# 1990 NAIA Division II football season

The 1990 NAIA Division II football season, as part of the 1990 college football season in the United States and the 35th season of college football sponsored by the NAIA, was the 21st season of play of the NAIA division II for football.
The season was played from August to November 1990 and culminated in the 1990 NAIA Division II Football National Championship, played in Omaha, Nebraska, near the campus of Peru State College.
The Peru State Bobcats defeated two-time defending champion Westminster Titans in the championship game, 17–7, to win their first NAIA national title.

## Conference standings

1990 Columbia Football Association standings :
| 1990 Columbia Football Association standings vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T Mount Hood League No. 23 Southern Oregon x 6 –0 –06 –3 –0 Lewis & Clark 4 –1 –15 –3 –1 Willamette 3 –3 –04 –5 –0 Eastern Oregon 3 –3 –03 –6 –0 Pacific (OR) 2 –3 –13 –5 –1 Oregon Tech 1 –5 –01 –8 –0 Western Oregon 1 –5 –01 –8 –0 Mount Rainier League No. 1 Central Washington x^ 6 –0 –011 –1 –0 No. 6 Pacific Lutheran ^ 5 –1 –09 –2 –0 No. 18 Linfield 4 –2 –07 –2 –0 Whitworth 3 –3 –06 –3 –0 Puget Sound 1 –5 –04 –5 –0 Western Washington 1 –5 –03 –6 –0 Simon Fraser 1 –5 –02 –8 –0 x – League champion/co-champions ^ – NAIA Division II playoff participantRankings from NAIA Division II poll | 1990 Frontier Conference football standings vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T Carroll (MT) $ 5 –1 –06 –3 –0 Western Montana 3 –3 –05 –3 –0 Montana Tech 3 –3 –04 –5 –0 Rocky Mountain 1 –5 –02 –8 –0 $ – Conference champion | 1990 Heart of America Athletic Conference football standings vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T No. 9 Baker +^ 6 –1 –010 –2 –0 No. 20 William Jewell +^ 6 –1 –08 –3 –0 No. 14 Missouri Valley 5 –2 –08 –2 –0 Graceland 4 –3 –06 –4 –0 Evangel 3 –4 –04 –6 –0 Culver–Stockton 2 –5 –02 –8 –0 MidAmerica Nazarene 1 –6 –02 –8 –0 Tarkio 1 –6 –01 –8 –0 + – Conference co-champions^ – NAIA Division II playoff participantRankings from NAIA Division II poll |
| 1990 Illini–Badger–Hawkeye Football Conference standings vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T No. 10 Concordia (WI) $^ 7 –0 –09 –1 –0 No. 13 Greenville ^ 6 –1 –08 –2 –0 Iowa Wesleyan 5 –2 –07 –5 –0 MacMurray 4 –3 –05 –5 –0 Eureka 3 –4 –05 –5 –0 Lakeland 2 –5 –02 –6 –0 Concordia (IL) 1 –6 –02 –7 –0 Blackburn 0 –7 –01 –8 –0 $ – Conference champion^ – NAIA Division II playoff participantRankings from NAIA Division II poll | 1990 Indiana Collegiate Athletic Conference football standings vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T DePauw $ 7 –0 –08 –2 –0 Rose–Hulman 6 –1 –07 –3 –0 Hanover 4 –3 –06 –4 –0 Wabash 4 –3 –04 –5 –0 Anderson (IN) 3 –4 –03 –7 –0 Taylor 2 –5 –05 –5 –0 Franklin (IN) 2 –5 –04 –6 –0 Manchester 0 –7 –01 –9 –0 $ – Conference champion | 1990 Kansas Collegiate Athletic Conference football standings vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T No. 11 St. Mary of the Plains +^ 8 –1 –09 –2 –0 No. 17 Bethany (KS) +^ 8 –1 –08 –2 –0 Friends 7 –2 –08 –2 –0 Southwestern (KS) 6 –3 –06 –4 –0 Kansas Wesleyan 5 –4 –06 –4 –0 Ottawa 5 –4 –05 –5 –0 Bethel (KS) 2 –7 –03 –7 –0 McPherson 2 –7 –03 –7 –0 Sterling 1 –8 –01 –9 –0 Tabor 1 –8 –01 –9 –0 + – Conference co-champions^ – NAIA Division II playoff participantRankings from NAIA Division II poll |
