# 1980 NAIA Division I football season

The 1980 NAIA Division I football season was the 25th season of college football sponsored by the NAIA, was the 11th season of play of the NAIA's top division for football.
The season was played from August to November 1980 and culminated in the 1980 NAIA Division I Champion Bowl. The title game was played on December 20, 1980 at Burlington Memorial Stadium in Burlington, North Carolina, near the campus of Elon College.
Elon defeated Northeastern State in the Champion Bowl, 17–10, to win their first NAIA national title.

## Conference standings

1980 Arkansas Intercollegiate Conference football standings :
| 1980 Arkansas Intercollegiate Conference football standings vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T No. 1 Central Arkansas $^ 6 –0 –09 –1 –0 Southern Arkansas 5 –1 –06 –5 –0 Arkansas Tech 4 –2 –06 –4 –0 Henderson State 2 –4 –05 –6 –0 Arkansas–Monticello 2 –4 –04 –7 –0 Harding 1 –5 –03 –8 –0 Ouachita Baptist 1 –5 –02 –8 –0 $ – Conference champion^ – NAIA Division I playoff participantRankings from NAIA Division I poll | 1980 Central States Intercollegiate Conference football standings vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T No. 7 Kearney State $^ 6 –0 –19 –2 –1 Pittsburg State 5 –2 –07 –3 –0 Missouri Southern 4 –3 –06 –3 –1 Fort Hays State 3 –2 –24 –4 –2 Missouri Western 3 –3 –15 –3 –2 Wayne State (NE) 3 –4 –04 –5 –0 Emporia State 1 –6 –02 –8 –0 Washburn 1 –6 –02 –8 –0 $ – Conference champion^ – NAIA Division I playoff participantRankings from NAIA Division I poll | 1980 Evergreen Conference football standings vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T No. 12 Eastern Oregon + 4 –1 –08 –1 –0 Oregon Tech + 4 –1 –07 –2 –0 Oregon College + 4 –1 –06 –3 –0 Southern Oregon 2 –3 –03 –7 –0 Central Washington 1 –4 –02 –7 –0 Western Washington 0 –5 –02 –7 –0 + – Conference co-championsRankings from NAIA Division I poll |
| 1980 Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference football standings vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T No. 20 Hillsdale $ 5 –1 –07 –4 –0 Northwood 4 –2 –06 –2 –1 No. 18 Grand Valley State 4 –2 –07 –3 –0 Wayne State (MI) 3 –3 –05 –4 –0 Ferris State 2 –3 –14 –4 –2 Saginaw Valley State 2 –4 –05 –6 –0 Michigan Tech 0 –5 –12 –6 –1 $ – Conference championRankings from NAIA Division I poll | 1980 Lone Star Conference football standings vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T Southwest Texas State $ 6 –1 –08 –3 –0 No. 2 Angelo State ^ 5 –1 –18 –2 –1 Texas A&I 5 –2 –07 –4 –0 No. 8 East Texas State ^ 4 –2 –18 –3 –1 Stephen F. Austin 4 –3 –04 –6 –0 Sam Houston State 2 –5 –03 –7 –0 Abilene Christian 1 –6 –02 –8 –0 Howard Payne 0 –7 –01 –8 –1 $ – Conference champion^ – NAIA Division I playoff participantRankings from NAIA Division I poll | 1980 Northern Intercollegiate Conference football standings vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T Minnesota Duluth $ 8 –0 –010 –0 –0 Minnesota Morris ^ 7 –1 –09 –2 –1 No. 11 Moorhead State 6 –2 –08 –2 –0 St. Cloud State 5 –3 –06 –4 –0 Mankato State 3 –5 –03 –7 –0 Southwest State (MN) 2 –5 –13 –6 –1 Winona State 2 –6 –03 –7 –0 Northern State 1 –6 –12 –7 –1 Bemidji State 1 –7 –01 –9 –0 $ – Conference champion^ – NCAA Division III playoff participantRankings from NAIA Division I poll |
| 1980 Oklahoma Intercollegiate Conference football standings vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T No. 4 Northeastern State +^ 3 –1 –011 –2 –0 No. 16 East Central + 3 –1 –07 –3 –0 SW Oklahoma State + 3 –1 –07 –4 –0 SE Oklahoma State 1 –3 –03 –7 –0 NW Oklahoma State 0 –4 –01 –9 –0 + – Conference co-champions^ – NAIA Division I playoff participantRankings from NAIA Division I poll | 1980 Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference football standings vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T No. 9 Southern Colorado + 7 –1 –08 –1 –0 No. 10 Adams State + 7 –1 –08 –3 –0 Southern Utah 6 –2 –06 –3 –0 Western State (CO) 5 –3 –06 –4 –0 Colorado Mines 3 –5 –04 –5 –0 New Mexico Highlands 3 –5 –04 –6 –0 Mesa 3 –5 –03 –6 –0 Fort Lewis 2 –6 –02 –7 –0 Western New Mexico 0 –8 –01 –8 –0 + – Conference co-championsRankings from NAIA Division I poll | 1980 South Atlantic Conference football standings vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T No. 5 Elon +^ 6 –1 –013 –1 –0 No. 6 Mars Hill +^ 6 –1 –08 –2 –1 Carson–Newman 5 –2 –07 –3 –0 Presbyterian 3 –4 –04 –6 –0 Lenoir–Rhyne 3 –4 –04 –7 –0 Newberry 3 –4 –03 –6 –0 Gardner–Webb 2 –5 –03 –7 –0 Catawba 0 –7 –01 –9 –0 + – Conference co-champions^ – NAIA Division I playoff participantRankings from NAIA Division I poll |
| 1980 West Virginia Intercollegiate Athletic Conference football standings vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T Northern Division No. 19 Shepherd xy 6 –2 –17 –3 –1 Fairmont State x 6 –2 –16 –3 –1 Salem 6 –3 –06 –4 –0 West Virginia Wesleyan 3 –6 –03 –7 –0 West Liberty State 0 –9 –00 –10 –0 Southern Division No. 3 Concord xy$^ 9 –0 –011 –1 –0 West Virginia State 6 –3 –06 –4 –0 West Virginia Tech 5 –4 –05 –4 –0 Bluefield State 1 –7 –11 –7 –1 Glenville State 1 –7 –11 –8 –1 Championship: Concord 19, Shepherd 0 $ – Conference championx – Division champion/co-championsy – Championship game participant^ – NAIA Division I playoff participantRankings from NAIA Division I poll | 1980 Wisconsin State University Conference football standings vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T No. 14 Wisconsin–La Crosse + 6 –2 –08 –2 –0 No. 13 Wisconsin–River Falls + 6 –2 –08 –2 –0 Wisconsin–Whitewater + 6 –2 –08 –3 –0 Wisconsin–Platteville + 6 –2 –07 –3 –0 Wisconsin–Stout 5 –3 –06 –4 –0 Wisconsin–Oshkosh 3 –5 –04 –6 –0 Wisconsin–Stevens Point 2 –6 –04 –6 –0 Wisconsin–Eau Claire 2 –6 –03 –8 –0 Wisconsin–Superior 0 –8 –00 –10 –0 + – Conference co-championsRankings from NAIA Division I poll | 1980 NAIA Division I independents football records vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T No. 17 Cameron   –  8 –3 –0 No. 15 Wofford   –  7 –2 –2 Liberty Baptist   –  7 –3 –0 Guilford   –  6 –3 –0 Central State (OK)   –  5 –4 –0 Kentucky State   –  5 –6 –0 Eastern New Mexico   –  2 –7 –1 Langston   –  1 –8 –0 Rankings from NAIA Division I poll |

