# 1971 NAIA Division I football season

The 1971 NAIA Division I football season was the 16th season of college football sponsored by the NAIA and the second season of the league's two-division structure. The season was played from August to November 1971 and culminated in the 1971 NAIA Champion Bowl, played on December 11, 1971 at Legion Field in Birmingham, Alabama. Livingston defeated Arkansas Tech in the Champion Bowl, 14–12, to win their first NAIA national title.

## Conference standings

1971 Arkansas Intercollegiate Conference football standings :
| 1971 Arkansas Intercollegiate Conference football standings vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T No. 2 Arkansas Tech $^ 6 –0 –012 –1 –0 Southern Arkansas 5 –1 –09 –2 –0 Ouachita Baptist 4 –2 –07 –3 –0 Harding 2 –4 –05 –5 –0 Arkansas–Monticello 2 –4 –03 –7 –0 Henderson State 1 –4 –14 –4 –1 State College of Arkansas 0 –5 –12 –6 –1 $ – Conference champion^ – NAIA Division I playoff participantRankings from NAIA Division I poll | 1971 Carolinas Conference football standings vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T Elon $ 5 –0 –08 –3 –0 Newberry 3 –1 –18 –2 –1 Presbyterian 3 –2 –08 –3 –0 Catawba 2 –3 –05 –6 –0 Lenoir Rhyne 1 –3 –12 –7 –1 Guilford 0 –5 –00 –10 –0 $ – Conference champion | 1971 Evergreen Conference football standings vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T Western Washington $ 6 –0 –07 –3 –0 Oregon College 4 –2 –08 –2 –0 Eastern Washington 3 –2 –05 –5 –0 Eastern Oregon 3 –3 –04 –6 –0 Central Washington 2 –3 –04 –6 –0 Southern Oregon 1 –4 –02 –8 –0 Oregon Tech 0 –5 –01 –8 –0 $ – Conference champion |
| 1971 Gulf South Conference football standings vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T No. 1 Livingston +^ 5 –1 –011 –1 –0 Troy State + 5 –1 –06 –3 –0 Jacksonville State 3 –2 –06 –3 –0 Tennessee–Martin 3 –3 –05 –5 –0 Delta State 2 –4 –03 –5 –1 Florence State 0 –6 –01 –10 –0 Southeastern Louisiana 0 –6 –00 –11 –0 + – Conference co-champions^ – NAIA Division I playoff participantRankings from NAIA Division I poll | 1971 Lone Star Conference football standings vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T No. 3 Howard Payne + 7 –1 –110 –1 –1 No. 4 Southwest Texas State + 7 –1 –18 –1 –1 No. 13 Texas A&I 7 –2 –07 –3 –0 Angelo State 6 –3 –07 –3 –0 East Texas State 5 –4 –06 –5 –0 Sul Ross 3 –6 –04 –6 –1 Sam Houston State 3 –6 –04 –7 –0 Tarleton State 2 –7 –03 –7 –0 McMurry 2 –7 –02 –8 –0 Stephen F. Austin 2 –7 –02 –8 –0 + – Conference co-championsRankings from NAIA Division I poll | 1971 Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference football standings vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T No. 7 Saint John's (MN) + 6 –1 –08 –1 –0 Gustavus Adolphus + 6 –1 –06 –4 –0 Minnesota–Duluth 5 –2 –06 –3 –1 Concordia-Moorhead 4 –3 –07 –3 –0 Hamline 4 –3 –07 –3 –0 St. Thomas (MN) 2 –5 –03 –7 –0 Macalester 1 –6 –01 –7 –1 Augsburg 0 –7 –01 –8 –0 + – Conference co-championsRankings from NAIA Division I poll |
| 1971 Nebraska College Conference football standings vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T Wayne State (NE) $ 3 –0 –04 –5 –0 Kearney State 2 –1 –05 –3 –1 Chadron State 1 –2 –05 –4 –0 Peru State 0 –3 –01 –9 –0 $ – Conference champion | 1971 Northern Intercollegiate Conference football standings vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T Moorhead State $ 6 –0 –07 –1 –1 Michigan Tech 5 –1 –08 –1 –0 Minnesota Morris 3 –2 –14 –4 –1 Bemidji State 3 –2 –13 –5 –1 St. Cloud State 2 –4 –02 –7 –0 Winona State 1 –5 –01 –9 –0 Southwest State (MN) 0 –6 –00 –10 –0 $ – Conference champion | 1971 Oklahoma Collegiate Conference football standings vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T No. 12 SW Oklahoma State $ 7 –1 –08 –2 –0 Central State (OK) 5 –2 –17 –2 –1 Cameron 5 –2 –17 –3 –2 Northeastern State 5 –3 –07 –4 –0 NW Oklahoma State 5 –3 –07 –4 –0 East Central 3 –5 –03 –7 –0 Panhandle 2 –6 –05 –6 –0 Langston 2 –6 –02 –9 –0 SE Oklahoma State 1 –7 –01 –10 –0 $ – Conference championRankings from NAIA Division I poll |
