1997 NAIA football season
Regular seasonAugust–November 1997
PostseasonNovember 18–December 20, 1997
National ChampionshipJim Carroll Stadium
Savannah, TN
ChampionFindlay (4)
Player of the YearBo Hurley
(QB, Findlay)

The 1997 NAIA football season, as part of the 1997 college football season in the United States, was the 42nd season of college football sponsored by the NAIA.

The season was played from August to November 1997, culminating in the 1997 NAIA Football National Championship, played this year on December 20, 1997 at Jim Carroll Stadium in Savannah, Tennessee.[1]

Findlay defeated Willamette in the championship game, 14–7, to win their fourth NAIA national title.[2]

Conference standings

1997 Columbia Football Association standings
Conf Overall
Team   W   L     W   L  
No. 13 Western Oregon $^   4 – 1     7 – 3  
Central Washington   3 – 2     5 – 4  
Southern Oregon   3 – 2     5 – 4  
Western Washington   3 – 2     5 – 5  
Simon Fraser   1 – 4     2 – 7  
Humboldt State   1 – 4     2 – 8  
  • $ – Conference champion
  • ^ – NAIA playoff participant
Rankings from NAIA poll
1997 Frontier Conference football standings
Conf Overall
Team   W   L     W   L  
No. 4 Montana Tech $^   6 – 0     10 – 2  
Rocky Mountain   3 – 3     4 – 5  
Carroll (MT)   2 – 4     4 – 5  
Western Montana   1 – 5     1 – 8  
  • $ – Conference champion
  • ^ – NAIA playoff participant
Rankings from NAIA poll
1997 Heart of America Athletic Conference football standings
Conf Overall
Team   W   L     W   L  
No. 10 Benedictine (KS) +^   8 – 1     9 – 2  
No. 9 Evangel +^   8 – 1     9 – 2  
No. 23 MidAmerica Nazarene   6 – 3     7 – 4  
Baker   5 – 4     6 – 4  
William Jewell   5 – 4     5 – 5  
Graceland   4 – 5     5 – 5  
Missouri Valley   4 – 5     5 – 5  
Lindenwood   4 – 5     4 – 6  
Central Methodist   1 – 8     1 – 9  
Culver–Stockton   0 – 9     1 – 9  
  • + – Conference co-champions
  • ^ – NAIA playoff participant
Rankings from NAIA poll
1997 Kansas Collegiate Athletic Conference football standings
Conf Overall
Team   W   L     W   L  
No. 12 Ottawa +^   7 – 1     9 – 2  
No. 15 Southwestern (KS) +^   7 – 1     8 – 3  
No. 20 Bethany (KS)   6 – 2     7 – 2  
McPherson   4 – 4     6 – 4  
Bethel (KS)   4 – 4     5 – 5  
Friends   4 – 4     4 – 6  
Sterling   2 – 6     3 – 7  
Kansas Wesleyan   2 – 6     2 – 7  
Tabor   0 – 8     1 – 9  
  • $ – Conference champion
  • ^ – NAIA playoff participant
Rankings from NAIA poll
1997 Mid-South Conference football standings
Conf Overall
Team   W   L     W   L  
No. 11 Campbellsville +^   5 – 1     7 – 3  
Georgetown (KY) +   5 – 1     5 – 4  
Cumberland (TN)   4 – 2     5 – 4  
Cumberland (KY)   3 – 3     5 – 5  
Lambuth   2 – 4     4 – 6  
Union (KY)   2 – 4     2 – 8  
North Greenville   0 – 6     1 – 8  
  • + – Conference co-champions
  • ^ – NAIA playoff participant
Rankings from NAIA poll
1997 Mid-States Football Association standings
Conf Overall
Team   W   L     W   L  
Mideast League
No. 5 Geneva x^   6 – 0     11 – 2  
No. 8 Westminster (PA) ^   5 – 1     9 – 2  
No. 21 Walsh   4 – 2     7 – 3  
Malone   3 – 3     5 – 5  
Tri-State   2 – 4     4 – 6  
Tiffin   1 – 4     4 – 7  
Urbana   0 – 6     0 – 10  
Midwest League
No. 1 Findlay x^   6 – 0     14 – 0  
No. 24 Taylor   5 – 1     7 – 3  
Olivet Nazarene   4 – 2     7 – 3  
St. Ambrose   3 – 3     4 – 6  
Iowa Wesleyan   1 – 5     4 – 7  
Saint Xavier   1 – 5     1 – 9  
Trinity International   1 – 5     1 – 9  
  • x – League champion/co-champions
    ^ – NAIA playoff participant
Rankings from NAIA poll
1997 Nebraska-Iowa Athletic Conference football standings
Conf Overall
Team   W   L     W   L  
No. 7 Doane $^   6 – 0     11 – 1  
Hastings   5 – 1     5 – 4  
Northwestern (IA)   3 – 3     5 – 5  
Nebraska Wesleyan   3 – 3     5 – 5  
Dana   2 – 4     4 – 6  
Midland   2 – 4     2 – 8  
Concordia (NE)   0 – 6     1 – 9  
  • $ – Conference champion
  • ^ – NAIA playoff participant
Rankings from NAIA poll
1997 North Dakota College Athletic Conference football standings
Conf Overall
Team   W   L     W   L  
No. 6 Jamestown $^   6 – 0     10 – 1  
No. 16 Minnesota–Crookston ^   4 – 2     7 – 3  
No. 22 Dickinson State   4 – 2     6 – 3  
Minot State   4 – 2     5 – 4  
Valley City State   2 – 4     5 – 5  
Mary   1 – 5     4 – 2  
Mayville State   0 – 6     0 – 10  
  • $ – Conference champion
  • ^ – NAIA Division II playoff participant
Rankings from NAIA poll
1997 Northwest Conference football standings
Conf Overall
Team   W   L     W   L  
No. 2 Willamette $^   5 – 0     13 – 1  
No. 19 Linfield   4 – 1     6 – 3  
No. 17 Pacific Lutheran   3 – 2     7 – 2  
Lewis & Clark   2 – 3     3 – 6  
Whitworth   1 – 4     2 – 7  
Puget Sound   0 – 5     2 – 7  
  • $ – Conference champion
  • ^ – NAIA playoff participant
Rankings from NAIA poll
1997 South Dakota-Iowa Intercollegiate Conference football standings
Conf Overall
Team   W   L     W   L  
No. 3 Sioux Falls $^   6 – 0     11 – 2  
No. 25 Westmar   5 – 1     8 – 2  
Dakota Wesleyan   3 – 3     5 – 5  
Huron   3 – 3     4 – 6  
Black Hills State   2 – 4     3 – 6  
Dakota State   1 – 5     2 – 8  
South Dakota Tech   1 – 5     1 – 9  
  • $ – Conference champion
  • ^ – NAIA playoff participant
Rankings from NAIA poll
1997 NAIA independents football records
Conf Overall
Team   W   L     W   L  
No. 14 McKendree ^   –     8 – 2  
No. 18 Clinch Valley   –     6 – 3  
Peru State   –     6 – 4  
NW Oklahoma State   –     5 – 5  
Azusa Pacific   –     4 – 5  
Eastern Oregon   –     4 – 6  
  • ^ – NAIA playoff participant
Rankings from NAIA poll

