| Year: | 1980 |
| Regular Season: | August–November 1980 |
| Playoffs: | December 6–20, 1980 |
| Championship: | Burlington Memorial Stadium Burlington, NC |
| Champions: | Elon |
The 1980 NAIA Division I football season was the 25th season of college football sponsored by the NAIA, was the 11th season of play of the NAIA's top division for football.
The season was played from August to November 1980 and culminated in the 1980 NAIA Division I Champion Bowl. The title game was played on December 20, 1980 at Burlington Memorial Stadium in Burlington, North Carolina, near the campus of Elon College.[1]
Elon defeated in the Champion Bowl, 17–10, to win their first NAIA national title.[2]
| Conference | Champion | Record | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Arkansas Intercollegiate | Central Arkansas | 6–0 | |
| Central States | Kearney State | 6–0–1 | |
| Evergreen | Eastern Oregon Oregon Tech | 4–1 | |
| Great Lakes | Hillsdale | 5–1 | |
| NIC | Minnesota–Duluth | 8–0 | |
| Oklahoma | East Central State Northeastern State Southwestern Oklahoma State | 3–1 | |
| RMAC | Adams State Southern Colorado | 7–1 | |
| South Atlantic | Elon Mars Hill | 6–1 | |
| Lone Star | Southwest Texas State | 6–1 | |
| WVIAC | North: Shepherd and Fairmont State South: Concord (WV) | 6–2–1 9–0 | |
| WSUC | Wisconsin–La Crosse Wisconsin–River Falls | 6–2 6–2 |