| 1971 Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference football standings vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T Mountain Division Western State (CO) x 5 –1 –06 –2 –1 Adams State xy 5 –1 –05 –5 –0 Southern Utah 3 –3 –05 –5 –0 Western New Mexico 3 –3 –03 –5 –0 Colorado Mines 2 –4 –02 –8 –0 Westminster (UT) 2 –4 –04 –4 –0 Fort Lewis 1 –5 –02 –7 –0 Plains Division Northern Colorado xy$ 5 –0 –08 –1 –1 Pittsburg State 3 –1 –18 –1 –1 Nebraska–Omaha 2 –2 –15 –4 –1 Emporia State 1 –3 –13 –6 –1 Fort Hays State 1 –3 –12 –7 –1 Southern Colorado 1 –4 –04 –6 –0 Washburn * 0 –0 –05 –5 –0 Championship: Northern Colorado 25, Adam State 15 $ – Conference championx – Division champion/co-championsy – Championship game participant * – Washburn was ineligible for conference title | 1971 South Dakota Intercollegiate Conference football standings vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T No. 8 Northern State $^ 5 –0 –08 –1 –1 No. 12 Dakota State 4 –2 –09 –2 –0 South Dakota Tech 3 –2 –13 –4 –1 Huron 2 –2 –2 ? – ? – ? South Dakota–Springfield 3 –3 –04 –5 –0 Black Hills State 1 –3 –12 –6 –1 Dakota Wesleyan 0 –6 –02 –7 –0 $ – Conference champion^ – NAIA Division I playoff participantRankings from NAIA Division I poll for Northern State and NAIA Division II poll for Dakota State | 1971 Southwestern Athletic Conference football standings vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T No. 9 Grambling $ 5 –1 –09 –2 –0 Jackson State 4 –1 –19 –1 –1 No. 16 Alcorn A&M 4 –2 –06 –3 –0 Texas Southern 3 –2 –17 –2 –1 Prairie View A&M 2 –4 –03 –7 –0 Mississippi Valley State 1 –5 –04 –7 –0 Southern 1 –5 –02 –7 –1 $ – Conference championRankings from NAIA Division I poll for Grambling and UPI small college poll for Alcorn A&M |
| 1971 West Virginia Intercollegiate Athletic Conference football standings vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T No. 5 West Liberty State $^ 7 –1 –08 –2 –0 Fairmont State 5 –1 –07 –3 –0 Salem 6 –2 –17 –2 –1 Bluefield State 4 –1 –14 –3 –1 Shepherd 3 –1 –27 –1 –2 Glenville State 4 –3 –14 –5 –0 West Virginia State 2 –5 –02 –8 –0 West Virginia Tech 1 –5 –12 –6 –1 West Virginia Wesleyan 1 –6 –02 –7 –0 Concord 0 –8 –00 –9 –0 $ – Conference champion^ – NAIA Division I playoff participant Conference standings based on power ratingsRankings from NAIA Division I poll | 1971 Wisconsin State University Conference football standings vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T No. 11 Wisconsin–Platteville + 7 –1 –09 –1 –0 No. 14 Wisconsin–La Crosse + 7 –1 –08 –2 –0 Wisconsin–Superior 6 –2 –06 –4 –0 Wisconsin–Eau Claire 4 –4 –06 –4 –0 Wisconsin–Oshkosh 4 –4 –04 –6 –0 Wisconsin–Stout 3 –5 –05 –5 –0 Wisconsin–River Falls 2 –6 –03 –7 –0 Wisconsin–Whitewater 2 –6 –03 –7 –0 Wisconsin–Stevens Point 1 –7 –01 –9 –0 + – Conference co-championsWisconsin–Whitewater forfeited five games.Rankings from NAIA Division I poll | 1971 NAIA Division I independents football records vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T No. 6 Carson–Newman   –  10 –2 –0 Kentucky State   –  8 –2 –0 Wofford   –  6 –4 –0 Hillsdale   –  6 –5 –0 Eastern New Mexico   –  4 –5 –1 New Mexico Highlands   –  1 –8 –1 Rankings from NAIA Division I poll |

## Postseason

| Semifinals November 26–27, 1971 | Semifinals November 26–27, 1971 | Semifinals November 26–27, 1971 | 1971 Champion Bowl December 11, 1971 Birmingham, AL | 1971 Champion Bowl December 11, 1971 Birmingham, AL | 1971 Champion Bowl December 11, 1971 Birmingham, AL |
| Northern State (SD) | Northern State (SD) | 0 | | | |
| Arkansas Tech* | Arkansas Tech* | 24 | | | |
| Arkansas Tech* | Arkansas Tech* | 24 | Arkansas Tech | Arkansas Tech | 12 |
| | | | Livingston* | Livingston* | 14 |
| Livingston | Livingston | 25 | Livingston* | Livingston* | 14 |
| West Liberty State* | West Liberty State* | 2 | | | |