Conference champions

Conference Champion Record
Columbia Western Oregon
Central Washington 		3–1
Frontier Montana Tech 6–0
Heart of America Benedictine
Evangel 		8–1
Kansas Ottawa
Southwestern (KS) 		7–1
Mid-South Campbellsville
Georgetown (KY) 		5–1
Mid-States Mideast Division: Geneva
Midwest Division: Findlay 		6–0
6–0
Nebraska-Iowa Doane 6–0
North Dakota Jamestown 6–0
South Dakota-Iowa Sioux Falls —

Season events

The 1997 Linfield vs. Willamette football game was played between the Linfield Wildcats and the Willamette Bearcats played on October 18, 1997. The game was played at McCulloch Stadium in Salem, Oregon. Willamette won the game by a score of 27 to 0. During the game, Liz Heaston became the first woman to not only play but also to score in a college football game.[3]

Postseason

First Round
November 18, 1997
Campus sites 		Quarterfinals
December 6, 1997
Campus sites 		Semifinals
December 13, 1997
Campus sites 		Championship
December 20, 1997
Savannah, TN
            
  Benedictine (KS) 30
  Jamestown 55
  Jamestown 6
  Sioux Falls 29
  Ottawa 14
  Sioux Falls 57
  Sioux Falls 7
  Willamette 17
  Minnesota–Crookston 10
  Montana Tech 51
  Montana Tech 24
  Willamette 50
  Western Oregon 20
  Willamette 26
  Willamette 7
  Findlay 14
  Southwestern (KS) 28
  Doane 53
  Doane 59
  Evangel 20
  McKendree 6
  Evangel 46
  Doane 25
  Findlay 26
  Campbellsville 14
  Geneva 34
  Geneva 7
  Findlay 28
  Westminster (PA) 0
  Findlay 40

See also

References

  1. ^ "1997 NAIA Football Playoffs". JonFMorse.com. Retrieved November 26, 2015.
  2. ^ "NAIA Championship History" (PDF). NAIA. pp. 4–11. Archived from the original (PDF) on July 15, 2015. Retrieved November 18, 2015.
  3. ^ "Woman Kicks Extra Points". The New York Times. October 20, 1997.
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