1961 NAIA football season
Regular seasonAugust–December 1961
PostseasonDecember 2–9, 1961
National ChampionshipHughes Stadium
Sacramento, CA
ChampionPittsburg State (2)

The 1961 NAIA football season was the sixth season of college football sponsored by the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics. The season was played from August to December 1961, culminating in the sixth annual NAIA Football National Championship, played this year at Hughes Stadium in Sacramento, California. During its three years in Sacramento, the game was called the Camellia Bowl (separate from the present day bowl game with the same name in Montgomery, Alabama).

Pittsburg State defeated Linfield in the championship game, 12–7, to win their second NAIA national title and first since 1957.[1]

Conference standings

1961 Arkansas Intercollegiate Conference football standings
Conf Overall
Team W   L   T W   L   T
No. 17 Arkansas Tech $ 6 – 0 – 1 8 – 0 – 1
Arkansas State Teachers 5 – 2 – 0 7 – 3 – 0
Southern Arkansas 5 – 2 – 0 6 – 3 – 0
Harding 4 – 3 – 0 4 – 5 – 0
Henderson State 3 – 3 – 0 4 – 6 – 0
Ouachita Baptist 2 – 3 – 1 4 – 4 – 1
Arkansas A&M 1 – 6 – 0 2 – 8 – 0
Ozarks 0 – 7 – 0 0 – 8 – 0
  • $ – Conference champion
Rankings from NAIA poll
1961 Badger-Gopher Conference football standings
Conf Overall
Team W   L   T W   L   T
Lakeland $ 4 – 0 – 0 4 – 3 – 1
Northland 3 – 1 – 0 4 – 4 – 0
Bethel (MN) 2 – 2 – 0 4 – 4 – 0
Milton 1 – 3 – 0 4 – 3 – 0
Northwestern (WI) 0 – 4 – 0 1 – 5 – 1
  • $ – Conference champion
1961 Carolinas Conference football standings
Conf Overall
Team W   L   T W   L   T
No. 15 Lenoir–Rhyne $ 6 – 1 – 0 8 – 1 – 1
Appalachian State 5 – 1 – 0 7 – 3 – 0
Newberry 4 – 2 – 0 5 – 5 – 1
East Carolina 4 – 3 – 0 5 – 4 – 1
Elon 3 – 4 – 0 4 – 6 – 0
Catawba 3 – 4 – 0 3 – 7 – 0
Western Carolina 2 – 5 – 0 4 – 6 – 0
Guilford 0 – 7 – 0 0 – 9 – 0
  • $ – Conference champion
Rankings from NAIA poll
1961 Central Intercollegiate Conference football standings
Conf Overall
Team W   L   T W   L   T
No. 1 Pittsburg State $^ 5 – 0 – 0 11 – 0 – 0
Omaha 4 – 1 – 0 6 – 3 – 0
Fort Hays State 3 – 2 – 0 4 – 4 – 1
St. Benedict's 2 – 3 – 0 2 – 7 – 0
Emporia State 1 – 4 – 0 1 – 8 – 0
Washburn 0 – 5 – 0 3 – 6 – 0
  • $ – Conference champion
  • ^ – NAIA playoff participant
Rankings from NAIA poll
1961 College Conference of Illinois football standings
Conf Overall
Team W   L   T W   L   T
No. 14 Millikin $ 6 – 0 – 0 8 – 0 – 0
Carroll (WI) 5 – 1 – 0 6 – 3 – 0
Carthage 4 – 2 – 0 7 – 2 – 0
North Central (IL) 3 – 3 – 0 5 – 4 – 0
Augustana (IL) 2 – 4 – 0 5 – 4 – 0
Illinois Wesleyan 1 – 5 – 0 2 – 7 – 0
Lake Forest 0 – 6 – 0 0 – 8 – 0
  • $ – Conference champion
Rankings from NAIA poll
1961 Evergreen Conference football standings
