# NAIA Football National Championship

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.
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.

## Game name

Over the years, the NAIA championship games were played under a variety of names:
* Aluminum Bowl (1956)
* Holiday Bowl (1957–1960)
* Camellia Bowl (1961–1963)
* Champion Bowl (1964–1976 and 1980–1996, Division I games only)
* Apple Bowl (1977, Division I game only)
* Palm Bowl (1978–1979, Division I games only)

## Results

| Season | Date | Champion | Score | Runner-up | Location | Winning head coach(es) |
| 1956 | December 22, 1956 | Montana State Saint Joseph's (IN) | 0–0 | | Little Rock, Arkansas | Tony Storti Bob Jauron |
| 1957 | December 21, 1957 | Pittsburg State | 27–26 | Hillsdale | Saint Petersburg, Florida | Carnie Smith |
| 1958 | December 20, 1958 | Northeastern State | 19–13 | Arizona State–Flagstaff | Saint Petersburg, Florida | Harold "Tuffy" Stratton |
| 1959 | December 19, 1959 | Texas A&I | 20–7 | Lenoir–Rhyne | Saint Petersburg, Florida | Gil Steinke |
| 1960 | December 17, 1960 | Lenoir–Rhyne | 15–14 | Humboldt State | Saint Petersburg, Florida | Clarence Stasavich |
| 1961 | December 9, 1961 | Pittsburg State | 12–7 | Linfield | Sacramento, California | Carnie Smith |
| 1962 | December 8, 1962 | Central State (OK) | 28–13 | Lenoir–Rhyne | Sacramento, California | Al Blevins |
| 1963 | December 14, 1963 | Saint John's (MN) | 33–27 | Prairie View A&M | Sacramento, California | John Gagliardi |
| 1964 | December 12, 1964 | Concordia (MN) Sam Houston State | 7–7 | | Augusta, Georgia | Jake Christiansen Paul Pierce |
| 1965 | December 11, 1965 | Saint John's (MN) | 33–0 | Linfield | Augusta, Georgia | John Gagliardi |
| 1966 | December 10, 1966 | Waynesburg | 42–21 | Wisconsin–Whitewater | Tulsa, Oklahoma | Carl DePasqua |
| 1967 | December 9, 1967 | Fairmont State | 28–21 | Eastern Washington | Morgantown, West Virginia | Harold "Deacon" Duvall |
| 1968 | December 14, 1968 | Troy State | 43–35 | Texas A&I | Montgomery, Alabama | Billy Atkins |
| 1969 | December 13, 1969 | Texas A&I | 32–7 | Concordia (MN) | Kingsville, Texas | Gil Steinke |
| 1970 | December 12, 1970 | Texas A&I | 48–7 | Wofford | Greenville, South Carolina | Gil Steinke |
| 1971 | December 11, 1971 | Livingston | 14–12 | Arkansas Tech | Birmingham, Alabama | Mickey Andrews |
| 1972 | December 9, 1972 | East Texas State | 21–18 | Carson–Newman | Commerce, Texas | Ernest Hawkins |
| 1973 | December 8, 1973 | Abilene Christian | 42–14 | Elon | Shreveport, Louisiana | Wally Bullington |
| 1974 | December 14, 1974 | Texas A&I | 34–23 | Henderson State | Kingsville, Texas | Gil Steinke |
| 1975 | December 13, 1975 | Texas A&I | 37–0 | Salem | Kingsville, Texas | Gil Steinke |
| 1976 | December 11, 1976 | Texas A&I | 26–0 | Central Arkansas | Kingsville, Texas | Gil Steinke |
| 1977 | December 10, 1977 | Abilene Christian | 24–7 | Southwestern Oklahoma State | Seattle, Washington | DeWitt Jones |
| 1978 | December 16, 1978 | Angelo State | 34–14 | Elon | McAllen, Texas | Jim Hess |
| 1979 | December 15, 1979 | Texas A&I | 20–14 | Central State (OK) | McAllen, Texas | Ron Harms |
| 1980 | December 20, 1980 | Elon | 17–10 | Northeastern State | Burlington, North Carolina | Jerry Tolley |
| 1981 | December 19, 1981 | Elon | 3–0 | Pittsburg State | Burlington, North Carolina | Jerry Tolley |
| 1982 | December 18, 1982 | Central State (OK) | 14–11 | Mesa State | Edmond, Oklahoma | Gary Howard |
| 1983 | December 17, 1983 | Carson–Newman | 36–28 | Mesa State | Grand Junction, Colorado | Ken Sparks |
| 1984 | December 15, 1984 | Carson–Newman Central Arkansas | 19–19 | | Conway, Arkansas | Ken Sparks Harold Horton |
| 1985 | December 21, 1985 | Hillsdale Central Arkansas | 10–10 | | Conway, Arkansas | Dick Lowry Harold Horton |
| 1986 | December 20, 1986 | Carson–Newman | 17–0 | Cameron | Jefferson City, Tennessee | Ken Sparks |
| 1987 | December 19, 1987 | Cameron | 30–2 | Carson–Newman | Lawton, Oklahoma | Brian Naber |
| 1988 | December 17, 1988 | Carson–Newman | 56–21 | Adams State | Jefferson City, Tennessee | Ken Sparks |
| 1989 | December 16, 1989 | Carson–Newman | 34–20 | Emporia State | Jefferson City, Tennessee | Ken Sparks |
| 1990 | December 8, 1990 | Central State (OH) | 38–16 | Mesa State | Grand Junction, Colorado | Billy Joe |
| 1991 | December 14, 1991 | Central Arkansas | 19–16 | Central State (OH) | Wilberforce, Ohio | Mike Isom |
