NAIA Football National Championship

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]

NAIA Football National Championship
In operation1956–present
Preceded bySmall college polls &
NAIA Division II Championship
Number of playoff teams20
Championship trophyTom Osborne Trophy
Television partner(s)ESPN3
Most playoff championshipsTexas A&M-Kingsville (7)
Current championKeiser (2023)
WebsiteNAIA Football

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)[lower-alpha 1]
  • Camellia Bowl (1961–1963)[lower-alpha 2]
  • 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)
1956December 22, 1956Montana State
Saint Joseph's (IN)		0–0[lower-alpha 3]Little Rock, ArkansasTony Storti
Bob Jauron
1957December 21, 1957Pittsburg State27–26HillsdaleSaint Petersburg, FloridaCarnie Smith
1958December 20, 1958Northeastern State19–13Arizona State–FlagstaffSaint Petersburg, FloridaHarold "Tuffy" Stratton
1959December 19, 1959Texas A&I20–7Lenoir–RhyneSaint Petersburg, FloridaGil Steinke
1960December 17, 1960Lenoir–Rhyne15–14Humboldt StateSaint Petersburg, FloridaClarence Stasavich
1961December 9, 1961Pittsburg State12–7LinfieldSacramento, CaliforniaCarnie Smith
1962December 8, 1962Central State (OK)28–13Lenoir–RhyneSacramento, CaliforniaAl Blevins
1963December 14, 1963Saint John's (MN)33–27Prairie View A&MSacramento, CaliforniaJohn Gagliardi
1964December 12, 1964Concordia (MN)
Sam Houston State		7–7[lower-alpha 3]Augusta, GeorgiaJake Christiansen
Paul Pierce
1965December 11, 1965Saint John's (MN)33–0LinfieldAugusta, GeorgiaJohn Gagliardi
1966December 10, 1966Waynesburg42–21Wisconsin–WhitewaterTulsa, OklahomaCarl DePasqua
1967December 9, 1967Fairmont State28–21Eastern WashingtonMorgantown, West VirginiaHarold "Deacon" Duvall
1968December 14, 1968Troy State43–35Texas A&IMontgomery, AlabamaBilly Atkins
1969December 13, 1969Texas A&I32–7Concordia (MN)Kingsville, TexasGil Steinke
1970December 12, 1970Texas A&I48–7WoffordGreenville, South CarolinaGil Steinke
1971December 11, 1971Livingston14–12Arkansas TechBirmingham, AlabamaMickey Andrews
1972December 9, 1972East Texas State21–18Carson–NewmanCommerce, TexasErnest Hawkins
1973December 8, 1973Abilene Christian42–14ElonShreveport, LouisianaWally Bullington
1974December 14, 1974Texas A&I34–23Henderson StateKingsville, TexasGil Steinke
1975December 13, 1975Texas A&I37–0SalemKingsville, TexasGil Steinke
1976December 11, 1976Texas A&I26–0Central ArkansasKingsville, TexasGil Steinke
1977December 10, 1977Abilene Christian24–7Southwestern Oklahoma StateSeattle, WashingtonDeWitt Jones
1978December 16, 1978Angelo State34–14ElonMcAllen, TexasJim Hess
1979December 15, 1979Texas A&I20–14Central State (OK)McAllen, TexasRon Harms
1980December 20, 1980Elon17–10Northeastern StateBurlington, North CarolinaJerry Tolley
1981December 19, 1981Elon3–0Pittsburg StateBurlington, North CarolinaJerry Tolley
1982December 18, 1982Central State (OK)14–11Mesa StateEdmond, OklahomaGary Howard
1983December 17, 1983Carson–Newman36–28Mesa StateGrand Junction, ColoradoKen Sparks
1984December 15, 1984Carson–Newman
Central Arkansas		19–19[lower-alpha 3]Conway, ArkansasKen Sparks
Harold Horton
1985December 21, 1985Hillsdale
Central Arkansas		10–10[lower-alpha 3]Conway, ArkansasDick Lowry
Harold Horton
1986December 20, 1986Carson–Newman17–0CameronJefferson City, TennesseeKen Sparks
1987December 19, 1987Cameron30–2Carson–NewmanLawton, OklahomaBrian Naber
1988December 17, 1988Carson–Newman56–21Adams StateJefferson City, TennesseeKen Sparks
1989December 16, 1989Carson–Newman34–20Emporia StateJefferson City, TennesseeKen Sparks
1990December 8, 1990Central State (OH)38–16Mesa StateGrand Junction, ColoradoBilly Joe
1991December 14, 1991Central Arkansas19–16Central State (OH)Wilberforce, OhioMike Isom
1992December 12, 1992Central State (OH)19–16Gardner–WebbBoiling Springs, North CarolinaBilly Joe
1993December 11, 1993East Central49–35Glenville StateAda, OklahomaHank Walbrick
1994December 10, 1994Northeastern State13–12Arkansas–Pine BluffPine Bluff, ArkansasTom Eckert
1995December 2, 1995Central State (OH)37–7Northeastern StateTahlequah, OklahomaRick Comegy
1996December 7, 1996Southwestern Oklahoma State33–31Montana TechWeatherford, OklahomaPaul Sharp
