# 1983 NAIA Division I football season

The 1983 NAIA Division I football season was the 28th season of college football sponsored by the NAIA, was the 14th season of play of the NAIA's top division for football.
The season was played from August to November 1983 and culminated in the 1983 NAIA Champion Bowl, played this year on December 17, 1983 at Ralph Stocker Stadium in Grand Junction, Colorado on the campus of Mesa College—now known as Colorado Mesa University.
Carson–Newman defeated Mesa in the Champion Bowl, 36–28, to win their first NAIA national title.

## Conference changes

* This is the final season that the Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association is officially recognized as an NAIA football conference.

## Conference standings

1983 Arkansas Intercollegiate Conference football standings :
| 1983 Arkansas Intercollegiate Conference football standings vteConf.Overall TeamW L TW L T No. 1 Central Arkansas $^ 6 –0 –011 –1 –0 Arkansas Tech 4 –1 –14 –5 –1 Southern Arkansas 4 –2 –05 –5 –0 No. 16 Arkansas–Monticello 3 –2 –16 –2 –1 Ouachita Baptist 1 –4 –12 –7 –1 Henderson State 1 –5 –03 –7 –0 Harding 0 –5 –13 –6 –1 $ – Conference champion^ – NAIA Division I playoff participantRankings from NAIA Division I poll | 1983 Central States Intercollegiate Conference football standings vteConf.Overall TeamW L TW L T No. 9 Washburn $ 6 –1 –08 –2 –0 No. 10 Missouri Southern 5 –2 –09 –2 –0 No. 17 Fort Hays State 4 –3 –08 –3 –0 Pittsburg State 4 –3 –06 –4 –0 Kearney State 4 –3 –05 –5 –0 Missouri Western 3 –4 –05 –6 –0 Emporia State 1 –6 –02 –8 –0 Wayne State (NE) 1 –6 –01 –9 –0 $ – Conference championRankings from NAIA Division I poll | 1983 Evergreen Conference football standings vteConf.Overall TeamW L TW L T Puget Sound $ 6 –1 –06 –4 –0 Southern Oregon 5 –2 –09 –2 –0 No. 14 Central Washington 5 –2 –08 –2 –0 Simon Fraser 4 –3 –04 –6 –0 Eastern Oregon 3 –4 –05 –5 –0 Oregon Tech 2 –5 –04 –6 –0 Western Oregon 2 –5 –03 –7 –0 Western Washington 1 –6 –01 –9 –0 $ – Conference championRankings from NAIA Division I poll |
| 1983 Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference football standings vteConf.Overall TeamW L TW L T No. 7 Saginaw Valley State $^ 6 –0 –09 –3 –0 No. 8 Hillsdale 4 –2 –08 –2 –0 Wayne State (MI) 4 –2 –07 –3 –0 Northwood 3 –3 –04 –4 –0 Grand Valley State 3 –3 –04 –6 –0 Michigan Tech 1 –5 –03 –7 –0 Ferris State 0 –6 –00 –9 –0 $ – Conference champion^ – NAIA Division I playoff participantRankings from NAIA Division I poll | 1983 Northern Intercollegiate Conference football standings vteConf.Overall TeamW L TW L T No. 20 Winona State $ 5 –1 –07 –4 –0 Moorhead State 4 –2 –06 –3 –0 Minnesota Duluth 4 –2 –06 –4 –0 Minnesota Morris 2 –3 –14 –4 –2 Northern State 1 –3 –24 –4 –2 Southwest State (MN) 1 –3 –23 –6 –2 Bemidji State 1 –4 –14 –6 –1 $ – Conference championRankings from NAIA Division I poll | 1983 Oklahoma Intercollegiate Conference football standings vteConf.Overall TeamW L TW L T No. 4 Northeastern State $^ 4 –0 –08 –2 –0 No. 13 East Central 2 –2 –07 –3 –0 NW Oklahoma State 2 –2 –04 –6 –0 SW Oklahoma State 2 –2 –03 –6 –0 SE Oklahoma State 0 –4 –01 –9 –0 $ – Conference champion^ – NAIA Division I playoff participantRankings from NAIA Division I poll |
| 1983 Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference football standings vteConf.Overall TeamW L TW L T No. 3 Mesa $^ 7 –0 –111 –1 –1 Southern Colorado 6 –1 –16 –3 –1 Western New Mexico 4 –3 –15 –4 –1 Southern Utah 4 –4 –05 –5 –0 Adams State 4 –4 –04 –6 –0 Fort Lewis 4 –4 –04 –6 –0 Colorado Mines 3 –5 –04 –5 –0 Western State (CO) 2 –5 –12 –6 –1 New Mexico Highlands 0 –8 –01 –9 –0 $ – Conference champion^ – NAIA Division I playoff participant | 1983 South Atlantic Conference football standings vteConf.Overall TeamW L TW L T No. 12 Carson–Newman $^ 6 –1 –010 –3 –0 Presbyterian 4 –2 –15 –5 –1 No. 18 Elon 4 –3 –07 –3 –0 Gardner–Webb 4 –3 –05 –6 –0 Mars Hill 3 –3 –14 –7 –1 Newberry 3 –4 –06 –5 –0 Lenoir–Rhyne 2 –5 –04 –6 –0 Catawba 0 –7 –00 –9 –1 $ – Conference champion^ – NAIA Division I playoff participantRankings from NAIA Division I poll | 1983 West Virginia Intercollegiate Athletic Conference football standings vteConf.Overall TeamW L TW L T No. 5 Shepherd $^ 8 –0 –09 –2 –0 Glenville State 6 –2 –06 –2 –1 Concord 5 –3 –05 –5 –0 West Virginia Tech 4 –3 –15 –4 –1 West Liberty State 3 –3 –24 –4 –2 Fairmont State 2 –5 –12 –7 –1 Salem 2 –6 –03 –7 –0 West Virginia State 2 –6 –03 –7 –0 West Virginia Wesleyan 2 –6 –02 –8 –0 $ – Conference champion^ – NAIA Division I playoff participantRankings from NAIA Division I poll |
| 1983 Wisconsin State University Conference football standings vteConf.Overall TeamW L TW L T No. 11 Wisconsin–Eau Claire $ 7 –1 –08 –2 –0 Wisconsin–La Crosse ^ 6 –1 –19 –3 –1 Wisconsin–River Falls 6 –2 –08 –2 –0 Wisconsin–Whitewater 6 –2 –06 –5 –0 Wisconsin–Oshkosh 3 –4 –15 –4 –1 Wisconsin–Platteville 3 –5 –04 –6 –0 Wisconsin–Stevens Point 2 –6 –04 –6 –0 Wisconsin–Stout 2 –6 –02 –9 –0 Wisconsin–Superior 0 –8 –01 –10 –0 $ – Conference champion^ – NCAA Division III playoff participantRankings from NAIA Division I poll | 1983 NAIA Division I independents football records vteConf.Overall TeamW L TW L T No. 2 Central State (OK) ^   –  8 –1 –1 No. 6 Eastern New Mexico ^   –  8 –2 –1 Guilford   –  5 –4 –1 Wofford   –  6 –5 –0 Langston   –  4 –6 –0 Cameron   –  3 –6 –0 Kentucky State   –  2 –7 –2 Liberty Baptist   –  2 –9 –0 ^ – NAIA Division I playoff participantRankings from NAIA Division I poll |

