# 2023 NAIA football season

The 2023 NAIA football season was the component of the 2023 college football season organized by the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) in the United States.
The regular season began on August 19 and culminated on November 11.
The playoffs, known as the NAIA Football National Championship, began on November 18 and culminated with the championship game on December 18 at Durham County Memorial Stadium in Durham, North Carolina.

## Membership changes

| School | Former conference | New conference |
| Arizona Christian Firestorm | Sooner | Frontier |
| Arkansas Baptist Buffaloes | Independent | Sooner |
| Evangel Valor | Heart of America | Kansas |
| Iowa Wesleyan Tigers | North Star | School closed |
| Lyon Scots | Sooner | NCAA Division III independent |
| Missouri Baptist Spartans | Mid-States | Heart of America |
| North American Stallions | Independent | Sooner |
| Pikeville Bears | Mid-South | Appalachian |
| Presentation Saints | North Star | School closed |
| Thomas Night Hawks | New program | Sun |
| Thomas More Saints | Mid-South | Great Midwest (NCAA D-II) |
| Trinity International Trojans | Mid-States | Dropped athletics |

## Headlines

* The NAIA Council of Presidents voted on and approved expanding the NAIA football playoffs from 16 to 20 teams effective for this season. Under the new format, there will be 13 automatic qualifiers, with 7 more at-large teams picked from the Top 25 teams in the final NAIA Coaches Poll, and the top 12 seeds will receive a bye in the first round.

## Conference standings

2023 Appalachian Athletic Conference football standings :
| 2023 Appalachian Athletic Conference football standings vteConfOverall Team W L W L  No. 18 Reinhardt $^  6 –0  8 –3   Pikeville  5 –1  7 –3   Bluefield  3 –3  5 –5   Union (KY)  3 –3  4 –6   Point  3 –3  4 –7   Kentucky Christian  1 –5  1 –10   St. Andrews  0 –6  0 –10   $ – Conference champion^ – NAIA playoff participantRankings from NAIA Coaches' Poll | 2023 Frontier Conference football standings vteConfOverall Team W L W L  No. 8 Montana Western $^  7 –1  9 –2   No. 10т College of Idaho ^  6 –2  10 –3   No. 17 Montana Tech ^  6 –2  7 –4   No. 24 Carroll (MT)  5 –3  7 –3   Southern Oregon  5 –3  6 –4   Rocky Mountain  4 –4  6 –4   Eastern Oregon  2 –6  2 –8   Arizona Christian  1 –7  2 –8   Montana State–Northern  0 –8  1 –9   $ – Conference champion^ – NAIA playoff participantRankings from NAIA Coaches' Poll | 2023 Great Plains Athletic Conference football standings vteConfOverall Team W L W L  No. 1 Northwestern (IA) $^  10 –0  14 –1   No. 14 Dordt ^  8 –2  9 –3   No. 10т Morningside ^  8 –2  9 –3   Dakota Wesleyan  5 –5  6 –5   Midland  5 –5  6 –5   Concordia (NE)  5 –5  5 –5   Hastings  4 –6  5 –6   Briar Cliff  4 –6  4 –7   Mount Marty  2 –8  3 –8   Doane  2 –8  2 –9   Jamestown  2 –8  2 –9   $ – Conference champion^ – NAIA playoff participantRankings from NAIA Coaches' Poll |