| 1990 Mid-South Conference football standings vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T No. 8 Georgetown (KY) $^ 5 –0 –09 –2 –0 No. 24 Cumberland (KY) 4 –1 –07 –2 –1 Campbellsville 3 –2 –08 –2 –0 Union (KY) 1 –4 –05 –5 –0 Evansville 1 –4 –03 –7 –0 Tennessee Wesleyan 1 –4 –03 –7 –0 Lambuth * 0 –0 –02 –7 –0 Cumberland (TN) * 0 –0 –00 –8 –0 $ – Conference champion^ – NAIA Division II playoff participant * – ineligible for conference titleRankings from NAIA Division II poll | 1990 Nebraska Intercollegiate Athletic Conference football standings vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T No. 16 Nebraska Wesleyan + 4 –1 –07 –2 –0 Midland + 4 –1 –05 –4 –0 Hastings 3 –2 –03 –6 –0 Doane 2 –3 –03 –7 –0 Dana 1 –3 –13 –6 –1 Concordia (NE) 0 –4 –11 –7 –1 $ – Conference championRankings from NAIA Division II poll | 1990 North Dakota College Athletic Conference football standings vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T No. 21 Mayville State + 4 –1 –08 –1 –0 No. 12 Dickinson State +^ 4 –1 –09 –2 –0 Valley City State 3 –2 –06 –3 –0 Minot State 2 –3 –04 –5 –0 Mary 1 –4 –04 –5 –0 Jamestown 1 –4 –02 –7 –0 + – Conference co-champions^ – NAIA Division II playoff participantRankings from NAIA Division II poll |
| 1990 South Dakota Intercollegiate Conference football standings vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T Black Hills State $ 5 –0 –05 –4 –0 Sioux Falls 3 –2 –06 –4 –0 Dakota Wesleyan 3 –2 –04 –6 –0 Huron 3 –2 –03 –7 –0 Dakota State 1 –4 –04 –5 –0 South Dakota Tech 0 –5 –00 –9 –0 $ – Conference champion | 1990 Texas Intercollegiate Athletic Association football standings vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T No. 2 Tarleton State $^ 6 –0 –011 –1 –0 No. 15 Austin ^ 4 –2 –08 –3 –0 Howard Payne 3 –3 –05 –5 –0 Midwestern State 3 –3 –03 –7 –0 Sul Ross 2 –4 –03 –6 –0 Hardin–Simmons 2 –4 –03 –6 –0 McMurry 1 –5 –01 –9 –0 $ – Conference champion^ – NAIA Division II playoff participantRankings from NAIA Division II poll | 1990 Tri-State Athletic Conference football standings vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T No. 5 Peru State $^ 3 –0 –012 –0 –1 Northwestern (IA) 2 –1 –05 –5 –0 No. 22 Westmar 1 –2 –08 –2 –0 Benedictine (KS) 0 –3 –04 –6 –0 $ – Conference champion^ – NAIA Division II playoff participantRankings from NAIA Division II poll |
| 1990 Wisconsin State University Conference football standings vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T Wisconsin–Whitewater $^ 8 –0 –010 –1 –0 No. 4 Wisconsin–La Crosse * 7 –1 –09 –2 –0 Wisconsin–Platteville 5 –3 –07 –3 –0 Wisconsin–Stevens Point 4 –4 –06 –4 –0 Wisconsin–River Falls 3 –4 –15 –4 –1 Wisconsin–Oshkosh 3 –4 –14 –5 –1 Wisconsin–Stout 3 –5 –04 –6 –0 Wisconsin–Eau Claire 1 –7 –02 –8 –0 Wisconsin–Superior 1 –7 –01 –8 –0 $ – Conference champion^ – NCAA Division III playoff participant * – NAIA Division II playoff participant Rankings from NAIA Division II poll | 1990 NAIA Division II independents football records vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T No. 3 Westminster (PA) ^   –  11 –2 –0 No. 7 Chadron State ^   –  9 –2 –0 No. 19 Findlay   –  7 –2 –1 Azusa Pacific   –  6 –3 –0 Lindenwood   –  6 –4 –0 Trinity (IL)   –  6 –4 –0 No. 25 St. Francis (IL)   –  5 –4 –0 Geneva   –  5 –5 –0 St. Ambrose   –  3 –7 –1 Tiffin   –  1 –8 –1 Mount St. Joseph   –  1 –9 –0 Oklahoma Panhandle State   –  1 –9 –0 ^ – NAIA Division II playoff participantRankings from NAIA Division II poll |

