2021 NAIA football season
Regular seasonAugust 28 – November 13, 2021
PostseasonNovember 20 – December 18, 2021
National ChampionshipDurham County Memorial Stadium
Durham, NC
December 18, 2021
ChampionMorningside
Player of the YearJoe Dolincheck (quarterback, Morningside)

The 2021 NAIA football season is the component of the 2021 college football season organized by the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) in the United States. The regular season began on August 28 and culminated on November 13. The season's playoffs, known as the NAIA Football National Championship, began on November 20 and culminated with the championship game on December 18 at Durham County Memorial Stadium in Durham, North Carolina. The Morningside Mustangs defeated the Grand View Vikings in the title game, winning the program's third NAIA title in four seasons under head coach Steve Ryan.[1]

Conference changes and new programs

Membership changes

School Former conference New conference
Allen Yellow Jackets Appalachian NCAA D-II Independent
Arkansas Baptist Buffaloes Independent (NJCAA) Independent
Edward Waters Tigers NAIA Independent SIAC (NCAA D-II)
Iowa Wesleyan Tigers St. Louis (NCAA D-III) North Star
Judson University Eagles New program MSFA Midwest
Louisiana Christian Wildcats Am. Southwest (NCAA D-III) Sooner
Mount Marty Lancers New program GPAC

Conference standings

2021 Frontier Conference football standings
Conf Overall
Team   W   L     W   L  
No. 25 College of Idaho +   7 – 3     7 – 3  
No. 21 Rocky Mountain +   7 – 3     7 – 3  
No. 19 Montana Western +^   7 – 3     8 – 4  
Carroll (MT)   6 – 4     6 – 4  
Montana Tech   5 – 5     5 – 5  
Eastern Oregon   4 – 6     4 – 6  
Southern Oregon   3 – 7     3 – 7  
MSU Northern   1 – 9     1 – 10  
  • + – Conference co-champions
  • ^ – NAIA playoff participant
Rankings from NAIA Coaches' Poll
2021 Great Plains Athletic Conference football standings
Conf Overall
Team   W   L     W   L  
No. 2 Morningside $^   10 – 0     14 – 0  
No. 4 Northwestern (IA) ^   9 – 1     12 – 2  
Concordia (NE)   7 – 3     7 – 3  
No. 23 Dordt   7 – 3     7 – 3  
Midland   6 – 4     6 – 5  
Doane   5 – 5     5 – 5  
Dakota Wesleyan   4 – 6     4 – 7  
Briar Cliff   3 – 7     3 – 8  
Hastings   2 – 8     2 – 8  
Jamestown   2 – 8     2 – 9  
Mount Marty   0 – 10     0 – 10  
  • $ – Conference champion
  • ^ – NAIA playoff participant
Rankings from NAIA Coaches' Poll
2021 Heart of America Athletic Conference football standings
Conf Overall
Team   W   L     W   L  
North
No. 3 Grand View x^   5 – 0     14 – 1  
No. 22 Culver–Stockton   4 – 1     8 – 3  
Peru State   3 – 2     7 – 4  
William Penn   2 – 3     3 – 8  
Clarke   1 – 4     1 – 10  
Graceland   0 – 5     0 – 11  
South
No. 16 Central Methodist x^   5 – 0     9 – 3  
No. 13 Baker   4 – 1     9 – 2  
Benedictine (KS)   3 – 2     7 – 4  
Evangel   2 – 3     5 – 6  
MidAmerica Nazarene   1 – 4     3 – 8  
Missouri Valley   0 – 5     3 – 8  
  • x – Division champion/co-champions
  • ^ – NAIA playoff participant
Rankings from NAIA Coaches' Poll
2021 Kansas Collegiate Athletic Conference football standings
Conf Overall
Team   W   L     W   L  
No. 10 Kansas Wesleyan +^   9 – 1     11 – 2  
No. 17 Bethel (KS) +   9 – 1     9 – 2  
No. 9 Southwestern (KS) +^   9 – 1     9 – 2  
Avila   7 – 3     7 – 3  
McPherson   6 – 4     6 – 4  
Sterling   5 – 5     6 – 6  
Ottawa (KS)   4 – 6     5 – 6  
Saint Mary (KS)   3 – 7     3 – 7  
Tabor   2 – 8     3 – 8  
Friends   1 – 9     1 – 9  
Bethany (KS)   0 – 10     0 – 10  
  • + – Conference co-champions
  • ^ – NAIA playoff participant
Rankings from NAIA Coaches' Poll
2021 Mid-South Conference football standings
Conf Overall
Team   W   L     W   L  
Appalachian Division
No. 6 Reinhardt x^   6 – 0     9 – 3  
No. 24 Faulkner   5 – 1     8 – 2  
Bluefield   4 – 2     6 – 5  
Kentucky Christian   2 – 4     3 – 8  
Point   2 – 4     2 – 8  
St. Andrews   2 – 4     2 – 9  
Union (KY)   0 – 6     1 – 9  
Bluegrass Division
No. 1 Lindsey Wilson x^   7 – 0     12 – 1  
No. 15 Georgetown (KY)   5 – 2     8 – 2  
Bethel (TN)   4 – 3     7 – 4  
Thomas More   4 – 3     5 – 5  
Cumberlands (KY)   3 – 4     6 – 4  
Pikeville   2 – 5     4 – 6  
Cumberland (TN)   2 – 5     3 – 7  
Campbellsville   1 – 6     1 – 8  
Sun Division
No. 11 Keiser x^   5 – 1     9 – 3  
Southeastern x   5 – 1     8 – 3  
St. Thomas (FL)   4 – 2     9 – 2  
Ave Maria   4 – 2     5 – 6  
Warner   1 – 5     3 – 8  
Webber International   1 – 5     2 – 8  
Florida Memorial   1 – 5     2 – 9  
  • x – Division champion/co-champions
  • ^ – NAIA playoff participant
Rankings from NAIA Coaches' Poll
2021 Mid-States Football Association standings
Conf Overall
Team   W   L     W   L  
Mideast League
No. 8 Concordia (MI) x^   6 – 1     9 – 2  
No. 7 Marian (IN) x^   6 – 1     9 – 3  
Siena Heights   5 – 2     6 – 4  
No. 5 Indiana Wesleyan x^   4 – 3     7 – 4  
Lawrence Tech   3 – 4     7 – 4  
Saint Francis (IN)   2 – 5     3 – 6  
Taylor   2 – 5     3 – 7  
Madonna   0 – 7     1 – 9  
Midwest League
No. 12 Saint Xavier x^   6 – 1     8 – 3  
St. Francis (IL) x   6 – 1     6 – 3  
Olivet Nazarene   5 – 2     7 – 3  
Roosevelt   3 – 4     4 – 6  
Judson   3 – 4     4 – 7  
St. Ambrose   3 – 4     4 – 7  
Missouri Baptist   1 – 6     4 – 7  
Trinity International   1 – 6     3 – 8  
  • x – League champion/co-champions
    ^ – NAIA playoff participant
Rankings from NAIA Coaches' Poll
2021 North Star Athletic Association football standings
Conf Overall
Team   W   L     W   L  
No. 17 Dickinson State $^   8 – 0     8 – 3  
Valley City State   6 – 2     8 – 2  
Waldorf   5 – 3     7 – 3  
Dakota State   5 – 3     6 – 4  
Mayville State   2 – 6     2 – 9  
Iowa Wesleyan   1 – 6     2 – 9  
Presentation   0 – 8     0 – 11  
  • $ – Conference champion
  • ^ – NAIA playoff participant
Rankings from NAIA Coaches' Poll
2021 Sooner Athletic Conference football standings
Conf Overall
Team   W   L     W   L  
No. 14 Ottawa (AZ) $^   8 – 1     8 – 2  
No. 20 Arizona Christian   7 – 2     8 – 2  
Texas Wesleyan   7 – 2     7 – 3  
SAGU   6 – 3     9 – 3  
Langston   6 – 3     7 – 3  
Louisiana Christian   4 – 5     4 – 7  
OK Panhandle State   3 – 6     4 – 7  
Lyon   2 – 7     2 – 8  
Wayland Baptist   2 – 7     2 – 8  
Texas College   0 – 9     0 – 11  
  • $ – Conference champion
  • ^ – NAIA playoff participant
Rankings from NAIA Coaches' Poll
2021 NAIA independents football records
Conf Overall
Team   W   L     W   L  
Arkansas Baptist   –     0 – 7  