Conf Overall
Team W   L   T W   L   T
Central Washington $ 6 – 1 – 0 7 – 2 – 0
Whitworth * 6 – 1 – 0 ? – ? – ?
Western Washington 4 – 3 – 0 5 – 4 – 0
Puget Sound 3 – 3 – 1 5 – 3 – 1
Pacific Lutheran 1 – 5 – 1 2 – 6 – 1
Eastern Washington 0 – 7 – 0 0 – 9 – 0
  • $ – Conference champion
  • * – on probation; ineligible for conference title
1961 Far Western Conference football standings
Conf Overall
Team W   L   T W   L   T
No. 13/16 Humboldt State + 4 – 1 – 0 8 – 2 – 0
San Francisco State + 4 – 1 – 0 8 – 2 – 0
UC Davis 3 – 2 – 0 5 – 4 – 0
Nevada 2 – 3 – 0 5 – 4 – 0
Sacramento State 2 – 3 – 0 4 – 5 – 0
Chico State 0 – 5 – 0 4 – 6 – 0
  • + – Conference co-champions
Rankings from NAIA poll and UPI small college poll
1961 Frontier Conference football standings
Conf Overall
Team W   L   T W   L   T
Arizona State–Flagstaff $ 1 – 0 – 1 3 – 5 – 1
New Mexico Western 1 – 1 – 0 4 – 5 – 0
New Mexico Highlands 0 – 1 – 1 3 – 3 – 1
  • $ – Conference champion
1961 Gulf States Conference football standings
Conf Overall
Team W   L   T W   L   T
No. 7 Southeastern Louisiana + 4 – 1 – 0 9 – 1 – 0
No. 10 McNeese State + 4 – 1 – 0 7 – 2 – 0
Northwestern State 3 – 2 – 0 7 – 3 – 0
Louisiana Tech 3 – 2 – 0 5 – 4 – 0
Northeast Louisiana State 1 – 4 – 0 3 – 7 – 0
Southwestern Louisiana 0 – 5 – 0 2 – 8 – 0
  • + – Conference co-champions
Rankings from NAIA poll
1961 Iowa Conference football standings
Conf Overall
Team W   L   T W   L   T
No. 12 Parsons $ 8 – 0 – 0 9 – 0 – 0
Luther 6 – 2 – 0 6 – 3 – 0
Central (IA) 5 – 3 – 0 6 – 3 – 0
Upper Iowa 5 – 3 – 0 6 – 3 – 0
Dubuque 4 – 4 – 0 5 – 4 – 0
Buena Vista 3 – 5 – 0 4 – 5 – 0
Iowa Wesleyan 3 – 5 – 0 3 – 7 – 0
Wartburg 2 – 6 – 0 2 – 7 – 0
Simpson 0 – 8 – 0 1 – 8 – 0
  • $ – Conference champion
Rankings from NAIA poll
1961 Kansas Collegiate Athletic Conference football standings
Conf Overall
Team W   L   T W   L   T
No. 16 Ottawa $ 9 – 0 – 0 9 – 0 – 0
College of Emporia 8 – 1 – 0 8 – 1 – 0
Southwestern (KS) 6 – 2 – 1 6 – 2 – 1
Baker 6 – 3 – 0 6 – 3 – 0
Bethany (KS) 3 – 4 – 2 3 – 4 – 2
Kansas Wesleyan 4 – 5 – 0 4 – 5 – 0
Bethel (KS) 3 – 6 – 0 3 – 6 – 0
McPherson 3 – 6 – 0 3 – 6 – 0
Sterling 1 – 8 – 0 1 – 8 – 0
Friends 0 – 8 – 1 0 – 8 – 1
  • $ – Conference champion
Rankings from NAIA poll
1961 Mid-Ohio League football standings
Conf Overall
Team W   L   T W   L   T
Findlay $ 5 – 0 – 0 7 – 3 – 0
Ohio Northern 4 – 1 – 0 6 – 3 – 0
Bluffton 2 – 3 – 0 5 – 3 – 0
Defiance 2 – 3 – 0 3 – 5 – 0
Ashland 2 – 3 – 0 3 – 6 – 0
Wilmington (OH) 0 – 5 – 0 0 – 8 – 0
  • $ – Conference champion
1961 Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference football standings
Conf Overall
Team W   L   T W   L   T
No. 18 Minnesota–Duluth $ 7 – 0 – 0 8 – 1 – 0
