1958 NAIA football season
Regular seasonAugust–December 1958
PostseasonDecember 8–20, 1958
National ChampionshipStewart Field
St. Petersburg, FL
ChampionNortheastern State

The 1958 NAIA football season was the third season of college football sponsored by the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics. For the first time in U.S. college football history, multi-game playoffs were held to determine a championship. In 1956 and 1957, the Holiday Bowl opponents had previously been determined by an invitation extended to two teams. For 1958, four teams were in a playoff. Both semifinal games were played on December 6, 1958, with Arizona State College hosting Minnesota's Gustavus Adolphus College in Flagstaff, Arizona and Northeastern Oklahoma State hosting St. Benedict's College (of Kansas) in Tulsa, Oklahoma.[1] Arizona State won 41 to 12 [2] and Northeastern won, 19-14.[3]

The season was played from August to December 1958, culminating in the third annual NAIA Football National Championship, played this year again at Stewart Field in St. Petersburg, Florida. During its four years in St. Petersburg, the game was called the Holiday Bowl.

Northeastern State defeated Arizona State–Flagstaff on December 28, 1958 in the championship game, 19–13, to win their first NAIA national title.[4]

Conference standings

1958 Badger-Gopher Conference football standings
Conf Overall
Team W   L   T W   L   T
Bethel (MN) $ 5 – 0 – 0 5 – 3 – 0
Wisconsin Tech 3 – 1 – 1 ? – ? – ?
Northland 2 – 2 – 1 ? – ? – ?
Northwestern (WI) 2 – 3 – 0 5 – 3 – 0
Lakeland 2 – 3 – 0 2 – 6 – 0
Milton 0 – 5 – 0 ? – ? – ?
  • $ – Conference champion
1958 Central Intercollegiate Conference football standings
Conf Overall
Team W   L   T W   L   T
No. 9 St. Benedict's $^ 5 – 0 – 0 10 – 1 – 0
Pittsburg State 3 – 2 – 0 4 – 5 – 1
Emporia State 2 – 2 – 1 5 – 4 – 1
Fort Hays State 2 – 2 – 1 4 – 4 – 1
Washburn 2 – 3 – 0 4 – 5 – 0
Southwestern (KS) 0 – 5 – 0 1 – 7 – 1
  • $ – Conference champion
  • ^ – NAIA playoff participant
Rankings from UPI small college poll
1958 College Conference of Illinois football standings
Conf Overall
Team W   L   T W   L   T
Wheaton (IL) $ 7 – 0 – 0 8 – 0 – 0
Carroll (WI) 5 – 2 – 0 6 – 2 – 0
North Central (IL) 5 – 2 – 0 6 – 3 – 0
Lake Forest 4 – 3 – 0 5 – 3 – 0
Illinois Wesleyan 4 – 3 – 0 4 – 4 – 0
Millikin 2 – 5 – 0 2 – 6 – 0
Augustana (IL) 2 – 6 – 0 1 – 7 – 0
Elmhurst 0 – 7 – 0 0 – 8 – 0
  • $ – Conference champion
1958 Evergreen Conference football standings
Conf Overall
Team W   L   T W   L   T
Central Washington + 4 – 1 – 0 6 – 1 – 1
Western Washington + 4 – 1 – 0 6 – 2 – 0
Puget Sound 3 – 2 – 0 4 – 5 – 0
Eastern Washington 2 – 3 – 0 4 – 4 – 0
Whitworth 1 – 4 – 0 3 – 7 – 0
Pacific Lutheran 1 – 4 – 0 1 – 7 – 0
  • + – Conference co-champions
1958 Frontier Conference football standings
Conf Overall
Team W   L   T W   L   T
Arizona State–Flagstaff $^ 3 – 0 – 0 11 – 1 – 0
New Mexico Western 2 – 1 – 0 6 – 2 – 0
New Mexico Highlands 1 – 2 – 0 5 – 2 – 1
Panhandle A&M 0 – 3 – 0 4 – 6 – 0
  • $ – Conference champion
  • ^ – NAIA playoff participant
1959 Gulf States Conference football standings
Conf Overall
Team W   L   T W   L   T
No. 7 Louisiana Tech $ 5 – 0 – 0 9 – 1 – 0
McNeese State 2 – 3 – 0 6 – 3 – 0
Northwestern State 2 – 3 – 0 4 – 5 – 1
