1983 NAIA Division I football season
Regular seasonAugust–November 1983
PostseasonDecember 3–17, 1983
National ChampionshipRalph Stocker Stadium
Grand Junction, CO
ChampionsCarson–Newman

The 1983 NAIA Division I football season was the 28th season of college football sponsored by the NAIA, was the 14th season of play of the NAIA's top division for football.

The season was played from August to November 1983 and culminated in the 1983 NAIA Champion Bowl, played this year on December 17, 1983 at Ralph Stocker Stadium in Grand Junction, Colorado on the campus of Mesa College—now known as known as Colorado Mesa University.[1]

Carson–Newman defeated Mesa in the Champion Bowl, 36–28, to win their first NAIA national title.[2]

Conference changes

Conference standings

1983 Arkansas Intercollegiate Conference football standings
Conf Overall
Team W   L   T W   L   T
No. 1 Central Arkansas $^ 6 – 0 – 0 11 – 1 – 0
Arkansas Tech 4 – 1 – 1 4 – 5 – 1
Southern Arkansas 4 – 2 – 0 5 – 5 – 0
No. 16 Arkansas–Monticello 3 – 2 – 1 6 – 2 – 1
Ouachita Baptist 1 – 4 – 1 2 – 7 – 1
Henderson State 1 – 5 – 0 3 – 7 – 0
Harding 0 – 5 – 1 3 – 6 – 1
  • $ – Conference champion
  • ^ – NAIA Division I playoff participant
Rankings from NAIA Division I poll
1983 Central States Intercollegiate Conference football standings
Conf Overall
Team W   L   T W   L   T
No. 9 Washburn $ 6 – 1 – 0 8 – 2 – 0
No. 10 Missouri Southern 5 – 2 – 0 9 – 2 – 0
No. 17 Fort Hays State 4 – 3 – 0 8 – 3 – 0
Pittsburg State 4 – 3 – 0 6 – 4 – 0
Kearney State 4 – 3 – 0 5 – 5 – 0
Missouri Western 3 – 4 – 0 5 – 6 – 0
Emporia State 1 – 6 – 0 2 – 8 – 0
Wayne State (NE) 1 – 6 – 0 1 – 9 – 0
  • $ – Conference champion
Rankings from NAIA Division I poll
1983 Evergreen Conference football standings
Conf Overall
Team W   L   T W   L   T
Puget Sound $ 6 – 1 – 0 6 – 4 – 0
Southern Oregon 5 – 2 – 0 9 – 2 – 0
No. 14 Central Washington 5 – 2 – 0 8 – 2 – 0
Simon Fraser 4 – 3 – 0 4 – 6 – 0
Eastern Oregon 3 – 4 – 0 5 – 5 – 0
Oregon Tech 2 – 5 – 0 4 – 6 – 0
Western Oregon 2 – 5 – 0 3 – 7 – 0
Western Washington 1 – 6 – 0 1 – 9 – 0
  • $ – Conference champion
Rankings from NAIA Division I poll
1983 Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference football standings
Conf Overall
Team W   L   T W   L   T
No. 7 Saginaw Valley State $^ 6 – 0 – 0 9 – 3 – 0
No. 8 Hillsdale 4 – 2 – 0 8 – 2 – 0
Wayne State (MI) 4 – 2 – 0 7 – 3 – 0
Northwood 3 – 3 – 0 4 – 4 – 0
Grand Valley State 3 – 3 – 0 4 – 6 – 0
Michigan Tech 1 – 5 – 0 3 – 7 – 0
Ferris State 0 – 6 – 0 0 – 9 – 0
  • $ – Conference champion
  • ^ – NAIA Division I playoff participant
Rankings from NAIA Division I poll
1983 Northern Intercollegiate Conference football standings
Conf Overall
Team W   L   T W   L   T
No. 20 Winona State $ 5 – 1 – 0 7 – 4 – 0
Moorhead State 4 – 2 – 0 6 – 3 – 0
Minnesota Duluth 4 – 2 – 0 6 – 4 – 0
Minnesota Morris 2 – 3 – 1 4 – 4 – 2
Northern State 1 – 3 – 2 4 – 4 – 2
Southwest State (MN) 1 – 3 – 2 3 – 6 – 2
Bemidji State 1 – 4 – 1 4 – 6 – 1
  • $ – Conference champion
Rankings from NAIA Division I poll
1983 Oklahoma Intercollegiate Conference football standings
Conf Overall
Team W   L   T W   L   T
No. 4 Northeastern State $^ 4 – 0 – 0 8 – 2 – 0
No. 13 East Central 2 – 2 – 0 7 – 3 – 0
NW Oklahoma State 2 – 2 – 0 4 – 6 – 0
SW Oklahoma State 2 – 2 – 0 3 – 6 – 0
SE Oklahoma State 0 – 4 – 0 1 – 9 – 0
  • $ – Conference champion
  • ^ – NAIA Division I playoff participant
Rankings from NAIA Division I poll
1983 Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference football standings
Conf Overall
Team W   L   T W   L   T
No. 3 Mesa $^ 7 – 0 – 1 11 – 1 – 1
Southern Colorado 6 – 1 – 1 6 – 3 – 1
Western New Mexico 4 – 3 – 1 5 – 4 – 1
Southern Utah 4 – 4 – 0 5 – 5 – 0
Adams State 4 – 4 – 0 4 – 6 – 0
Fort Lewis 4 – 4 – 0 4 – 6 – 0
Colorado Mines 3 – 5 – 0 4 – 5 – 0
Western State (CO) 2 – 5 – 1 2 – 6 – 1
New Mexico Highlands 0 – 8 – 0 1 – 9 – 0
  • $ – Conference champion
  • ^ – NAIA Division I playoff participant
1983 South Atlantic Conference football standings
Conf Overall
Team W   L   T W   L   T
No. 12 Carson–Newman $^ 6 – 1 – 0 10 – 3 – 0
Presbyterian 4 – 2 – 1 5 – 5 – 1
No. 18 Elon 4 – 3 – 0 7 – 3 – 0
Gardner–Webb 4 – 3 – 0 5 – 6 – 0
Mars Hill 3 – 3 – 1 4 – 7 – 1
Newberry 3 – 4 – 0 6 – 5 – 0
Lenoir–Rhyne 2 – 5 – 0 4 – 6 – 0
Catawba 0 – 7 – 0 0 – 9 – 1
  • $ – Conference champion
  • ^ – NAIA Division I playoff participant
Rankings from NAIA Division I poll
1983 West Virginia Intercollegiate Athletic Conference football standings
Conf Overall
Team W   L   T W   L   T
No. 5 Shepherd $^ 8 – 0 – 0 9 – 2 – 0
Glenville State 6 – 2 – 0 6 – 2 – 1
Concord 5 – 3 – 0 5 – 5 – 0
West Virginia Tech 4 – 3 – 1 5 – 4 – 1
West Liberty State 3 – 3 – 2 4 – 4 – 2
Fairmont State 2 – 5 – 1 2 – 7 – 1
Salem 2 – 6 – 0 3 – 7 – 0
West Virginia State 2 – 6 – 0 3 – 7 – 0
West Virginia Wesleyan 2 – 6 – 0 2 – 8 – 0
  • $ – Conference champion
  • ^ – NAIA Division I playoff participant
Rankings from NAIA Division I poll
1983 Wisconsin State University Conference football standings
Conf Overall
Team W   L   T W   L   T
No. 11 Wisconsin–Eau Claire $ 7 – 1 – 0 8 – 2 – 0
Wisconsin–La Crosse ^ 6 – 1 – 1 9 – 3 – 1
Wisconsin–River Falls 6 – 2 – 0 8 – 2 – 0
Wisconsin–Whitewater 6 – 2 – 0 6 – 5 – 0
Wisconsin–Oshkosh 3 – 4 – 1 5 – 4 – 1
Wisconsin–Platteville 3 – 5 – 0 4 – 6 – 0
Wisconsin–Stevens Point 2 – 6 – 0 4 – 6 – 0
Wisconsin–Stout 2 – 6 – 0 2 – 9 – 0
Wisconsin–Superior 0 – 8 – 0 1 – 10 – 0
  • $ – Conference champion
  • ^ – NCAA Division III playoff participant
Rankings from NAIA Division I poll
1983 NAIA Division I independents football records
Conf Overall
Team W   L   T W   L   T
No. 2 Central State (OK) ^   –   8 – 1 – 1
No. 6 Eastern New Mexico ^   –   8 – 2 – 1
Guilford   –   5 – 4 – 1
Wofford   –   6 – 5 – 0
Langston   –   4 – 6 – 0
Cameron   –   3 – 6 – 0
Kentucky State   –   2 – 7 – 2
Liberty Baptist   –   2 – 9 – 0
  • ^ – NAIA Division I playoff participant
Rankings from NAIA Division I poll