| 2023 Heart of America Athletic Conference football standings vteConfOverall Team W L W L  North No. 2 Grand View x^  5 –0  11 –1   Graceland  3 –2  6 –5   Peru State  3 –2  5 –6   William Penn  2 –3  4 –6   Clarke  2 –3  3 –8   Culver–Stockton  0 –5  1 –10   South No. 22 MidAmerica Nazarene x  4 –1  9 –2   No. 20 Baker x^  4 –1  9 –3   No. 25 Benedictine (KS) x  4 –1  8 –3   Missouri Valley  2 –3  5 –5   Missouri Baptist  1 –4  2 –8   Central Methodist  0 –5  1 –10   x – Division champion/co-champions^ – NAIA playoff participantRankings from NAIA Coaches' Poll | 2023 Kansas Collegiate Athletic Conference football standings vteConfOverall Team W L W L  Bissell Division Kansas Wesleyan x  5 –1  8 –3   Ottawa x^  5 –1  6 –6   Avila  4 –2  4 –7   Saint Mary (KS)  2 –4  3 –8   Tabor  2 –4  3 –8   Sterling  2 –4  2 –9   Kessinger Division No. 9 Evangel x^  5 –0  11 –1   No. 23 Friends  4 –1  9 –2   Bethel (KS)  3 –2  6 –5   Southwestern (KS)  2 –3  8 –3   McPherson  1 –4  5 –6   Bethany (KS)  0 –5  1 –10   x – Division champion/co-champions^ – NAIA playoff participantRankings from NAIA Coaches' Poll | 2023 Mid-South Conference football standings vteConfOverall Team W L W L  No. 4 Georgetown (KY) $^  6 –0  10 –2   No. 7 Bethel (TN) ^  5 –1  11 –2   No. 19 Lindsey Wilson  4 –2  7 –3   Cumberlands (KY)  2 –4  6 –4   Cumberland (TN)  2 –4  5 –5   Campbellsville  2 –4  4 –6   Faulkner  0 –6  2 –8   $ – Conference champion^ – NAIA playoff participantRankings from NAIA Coaches' Poll |
| 2023 Mid-States Football Association standings vteConfOverall Team W L W L  Mideast League No. 6 Indiana Wesleyan ^  6 –1  10 –2   No. 5 Marian (IN) x^  6 –1  9 –2   Saint Francis (IN)  5 –2  6 –4   Concordia (MI)  4 –3  7 –3   Siena Heights  4 –3  6 –4   Lawrence Tech  2 –5  3 –7   Taylor  1 –6  2 –9   Madonna  0 –7  0 –11   Midwest League No. 10т Saint Xavier x^  5 –0  8 –4   Roosevelt  4 –1  6 –4   Olivet Nazarene  3 –2  6 –4   St. Francis (IL)  3 –3  7 –3   St. Ambrose  1 –4  1 –9   Judson  0 –6  0 –9   x – League champion ^ – NAIA playoff participantRankings from NAIA Coaches' Poll | 2023 North Star Athletic Association football standings vteConfOverall Team W L W L  No. 16 Dickinson State $^  8 –0  10 –2   Valley City State  6 –2  7 –3   Waldorf  3 –5  4 –6   Mayville State  2 –6  2 –9   Dakota State  1 –7  1 –9   $ – Conference champion^ – NAIA playoff participantRankings from NAIA Coaches' Poll | 2023 Sooner Athletic Conference football standings vteConfOverall Team W L W L  No. 13 OUAZ +  7 –1  8 –1   No. 21 Louisiana Christian +^  7 –1  9 –2   Texas Wesleyan +  7 –1  8 –2   Langston  5 –3  6 –4   OK Panhandle State  4 –4  5 –5   SAGU  4 –5  4 –6   Arkansas Baptist  1 –6  2 –7   Wayland Baptist  1 –7  2 –8   Texas College  1 –7  1 –10   North American *  0 –2  1 –10   + – Conference co-champions^ – NAIA playoff participant * – Accepted as SAC member but only games against SAGU and Arkansas Baptist counted as conference games.Rankings from NAIA Coaches' Poll |
| 2023 Sun Conference football standings vteConfOverall Team W L W L  No. 3 Keiser $^  7 –0  12 –2   No. 15 St. Thomas (FL) ^  6 –1  9 –4   Florida Memorial  5 –2  6 –4   Southeastern  4 –3  5 –5   Ave Maria  2 –5  4 –6   Webber International  2 –5  3 –7   Warner  1 –6  4 –6   Thomas  1 –6  1 –8   $ – Conference champion^ – NAIA playoff participantRankings from NAIA Coaches' Poll |