Saint John's (MN) 5 – 2 – 0 6 – 2 – 0
St. Thomas (MN) 5 – 2 – 0 6 – 3 – 0
Macalester 4 – 3 – 0 6 – 3 – 0
Augsburg 3 – 4 – 0 4 – 4 – 0
Concordia (MN) 3 – 4 – 0 4 – 5 – 0
Gustavus Adolphus 1 – 6 – 0 2 – 7 – 0
Hamline 0 – 7 – 0 1 – 7 – 0
  • $ – Conference champion
Rankings from NAIA poll
1961 Missouri College Athletic Union football standings
Conf Overall
Team W   L   T W   L   T
No. 19 Missouri Valley $ 4 – 0 – 0 9 – 0 – 1
William Jewell 3 – 1 – 0 7 – 3 – 0
Graceland 3 – 2 – 0 5 – 2 – 2
Tarkio 2 – 3 – 0 2 – 7 – 0
Central (MO) 0 – 2 – 1 1 – 6 – 1
Culver–Stockton 0 – 4 – 1 1 – 6 – 2
  • $ – Conference champion
Rankings from NAIA poll
1961 Montana Collegiate Conference football standings
Conf Overall
Team W   L   T W   L   T
Western Montana $ 5 – 0 – 0 7 – 1 – 1
Eastern Montana 4 – 1 – 0 5 – 3 – 0
Carroll (MT) 2 – 2 – 1 4 – 3 – 1
Northern Montana 2 – 3 – 0 2 – 5 – 0
Rocky Mountain 1 – 4 – 0 ? – ? – ?
Montana Mines 0 – 4 – 1 ? – ? – ?
  • $ – Conference champion
1961 Nebraska College Conference football standings
Conf Overall
Team W   L   T W   L   T
Peru State $ 5 – 0 – 1 7 – 1 – 1
Kearney State 4 – 2 – 0 7 – 2 – 0
Hastings 3 – 2 – 1 4 – 4 – 1
Doane 2 – 2 – 2 5 – 2 – 2
Wayne State (NE) 3 – 3 – 0 4 – 5 – 0
Chadron State 2 – 4 – 0 3 – 6 – 0
Nebraska Wesleyan 0 – 6 – 0 0 – 9 – 0
  • $ – Conference champion
1961 North Dakota Intercollegiate Conference football standings
Conf Overall
Team W   L   T W   L   T
Mayville State $ 6 – 0 – 0 8 – 0 – 0
Wahpeton Science 4 – 2 – 0 6 – 2 – 0
Dickinson State 4 – 2 – 0 5 – 3 – 0
Jamestown 3 – 3 – 0 4 – 4 – 0
Minot State 3 – 3 – 0 4 – 5 – 0
Valley City State 1 – 5 – 0 1 – 7 – 0
Ellendale 0 – 6 – 0 0 – 7 – 0
  • $ – Conference champion
1961 Northern State College Conference football standings
Conf Overall
Team W   L   T W   L   T
Mankato State $ 5 – 0 – 0 6 – 3 – 0
Moorhead State 3 – 2 – 0 5 – 4 – 0
Bemidji State 3 – 2 – 0 3 – 6 – 0
Winona State 2 – 2 – 1 4 – 3 – 1
Michigan Tech 1 – 4 – 0 1 – 6 – 1
St. Cloud State 0 – 4 – 1 1 – 6 – 1
  • $ – Conference champion
1961 Northwest Conference football standings
Conf Overall
Team W   L   T W   L   T
No. 3 Linfield $^ 5 – 0 – 0 10 – 1 – 0
Lewis & Clark 3 – 2 – 0 6 – 3 – 0
College of Idaho 3 – 2 – 0 5 – 4 – 0
Willamette 3 – 2 – 0 4 – 4 – 0
Whitman 1 – 4 – 0 1 – 7 – 0
Pacific (OR) 0 – 5 – 0 0 – 9 – 0
  • $ – Conference champion
  • ^ – NAIA playoff participant
Rankings from NAIA poll
1961 Oklahoma Collegiate Conference football standings
Conf Overall
Team W   L   T W   L   T
No. 9 Central State (OK) + 6 – 1 – 0 9 – 1 – 0
Langston + 6 – 1 – 0 8 – 2 – 0
No. 11 Panhandle A&M 4 – 1 – 0 9 – 2 – 0
East Central 3 – 4 – 0 5 – 5 – 0
SE Oklahoma State 2 – 4 – 0 4 – 6 – 0
Northeastern State 2 – 4 – 0 3 – 6 – 0