Southwestern Louisiana 2 – 3 – 0 4 – 5 – 0
Southeastern Louisiana 1 – 4 – 0 3 – 2 – 0
Northeast Louisiana State 1 – 4 – 0 2 – 8 – 0
  • $ – Conference champion
Rankings from NAIA poll
1958 Indiana Collegiate Conference football standings
Conf Overall
Team W   L   T W   L   T
Butler $ 5 – 1 – 0 8 – 1 – 0
Ball State 4 – 2 – 0 6 – 2 – 0
Saint Joseph's (IN) 4 – 2 – 0 5 – 4 – 0
Valparaiso 3 – 3 – 0 6 – 3 – 0
Evansville 3 – 3 – 0 4 – 5 – 0
DePauw 1 – 5 – 0 2 – 7 – 0
Indiana State 1 – 5 – 0 2 – 6 – 0
  • $ – Conference champion
1958 Iowa Conference football standings
Conf Overall
Team W   L   T W   L   T
Wartburg $ 7 – 0 – 1 8 – 0 – 1
Luther 6 – 1 – 1 7 – 1 – 1
Iowa Wesleyan 6 – 2 – 0 6 – 3 – 0
Buena Vista 4 – 4 – 0 5 – 4 – 0
Dubuque 4 – 4 – 0 5 – 4 – 0
Upper Iowa 3 – 5 – 0 3 – 5 – 0
Simpson 2 – 5 – 1 2 – 5 – 1
Parsons 2 – 6 – 0 4 – 6 – 0
Central (IA) 0 – 7 – 1 0 – 8 – 1
  • $ – Conference champion
1958 Kansas Collegiate Athletic Conference football standings
Conf Overall
Team W   L   T W   L   T
Baker $ 7 – 0 – 0 8 – 1 – 0
McPherson 6 – 1 – 0 8 – 1 – 0
Ottawa 3 – 3 – 1 3 – 5 – 1
Kansas Wesleyan 3 – 4 – 0 4 – 4 – 1
College of Emporia 3 – 4 – 0 4 – 5 – 0
Bethany (KS) 2 – 4 – 1 3 – 4 – 1
Bethel (KS) 2 – 4 – 1 3 – 5 – 1
Friends 0 – 6 – 1 0 – 8 – 1
  • $ – Conference champion
1958 Lone Star Conference football standings
Conf Overall
Team W   L   T W   L   T
No. 5 East Texas State $ 6 – 1 – 0 10 – 1 – 0
Lamar Tech 5 – 2 – 0 6 – 2 – 0
Sam Houston State 5 – 2 – 0 7 – 2 – 0
Texas A&I 4 – 3 – 0 7 – 4 – 0
Southwest Texas State 4 – 3 – 0 5 – 5 – 0
Howard Payne 2 – 5 – 0 2 – 7 – 0
Stephen F. Austin 1 – 6 – 0 2 – 7 – 0
Sul Ross 1 – 6 – 0 2 – 8 – 0
  • $ – Conference champion
Rankings from UPI small college poll
1958 Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association football standings
Conf Overall
Team W   L   T W   L   T
Hope + 5 – 1 – 0 8 – 1 – 0
Hillsdale + 5 – 1 – 0 7 – 2 – 0
Albion + 5 – 1 – 0 6 – 2 – 0
Alma 3 – 3 – 0 5 – 3 – 0
Adrian 2 – 4 – 0 3 – 5 – 0
Olivet 1 – 5 – 0 1 – 8 – 0
Kalamazoo 0 – 6 – 0 0 – 8 – 0
  • + – Conference co-champions
1958 Mid-Ohio League football standings
Conf Overall
Team W   L   T W   L   T
Bluffton $ 5 – 0 – 0 8 – 1 – 0
Findlay 4 – 1 – 0 4 – 4 – 1
Defiance 3 – 2 – 0 4 – 4 – 0
Ohio Northern 1 – 4 – 0 1 – 6 – 0
Wilmington (OH) 1 – 4 – 0 1 – 6 – 0
Ashland 1 – 4 – 0 1 – 8 – 0
  • $ – Conference champion
1958 Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference football standings
Conf Overall
Team W   L   T W   L   T
No. 13 Gustavus Adolphus $^ 7 – 0 – 0 8 – 1 – 0
Concordia (MN) 6 – 1 – 0 7 – 2 – 0
Saint John's (MN) 5 – 2 – 0 6 – 2 – 0
Minnesota–Duluth 4 – 3 – 0 4 – 4 – 0
St. Thomas (MN) 3 – 4 – 0 4 – 4 – 0
Macalester 2 – 5 – 0 3 – 6 – 0
Hamline 2 – 5 – 0 2 – 6 – 0
Augsburg 0 – 7 – 0 0 – 8 – 0
  • $ – Conference champion
  • ^ – NAIA playoff participant
Rankings from UPI small college poll
1958 Missouri College Athletic Union football standings
Conf Overall
Team W   L   T W   L   T
Missouri Valley $ 3 – 0 – 0 8 – 1 – 0
William Jewell 2 – 1 – 0 7 – 3 – 0
Culver–Stockton 2 – 2 – 0 5 – 5 – 0
Tarkio 1 – 3 – 0 4 – 5 – 0
Central (MO) 0 – 2 – 0 1 – 6 – 0
  • $ – Conference champion
1958 Montana Collegiate Conference football standings
Conf Overall
Team W   L   T W   L   T
Eastern Montana $ 5 – 0 – 0 5 – 2 – 0
