# 1982 NAIA Division I football season

The 1982 NAIA Division I football season was the 27th season of college football sponsored by the NAIA, was the 13th season of play of the NAIA's top division for football.
The season was played from August to November 1982 and culminated in the 1982 NAIA Champion Bowl, played this year on December 18, 1982 at Wantland Stadium in Edmond, Oklahoma on the campus of Central State University (now Central Oklahoma).
Central State (OK) defeated Mesa in the Champion Bowl, 14–11, to win their second NAIA national title.

## Conference standings

1982 Arkansas Intercollegiate Conference football standings :
| 1982 Arkansas Intercollegiate Conference football standings vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T No. 8 Ouachita Baptist $^ 6 –0 –08 –3 –0 Central Arkansas 3 –1 –24 –2 –3 Henderson State 3 –2 –14 –5 –1 Southern Arkansas 2 –3 –15 –4 –1 Arkansas–Monticello 2 –4 –03 –6 –0 Arkansas Tech 2 –4 –03 –7 –0 Harding 1 –5 –05 –6 –0 $ – Conference champion^ – NAIA Division I playoff participantRankings from NAIA Division I poll | 1982 Central States Intercollegiate Conference football standings vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T No. 13 Pittsburg State + 6 –1 –07 –2 –0 Kearney State + 6 –1 –06 –4 –0 No. 16 Missouri Southern 5 –1 –17 –2 –1 Fort Hays State 4 –2 –16 –3 –1 Missouri Western 3 –4 –05 –5 –0 Emporia State 1 –6 –03 –7 –0 Wayne State (NE) 1 –6 –02 –8 –0 Washburn 1 –6 –01 –9 –0 + – Conference co-championsRankings from NAIA Division I poll | 1982 Evergreen Conference football standings vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T No. 12 Central Washington + 4 –1 –08 –2 –0 No. 14 Oregon Tech + 4 –1 –07 –2 –0 Southern Oregon 3 –1 –06 –4 –0 Eastern Oregon 2 –2 –05 –4 –0 Western Oregon 1 –4 –03 –6 –0 Western Washington 0 –5 –01 –8 –0 + – Conference co-championsRankings from NAIA Division I poll |
| 1982 Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference football standings vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T No. 1 Hillsdale $^ 6 –0 –012 –1 –0 Grand Valley State 5 –1 –07 –3 –0 Northwood 4 –2 –06 –4 –0 Wayne State (MI) 2 –4 –03 –7 –0 Ferris State 2 –4 –02 –6 –0 Michigan Tech 1 –5 –01 –8 –0 Saginaw Valley State 1 –5 –01 –9 –0 $ – Conference champion^ – NAIA Division I playoff participantRankings from NAIA Division I poll | 1982 Northern Intercollegiate Conference football standings vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T No. 6 Moorhead State $^ 5 –0 –17 –2 –1 Minnesota Duluth 5 –1 –07 –2 –0 Minnesota Morris 3 –2 –14 –4 –2 Northern State 2 –4 –03 –6 –0 Southwest State (MN) 2 –4 –02 –7 –0 Bemidji State 2 –4 –02 –8 –0 Winona State 1 –5 –03 –6 –0 $ – Conference champion^ – NAIA Division I playoff participantRankings from NAIA Division I poll | 1982 Oklahoma Intercollegiate Conference football standings vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T No. 2 Northeastern State $^ 4 –0 –011 –1 –0 No. 18 SW Oklahoma State 3 –1 –07 –3 –0 East Central 2 –2 –05 –5 –0 SE Oklahoma State 1 –3 –01 –8 –0 NW Oklahoma State 0 –4 –02 –8 –0 $ – Conference champion^ – NAIA Division I playoff participantpoll=NAIA Division I pollRankings from AP Poll |
| 1982 Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference football standings vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T No. 4 Mesa $^ 7 –0 –111 –1 –1 No. 5 Southern Colorado ^ 7 –1 –09 –2 –0 Southern Utah 5 –1 –26 –2 –2 Adams State 3 –3 –23 –4 –2 Fort Lewis 3 –4 –14 –5 –1 Western New Mexico 2 –5 –14 –5 –1 Western State (CO) 2 –6 –03 –6 –0 New Mexico Highlands 1 –6 –12 –7 –1 Colorado Mines 1 –7 –02 –7 –0 $ – Conference champion^ – NAIA Division I playoff participantRankings from NAIA Division I poll | 1982 South Atlantic Conference football standings vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T No. 3 Carson–Newman $^ 6 –1 –010 –2 –0 No. 15 Elon 5 –2 –07 –3 –0 No. 17 Gardner–Webb 5 –2 –07 –3 –0 Presbyterian 4 –2 –15 –5 –1 Lenoir–Rhyne 3 –3 –15 –5 –1 Newberry 3 –4 –05 –6 –0 Mars Hill 1 –6 –01 –10 –0 Catawba 0 –7 –02 –9 –0 $ – Conference champion^ – NAIA Division I playoff participantRankings from NAIA Division I poll | 1982 West Virginia Intercollegiate Athletic Conference football standings vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T No. 10 Shepherd $ 7 –1 –07 –2 –1 No. 20 Concord 6 –2 –06 –3 –0 Fairmont State 6 –2 –06 –3 –0 West Virginia State 5 –3 –05 –4 –0 West Virginia Wesleyan 4 –4 –05 –5 –0 West Liberty State 3 –5 –03 –6 –1 Glenville State 2 –5 –13 –6 –1 West Virginia Tech 1 –5 –25 –4 –1 Salem 0 –7 –10 –9 –1 $ – Conference championRankings from NAIA Division I poll |
| 1982 Wisconsin State University Conference football standings vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T No. 11 Wisconsin–La Crosse $ 7 –1 –08 –2 –0 Wisconsin–River Falls 6 –2 –07 –2 –1 Wisconsin–Eau Claire 6 –2 –06 –4 –0 Wisconsin–Stout 5 –3 –08 –3 –0 Wisconsin–Whitewater 4 –4 –07 –4 –0 Wisconsin–Platteville 3 –5 –05 –5 –0 Wisconsin–Stevens Point 3 –5 –03 –7 –0 Wisconsin–Oshkosh 1 –7 –03 –7 –0 Wisconsin–Superior 1 –7 –02 –9 –0 $ – Conference championWisconsin–Stevens Point forfeited 3 games.Rankings from NAIA Division I poll | 1982 NAIA Division I independents football records vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T No. 7 Central State (OK) ^   –  10 –2 –0 No. 9 Wofford   –  8 –3 –0 No. 19 Liberty Baptist   –  7 –4 –0 Guilford   –  5 –5 –0 Cameron   –  4 –5 –0 Eastern New Mexico   –  4 –6 –0 Kentucky State   –  2 –9 –0 Langston   –  0 –10 –0 ^ – NAIA Division I playoff participantRankings from NAIA Division I poll |