SW Oklahoma State 2 – 5 – 0 2 – 8 – 0
NW Oklahoma State 1 – 6 – 0 1 – 8 – 0
  • $ – Conference champion
Rankings from NAIA poll
1961 Oregon Collegiate Conference football standings
Conf Overall
Team W   L   T W   L   T
Southern Oregon $ 4 – 0 – 0 5 – 4 – 0
Oregon College 2 – 1 – 1 4 – 3 – 1
Portland State 2 – 2 – 0 3 – 5 – 0
Oregon Tech 1 – 2 – 1 4 – 4 – 1
Eastern Oregon 0 – 4 – 0 1 – 7 – 0
  • $ – Conference champion
1961 Pennsylvania State College Conference football standings
Conf Overall
Team W   L   T W   L   T
East Division
No. 20 West Chester xy$ 4 – 0 – 0 7 – 2 – 0
East Stroudsburg 5 – 1 – 0 7 – 1 – 0
Bloomsburg 2 – 2 – 0 4 – 4 – 0
Millersville 2 – 3 – 0 5 – 3 – 0
Mansfield 2 – 3 – 0 4 – 4 – 0
Kutztown 2 – 3 – 0 2 – 6 – 0
Cheyney 0 – 5 – 0 0 – 7 – 1
West Division
Slippery Rock xy 4 – 1 – 0 6 – 3 – 0
California (PA) 4 – 1 – 1 5 – 2 – 1
Clarion 4 – 1 – 1 5 – 2 – 1
Lock Haven 2 – 2 – 1 5 – 2 – 2
Edinboro 1 – 3 – 1 3 – 4 – 1
Indiana (PA) 1 – 4 – 0 2 – 7 – 0
Shippensburg 0 – 4 – 0 0 – 8 – 0
Championship: West Chester 21, Lock Haven 6
  • $ – Conference champion
  • x – Division champion/co-champions
  • y – Championship game participant
  • Edinboro forfeited to Clarion.
Rankings from NAIA poll
1961 South Dakota Intercollegiate Conference football standings
Conf Overall
Team W   L   T W   L   T
No. 6 Northern State $^ 6 – 0 – 0 9 – 1 – 0
Huron 5 – 1 – 0 7 – 2 – 0
Southern State 4 – 2 – 0 6 – 3 – 0
South Dakota Tech 2 – 4 – 0 3 – 5 – 0
Black Hills 2 – 4 – 0 3 – 5 – 0
Dakota Wesleyan 2 – 4 – 0 2 – 7 – 0
General Beadle 0 – 6 – 0 2 – 7 – 0
  • $ – Conference champion
  • ^ – NAIA playoff participant
Rankings from NAIA poll
1961 Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference football standings
Conf Overall
Team W   L   T W   L   T
No. 4 Whittier $^ 4 – 0 – 0 9 – 1 – 0
Redlands 3 – 1 – 0 6 – 4 – 0
Occidental 2 – 2 – 0 6 – 3 – 0
Pomona 1 – 3 – 0 5 – 4 – 0
Claremont-Mudd 0 – 4 – 0 3 – 6 – 0
  • $ – Conference champion
  • ^ – NAIA playoff participant
Rankings from NAIA poll
1961 Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference football standings
Conf Overall
Team W   L   T W   L   T
No. 5 Florida A&M $ 5 – 0 – 0 10 – 0 – 0
Alabama A&M 5 – 0 – 0 8 – 1 – 0
Allen 4 – 2 – 0 5 – 4 – 0
Bethune–Cookman 5 – 2 – 0 5 – 3 – 0
Morris Brown 4 – 2 – 0 5 – 4 – 0
Fisk 4 – 2 – 0 5 – 4 – 0
Tuskegee 4 – 1 – 1 4 – 4 – 1
Morehouse 3 – 3 – 0 4 – 4 – 0
Clark (GA) 2 – 3 – 1 3 – 3 – 2
Lane 1 – 4 – 0 2 – 5 – 1
Benedict 2 – 4 – 0 2 – 7 – 0
South Carolina State 2 – 5 – 0 2 – 7 – 0
Alabama State 1 – 5 – 0 1 – 7 – 0
Knoxville 1 – 5 – 0 1 – 7 – 0
Fort Valley State 0 – 5 – 0 0 – 9 – 0
  • $ – Conference champion
Rankings from NAIA poll
1961 Tri-State Conference football standings
Conf Overall