## Postseason
### Bracket

| First Round November 18 Campus Sites | First Round November 18 Campus Sites | First Round November 18 Campus Sites | Second Round November 25 Campus Sites | Second Round November 25 Campus Sites | Second Round November 25 Campus Sites | Quarterfinals December 2 Campus Sites | Quarterfinals December 2 Campus Sites | Quarterfinals December 2 Campus Sites | Semifinals December 9 Campus Sites | Semifinals December 9 Campus Sites | Semifinals December 9 Campus Sites | Championship December 18 Durham, North Carolina | Championship December 18 Durham, North Carolina | Championship December 18 Durham, North Carolina |
| | | | 5 | Marian (IN) | 21 | | | | | | | |
| | | | 12 | Saint Xavier | 31 | | | | | | | |
| | | | 12 | Saint Xavier | 31 | 12 | Saint Xavier | 17 | | | | |
| | | | | | | 1 | Northwestern (IA) | 34 | | | | |
| | | | 1 | Northwestern (IA) | 7 | 1 | Northwestern (IA) | 34 | | | | |
| Dordt | Dordt | 35 | 16 | Dordt | 0 | | | | | | | |
| Dordt | Dordt | 35 | 16 | Dordt | 0 | | | | 1 | Northwestern (IA) | 35 | |
| Ottawa | Ottawa | 7 | | | | | | | 1 | Northwestern (IA) | 35 | |
| Ottawa | Ottawa | 7 | | | | | | | 4 | Georgetown (KY) | 10 | |
| | | | 6 | Indiana Wesleyan | 24 | | | | 4 | Georgetown (KY) | 10 | |
| | | | 10 | Morningside | 21 | | | | | | | |
| | | | 10 | Morningside | 21 | 6 | Indiana Wesleyan | 21 | | | | |
| | | | | | | 4 | Georgetown (KY) | 31 | | | | |
| | | | 4 | Georgetown (KY) | 42 | 4 | Georgetown (KY) | 31 | | | | |
| Baker | Baker | 55 | 15 | Baker | 21 | | | | | | | | | |
| Baker | Baker | 55 | 15 | Baker | 21 | | | | | | | 1 | Northwestern (IA) | 21 |
| Louisiana Christian | Louisiana Christian | 28 | | | | | | | | | | 1 | Northwestern (IA) | 21 |
| Louisiana Christian | Louisiana Christian | 28 | | | | | | | | | | 3 | Keiser | 31 |
| | | | 8 | Montana Western | 42 | | | | | | | 3 | Keiser | 31 |
| | | | 11 | College of Idaho | 49 | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | 11 | College of Idaho | 49 | 11 | College of Idaho | 31 | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | 2 | Grand View | 17 | | | | | | |
| | | | 2 | Grand View | 28 | 2 | Grand View | 17 | | | | | | |
| Montana Tech | Montana Tech | 28 | 14 | Dickinson State | 3 | | | | | | | | | |
| Montana Tech | Montana Tech | 28 | 14 | Dickinson State | 3 | | | | 11 | College of Idaho | 21 | | | |
| Dickinson State | Dickinson State | 35 | | | | | | | 11 | College of Idaho | 21 | | | |
| Dickinson State | Dickinson State | 35 | | | | | | | 3 | Keiser | 28 | | | |
| | | | 7 | Bethel (TN) | 40 | | | | 3 | Keiser | 28 | | | |
| | | | 9 | Evangel | 13 | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | 9 | Evangel | 13 | 7 | Bethel (TN) | 14 | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | 3 | Keiser | 56 | | | | | | |
| | | | 3 | Keiser | 45 | 3 | Keiser | 56 | | | | | | |
| St. Thomas (FL) | St. Thomas (FL) | 55 | 13 | St. Thomas (FL) | 21 | | | | | | | | | |
| Reinhardt | Reinhardt | 7 | | | | | | | | | | | | |

## Coaching changes
### Preseason and in-season

This is restricted to coaching changes that took place on or after May 1, 2023, and will include any changes announced after a team's last regularly scheduled games but before its playoff games.
| School | Outgoing coach | Date | Reason | Replacement | Previous position |
| Waldorf | Chase Paramore | June 2023 | Resigned | Tyler Chapa (named full time September 26) | Waldorf offensive coordinator (2022) |
| Olivet Nazarene | Eric Hehman | May 25, 2023 | Resigned | Mike Conway | Taylor defensive coordinator (2019) |

### End of season

This list includes coaching changes announced during the season that did not take effect until the end of the season.
| School | Outgoing coach | Date | Reason | Replacement | Previous position |
| Lawrence Tech | Avante Mitchell | November 14, 2023 | Fired | Scott Merchant | Chippewa Valley HS (MI) head coach (2009–2023) |
| Missouri Valley | Paul Troth | November 15, 2023 | Resigned | Casey Creehan | Concord defensive coordinator (2023) |
| SAGU | Greg Ellis | November 27, 2023 | Resigned | Jared Hudgins | SAGU defensive coordinator (2021–2023) |
| Madonna | Herb Haygood | December 1, 2023 | Accepted administration position | Brett Guminsky | Pikeville co-offensive coordinator and wide receivers coach (2023) |
| Doane | Chris Bessler | December 6, 2023 | Resigned | Jonathan Johnson | Hilbert assistant head coach and defensive coordinator (2023) |
| Olivet Nazarene | Mike Conway (interim) | January 18, 2024 | Permanent replacement | Avante Mitchell | Lawrence Tech head coach (2020–2023) |
| Keiser | Doug Socha | January 29, 2024 | Hired by Lenoir–Rhyne | Myles Russ | Keiser associate head coach and running backs coach (2019–2023) |
| Dakota Wesleyan | Ross Cimpl | February 13, 2024 | Named school's athletic director | Alex Kretzschmar | Dakota Wesleyan offensive coordinator and wide receivers coach (2023) |
| Louisiana Christian | Drew Maddox | February 20, 2024 | Hired as defensive line coach by Southeast Missouri State | Ben McLaughlin | Buckeye HS (LA) head coach (2022–2023) |
| Texas Wesleyan | Joe Prud'homme | March 18, 2024 | Resigned | Brad Sherrod | UTSA linebackers coach (2021–2023) |