## Conference champions

| Conference | Champion | Record |
| Arkansas Intercollegiate | Ouachita Baptist | 6–0 |
| Central States | Pittsburg State Kearney State | 6–1 |
| Evergreen | Central Washington Oregon Tech | 4–1 |
| NIC | Moorhead State (MN) | 5–0–1 |
| Oklahoma | Northeastern State | 4–0 |
| RMAC | Mesa | 7–0–1 |
| South Atlantic | Carson–Newman | 6–1 |
| WVIAC | Shepherd | 7–1 |
| WSUC | Wisconsin–La Crosse | 7–1 |

## Postseason

| Quarterfinals December 4, 1982 Campus sites | Quarterfinals December 4, 1982 Campus sites | Quarterfinals December 4, 1982 Campus sites | Semifinals December 11, 1982 Campus sites | Semifinals December 11, 1982 Campus sites | Semifinals December 11, 1982 Campus sites | 1982 Champion Bowl December 18, 1982 Edmond, OK | 1982 Champion Bowl December 18, 1982 Edmond, OK | 1982 Champion Bowl December 18, 1982 Edmond, OK |
| Carson–Newman | Carson–Newman | 12 | | | | | | |
| Hillsdale* | Hillsdale* | 20 | | | | | | |
| Hillsdale* | Hillsdale* | 20 | Hillsdale | Hillsdale | 9 | | | |
| | | | Mesa State* | Mesa State* | 18 | | | |
| Moorhead State | Moorhead State | 20 | Mesa State* | Mesa State* | 18 | | | |
| Mesa* | Mesa* | 43 | | | | | | |
| Mesa* | Mesa* | 43 | | | | Mesa State | Mesa State | 11 |
| | | | | | | Central State (OK) | Central State (OK) | 14 |
| Central State (OK) | Central State (OK) | 61 | | | | | | | Central State (OK) | Central State (OK) | 14 |
| Southern Colorado* | Southern Colorado* | 20 | | | | | | |
| Southern Colorado* | Southern Colorado* | 20 | Central State (OK) | Central State (OK) | 28 | | | |
| | | | Northeastern State* | Northeastern State* | 17 | | | |
| Ouachita Baptist | Ouachita Baptist | 23 | Northeastern State* | Northeastern State* | 17 | | | |
| Northeastern State* | Northeastern State* | 38 | | | | | | |