# 1987 NAIA Division I football season

The 1987 NAIA Division I football season was the 32nd season of college football sponsored by the NAIA, was the 18th season of play of the NAIA's top division for football.
The season was played from August to November 1987 and culminated in the 1987 NAIA Champion Bowl playoffs and the 1987 NAIA Champion Bowl, played this year on December 19, 1987 at Cameron Stadium in Lawton, Oklahoma, on the campus of Cameron University.
Cameron defeated Carson–Newman in the Champion Bowl (a re-match of the previous year's final, won by the Eagles), 30–2, to win their first NAIA national title.

## Conference realignment
### Conference changes

* This was the final season that the NAIA officially recognized the football champion from the Central States Intercollegiate Conference (CSIC). The CSIC played one more season as part of the NAIA before disbanding.

## Conference standings

1987 Arkansas Intercollegiate Conference football standings :
| 1987 Arkansas Intercollegiate Conference football standings vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T No. 2 Central Arkansas $^ 6 –0 –011 –1 –0 Southern Arkansas 3 –2 –15 –4 –1 No. 22 Harding 3 –3 –06 –4 –0 No. 25 Henderson State 3 –3 –05 –5 –0 No. 21 Arkansas–Monticello 2 –4 –06 –4 –0 Ouachita Baptist 2 –4 –04 –4 –1 Arkansas Tech 1 –4 –12 –7 –1 $ – Conference champion^ – NAIA Division I playoff participantRankings from NAIA Division I poll | 1987 Central States Intercollegiate Conference football standings vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T No. 1 Pittsburg State $^ 7 –0 –011 –1 –0 No. 24 Washburn 5 –2 –06 –5 –0 No. 12 Emporia State 4 –3 –07 –3 –0 Kearney State 4 –3 –04 –5 –0 Fort Hays State 3 –4 –04 –6 –0 Missouri Southern 3 –4 –03 –7 –0 Wayne State (NE) 1 –5 –11 –8 –1 Missouri Western 0 –6 –11 –9 –1 $ – Conference champion^ – NAIA Division I playoff participantRankings from NAIA Division I poll | 1987 Columbia Football League standings vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T Northern Division No. 8 Central Washington * x 5 –1 –07 –3 –0 No. 6 Pacific Lutheran ^ 4 –1 –111 –1 –1 No. 17 Puget Sound 4 –2 –06 –3 –0 Simon Fraser 4 –2 –04 –6 –0 Western Washington 2 –3 –14 –3 –2 Whitworth 1 –5 –03 –6 –0 Lewis & Clark 0 –6 –00 –9 –0 Southern Division Oregon Tech x 5 –1 –05 –4 –0 No. 15 Southern Oregon * 4 –2 –07 –4 –0 Linfield 4 –2 –05 –4 –0 Pacific (OR) 3 –2 –14 –3 –2 Western Oregon 3 –3 –05 –4 –0 Willamette 1 –4 –13 –5 –1 Eastern Oregon 0 –6 –01 –8 –0 x – Division champion/co-champions * – NAIA Division I playoff participant ^ – NAIA Division II playoff participant Rankings from NAIA Division I poll for Central Washington, Puget Sound, and Southern Oregon and NAIA Division II poll for Pacific Lutheran |
| 1987 Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference football standings vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T No. 5 Northern Michigan $^ 4 –0 –010 –2 –0 Grand Valley State 4 –1 –07 –4 –0 Hillsdale 2 –3 –06 –5 –0 Saginaw Valley State 2 –3 –05 –5 –0 Ferris State 2 –3 –04 –7 –0 Wayne State (MI) 0 –4 –04 –6 –0 $ – Conference champion^ – NCAA Division II playoff participantRankings from NCAA Division II Football Committee poll | 1987 Northern Intercollegiate Conference football standings vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T Minnesota Morris $ 5 –1 –07 –3 –0 No. 14 Southwest State (MN) 4 –1 –17 –4 –1 No. 16 Moorhead State ^ 4 –2 –09 –3 –0 Northern State 4 –2 –07 –4 –0 Winona State 2 –4 –03 –8 –0 Bemidji State 0 –5 –12 –7 –1 Minnesota Duluth 0 –6 –00 –11 –0 $ – Conference champion^ – NAIA Division I playoff participant Minnesota Duluth forfeited 8 wins including 5 conference wins, over Minnesota Morris, Moorhead State, Northern State, Winona State, and Bemidji State.Rankings from NAIA Division I poll | 1987 Oklahoma Intercollegiate Conference football standings vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T No. 10 Northeastern State +^ 3 –1 –08 –3 –0 East Central + 3 –1 –05 –5 –0 No. 13 NW Oklahoma State ^ 2 –2 –07 –4 –0 SE Oklahoma State 2 –2 –04 –5 –2 SW Oklahoma State 0 –4 –03 –7 –0 + – Conference co-champions^ – NAIA Division I playoff participantRankings from NAIA Division I poll |
| 1987 Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference football standings vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T No. 4 Mesa $^ 6 –0 –011 –1 –0 Adams State * 4 –2 –05 –6 –0 No. 20 New Mexico Highlands 3 –2 –15 –3 –1 Western New Mexico 3 –3 –05 –5 –0 Fort Lewis 3 –3 –03 –6 –0 Western State (CO) 1 –5 –02 –8 –0 Colorado Mines 0 –5 –13 –5 –1 $ – Conference champion^ – NAIA Division I playoff participant * – Adams State forfeited three victories including a conference win over Western New MexicoRankings from NAIA Division I poll | 1987 South Atlantic Conference football standings vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T No. 6 Gardner–Webb $^ 6 –1 –011 –2 –0 No. 11 Presbyterian ^ 5 –2 –08 –5 –0 No. 9 Carson–Newman ^ 4 –3 –010 –4 –0 No. 19 Elon 4 –3 –06 –4 –0 Lenoir–Rhyne 3 –4 –07 –4 –0 Newberry 3 –4 –04 –7 –0 Catawba 2 –5 –04 –7 –0 Mars Hill 1 –6 –03 –8 –0 $ – Conference champion^ – NAIA Division I playoff participantRankings from NAIA Division I poll | 1987 West Virginia Intercollegiate Athletic Conference football standings vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T No. 5 Concord $^ 7 –0 –010 –1 –0 No. 18 Fairmont State 5 –2 –07 –3 –0 West Liberty State 4 –3 –06 –4 –0 Shepherd 3 –4 –06 –4 –0 Glenville State 3 –4 –04 –5 –1 West Virginia Tech 3 –4 –04 –6 –0 Salem 3 –4 –03 –6 –0 West Virginia State 0 –7 –00 –10 –0 $ – Conference champion^ – NAIA Division I playoff participant West Virginia State forfeited a shared of the conference title, one tie, and eight victories, including six conference wins, over Concord, Fairmont State, West Liberty, Salem, Glenville State, and West Virginia Tech.Rankings from NAIA Division I poll |
| 1987 NAIA Division I independents football records vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T No. 3 Central State (OH) ^   –  10 –1 –1 No. 7 Cameron ^   –  11 –2 –0 No. 23 Arkansas–Pine Bluff   –  7 –4 –0 West Virginia Wesleyan   –  6 –4 –0 Central State (OK)   –  2 –8 –0 Guilford   –  2 –8 –0 Wofford   –  1 –10 –0 Langston   –  0 –10 –0 ^ – NAIA Division I playoff participantRankings from NAIA Division I poll |

## Conference champions

| Conference | Champion | Record |
| Arkansas | Central Arkansas | 6–0 |
| Central States | Pittsburg State | 7–0 |
| NIC | Minnesota–Duluth | 5–1 |
| Oklahoma | Northeastern State East Central | 3–1 |
| RMAC | Mesa | 6–0 |
| South Atlantic | Gardner–Webb | 6–1 |
| WVIAC | Concord (WV) | 7–1 |

## Postseason
### Format

* After nine seasons of an eight-team bracket, the tournament field expanded to sixteen. In turn, the playoffs began during the month of November for the first time since 1975.