Team W   L   T W   L   T
Midland $ 5 – 1 – 0 6 – 2 – 0
Dana 4 – 2 – 0 5 – 3 – 0
Westmar 4 – 2 – 0 4 – 4 – 0
Northwestern (IA) 3 – 3 – 0 3 – 4 – 1
Concordia (NE) 2 – 4 – 0 3 – 6 – 0
Yankton 2 – 4 – 0 5 – 4 – 0
Sioux Falls 1 – 5 – 0 1 – 8 – 0
  • $ – Conference champion
1961 West Penn Conference football standings
Conf Overall
Team W   L   T W   L   T
Westminster (PA) $ 4 – 1 – 0 6 – 2 – 0
Grove City 2 – 0 – 0 5 – 4 – 0
Waynesburg 2 – 2 – 0 6 – 2 – 0
Saint Vincent 2 – 2 – 0 3 – 3 – 1
Geneva 1 – 2 – 0 4 – 4 – 0
Carnegie Tech 0 – 4 – 0 1 – 7 – 0
  • $ – Conference champion
1961 West Virginia Intercollegiate Athletic Conference football standings
Conf Overall
Team W   L   T W   L   T
Eastern Division
Salem x 6 – 2 – 0 6 – 3 – 0
West Liberty State 5 – 2 – 0 6 – 2 – 0
Davis & Elkins 1 – 5 – 0 2 – 5 – 0
West Virginia State 0 – 4 – 0 0 – 7 – 0
Western Division
West Virginia Wesleyan x$ 4 – 1 – 0 8 – 1 – 0
Glenville State 5 – 2 – 0 5 – 2 – 0
Fairmont State 4 – 4 – 0 4 – 5 – 0
Concord 3 – 4 – 0 5 – 4 – 0
Potomac State 1 – 3 – 0 2 – 3 – 0
West Virginia Tech 1 – 3 – 0 2 – 5 – 1
Non-qualifiers
Bluefield State 1 – 0 – 0 3 – 3 – 1
Shepherd 1 – 2 – 0 4 – 2 – 2
Bethany (WV) 0 – 1 – 0 2 – 5 – 0
  • $ – Conference champion
  • x – Division champion/co-champions
  • Conference standings based on power ratings
1961 Wisconsin State College Conference football standings
Conf Overall
Team W   L   T W   L   T
Stevens Point State $ 7 – 1 – 0 8 – 1 – 0
La Crosse State 5 – 1 – 0 5 – 3 – 0
River Falls State 4 – 2 – 0 5 – 4 – 0
Whitewater State 3 – 3 – 0 6 – 3 – 0
Superior State 2 – 3 – 1 3 – 4 – 2
Stout State 2 – 3 – 1 3 – 4 – 1
Eau Claire State 3 – 5 – 0 4 – 5 – 0
Oshkosh State 2 – 4 – 0 2 – 4 – 0
Milwaukee 2 – 4 – 0 2 – 6 – 0
Platteville State 1 – 5 – 0 1 – 6 – 0
  • $ – Conference champion
1961 NAIA independents football records
Conf Overall
Team W   L   T W   L   T
No. 2 Baldwin–Wallace   –   9 – 0 – 0
No. 8 Tampa   –   8 – 1 – 0
Earlham   –   7 – 1 – 0
Oklahoma Panhandle State   –   9 – 2 – 0
La Verne   –   7 – 2 – 0
Hillsdale   –   6 – 3 – 0
Eastern New Mexico   –   6 – 4 – 0
McMurry   –   6 – 4 – 0
St. Mary of the Plains   –   4 – 5 – 0
Georgetown (KY)   –   2 – 3 – 1
Austin   –   2 – 7 – 0
Rankings from NAIA poll

Postseason

Semifinals
December 2, 1961 		Championship
December 9, 1961
Camellia Bowl[2]
      
Whittier 7
Linfield* 18
Linfield 7
Pittsburg State 12
Northern State 14
Pittsburg State* 28

See also

References

  1. ^ "NAIA Championship History" (PDF). NAIA. pp. 4–11. Archived from the original (PDF) on July 15, 2015. Retrieved November 13, 2015.
  2. ^ "1961 NAIA Football Playoffs". JonFMorse.com. Retrieved November 13, 2015.
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