## Conference champions

| Conference | Champion | Record |
| Arkansas Intercollegiate | Central Arkansas | 6–0 |
| Central States | Kearney State | 6–0–1 |
| Evergreen | Eastern Oregon Oregon Tech | 4–1 |
| Great Lakes | Hillsdale | 5–1 |
| NIC | Minnesota–Duluth | 8–0 |
| Oklahoma | East Central State Northeastern State Southwestern Oklahoma State | 3–1 |
| RMAC | Adams State Southern Colorado | 7–1 |
| South Atlantic | Elon Mars Hill | 6–1 |
| Lone Star | Southwest Texas State | 6–1 |
| WVIAC | North: Shepherd and Fairmont State South: Concord (WV) | 6–2–1 9–0 |
| WSUC | Wisconsin–La Crosse Wisconsin–River Falls | 6–2 6–2 |

## Postseason

| Quarterfinals December 6, 1980 Campus sites | Quarterfinals December 6, 1980 Campus sites | Quarterfinals December 6, 1980 Campus sites | Semifinals December 13, 1980 Campus sites | Semifinals December 13, 1980 Campus sites | Semifinals December 13, 1980 Campus sites | 1980 Champion Bowl December 20, 1980 Burlington, NC | 1980 Champion Bowl December 20, 1980 Burlington, NC | 1980 Champion Bowl December 20, 1980 Burlington, NC |
| Elon | Elon | 17 | | | | | | |
| Concord* | Concord* | 14 | | | | | | |
| Concord* | Concord* | 14 | Elon | Elon | 14 | | | |
| | | | East Texas State* | East Texas State* | 6 | | | |
| East Texas State | East Texas State | 27 | East Texas State* | East Texas State* | 6 | | | |
| Central Arkansas* | Central Arkansas* | 21 | | | | | | |
| Central Arkansas* | Central Arkansas* | 21 | | | | Elon* | Elon* | 17 |
| | | | | | | Northeastern State | Northeastern State | 10 |
| Kearney State | Kearney State | 9* | | | | | | | Northeastern State | Northeastern State | 10 |
| Mars Hill* | Mars Hill* | 6 | | | | | | |
| Mars Hill* | Mars Hill* | 6 | Kearney State | Kearney State | 0 | | | |
| | | | Northeastern State* | Northeastern State* | 14 | | | |
| Angelo State | Angelo State | 3 | Northeastern State* | Northeastern State* | 14 | | | |
| Northeastern State* | Northeastern State* | 10 | | | | | | |