### Bracket

| First Round November 28, 1987 Campus sites | First Round November 28, 1987 Campus sites | First Round November 28, 1987 Campus sites | Quarterfinals December 5, 1987 Campus sites | Quarterfinals December 5, 1987 Campus sites | Quarterfinals December 5, 1987 Campus sites | Semifinals December 12, 1987 Campus sites | Semifinals December 12, 1987 Campus sites | Semifinals December 12, 1987 Campus sites | | 1987 Champion Bowl December 19, 1987 Lawton, OK | 1987 Champion Bowl December 19, 1987 Lawton, OK | 1987 Champion Bowl December 19, 1987 Lawton, OK |
| Central Washington | Central Washington | 14 | | | | | | | | | | |
| Southern Oregon* | Southern Oregon* | 21 | | | | | | | | | | |
| Southern Oregon* | Southern Oregon* | 21 | Southern Oregon | Southern Oregon | 7 | | | | | | | |
| | | | Mesa State* | Mesa State* | 38 | | | | | | | |
| Mesa | Mesa | 49 | Mesa State* | Mesa State* | 38 | | | | | | | |
| Southwest State (MN)* | Southwest State (MN)* | 7 | | | | | | | | | | |
| Southwest State (MN)* | Southwest State (MN)* | 7 | | | | Mesa State | Mesa State | 7 | | | | |
| | | | | | | Carson–Newman* | Carson–Newman* | 21 | | | | |
| Moorhead State | Moorhead State | 7 | | | | | | | Carson–Newman* | Carson–Newman* | 21 | | | | |
| Gardner–Webb* | Gardner–Webb* | 27 | | | | | | | | | | |
| Gardner–Webb* | Gardner–Webb* | 27 | Gardner–Webb | Gardner–Webb | 24 | | | | | | | |
| | | | Carson–Newman* | Carson–Newman* | 27 | | | | | | | |
| Carson–Newman | Carson–Newman | 26 | Carson–Newman* | Carson–Newman* | 27 | | | | | | | |
| Central State (OH)* | Central State (OH)* | 13 | | | | | | | | | | |
| Central State (OH)* | Central State (OH)* | 13 | | | | | | | | Carson–Newman | Carson–Newman | 2 |
| | | | | | | | | | | Cameron* | Cameron* | 30 |
| NW Oklahoma State | NW Oklahoma State | 7 | | | | | | | | | | | Cameron* | Cameron* | 30 |
| Central Arkansas* | Central Arkansas* | 31 | | | | | | | | | | |
| Central Arkansas* | Central Arkansas* | 31 | Central Arkansas | Central Arkansas | 7 | | | | | | | |
| | | | Cameron* | Cameron* | 14 | | | | | | | |
| Emporia State | Emporia State | 12 | Cameron* | Cameron* | 14 | | | | | | | |
| Cameron* | Cameron* | 17 | | | | | | | | | | |
| Cameron* | Cameron* | 17 | | | | Cameron | Cameron | 20 | | | | |
| | | | | | | Pittsburg State* | Pittsburg State* | 10 | | | | |
| Concord | Concord | 0 | | | | | | | Pittsburg State* | Pittsburg State* | 10 | | | | |
| Presbyterian* | Presbyterian* | 41 | | | | | | | | | | |
| Presbyterian* | Presbyterian* | 41 | Presbyterian | Presbyterian | 21 | | | | | | | |
| | | | Pittsburg State* | Pittsburg State* | 42 | | | | | | | |
| Northeastern State | Northeastern State | 0 | Pittsburg State* | Pittsburg State* | 42 | | | | | | | |
| Pittsburg State* | Pittsburg State* | 57 | | | | | | | | | | |