Western Montana 4 – 1 – 0 5 – 3 – 0
Rocky Mountain 3 – 2 – 0 3 – 3 – 0
Northern Montana 2 – 3 – 0 3 – 3 – 0
Carroll (MT) 1 – 4 – 0 2 – 6 – 0
Montana Mines 0 – 5 – 0 ? – ? – ?
  • $ – Conference champion
1958 Nebraska College Conference football standings
Conf Overall
Team W   L   T W   L   T
Kearney State + 7 – 0 – 0 9 – 0 – 0
Chadron State + 7 – 0 – 0 8 – 0 – 0
Peru State 6 – 1 – 0 7 – 1 – 0
Nebraska Wesleyan 5 – 3 – 0 5 – 4 – 0
Hastings 4 – 3 – 0 4 – 4 – 0
Wayne State (NE) 4 – 4 – 0 4 – 5 – 0
Doane 3 – 6 – 0 3 – 6 – 0
Concordia (NE) 1 – 7 – 0 2 – 7 – 0
Midland 1 – 7 – 0 1 – 7 – 0
Dana 0 – 7 – 0 0 – 8 – 0
  • + – Conference co-champions
1958 North Dakota Intercollegiate Conference football standings
Conf Overall
Team W   L   T W   L   T
Valley City State + 6 – 1 – 0 6 – 1 – 0
Dickinson State + 6 – 1 – 0 6 – 1 – 0
Jamestown 5 – 2 – 0 5 – 3 – 0
Mayville State 4 – 3 – 0 4 – 3 – 0
Minot State 3 – 3 – 1 3 – 3 – 1
Wahpeton Science 2 – 5 – 0 2 – 5 – 0
Ellendale 1 – 5 – 1 1 – 5 – 1
Bismarck JC 0 – 7 – 0 0 – 7 – 0
  • + – Conference co-champions
1958 North State Conference football standings
Conf Overall
Team W   L   T W   L   T
Lenoir Rhyne $ 6 – 0 – 0 9 – 1 – 0
Appalachian State 4 – 2 – 0 6 – 4 – 0
East Carolina 4 – 2 – 0 6 – 4 – 0
Catawba 2 – 3 – 1 5 – 3 – 2
Elon 2 – 4 – 0 3 – 6 – 0
Western Carolina 1 – 4 – 1 1 – 8 – 1
Guilford 1 – 5 – 0 3 – 6 – 0
  • $ – Conference champion
1958 Northern State College Conference football standings
Conf Overall
Team W   L   T W   L   T
Mankato State $ 5 – 0 – 0 7 – 2 – 0
Bemidji State 4 – 1 – 0 7 – 1 – 0
Michigan Tech 2 – 2 – 0 4 – 4 – 0
Winona State 1 – 3 – 1 3 – 4 – 1
Moorhead State 1 – 4 – 0 1 – 7 – 0
St. Cloud State 0 – 3 – 1 1 – 6 – 1
  • $ – Conference champion
1958 Northwest Conference football standings
Conf Overall
Team W   L   T W   L   T
Willamette $ 5 – 0 – 0 8 – 1 – 0
Linfield 3 – 1 – 1 7 – 1 – 1
Lewis & Clark 2 – 2 – 1 4 – 4 – 1
Whitman 2 – 3 – 0 4 – 4 – 0
College of Idaho 1 – 3 – 1 3 – 6 – 1
Pacific (OR) 0 – 4 – 1 1 – 7 – 1
  • $ – Conference champion
1958 Oklahoma Collegiate Conference football standings
Conf Overall
Team W   L   T W   L   T
Northeastern State $^ 6 – 0 – 0 11 – 0 – 0
Central State (OK) 4 – 2 – 0 5 – 4 – 0
NW Oklahoma State 3 – 3 – 0 6 – 3 – 0
Langston 3 – 3 – 0 4 – 4 – 0
SE Oklahoma State 2 – 4 – 0 3 – 5 – 0
SW Oklahoma State 2 – 4 – 0 2 – 6 – 1
East Central 1 – 5 – 0 2 – 7 – 0
  • $ – Conference champion
  • ^ – NAIA playoff participant
1958 Oregon Collegiate Conference football standings
Conf Overall
Team W   L   T W   L   T
Oregon College $ 4 – 0 – 0 5 – 4 – 0
Southern Oregon 3 – 1 – 0 5 – 5 – 0
Portland State 2 – 2 – 0 4 – 5 – 0
Eastern Oregon 1 – 3 – 0 1 – 8 – 0
Oregon Tech * 0 – 4 – 0 2 – 6 – 0
  • $ – Conference champion
  • * – Oregon Tech forfeited wins over Eastern Oregon, Oregon College, and Portland State due to ineligible players.
1958 Pennsylvania State Teachers College Conference football standings
Conf Overall
Team W   L   T W   L   T
California (PA) $ 6 – 0 – 0 8 – 0 – 0
No. T–16 West Chester 6 – 0 – 0 9 – 1 – 0
Indiana (PA) 4 – 1 – 0 5 – 3 – 0
Lock Haven 5 – 2 – 0 5 – 3 – 0
Bloomsburg 3 – 2 – 1 5 – 2 – 1
Slippery Rock 2 – 3 – 1 2 – 6 – 1
Millersville 3 – 3 – 0 6 – 3 – 0
Shippensburg 3 – 4 – 0 4 – 4 – 0
Edinboro 2 – 4 – 1 4 – 4 – 1
