| NAIA football national championship | |
| In Operation: | 1956present |
| Preceded By: | Small college polls &<br>NAIA Division II Championship |
| Type: | playoff |
| Number Type: | playoff teams |
| Number: | 20 |
| Trophy: | Tom Osborne Trophy |
| Television: | ESPN3 |
| Most Champs: | Texas A&M-Kingsville (7) |
| Current Champion: | Keiser (2023) |
| 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 based on enrollment, Division I and Division II, with a championship game played in each division. In 1997, NAIA football was again consolidated back into one division.NAIA schools are allowed to offer 24 full varsity football scholarships which can be divided up as they wish. Junior varsity scholarship players do not count towards the total.
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.
Keiser is the current champion, having defeated the Northwestern Red Raiders in the 2023 title game, 31–21.
Over the years, the NAIA championship games were played under a variety of names:
| 1956 | December 22, 1956 | 0–0 | Tony Storti Bob Jauron | |||
| 1957 | December 21, 1957 | Pittsburg State | 27–26 | Carnie Smith | ||
| 1958 | December 20, 1958 | Northeastern State | 19–13 | Arizona State–Flagstaff | Harold "Tuffy" Stratton | |
| 1959 | December 19, 1959 | Texas A&I | 20–7 | Gil Steinke | ||
| 1960 | December 17, 1960 | 15–14 | Clarence Stasavich | |||
| 1961 | December 9, 1961 | Pittsburg State | 12–7 | Carnie Smith | ||
| 1962 | December 8, 1962 | Central State (OK) | 28–13 | Al Blevins | ||
| 1963 | December 14, 1963 | 33–27 | Prairie View A&M | John Gagliardi | ||
| 1964 | December 12, 1964 | 7–7 | Jake Christiansen Paul Pierce | |||
| 1965 | December 11, 1965 | 33–0 | John Gagliardi | |||
| 1966 | December 10, 1966 | Waynesburg | 42–21 | Carl DePasqua | ||
| 1967 | December 9, 1967 | Fairmont State | 28–21 | Harold "Deacon" Duvall | ||
| 1968 | December 14, 1968 | Troy State | 43–35 | Billy Atkins | ||
| 1969 | December 13, 1969 | Texas A&I | 32–7 | Gil Steinke | ||
| 1970 | December 12, 1970 | Texas A&I | 48–7 | Gil Steinke | ||
| 1971 | December 11, 1971 | Livingston | 14–12 | Mickey Andrews | ||
| 1972 | December 9, 1972 | East Texas State | 21–18 | Ernest Hawkins | ||
| 1973 | December 8, 1973 | 42–14 | Wally Bullington | |||
| 1974 | December 14, 1974 | 34–23 | Gil Steinke | |||
| 1975 | December 13, 1975 | 37–0 | Gil Steinke | |||
| 1976 | December 11, 1976 | 26–0 | Gil Steinke | |||
| 1977 | December 10, 1977 | Abilene Christian | 24–7 | DeWitt Jones | ||
| 1978 | December 16, 1978 | Angelo State | 34–14 | Jim Hess | ||
| 1979 | December 15, 1979 | Texas A&I | 20–14 | Central State (OK) | Ron Harms | |
| 1980 | December 20, 1980 | Elon | 17–10 | Jerry Tolley | ||
| 1981 | December 19, 1981 | Elon | 3–0 | Jerry Tolley | ||
| 1982 | December 18, 1982 | 14–11 | Gary Howard | |||
| 1983 | December 17, 1983 | Carson–Newman | 36–28 | Ken Sparks | ||
| 1984 | December 15, 1984 | Carson–Newman | 19–19 | Ken Sparks Harold Horton | ||
| 1985 | December 21, 1985 | Hillsdale | 10–10 | Dick Lowry Harold Horton | ||