## Conference champions

| Conference | Champion | Record |
| Columbia | Mount Rainier League: Central Washington Mount Hood League: Southern Oregon | 6–0 6–0 |
| Frontier | Carroll (MT) | 5–1 |
| Heart of America | William Jewell Baker (KS) | 6–1 |
| Kansas | Bethany St. Mary of the Plains | 8–1 |
| Mid-South | Georgetown (KY) | 5–0 |
| Nebraska | Midland Nebraska Wesleyan | 4–1 |
| North Dakota | Dickinson State Mayville State | 4–1 |
| South Dakota | Black Hills State | 5–0 |
| Texas | Tarleton State | 6–0 |

## Rankings

Final NAIA Division II poll rankings:
| Rank | Team (first place votes) | Record (thru Nov. 11) | Points |
| 1 | Central Washington (18) | 9–0 | 474 |
| 2 | Tarleton State (1) | 9–0 | 448 |
| 3 | Westminster (PA) | 8–1 | 427 |
| 4 | Wisconsin–La Crosse | 9–1 | 411 |
| 5 | Peru State | 8–0–1 | 397 |
| 6 | Pacific Lutheran | 8–1 | 367 |
| 7 | Chadron State | 9–1 | 351 |
| 8 | Georgetown (KY) | 8–1 | 346 |
| 9 | Baker | 8–1 | 339 |
| 10 | Concordia (WI) | 9–0 | 283 |
| 11 | St. Mary of the Plains | 9–1 | 265 |
| 12 | Dickinson State | 8–1 | 242 |
| 13 | Greenville | 8–1 | 231 |
| 14 | Missouri Valley | 8–2 | 213 |
| 15 | Austin | 8–2 | 207 |
| 16 | Nebraska Wesleyan | 7–2 | 217 |
| 17 | Bethany (KS) | 8–1 | 179 |
| 18 | Linfield | 7–2 | 155 |
| 19 | Findlay | 7–2 | 141 |
| 20 | William Jewell | 7–2 | 130 |
| 21 | Mayville State | 8–1 | 114 |
| 22 | Westmar | 8–2 | 95 |
| 23 | Southern Oregon | 6–3 | 61 |
| 24 | Cumberland (KY) | 7–2 | 32 |
| 25 | St. Francis (IL) | 5–4 | 23 |

## Postseason

| First Round Campus sites | First Round Campus sites | Quarterfinals Campus sites | Quarterfinals Campus sites | Semifinals Campus sites | Semifinals Campus sites | Championship Omaha, NE | Championship Omaha, NE | Championship Omaha, NE |
| Baker | 55 | | | | | | | |
| Bethany* | 7 | | | | | | | |
| Bethany* | 7 | Baker | 56 | | | | | |
| | | William Jewell* | 29 | | | | | |
| Austin | 23 | William Jewell* | 29 | | | | | |
| William Jewell* (OT) | 26 | | | | | | | |
| William Jewell* (OT) | 26 | | | Baker | 3 | | | |
| | | | | Peru State ‡‡ | 27 | | | |
| Chadron State | 3 | | | | | Peru State ‡‡ | 27 | | | |
| Dickinson State* | 28 | | | | | | | |
| Dickinson State* | 28 | Dickinson State* | 34 | | | | | |
| | | Peru State | 38 | | | | | |
| Wisconsin–La Crosse | 3 | Peru State | 38 | | | | | |
| Peru State* | 24 | | | | | | | |
| Peru State* | 24 | | | | | | Peru State | 17 |
| | | | | | | | Westminster (PA) | 7 |
| Greenville (IL) | 13 | | | | | | | | Westminster (PA) | 7 |
| Central Washington* | 43 | | | | | | | |
| Central Washington* | 43 | Central Washington ‡ | 24 | | | | | |
| | | Pacific Lutheran | 6 | | | | | |
| Pacific Lutheran | 37 | Pacific Lutheran | 6 | | | | | |
| Concordia (WI)* | 9 | | | | | | | |
| Concordia (WI)* | 9 | | | Central Washington | 17 | | | |
| | | | | Westminster (PA)* | 24 | | | |
| St. Mary of the Plains | 14 | | | | | Westminster (PA)* | 24 | | | |
| Tarleton State* | 24 | | | | | | | |
| Tarleton State* | 24 | Tarleton State* | 17 | | | | | |
| | | Westminster (PA) | 19 | | | | | |
| Georgetown (KY) | 13 | Westminster (PA) | 19 | | | | | |
| Westminster (PA)* | 47 | | | | | | | |
* ‡ Game played at Puyallup, Washington
* ‡‡ Game played at Omaha, Nebraska