# 1977 NAIA Division I football season

The 1977 NAIA Division I football season was the 22nd season of college football sponsored by the NAIA, was the eighth season of play of the NAIA's top division for football.
The season was played from August to November 1977 and culminated in the 1977 NAIA Division I Football National Championship. Known this year as the Apple Bowl, the title game was played on December 10, 1977 at the Kingdome in Seattle, Washington. Abilene Christian defeated Southwestern Oklahoma State in the Apple Bowl, 24–7, to win their second NAIA national title.

## Conference realignment
### Conference changes

* This is the final season that the NAIA officially recognizes a football champion from the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference.

### Membership changes

| Team | 1976 conference | 1977 conference |
| Chadron State | Nebraska College | Independent (NAIA) |
| Peru State | Nebraska College | Independent (NAIA) |
| Sul Ross | Lone Star (NAIA Division I) | TIAA (NAIA Division II) |
| Tarleton State | Lone Star (NAIA Division I) | TIAA (NAIA Division II) |
| Wayne State | Nebraska College | Central States |

## Conference standings

1977 Arkansas Intercollegiate Conference football standings :
| 1977 Arkansas Intercollegiate Conference football standings vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T No. 10 Henderson State $ 5 –1 –09 –2 –0 Central Arkansas 4 –2 –07 –3 –0 Southern Arkansas 3 –3 –06 –3 –1 Arkansas Tech 3 –3 –06 –4 –0 Arkansas–Monticello 2 –4 –04 –6 –1 Ouachita Baptist 2 –4 –04 –6 –0 Harding 2 –4 –04 –7 –0 $ – Conference championRankings from NAIA Division I poll | 1977 Central States Intercollegiate Conference football standings vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T No. 5 Kearney State $^ 7 –0 –08 –2 –1 Wayne State (NE) 5 –2 –07 –3 –0 No. 20 Missouri Western 4 –2 –18 –2 –1 Washburn 4 –2 –16 –3 –1 Missouri Southern 2 –5 –05 –5 –0 Emporia State 2 –5 –03 –7 –0 Fort Hays State 1 –5 –13 –7 –1 Pittsburg State 1 –5 –11 –8 –1 $ – Conference champion^ – NAIA Division I playoff participantRankings from NAIA Division I poll | 1977 Evergreen Conference football standings vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T No. 17 Oregon College $ 6 –0 –07 –2 –0 Western Washington 5 –1 –06 –4 –0 Eastern Washington 3 –3 –05 –4 –0 Central Washington 3 –3 –03 –6 –0 Southern Oregon 2 –4 –03 –6 –0 Eastern Oregon 1 –5 –02 –7 –0 Oregon Tech 1 –5 –02 –7 –0 $ – Conference championRankings from NAIA Division I poll |
| 1977 Lone Star Conference football standings vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T No. 2 Abilene Christian +^ 5 –1 –111 –1 –1 No. 3 Texas A&I + 5 –1 –18 –1 –1 No. 11 Angelo State 5 –2 –08 –2 –0 No. 15 Southwest Texas State 5 –2 –05 –4 –0 No. 13 East Texas State 4 –3 –07 –4 –0 Stephen F. Austin 2 –5 –02 –8 –0 Sam Houston State 1 –6 –01 –10 –0 Howard Payne 0 –7 –02 –8 –0 $ – Conference champion^ – NAIA Division I playoff participantRankings from NAIA Division I poll | 1977 Oklahoma Intercollegiate Conference football standings vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T No. 1 SW Oklahoma State $^ 4 –0 –011 –1 –0 SE Oklahoma State 3 –1 –06 –3 –0 Northeastern State 2 –2 –04 –5 –1 East Central 1 –3 –05 –5 –0 NW Oklahoma State 0 –4 –04 –7 –0 $ – Conference champion^ – NAIA Division I playoff participantRankings from NAIA Division I poll | 1977 Northern Intercollegiate Conference football standings vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T Minnesota Morris $^ 7 –0 –010 –2 –0 Bemidji State 5 –2 –06 –4 –0 Moorhead State 5 –2 –06 –4 –0 Minnesota Duluth 4 –3 –07 –3 –0 St. Cloud State 4 –3 –05 –6 –0 Michigan Tech 1 –6 –03 –7 –0 Winona State 1 –6 –03 –7 –0 Southwest State (MN) 1 –6 –01 –8 –0 $ – Conference champion^ – NCAA Division III playoff participant |
| 1977 Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference football standings vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T East Division No. 4 Millersville xy 5 –0 –08 –2 –0 Kutztown 4 –1 –07 –2 –0 East Stroudsburg 3 –2 –06 –2 –0 Bloomsburg 2 –3 –04 –5 –0 Cheyney 1 –4 –04 –5 –0 Mansfield 0 –5 –02 –6 –1 West Division No. 8 Clarion xy$ 5 –0 –19 –0 –1 Shippensburg 4 –2 –06 –4 –0 Slippery Rock 3 –2 –14 –4 –1 Lock Haven 3 –3 –05 –5 –0 Indiana (PA) 2 –3 –14 –4 –1 Edinboro 2 –3 –13 –6 –1 California (PA) 0 –6 –02 –8 –0 Championship: Clarion 25, Millersville 24 $ – Conference championx – Division champion/co-championsy – Championship game participantRankings from NAIA Division I poll | 1977 Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference football standings vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T No. 12 Western State (CO) $ 8 –1 –08 –1 –0 No. 14 Mesa 7 –1 –18 –1 –1 Southern Utah 7 –2 –08 –2 –0 Fort Lewis 6 –2 –16 –2 –1 Westminster (UT) 5 –4 –05 –4 –0 Adams State 3 –6 –03 –7 –0 Colorado Mines 2 –7 –03 –7 –0 Southern Colorado * 2 –7 –03 –7 –0 New Mexico Highlands 2 –7 –02 –8 –0 Western New Mexico 2 –7 –02 –8 –0 $ – Conference champion * – Southern Colorado forfeited three conference wins, over Western State, Southern Utah, and Westminster Rankings from NAIA Division I poll | 1977 South Atlantic Conference football standings vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T No. 7 Elon $ 6 –1 –09 –2 –0 Mars Hill 5 –2 –07 –3 –0 No. 19 Presbyterian 5 –2 –07 –3 –1 No. 18 Gardner–Webb 5 –2 –07 –4 –0 Lenoir Rhyne 3 –4 –05 –5 –1 Carson–Newman 2 –5 –03 –7 –0 Catawba 1 –6 –03 –7 –0 Newberry 1 –6 –02 –7 –1 $ – Conference championRankings from NAIA Division I poll |
| 1977 West Virginia Intercollegiate Athletic Conference football standings vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T Northern Division No. 9 West Virginia Wesleyan xy 3 –1 –07 –3 –0 Salem x 3 –1 –07 –3 –0 Shepherd x 3 –1 –06 –4 –0 West Liberty State 1 –3 –03 –6 –1 Fairmont State 0 –4 –04 –5 –0 Southern Division No. 4 Concord xy$^ 4 –0 –09 –2 –1 West Virginia Tech 3 –1 –04 –5 –0 West Virginia State 2 –2 –03 –8 –0 Glenville State 1 –3 –01 –8 –0 Bluefield State 0 –4 –02 –7 –0 Championship: Concord 33, West Virginia Wesleyan 17 $ – Conference championx – Division champion/co-championsy – Championship game participant^ – NAIA Division II playoff participant Conference standings based on power ratingsRankings from NAIA Division II poll | 1977 Wisconsin State University Conference football standings vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T No. 6 Wisconsin–Stevens Point $^ 7 –0 –18 –2 –1 Wisconsin–Whitewater 6 –2 –07 –4 –0 Wisconsin–La Crosse 5 –2 –16 –2 –2 Wisconsin–Platteville 5 –3 –07 –3 –0 Wisconsin–Oshkosh 3 –5 –05 –5 –0 Wisconsin–Eau Claire 3 –5 –05 –6 –0 Wisconsin–River Falls 3 –5 –04 –6 –0 Wisconsin–Stout 2 –6 –02 –8 –0 Wisconsin–Superior 1 –7 –01 –9 –0 $ – Conference champion^ – NAIA Division I playoff participantRankings from NAIA Division I poll | 1977 NAIA Division I independents football records vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T No. 9 Cameron   –  7 –1 –1 No. 16 Kentucky State   –  8 –2 –1 Wofford   –  7 –3 –1 Langston   –  4 –5 –0 Eastern New Mexico   –  4 –6 –0 Guilford   –  3 –7 –0 Liberty Baptist   –  3 –7 –0 Rankings from NAIA Division I poll |