| 1986 | December 20, 1986 | Carson–Newman | 17–0 | Ken Sparks | ||
| 1987 | December 19, 1987 | 30–2 | Brian Naber | |||
| 1988 | December 17, 1988 | Carson–Newman | 56–21 | Ken Sparks | ||
| 1989 | December 16, 1989 | 34–20 | Ken Sparks | |||
| 1990 | December 8, 1990 | 38–16 | Billy Joe | |||
| 1991 | December 14, 1991 | 19–16 | Mike Isom | |||
| 1992 | December 12, 1992 | Central State (OH) | 19–16 | Billy Joe | ||
| 1993 | December 11, 1993 | 49–35 | Hank Walbrick | |||
| 1994 | December 10, 1994 | 13–12 | Tom Eckert | |||
| 1995 | December 2, 1995 | 37–7 | Rick Comegy | |||
| 1996 | December 7, 1996 | 33–31 | Paul Sharp | |||
| 1997 | December 20, 1997 | 14–7 | Dick Strahm | |||
| 1998 | December 19, 1998 | Azusa Pacific | 17–14 | Vic Shealy | ||
| 1999 | December 18, 1999 | 34–26 | Tim Albin | |||
| 2000 | December 16, 2000 | 20–0 | Bill Cronin | |||
| 2001 | December 15, 2001 | 49–27 | Bill Cronin | |||
| 2002 | December 21, 2002 | 28–7 | Mike Van Diest | |||
| 2003 | December 20, 2003 | 41–28 | Mike Van Diest | |||
| 2004 | December 18, 2004 | 15–13 (2 OT) | Mike Van Diest | |||
| 2005 | December 17, 2005 | 27–10 | Mike Van Diest | |||
| 2006 | December 16, 2006 | 23–19 | Kalen DeBoer | |||
| 2007 | December 15, 2007 | 17–9 | Mike Van Diest | |||
| 2008 | December 20, 2008 | 23–7 | Kalen DeBoer | |||
| 2009 | December 19, 2009 | 25–22 | Kalen DeBoer | |||
| 2010 | December 18, 2010 | 10–7 | Mike Van Diest | |||
| 2011 | December 17, 2011 | 24–20 | Mike Feminis | |||
| 2012 | December 13, 2012 | 30–27 (OT) | Ted Karras Jr. | |||
| 2013 | December 21, 2013 | 35–23 | Mike Woodley | |||
| 2014 | December 19, 2014 | 55–31 | Craig Howard | |||
| 2015 | December 19, 2015 | 31–14 | Mark Henninger | |||
| 2016 | December 17, 2016 | 38–17 | Kevin Donley | |||
| 2017 | December 16, 2017 | 24–13 | Kevin Donley | |||
| 2018 | December 15, 2018 | 35–28 | Steve Ryan | |||
| 2019 | December 21, 2019 | 40–38 | Steve Ryan | |||
| 2020 | May 10, 2021 | 45–13 | Chris Oliver | |||
| 2021 | December 18, 2021 | 38–28 | Steve Ryan | |||
| 2022 | December 17, 2022 | 35–25 | Matt McCarty | |||
| 2023 | December 18, 2023 | 31–21 | Doug Socha | |||
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 |
| 6 | 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2007, 2010 | |
| Carson–Newman | 5 | 1983, 1984, 1986, 1988, 1989 |
| Central Arkansas | 3 | 1984, 1985, 1991 |
| Central State (OH) | 3 | 1990, 1992, 1995 |
| Sioux Falls | 3 | 2006, 2008, 2009 |
| 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 |
| 2 | 2000, 2001 | |
| 2 | 2012, 2015 | |
| 2 | 2016, 2017 | |
| Montana State | 1 | 1956 |
| Saint Joseph's (IN) | 1 | 1956 |
| Lenoir–Rhyne | 1 | 1960 |
| Concordia–Moorhead | 1 | 1964 |
| Sam Houston State | 1 | 1964 |
| 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 |
| Cameron | 1 | 1987 |
| East Central (OK) | 1 | 1993 |
| Southwestern Oklahoma | 1 | 1996 |
| Findlay (OH) | 1 | 1997 |
| Azusa Pacific | 1 | 1998 |
| Northwestern Oklahoma | 1 | 1999 |
| 1 | 2011 | |
| 1 | 2013 | |
| 1 | 2014 | |
| 1 | 2020 | |
| 1 | 2022 | |
| 1 | 2023 | |