49–35
Glenville State
Ada, Oklahoma
Hank Walbrick
1994
December 10, 1994
Northeastern State
13–12
Arkansas–Pine Bluff
Pine Bluff, Arkansas
Tom Eckert
1995
December 2, 1995
Central State (OH)
37–7
Northeastern State
Tahlequah, Oklahoma
Rick Comegy
1996
December 7, 1996
Southwestern Oklahoma State
33–31
Montana Tech
Weatherford, Oklahoma
Paul Sharp
1997
December 20, 1997
Findlay
14–7
Willamette
Savannah, Tennessee
Dick Strahm
1998
December 19, 1998
Azusa Pacific
17–14
Olivet Nazarene
Savannah, Tennessee
Vic Shealy
1999
December 18, 1999
Northwestern Oklahoma State
34–26
Georgetown (KY)
Savannah, Tennessee
Tim Albin
2000
December 16, 2000
Georgetown (KY)
20–0
Northwestern Oklahoma State
Savannah, Tennessee
Bill Cronin
2001
December 15, 2001
Georgetown (KY)
49–27
Sioux Falls
Savannah, Tennessee
Bill Cronin
2002
December 21, 2002
Carroll (MT)
28–7
Georgetown (KY)
Savannah, Tennessee
Mike Van Diest
2003
December 20, 2003
Carroll (MT)
41–28
Northwestern Oklahoma State
Savannah, Tennessee
Mike Van Diest
2004
December 18, 2004
Carroll (MT)
15–13 (2 OT)
Saint Francis (IN)
Savannah, Tennessee
Mike Van Diest
2005
December 17, 2005
Carroll (MT)
27–10
Saint Francis (IN)
Savannah, Tennessee
Mike Van Diest
2006
December 16, 2006
Sioux Falls
23–19
Saint Francis (IN)
Savannah, Tennessee
Kalen DeBoer
2007
December 15, 2007
Carroll (MT)
17–9
Sioux Falls
Savannah, Tennessee
Mike Van Diest
2008
December 20, 2008
Sioux Falls
23–7
Carroll (MT)
Rome, Georgia
Kalen DeBoer
2009
December 19, 2009
Sioux Falls
25–22
Lindenwood
Rome, Georgia
Kalen DeBoer
2010
December 18, 2010
Carroll (MT)
10–7
Sioux Falls
Rome, Georgia
Mike Van Diest
2011
December 17, 2011
Saint Xavier
24–20
Carroll (MT)
Rome, Georgia
Mike Feminis
2012
December 13, 2012
Marian (IN)
30–27 (OT)
Morningside
Rome, Georgia
Ted Karras Jr.
2013
December 21, 2013
Grand View
35–23
Cumberlands (KY)
Rome, Georgia
Mike Woodley
2014
December 19, 2014
Southern Oregon
55–31
Marian (IN)
Daytona Beach, Florida
Craig Howard
2015
December 19, 2015
Marian (IN)
31–14
Southern Oregon
Daytona Beach, Florida
Mark Henninger
2016
December 17, 2016
Saint Francis (IN)
38–17
Baker
Daytona Beach, Florida
Kevin Donley
2017
December 16, 2017
Saint Francis (IN)
24–13
Reinhardt
Daytona Beach, Florida
Kevin Donley
2018
December 15, 2018
Morningside
35–28
Benedictine
Daytona Beach, Florida
Steve Ryan
2019
December 21, 2019
Morningside
40–38
Marian (IN)
Grambling, Louisiana
Steve Ryan
2020 [ d]
May 10, 2021
Lindsey Wilson
45–13
Northwestern (IA)
Grambling, Louisiana
Chris Oliver
2021
December 18, 2021
Morningside
38–28
Grand View
Durham, North Carolina
Steve Ryan
2022
December 17, 2022
Northwestern (IA)
35–25
Keiser
Durham, North Carolina
Matt McCarty
2023
December 18, 2023
Keiser
31–21
Northwestern (IA)
Durham, North Carolina
Doug Socha
Championships by school
Programs that no longer compete in NAIA are indicated in italics with a pink background.
Team
Championships
Winning years
Texas A&I (Texas A&M–Kingsville)
7
1959, 1969, 1970, 1974, 1975, 1976, 1979
Carroll (MT)
6
2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2007, 2010
Carson–Newman
5
1983, 1984,[ a] 1986, 1988, 1989
Central Arkansas
3
1984,[ a] 1985,[ a] 1991
Central State (OH)
3
1990, 1992, 1995
Sioux Falls
3
2006, 2008, 2009
Morningside
3
2018, 2019, 2021
Pittsburg State
2
1957, 1961
Saint John's (MN)
2
1963, 1965
Abilene Christian
2
1973, 1977
Elon
2
1980, 1981
Central State (OK) (Central Oklahoma)
2
1962, 1982
Northeastern State
2
1958, 1994
Georgetown (KY)
2
2000, 2001
Marian (IN)
2
2012, 2015
Saint Francis (IN)
2
2016, 2017
Montana State
1
1956[ a]
Saint Joseph's (IN)
1
1956[ a]
Lenoir–Rhyne
1
1960
Concordia–Moorhead
1
1964[ a]
Sam Houston State
1
1964[ a]
Waynesburg
1
1966
Fairmont State
1
1967
Troy State (Troy)
1
1968
Livingston (West Alabama)
1
1971
East Texas State (Texas A&M–Commerce)
1
1972
Angelo State
1
1978
Hillsdale
1
1985[ a]
Cameron
1
1987
East Central (OK)
1
1993
Southwestern Oklahoma
1
1996
Findlay (OH)
1
1997
Azusa Pacific
1
1998
Northwestern Oklahoma
1
1999
Saint Xavier
1
2011
Grand View
1
2013
Southern Oregon
1
2014
Lindsey Wilson
1
2020
Northwestern (IA)
1
2022
Keiser
1
2023
See also
References