# NAIA Division II football national championship

The NAIA Division II football national championship was a post-season playoff system featuring the best NAIA Division II college football teams in the United States. It was played annually between 1970 and 1996 when NAIA football play was divided into two divisions based on school enrollment size; the NAIA Division I football national championship was played separately. It was typically held at the home field of the higher-seeded team. The championship was discontinued in 1997 after the two divisions were consolidated once again. The singular NAIA football national championship has been held every year since.
Westminster (PA) was the most successful team at the Division II level, winning the national title six times.

## Results

| Season | Date | Champion | Score | Runner-up | Location | Winning head coach(es) |
| 1970 | December 5, 1970 | Westminster (PA) | 21–16 | Anderson (IN) | New Castle, Pennsylvania | Harold Burry |
| 1971 | December 4, 1971 | Cal Lutheran | 30–14 | Westminster (PA) | Thousand Oaks, California | Bob Shoup |
| 1972 | December 2, 1972 | Missouri Southern | 21–14 | Northwestern (IA) | Joplin, Missouri | Jim Frazier |
| 1973 | December 1, 1973 | Northwestern (IA) | 10–3 | Glenville State | Huntington, West Virginia | Larry Korver |
| 1974 | December 7, 1974 | Texas Lutheran | 42–0 | Missouri Valley | Seguin, Texas | Jim Wacker |
| 1975 | December 6, 1975 | Texas Lutheran | 34–8 | Cal Lutheran | Thousand Oaks, California | Jim Wacker |
| 1976 | December 4, 1976 | Westminster (PA) | 20–13 | Redlands | Redlands, California | Joe Fusco |
| 1977 | December 3, 1977 | Westminster (PA) | 17–9 | Cal Lutheran | Thousand Oaks, California | Joe Fusco |
| 1978 | December 9, 1978 | Concordia (MN) | 7–0 | Findlay | Findlay, Ohio | Jim Christopherson |
| 1979 | December 8, 1979 | Findlay | 51–6 | Northwestern (IA) | Findlay, Ohio | Dick Strahm |
| 1980 | December 13, 1980 | Pacific Lutheran | 38–10 | Wilmington | Tacoma, Washington | Frosty Westering |
| 1981 | December 12, 1981 | Austin Concordia (MN) | 24–24 | | Sherman, Texas | Larry Kramer Jim Christopherson |
| 1982 | December 11, 1982 | Linfield | 33–15 | William Jewell | McMinnville, Oregon | Ad Rutschman |
| 1983 | December 10, 1983 | Northwestern (IA) | 25–21 | Pacific Lutheran | Tacoma, Washington | Larry Korver |
| 1984 | December 8, 1984 | Linfield | 33–22 | Northwestern (IA) | McMinnville, Oregon | Ad Rutschman |
| 1985 | December 13, 1985 | Wisconsin–La Crosse | 24–7 | Pacific Lutheran | Tacoma, Washington | Roger Harring |
| 1986 | December 13, 1986 | Linfield | 17–0 | Baker | McMinnville, Oregon | Ad Rutschman |
| 1987 | December 13, 1987 | Pacific Lutheran Wisconsin–Stevens Point (forfeited) | 16–16 | | Tacoma, Washington | Frosty Westering D. J. LeRoy |
| 1988 | December 10, 1988 | Westminster (PA) | 21–14 | Wisconsin–La Crosse | New Wilmington, Pennsylvania | Joe Fusco |
| 1989 | December 16, 1989 | Westminster (PA) | 51–30 | Wisconsin–La Crosse | Canton, Ohio | Joe Fusco |
| 1990 | December 15, 1990 | Peru State | 17–7 | Westminster (PA) | Omaha, Nebraska | Tom Shea |
| 1991 | December 21, 1991 | Georgetown (KY) | 28–20 | Pacific Lutheran | Georgetown, Kentucky | Kevin Donley |
| 1992 | December 19, 1992 | Findlay | 26–13 | Linfield | Portland, Oregon | Dick Strahm |
| 1993 | December 18, 1993 | Pacific Lutheran | 50–20 | Westminster (PA) | Portland, Oregon | Frosty Westering |
| 1994 | December 17, 1994 | Westminster (PA) | 27–7 | Pacific Lutheran | Portland, Oregon | Gene Nicholson |
| 1995 | December 16, 1995 | Central Washington Findlay | 21–21 | | Tacoma, Washington | Jeff Zenisek Dick Strahm |
| 1996 | December 21, 1996 | Sioux Falls | 47–25 | Western Washington | Savannah, Tennessee | Bob Young |
* 1 2 Game ended in a tie with both teams as co-champions.
* ↑ Pacific Lutheran and the Wisconsin–Stevens Point played to a 16–16 tie in the championship game. Wisconsin–Stevens Point forfeited its entire 1987 schedule because of the use of two ineligible players. Pacific Lutheran is considered a co-champion with the other position vacated.

## Championships by school

* Only includes titles won at the Division II level.
* Programs that no longer compete in NAIA are indicated in italics with a pink background.
| Team | Championships | Winning years |
| Westminster (PA) | 6 | 1970, 1976, 1977, 1988, 1989, 1994 |
| Findlay (OH) | 3 | 1979, 1992, 1995 |
| Pacific Lutheran | 3 | 1980, 1987, 1993 |
| Linfield | 3 | 1982, 1984, 1986 |
| Northwestern (IA) | 2 | 1973, 1983 |
| Concordia–Moorhead | 2 | 1978, 1981 |
| Texas Lutheran | 2 | 1974, 1975 |
| Sioux Falls | 1 | 1996 |
| Central Washington | 1 | 1995 |
| Georgetown (KY) | 1 | 1991 |
| Peru State | 1 | 1990 |
| Wisconsin–La Crosse | 1 | 1985 |
| Austin | 1 | 1981 |
| Missouri Southern | 1 | 1972 |
| Cal Lutheran | 1 | 1971 |