# 2016 NAIA football season

The 2016 NAIA football season was the component of the 2016 college football season organized by the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) in the United States. The season's playoffs, known as the NAIA Football National Championship, culminated with the championship game on December 17, at Daytona Beach Municipal Stadium in Daytona Beach, Florida. The Saint Francis Cougars defeated the Baker Wildcats, 38–17, in the title game to win the program's first NAIA championship.

## Conference standings

2016 Central States Football League standings :
| 2016 Central States Football League standings vteConfOverall Team W L W L  No. 22 Arizona Christian $  6 –0  7 –3   No. 21 Langston  5 –1  7 –2   Wayland Baptist  4 –2  7 –3   SAGU  2 –4  4 –6   Lyon  2 –4  3 –8   Bacone  2 –4  2 –8   Texas College  0 –6  0 –9   $ – Conference championRankings from NAIA Coaches' Poll | 2016 Frontier Conference football standings vteConfOverall Team W L W L  No. 7 Montana Tech $^  9 –1  10 –2   No. 4 Eastern Oregon ^  8 –2  10 –3   No. 20 Montana Western  6 –4  7 –4   Southern Oregon  5 –5  5 –6   Carroll (MT)  4 –6  4 –6   Rocky Mountain  4 –6  4 –7   College of Idaho  3 –7  4 –7   Montana State–Northern  1 –9  1 –9   $ – Conference champion^ – NAIA playoff participantRankings from NAIA Coaches' Poll | 2016 Great Plains Athletic Conference football standings vteConfOverall Team W L W L  No. 6 Morningside $^  8 –0  10 –2   No. 10 Doane ^  7 –1  9 –2   No. 16 Dakota Wesleyan  6 –2  8 –3   No. 19 Concordia (NE)  5 –3  7 –3   Midland  4 –4  7 –4   Northwestern (IA)  3 –5  3 –6   Dordt  2 –6  5 –6   Hastings  1 –7  4 –7   Briar Cliff  0 –8  1 –10   $ – Conference champion^ – NAIA playoff participant * – Northwestern forfeited a win over Midland.Rankings from NAIA Coaches' Poll |
| 2016 Heart of America Athletic Conference football standings vteConfOverall Team W L W L  North No. 9 Grand View x^  4 –1  9 –3   No. 25 William Penn x  4 –1  7 –4   No. 24 Benedictine (KS)  3 –2  8 –4   Graceland  3 –2  5 –6   Peru State  1 –4  5 –6   Culver–Stockton  0 –5  1 –10   South No. 2 Baker x^  5 –0  14 –1   No. 11 Missouri Valley ^  4 –1  9 –3   MidAmerica Nazarene  3 –2  6 –5   Evangel  2 –3  4 –7   Central Methodist  1 –4  2 –9   Avila  0 –5  0 –11   x – Division champion/co-champions^ – NAIA playoff participantRankings from NAIA Coaches' Poll | 2016 Kansas Collegiate Athletic Conference football standings vteConfOverall Team W L W L  No. 12 Tabor $^  8 –1  8 –3   No. 17 Kansas Wesleyan  7 –2  9 –2   Saint Mary (KS)  7 –2  8 –3   No. 13 Sterling ^  7 –2  8 –3   Friends  5 –4  6 –5   Ottawa  4 –5  4 –7   Bethel (KS)  3 –6  3 –7   Southwestern (KS)  2 –7  2 –8   Bethany (KS)  1 –8  1 –10   McPherson  1 –8  1 –10   $ – Conference champion^ – NAIA playoff participantRankings from NAIA Coaches' Poll | 2016 Mid-South Conference football standings vteConfOverall Team W L W L  East Division No. 25 Georgetown (KY) x  5 –1  7 –4   Pikeville x  5 –1  6 –5   Union (KY)  4 –2  5 –6   Cumberlands (KY)  3 –3  4 –6   Kentucky Christian  3 –3  3 –8   Bluefield  1 –5  1 –10   Cincinnati Christian  0 –6  0 –11   West Division No. 3 Reinhardt x^  5 –0  13 –1   No. 8 Lindsey Wilson ^  4 –1  11 –2   Faulkner  3 –2  6 –4   Cumberland (TN)  2 –3  5 –6   Bethel (TN)  1 –4  7 –4   Campbellsville  0 –5  2 –8   x – Division champion/co-champions^ – NAIA playoff participantRankings from NAIA Coaches' Poll |
| 2016 Mid-States Football Association standings vteConfOverall Team W L W L  Mideast League No. 5 Marian (IN) x^  6 –0  11 –1   No. 1 Saint Francis (IN) ^  5 –1  13 –1   Concordia (MI)  4 –2  7 –4   Siena Heights  2 –4  5 –5   Taylor  2 –4  4 –7   Missouri Baptist  2 –4  3 –8   Lindenwood–Belleville  0 –6  0 –10   Midwest League No. 15 Robert Morris (IL) x^  5 –0  7 –4   Saint Xavier  3 –2  6 –4   St. Francis (IL)  2 –3  5 –6   Saint Ambrose  2 –3  4 –6   Olivet Nazarene  2 –3  4 –7   Trinity International  1 –4  4 –7   x – League champion/co-champions ^ – NAIA playoff participantRankings from NAIA Coaches' Poll | 2016 North Star Athletic Association football standings vteConfOverall Team W L W L  No. 14 Dickinson State $^  6 –0  9 –3   Valley City State  4 –2  6 –4   Presentation  3 –3  7 –3   Dakota State  3 –3  6 –4   Jamestown *  3 –3  4 –7   Mayville State  2 –4  4 –6   Waldorf  0 –6  1 –9   $ – Conference champion^ – NAIA playoff participant * – Jamestown later forfeited or vacated all its wins. Valley City State and Waldorf were given wins by forfeit.Rankings from NAIA Coaches' Poll | 2016 Sun Conference football standings vteConfOverall Team W L W L  No. 18 Southeastern $^  5 –0  7 –3   Warner  4 –1  8 –2   Webber International  2 –2  5 –4   Point  2 –3  4 –6   Edward Waters  1 –3  3 –6   Ave Maria  0 –5  0 –10   $ – Conference champion^ – NAIA playoff participantRankings from NAIA Coaches' Poll |
| 2016 NAIA independents football records vteConfOverall Team W L W L  Davenport   –  5 –5 |