Conference champions

Conference Champion Record
Arkansas Intercollegiate Central Arkansas 6–0
Central States Washburn 6–1
Evergreen Puget Sound 6–1
NIC Winona State 5–1
Oklahoma Northeastern State 4–0
RMAC Mesa 7–0–1
South Atlantic Carson–Newman 6–1
WSUC Wisconsin–Eau Claire 7–1
WVIAC Shepherd 8–0

Postseason

Quarterfinals
December 3, 1983
Campus sites 		Semifinals
December 10, 1983
Campus sites 		1983 Champion Bowl
December 17, 1983
Grand Junction, CO
         
Saginaw Valley State 14
Central State (OK)* 13
Saginaw Valley State 7
Carson–Newman* 41
Shepherd 21
Carson–Newman* 42
Carson–Newman 36
Mesa* 28
Northeastern State 7
Central Arkansas* 18
Central Arkansas 17
Mesa* 34
Eastern New Mexico 9
Mesa* 35

See also

References

  1. ^ "NAIA Championship History" (PDF). NAIA. pp. 4–11. Archived from the original (PDF) on July 15, 2015. Retrieved November 23, 2015.
  2. ^ "1983 Division I NAIA Football Playoffs". JonFMorse.com. Retrieved November 23, 2015.
  3. ^ "NAIA Football Regular Season Records" (PDF). NAIA. p. 20. Retrieved December 11, 2021.
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