# 1970 NAIA Division I football season

The 1970 NAIA Division I football season was the 15th season of college football sponsored by the NAIA. It was also the first of twenty-seven seasons that the NAIA split its football competition into two separate championships.
The season was played from August to November 1970 and culminated in the 1970 NAIA Champion Bowl, played on December 12, 1970 at Sirrine Stadium in Greenville, South Carolina.
Texas A&I defeated Wofford in the Champion Bowl, 48–7, to win their third NAIA national title.

## Conference realignment
### Membership changes

| Team | 1969 conference | 1970 conference |
| Eastern Oregon | Oregon | Evergreen |
| Oregon College | Oregon | Evergreen |
| Oregon Tech | Oregon | Evergreen |
| Southern Oregon | Oregon | Evergreen |

## Conference standings

1970 Arkansas Intercollegiate Conference football standings :
| 1970 Arkansas Intercollegiate Conference football standings vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T No. 15 Ouachita Baptist + 5 –1 –08 –2 –0 Arkansas Tech + 5 –1 –08 –3 –0 Southern Arkansas 4 –2 –05 –5 –0 Harding 3 –3 –05 –5 –0 Henderson State 2 –4 –05 –5 –0 State College of Arkansas 1 –5 –02 –8 –0 Arkansas A&M 1 –5 –01 –9 –0 + – Conference co-championsRankings from NAIA Division I poll | 1970 Carolinas Conference football standings vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T Presbyterian $ 5 –0 –08 –3 –0 Lenoir Rhyne 4 –1 –07 –4 –0 Catawba 2 –3 –05 –5 –0 Elon 2 –3 –03 –7 –0 Newberry 1 –4 –04 –7 –0 Guilford 1 –4 –02 –8 –0 $ – Conference champion | 1970 Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association football standings vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T Northern Morgan State x 5 –0 –08 –2 –0 No. 16 Virginia State y$ 5 –1 –08 –2 –0 Delaware State 4 –1 –06 –2 –0 Howard 3 –2 –07 –2 –0 Saint Paul's (VA) 1 –1 –03 –5 –0 Norfolk State 2 –3 –03 –6 –0 Virginia Union 1 –4 –03 –6 –0 Maryland Eastern Shore 1 –5 –01 –8 –0 Hampton 0 –5 –00 –9 –0 Southern No. 17 Johnson C. Smith xy 6 –0 –08 –2 –0 Elizabeth City State 4 –1 –06 –3 –0 North Carolina Central 3 –1 –05 –4 –0 Shaw 3 –2 –13 –5 –1 Fayetteville State 1 –3 –13 –5 –1 Livingstone 1 –4 –02 –7 –0 Winston-Salem State 1 –5 –03 –5 –0 North Carolina A&T 0 –3 –04 –6 –0 Championship: Virginia State 32, Johnson C. Smith 14 $ – Conference championx – Division champion/co-championsy – Championship game participantRankings from NAIA Division I poll |
| 1970 Evergreen Conference football standings vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T Central Washington $ 5 –0 –07 –3 –0 Western Washington 5 –1 –05 –5 –0 Oregon College 4 –2 –05 –5 –0 Eastern Washington 3 –4 –04 –6 –0 Eastern Oregon 2 –3 –05 –4 –0 Whitworth 2 –3 –02 –7 –0 Southern Oregon 1 –5 –01 –9 –0 Oregon Tech 0 –4 –00 –9 –0 $ – Conference champion | 1970 Lone Star Conference football standings vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T No. 1/7 Texas A&I $^ 8 –1 –011 –1 –0 No. NR / T–20 Sam Houston State 7 –2 –08 –2 –1 Sul Ross 6 –3 –07 –3 –0 Angelo State 6 –3 –06 –4 –0 Southwest Texas State 4 –5 –06 –5 –0 Howard Payne 4 –5 –05 –5 –0 East Texas State 4 –5 –05 –6 –0 McMurry 4 –5 –05 –6 –0 Tarleton State 1 –8 –01 –8 –0 Stephen F. Austin 1 –8 –01 –9 –0 $ – Conference champion^ – NAIA Division I playoff participantRankings from NAIA Division I poll and AP small college poll | 1970 Mid-South Athletic Conference football standings vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T No. 2 Jacksonville State $ 5 –0 –010 –0 –0 Tennessee–Martin 4 –1 –07 –3 –0 Troy State 3 –2 –06 –4 –1 Delta State 2 –3 –03 –6 –1 Florence State 1 –4 –05 –5 –0 Livingston 0 –5 –04 –5 –0 $ – Conference championRankings from NAIA Division I poll |
| 1970 Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference football standings vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T Concordia–Moorhead $ 6 –1 –07 –2 –1 No. 14 Gustavus Adolphus 5 –2 –08 –2 –0 Saint John's (MN) 5 –2 –06 –3 –0 Minnesota–Duluth 4 –2 –17 –2 –1 Hamline 3 –4 –06 –4 –0 Macalester 2 –4 –13 –5 –1 Augsburg 1 –6 –01 –8 –0 St. Thomas (MN) 1 –6 –01 –9 –0 $ – Conference championRankings from NAIA Division I poll | 1970 Northern Intercollegiate Conference football standings vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T Michigan Tech + 5 –1 –08 –1 –0 Minnesota Morris + 5 –1 –07 –2 –0 St. Cloud State + 5 –1 –06 –3 –0 Moorhead State 3 –3 –04 –4 –1 Winona State 1 –5 –02 –7 –0 Bemidji State 1 –5 –01 –8 –0 Southwest State (MN) 1 –5 –01 –8 –0 + – Conference co-champions | 1970 Northwest Conference football standings vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T No. 8 Linfield $ 6 –0 –08 –1 –0 Pacific Lutheran 4 –2 –06 –3 –0 Lewis & Clark 4 –2 –05 –4 –0 Willamette 3 –3 –04 –4 –0 Whitman 3 –3 –04 –5 –0 College of Idaho 1 –5 –02 –7 –0 Pacific (OR) 0 –6 –00 –8 –0 $ – Conference championRankings from NAIA Division I poll |