Clarion 2 – 4 – 0 3 – 6 – 0
East Stroudsburg 1 – 3 – 1 2 – 5 – 2
Kutztown 1 – 2 – 0 3 – 3 – 1
Mansfield 1 – 6 – 0 2 – 6 – 0
Cheyney 0 – 5 – 0 0 – 7 – 0
  • $ – Conference champion
  • Conference standings were based on the Saylor system of ratings.
Rankings from UPI Poll
1958 South Dakota Intercollegiate Conference football standings
Conf Overall
Team W   L   T W   L   T
Huron $ 7 – 0 – 1 9 – 0 – 1
Northern State 7 – 1 – 0 8 – 2 – 0
Southern State 6 – 1 – 1 6 – 2 – 1
Yankton 5 – 3 – 0 6 – 3 – 0
Sioux Falls 3 – 4 – 1 3 – 4 – 1
South Dakota Mines 1 – 4 – 3 1 – 4 – 3
General Beadle 2 – 6 – 0 2 – 6 – 0
Dakota Wesleyan 1 – 6 – 1 1 – 7 – 1
Black Hills 0 – 7 – 1 0 – 7 – 1
  • $ – Conference champion
1958 Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference football standings
Conf Overall
Team W   L   T W   L   T
Whittier $ 4 – 0 – 0 8 – 1 – 0
Redlands 3 – 1 – 0 7 – 3 – 0
Occidental 2 – 2 – 0 3 – 5 – 1
Pomona 1 – 3 – 0 3 – 5 – 1
Caltech 0 – 4 – 0 2 – 5 – 1
  • $ – Conference champion
1958 Southwestern Athletic Conference football standings
Conf Overall
Team W   L   T W   L   T
Prairie View A&M $ 5 – 0 – 0 10 – 0 – 1
Southern 3 – 2 – 0 8 – 2 – 0
Texas College 3 – 2 – 0 5 – 4 – 0
Texas Southern 2 – 3 – 0 5 – 5 – 0
Wiley 2 – 3 – 0 5 – 5 – 0
Arkansas AM&N 0 – 5 – 0 3 – 6 – 0
  • $ – Conference champion
1958 West Penn Conference football standings
Conf Overall
Team W   L   T W   L   T
Westminster (PA) $ 3 – 1 – 0 6 – 1 – 1
Geneva 2 – 1 – 1 5 – 3 – 1
Saint Vincent 1 – 1 – 1 4 – 2 – 1
Carnegie Tech * 1 – 1 – 0 6 – 2 – 0
Waynesburg 0 – 3 – 0 3 – 5 – 1
  • $ – Conference champion
  • * – ineligible for conference title
1958 West Virginia Intercollegiate Athletic Conference football standings
Conf Overall
Team W   L   T W   L   T
Glenville State $ 6 – 0 – 1 6 – 0 – 1
Shepherd 4 – 0 – 1 5 – 2 – 1
West Virginia Tech 4 – 2 – 0 5 – 3 – 1
Fairmont State 5 – 2 – 1 5 – 2 – 1
West Virginia State 2 – 1 – 1 3 – 4 – 1
West Virginia Wesleyan 2 – 3 – 1 2 – 4 – 2
Potomac State 1 – 2 – 1 4 – 4 – 1
Concord 2 – 4 – 0 3 – 5 – 0
Davis & Elkins 2 – 5 – 0 2 – 5 – 0
West Liberty State 2 – 6 – 0 2 – 7 – 0
Salem 1 – 7 – 0 1 – 7 – 0
Bluefield State * 1 – 0 – 1 5 – 2 – 1
Bethany (WV) * 0 – 0 – 1 1 – 6 – 1
  • $ – Conference champion
  • * – Did not qualify for conference standings
    Conference standings based on power ratings
1958 Wisconsin State College Conference football standings
Conf Overall
Team W   L   T W   L   T
River Falls State $ 6 – 0 – 0 7 – 2 – 0
Stevens Point State 5 – 0 – 1 7 – 0 – 1
Oshkosh State 4 – 2 – 0 6 – 2 – 0
Whitewater State 4 – 2 – 0 5 – 3 – 0
La Crosse State 3 – 3 – 0 5 – 3 – 0
Eau Claire State 3 – 3 – 0 3 – 5 – 0
Platteville State 1 – 4 – 1 1 – 4 – 1
Milwaukee 1 – 5 – 0 3 – 5 – 0
Superior State 1 – 5 – 0 3 – 6 – 0
Stout State 1 – 5 – 0 1 – 7 – 0
  • $ – Conference champion
  • Stevens Point State beat River Falls State on September 18, but the game was not counted in the conference standings.
1958 NAIA independents football records
Conf Overall
Team W   L   T W   L   T
Southern Connecticut State   –   7 – 2 – 0
Georgetown (KY)   –   6 – 2 – 0
Austin   –   6 – 3 – 0
La Verne   –   5 – 3 – 1
McMurry   –   6 – 4 – 0
Carson–Newman   –   4 – 5 – 0
Oklahoma Panhandle State   –   4 – 6 – 0
Eastern New Mexico   –   3 – 6 – 1
Earlham   –   0 – 7 – 0