## Conference champions

| Conference | Champion | Record |
| Arkansas Intercollegiate | Central Arkansas | 6–0 |
| Central States | Washburn | 6–1 |
| Evergreen | Puget Sound | 6–1 |
| NIC | Winona State | 5–1 |
| Oklahoma | Northeastern State | 4–0 |
| RMAC | Mesa | 7–0–1 |
| South Atlantic | Carson–Newman | 6–1 |
| WSUC | Wisconsin–Eau Claire | 7–1 |
| WVIAC | Shepherd | 8–0 |

## Postseason

| Quarterfinals December 3, 1983 Campus sites | Quarterfinals December 3, 1983 Campus sites | Quarterfinals December 3, 1983 Campus sites | Semifinals December 10, 1983 Campus sites | Semifinals December 10, 1983 Campus sites | Semifinals December 10, 1983 Campus sites | 1983 Champion Bowl December 17, 1983 Grand Junction, CO | 1983 Champion Bowl December 17, 1983 Grand Junction, CO | 1983 Champion Bowl December 17, 1983 Grand Junction, CO |
| Saginaw Valley State | Saginaw Valley State | 14 | | | | | | |
| Central State (OK)* | Central State (OK)* | 13 | | | | | | |
| Central State (OK)* | Central State (OK)* | 13 | Saginaw Valley State | Saginaw Valley State | 7 | | | |
| | | | Carson–Newman* | Carson–Newman* | 41 | | | |
| Shepherd | Shepherd | 21 | Carson–Newman* | Carson–Newman* | 41 | | | |
| Carson–Newman* | Carson–Newman* | 42 | | | | | | |
| Carson–Newman* | Carson–Newman* | 42 | | | | Carson–Newman | Carson–Newman | 36 |
| | | | | | | Mesa* | Mesa* | 28 |
| Northeastern State | Northeastern State | 7 | | | | | | | Mesa* | Mesa* | 28 |
| Central Arkansas* | Central Arkansas* | 18 | | | | | | |
| Central Arkansas* | Central Arkansas* | 18 | Central Arkansas | Central Arkansas | 17 | | | |
| | | | Mesa* | Mesa* | 34 | | | |
| Eastern New Mexico | Eastern New Mexico | 9 | Mesa* | Mesa* | 34 | | | |
| Mesa* | Mesa* | 35 | | | | | | |