## Conference champions

| Conference | Champion | Record |
| Arkansas | Henderson State | 6–0 |
| Central States | Kearney State | 7–0 |
| Evergreen | Oregon College | 6–0 |
| Lone Star | Abilene Christian Texas A&I | 5–1–1 |
| NIC | Minnesota–Morris | 7–0 |
| Oklahoma | Southwestern Oklahoma State | 4–0 |
| PSAC | Clarion State | 5–0–1 |
| RMAC | Western State | 8–1 |
| South Atlantic | Elon | 6–1 |
| SWAC | Grambling State | 6–0 |
| WVIAC | Concord | 7–1–1 |
| Wisconsin State | Wisconsin–Stevens Point | 7–0–1 |

## Postseason

| Semifinals December 3, 1977 | Semifinals December 3, 1977 | Semifinals December 3, 1977 | 1977 Apple Bowl December 10, 1977 Seattle, WA | 1977 Apple Bowl December 10, 1977 Seattle, WA | 1977 Apple Bowl December 10, 1977 Seattle, WA |
| Wisconsin–Stevens Point | Wisconsin–Stevens Point | 7 | | | |
| Abilene Christian* | Abilene Christian* | 35 | | | |
| Abilene Christian* | Abilene Christian* | 35 | Abilene Christian | Abilene Christian | 24 |
| | | | Southwestern Oklahoma State | Southwestern Oklahoma State | 7 |
| Kearney State | Kearney State | 7 | Southwestern Oklahoma State | Southwestern Oklahoma State | 7 |
| Southwestern Oklahoma State* | Southwestern Oklahoma State* | 21 | | | |