NAIA Football National Championship | |
---|---|
In operation | 1956–present |
Preceded by | Small college polls & NAIA Division II Championship |
Number of playoff teams | 20 |
Championship trophy | Tom Osborne Trophy |
Television partner(s) | ESPN3 |
Most playoff championships | Texas A&M-Kingsville (7) |
Current champion | Northwestern Iowa (2022) |
Website | NAIA Football |
The NAIA Football National Championship is decided by a post-season playoff system featuring the best National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) college football teams in the United States. Under sponsorship of the NAIA, the championship game has been played annually since 1956.[1] In 1970, NAIA football was divided into two divisions, Division I and Division II, with a championship game played in each division. In 1997, NAIA football was again consolidated into one division.
Texas A&I (now known as Texas A&M–Kingsville) is still the most prolific program with seven NAIA championships, despite having been in NCAA Division II since 1980. Carroll College of Montana is the most successful team still playing at the NAIA level, with six national titles.
Northwestern Iowa is the current champion, having defeated the Keiser Seahawks in the 2022 championship, 35-25.
Over the years, the NAIA championship games were played under a variety of names:
A separate NAIA Division II Football National Championship was played between 1970 and 1996, when there were two divisions at the NAIA level.
See also: List of NAIA National Football Championship Series appearances by team |
Team | Championships | Winning years |
---|---|---|
Texas A&I (Texas A&M–Kingsville) | 7 | 1959, 1969, 1970, 1974, 1975, 1976, 1979 |
Carroll (MT) | 6 | 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2007, 2010 |
Carson–Newman | 5 | 1983, 1984,[a] 1986, 1988, 1989 |
Central Arkansas | 3 | 1984,[a] 1985,[a] 1991 |
Central State (OH) | 3 | 1990, 1992, 1995 |
Sioux Falls | 3 | 2006, 2008, 2009 |
Morningside | 3 | 2018, 2019, 2021 |
Pittsburg State | 2 | 1957, 1961 |
Saint John's (MN) | 2 | 1963, 1965 |
Abilene Christian | 2 | 1973, 1977 |
Elon | 2 | 1980, 1981 |
Central State (OK) (Central Oklahoma) | 2 | 1962, 1982 |
Northeastern State | 2 | 1958, 1994 |
Georgetown (KY) | 2 | 2000, 2001 |
Marian (IN) | 2 | 2012, 2015 |
Saint Francis (IN) | 2 | 2016, 2017 |
Montana State | 1 | 1956[a] |
Saint Joseph's (IN) | 1 | 1956[a] |
Lenoir–Rhyne | 1 | 1960 |
Concordia–Moorhead | 1 | 1964[a] |
Sam Houston State | 1 | 1964[a] |
Waynesburg | 1 | 1966 |
Fairmont State | 1 | 1967 |
Troy State (Troy) | 1 | 1968 |
Livingston (West Alabama) | 1 | 1971 |
East Texas State (Texas A&M–Commerce) | 1 | 1972 |
Angelo State | 1 | 1978 |
Hillsdale | 1 | 1985[a] |
Cameron | 1 | 1987 |
East Central (OK) | 1 | 1993 |
Southwestern Oklahoma | 1 | 1996 |
Findlay (OH) | 1 | 1997 |
Azusa Pacific | 1 | 1998 |
Northwestern Oklahoma | 1 | 1999 |
Saint Xavier | 1 | 2011 |
Grand View | 1 | 2013 |
Southern Oregon | 1 | 2014 |
Lindsey Wilson | 1 | 2020 |
Northwestern (IA) | 1 | 2022 |