Postseason

Main article: 2021 NAIA Football National Championship

Bracket

1st Round
November 20 		Quarterfinals
November 27 		Semifinals
December 4 		Championship
December 18
            
1 Lindsey Wilson 48
16 Montana Western 21
1 Lindsey Wilson 54
12 Keiser 12
6 Reinhardt 13
12 Keiser 16
1 Lindsey Wilson 28
3 Grand View 34
3 Grand View 38
14 Dickinson State 13
3 Grand View 31
8 Concordia (MI) 16
8 Concordia (MI) 47
11 Saint Xavier 3
3 Grand View 28
2 Morningside 38
2 Morningside 63
15 Ottawa (AZ) 38
2 Morningside 58
10 Kansas Wesleyan 21
5 Indiana Wesleyan
10 Kansas Wesleyan forfeit
2 Morningside 28
4 Northwestern (IA) 19
4 Northwestern (IA) 24
13 Central Methodist 7
4 Northwestern (IA) 25
7 Marian (IN) 20
7 Marian (IN) 21
9 Southwestern (KS) 17

Rankings

Main article: 2021 NAIA football rankings

See also

References

  1. ^ Bain, Matthew (December 18, 2021). "Morningside tops Grand View in all-Iowa NAIA football national title game". The Des Moines Register. Des Moines, Iowa. Retrieved December 26, 2021.
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