1997December 20, 1997Findlay14–7WillametteSavannah, TennesseeDick Strahm
1998December 19, 1998Azusa Pacific17–14Olivet NazareneSavannah, TennesseeVic Shealy
1999December 18, 1999Northwestern Oklahoma State34–26Georgetown (KY)Savannah, TennesseeTim Albin
2000December 16, 2000Georgetown (KY)20–0Northwestern Oklahoma StateSavannah, TennesseeBill Cronin
2001December 15, 2001Georgetown (KY)49–27Sioux FallsSavannah, TennesseeBill Cronin
2002December 21, 2002Carroll (MT)28–7Georgetown (KY)Savannah, TennesseeMike Van Diest
2003December 20, 2003Carroll (MT)41–28Northwestern Oklahoma StateSavannah, TennesseeMike Van Diest
2004December 18, 2004Carroll (MT)15–13 (2 OT)Saint Francis (IN)Savannah, TennesseeMike Van Diest
2005December 17, 2005Carroll (MT)27–10Saint Francis (IN)Savannah, TennesseeMike Van Diest
2006December 16, 2006Sioux Falls23–19Saint Francis (IN)Savannah, TennesseeKalen DeBoer
2007December 15, 2007Carroll (MT)17–9Sioux FallsSavannah, TennesseeMike Van Diest
2008December 20, 2008Sioux Falls23–7Carroll (MT)Rome, GeorgiaKalen DeBoer
2009December 19, 2009Sioux Falls25–22LindenwoodRome, GeorgiaKalen DeBoer
2010December 18, 2010Carroll (MT)10–7Sioux FallsRome, GeorgiaMike Van Diest
2011December 17, 2011Saint Xavier24–20Carroll (MT)Rome, GeorgiaMike Feminis
2012December 13, 2012Marian (IN)30–27 (OT)MorningsideRome, GeorgiaTed Karras Jr.
2013December 21, 2013Grand View35–23Cumberlands (KY)Rome, GeorgiaMike Woodley
2014December 19, 2014Southern Oregon55–31Marian (IN)Daytona Beach, FloridaCraig Howard
2015December 19, 2015Marian (IN)31–14Southern OregonDaytona Beach, FloridaMark Henninger
2016December 17, 2016Saint Francis (IN)38–17BakerDaytona Beach, FloridaKevin Donley
2017December 16, 2017Saint Francis (IN)24–13ReinhardtDaytona Beach, FloridaKevin Donley
2018December 15, 2018Morningside35–28BenedictineDaytona Beach, FloridaSteve Ryan
2019December 21, 2019Morningside40–38Marian (IN)Grambling, LouisianaSteve Ryan
2020[lower-alpha 4]May 10, 2021Lindsey Wilson45–13Northwestern (IA)Grambling, LouisianaChris Oliver
2021December 18, 2021Morningside38–28Grand ViewDurham, North CarolinaSteve Ryan
2022December 17, 2022Northwestern (IA)35–25KeiserDurham, North CarolinaMatt McCarty
2023December 18, 2023Keiser31–21Northwestern (IA)Durham, North CarolinaDoug Socha
  1. Not to be confused with the NCAA Division I bowl of the same name.
  2. Not to be confused with the NCAA Division I bowl of the same name.
  3. Game ended in a tie with both teams as co-champions.
  4. Game played in spring 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Championships by school
  • NAIA Division II titles are not included in this list.
  • Programs that no longer compete in NAIA are indicated in italics with a pink background.
TeamChampionshipsWinning years
Texas A&I (Texas A&M–Kingsville)71959, 1969, 1970, 1974, 1975, 1976, 1979
Carroll (MT)62002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2007, 2010
Carson–Newman51983, 1984,[lower-alpha 1] 1986, 1988, 1989
Central Arkansas31984,[lower-alpha 1] 1985,[lower-alpha 1] 1991
Central State (OH)31990, 1992, 1995
Sioux Falls32006, 2008, 2009
Morningside32018, 2019, 2021
Pittsburg State21957, 1961
Saint John's (MN)21963, 1965
Abilene Christian21973, 1977
Elon21980, 1981
Central State (OK) (Central Oklahoma)21962, 1982
Northeastern State21958, 1994
Georgetown (KY)22000, 2001
Marian (IN)22012, 2015
Saint Francis (IN)22016, 2017
Montana State11956[lower-alpha 1]
Saint Joseph's (IN)11956[lower-alpha 1]
Lenoir–Rhyne11960
Concordia–Moorhead11964[lower-alpha 1]
Sam Houston State11964[lower-alpha 1]
Waynesburg11966
Fairmont State11967
Troy State (Troy)11968
Livingston (West Alabama)11971
East Texas State (Texas A&M–Commerce)11972
Angelo State11978
Hillsdale11985[lower-alpha 1]
Cameron11987
East Central (OK)11993
Southwestern Oklahoma11996
Findlay (OH)11997
Azusa Pacific11998
Northwestern Oklahoma11999
Saint Xavier12011
Grand View12013
Southern Oregon12014
Lindsey Wilson12020
Northwestern (IA)12022
Keiser12023
  1. Shared title

See also

References
  1. "NAIA Football Championship History". National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics. Retrieved April 7, 2008.
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