Postseason

Semifinals
December 8, 1958 		Championship
December 20, 1958
Holiday Bowl[5]
      
St. Benedict's 14
Northeastern State 19
Northeastern State 19
Arizona State–Flagstaff 13
Gustavus Adolphus 12
Arizona State–Flagstaff 41

Rankings

The top teams in the NAIA football rankings were as follows:

  1. Northeastern State, 11-0, 180 points
  2. Arizona State–Flagstaff, 11-1, 162 points
  3. Willamette, 8-1, 116 points
  4. St. Benedict's, 10-1, 112 points
  5. Missouri Valley, 8-1, 104 points
  6. Gustavus Adolphus, 8-1, 100 points
  7. East Texas State, 7-1, 98 points
  8. Kearney, 9-0, 85 points
  9. Middle Tennessee, 8-2, 42 points
  10. Lenoir Rhyne, 9-1, 41 points
  11. Cal Poly, 9-1
  12. Tampa, 6-4
  13. Lamar Tech, 6-2
  14. Westminster (PA), 6-1-1
  15. California (PA), 8-0
  16. Chadron State, 8-0
  17. Louisiana College, 7-2
  18. Stevens Point State, 7-0-1
  19. Southern Illinois, 7-2
  20. Northwestern State, 5-2

[6]

See also

References

  1. ^ "Unbeaten Axers, Gusties Battle Here Today— Teams Seek Shot at NAIA Crowd", Arizona Daily Star (Flagstaff), December 6, 1958, p.B-2
  2. ^ "ASC Tramples Gusties 41-12, Wins Bowl Spot", Arizona Daily Star (Flagstaff), December 7, 1958, p.A-1
  3. ^ "Redmen Take 19-14 Victory To Earn Holiday Bowl Berth", Norman (OK) Transcript, December 7, 1958, p.10
  4. ^ "NAIA Championship History" (PDF). NAIA. pp. 4–11. Archived from the original (PDF) on July 15, 2015. Retrieved November 8, 2015.
  5. ^ "1958 NAIA Football Playoffs". JonFMorse.com. Retrieved November 8, 2015.
  6. ^ "Kearney, Chadron Listed: Antelopes 8th, Eagles 16th". The Lincoln Star. November 12, 1958. p. 13 – via Newspapers.com.
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