| 1992 | December 12, 1992 | Central State (OH) | 19–16 | Gardner–Webb | Boiling Springs, North Carolina | Billy Joe |
| 1993 | December 11, 1993 | East Central | 49–35 | Glenville State | Ada, Oklahoma | Hank Walbrick |
| 1994 | December 10, 1994 | Northeastern State | 13–12 | Arkansas–Pine Bluff | Pine Bluff, Arkansas | Tom Eckert |
| 1995 | December 2, 1995 | Central State (OH) | 37–7 | Northeastern State | Tahlequah, Oklahoma | Rick Comegy |
| 1996 | December 7, 1996 | Southwestern Oklahoma State | 33–31 | Montana Tech | Weatherford, Oklahoma | Paul Sharp |
| 1997 | December 20, 1997 | Findlay | 14–7 | Willamette | Savannah, Tennessee | Dick Strahm |
| 1998 | December 19, 1998 | Azusa Pacific | 17–14 | Olivet Nazarene | Savannah, Tennessee | Vic Shealy |
| 1999 | December 18, 1999 | Northwestern Oklahoma State | 34–26 | Georgetown (KY) | Savannah, Tennessee | Tim Albin |
| 2000 | December 16, 2000 | Georgetown (KY) | 20–0 | Northwestern Oklahoma State | Savannah, Tennessee | Bill Cronin |
| 2001 | December 15, 2001 | Georgetown (KY) | 49–27 | Sioux Falls | Savannah, Tennessee | Bill Cronin |
| 2002 | December 21, 2002 | Carroll (MT) | 28–7 | Georgetown (KY) | Savannah, Tennessee | Mike Van Diest |
| 2003 | December 20, 2003 | Carroll (MT) | 41–28 | Northwestern Oklahoma State | Savannah, Tennessee | Mike Van Diest |
| 2004 | December 18, 2004 | Carroll (MT) | 15–13 (2 OT) | Saint Francis (IN) | Savannah, Tennessee | Mike Van Diest |
| 2005 | December 17, 2005 | Carroll (MT) | 27–10 | Saint Francis (IN) | Savannah, Tennessee | Mike Van Diest |
| 2006 | December 16, 2006 | Sioux Falls | 23–19 | Saint Francis (IN) | Savannah, Tennessee | Kalen DeBoer |
| 2007 | December 15, 2007 | Carroll (MT) | 17–9 | Sioux Falls | Savannah, Tennessee | Mike Van Diest |
| 2008 | December 20, 2008 | Sioux Falls | 23–7 | Carroll (MT) | Rome, Georgia | Kalen DeBoer |
| 2009 | December 19, 2009 | Sioux Falls | 25–22 | Lindenwood | Rome, Georgia | Kalen DeBoer |
| 2010 | December 18, 2010 | Carroll (MT) | 10–7 | Sioux Falls | Rome, Georgia | Mike Van Diest |
| 2011 | December 17, 2011 | Saint Xavier | 24–20 | Carroll (MT) | Rome, Georgia | Mike Feminis |
| 2012 | December 13, 2012 | Marian (IN) | 30–27 (OT) | Morningside | Rome, Georgia | Ted Karras Jr. |
| 2013 | December 21, 2013 | Grand View | 35–23 | Cumberlands (KY) | Rome, Georgia | Mike Woodley |
| 2014 | December 19, 2014 | Southern Oregon | 55–31 | Marian (IN) | Daytona Beach, Florida | Craig Howard |
| 2015 | December 19, 2015 | Marian (IN) | 31–14 | Southern Oregon | Daytona Beach, Florida | Mark Henninger |
| 2016 | December 17, 2016 | Saint Francis (IN) | 38–17 | Baker | Daytona Beach, Florida | Kevin Donley |
| 2017 | December 16, 2017 | Saint Francis (IN) | 24–13 | Reinhardt | Daytona Beach, Florida | Kevin Donley |
| 2018 | December 15, 2018 | Morningside | 35–28 | Benedictine | Daytona Beach, Florida | Steve Ryan |
| 2019 | December 21, 2019 | Morningside | 40–38 | Marian (IN) | Grambling, Louisiana | Steve Ryan |
| 2020 | May 10, 2021 | Lindsey Wilson | 45–13 | Northwestern (IA) | Grambling, Louisiana | Chris Oliver |
| 2021 | December 18, 2021 | Morningside | 38–28 | Grand View | Durham, North Carolina | Steve Ryan |
| 2022 | December 17, 2022 | Northwestern (IA) | 35–25 | Keiser | Durham, North Carolina | Matt McCarty |
| 2023 | December 18, 2023 | Keiser | 31–21 | Northwestern (IA) | Durham, North Carolina | Doug Socha |
* ↑ Not to be confused with the NCAA Division I bowl of the same name.
* ↑ Not to be confused with the NCAA Division I bowl of the same name.
* 1 2 3 4 Game ended in a tie with both teams as co-champions.
* ↑ Game played in spring 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

## Championships by school

* NAIA Division II titles are not included in this list.
* Programs that no longer compete in NAIA are indicated in italics with a pink background.
| 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, 1986, 1988, 1989 |
| Central Arkansas | 3 | 1984, 1985, 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 |
| 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 |
| Saint Xavier | 1 | 2011 |
| Grand View | 1 | 2013 |
| Southern Oregon | 1 | 2014 |
| Lindsey Wilson | 1 | 2020 |
| Northwestern (IA) | 1 | 2022 |
| Keiser | 1 | 2023 |
* 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Shared title