| 1970 Oklahoma Collegiate Conference football standings vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T No. 9 SW Oklahoma State $ 7 –0 –18 –1 –1 No. 10 Northeastern State 6 –1 –18 –1 –1 No. 11 Central State (OK) 6 –2 –09 –2 –0 Cameron 6 –2 –08 –2 –1 East Central 4 –4 –06 –4 –0 NW Oklahoma State 2 –5 –14 –5 –1 Panhandle 2 –6 –04 –7 –0 Langston 1 –7 –01 –10 –0 SE Oklahoma State 0 –7 –10 –9 –1 $ – Conference championRankings from NAIA Division I poll | 1970 Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference football standings vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T Mountain Division Western New Mexico xy 5 –1 –05 –4 –0 Southern Utah x 5 –1 –06 –3 –0 Adams State 4 –2 –04 –3 –2 Westminster (UT) 3 –3 –04 –6 –0 Western State (CO) 2 –4 –02 –7 –0 Fort Lewis 1 –5 –01 –8 –0 Colorado Mines 1 –5 –01 –9 –0 Plains Division No. 20 Pittsburg State xy$ 4 –1 –09 –2 –0 Northern Colorado x 4 –1 –07 –2 –0 Nebraska–Omaha 4 –2 –04 –5 –1 Fort Hays State 2 –3 –05 –5 –0 Southern Colorado 1 –4 –04 –5 –0 Emporia State 1 –4 –01 –8 –0 Washburn * 0 –0 –05 –3 –2 Championship: Pittsburg State 52, Western New Mexico 6 $ – Conference championx – Division champion/co-championsy – Championship game participant * – Washburn was ineligible for conference title Rankings from NAIA Division I poll | 1970 South Dakota Intercollegiate Conference football standings vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T Black Hills State + 5 –1 –08 –2 –0 Northern State + 5 –1 –06 –4 –0 South Dakota Tech + 5 –1 –05 –4 –0 Dakota State 3 –3 –05 –4 –0 Dakota Wesleyan 2 –4 –03 –6 –0 Huron 1 –5 –0 ? – ? – ? Southern State (SD) 0 –6 –0 ? – ? – ? $ – Conference champion |
| 1970 Southwestern Athletic Conference football standings vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T No. 7/9 Alcorn A&M $ 6 –0 –08 –1 –0 No. 13/16 Grambling 5 –1 –09 –2 –0 Texas Southern 4 –2 –06 –3 –0 Southern 2 –3 –15 –5 –1 Prairie View A&M 2 –3 –14 –5 –1 Jackson State 1 –5 –04 –7 –0 Mississippi Valley State 0 –6 –01 –8 –0 $ – Conference championRankings from NAIA Division I poll and AP small college poll | 1970 West Virginia Intercollegiate Athletic Conference football standings vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T No. 6 West Liberty State $ 7 –0 –18 –1 –1 No. 12 Bluefield State 5 –1 –07 –1 –0 Salem 5 –3 –15 –3 –1 West Virginia State 4 –3 –04 –5 –0 Shepherd 2 –2 –05 –5 –0 Glenville State 4 –4 –04 –5 –0 Concord 3 –4 –03 –6 –0 Fairmont State 2 –4 –04 –6 –0 West Virginia Wesleyan 0 –5 –10 –7 –1 West Virginia Tech 0 –6 –11 –7 –1 $ – Conference championConference standings based on power ratingsRankings from NAIA Division I poll | 1970 Wisconsin State University Conference football standings vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T No. 3 Platteville State $^ 8 –0 –010 –1 –0 Eau Claire State 5 –3 –06 –4 –0 Whitewater State 5 –3 –06 –4 –0 Oshkosh State 5 –3 –05 –5 –0 Superior State 5 –3 –05 –5 –0 La Crosse State 4 –3 –15 –4 –1 Stout State 2 –6 –03 –7 –0 Stevens Point State 1 –6 –11 –8 –1 River Falls State 0 –8 –01 –8 –0 $ – Conference champion^ – NAIA Division I playoff participantRankings from NAIA Division I poll |
| 1970 NAIA Division I independents football records vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T No. 4/6 Wofford ^   –  11 –1 –0 No. 18/NR Hillsdale   –  9 –2 –0 No. 5/NR New Mexico Highlands ^   –  9 –2 –0 No. 19/19 Eastern Michigan   –  7 –2 –1 La Verne   –  5 –4 –0 Appalachian State   –  6 –5 –0 Carson–Newman   –  4 –6 –0 Kentucky State   –  3 –6 –0 Eastern New Mexico   –  2 –8 –0 $ – Conference champion^ – NAIA Division I playoff participantRankings from NAIA Division I poll and AP small college poll |

## Postseason

| Semifinals November 28, 1970 | Semifinals November 28, 1970 | Semifinals November 28, 1970 | 1970 Champion Bowl December 12, 1970 Greenville, SC | 1970 Champion Bowl December 12, 1970 Greenville, SC | 1970 Champion Bowl December 12, 1970 Greenville, SC |
| Platteville State | Platteville State | 0 | | | |
| Texas A&I* | Texas A&I* | 16 | | | |
| Texas A&I* | Texas A&I* | 16 | Texas A&I | Texas A&I | 48 |
| | | | Wofford | Wofford | *7 |
| New Mexico Highlands | New Mexico Highlands | 23 | Wofford | Wofford | *7 |
| Wofford* | Wofford* | 28 | | | |