# 1975 NAIA Division I football season

The 1975 NAIA Division I football season was the 20th season of college football sponsored by the NAIA, was the sixth season of play of the top division of the NAIA's two-division structure for football.
The season was played from August to November 1975 and culminated in the 1975 NAIA Division I Champion Bowl, played on December 13, 1975 on the campus of Texas A&I University in Kingsville, Texas. Texas A&I defeated Salem in the Champion Bowl, 37–0, to win their fourth, and second consecutive, NAIA national title.

## Conference realignment
### Conference changes

* This was the first season of football for South Atlantic Conference. The league comprised eight teams from North Carolina and South Carolina, with seven being former members of the Carolinas Conference.
* This was the final season of play for the Great Plains Athletic Conference, which disbanded after only four seasons. The seven members, spread across Colorado, Kansas, and Nebraska, would subsequently all depart for other NAIA conferences.

### Membership changes

| Team | 1974 conference | 1975 conference |
| Catawba | Carolinas | South Atlantic |
| Elon | Carolinas | South Atlantic |
| Gardner–Webb | Independent | South Atlantic |
| Guilford | Carolinas | Independent |
| Lenoir–Rhyne | Carolinas | South Atlantic |
| Mars Hill | Carolinas | South Atlantic |
| Newberry | Independent | South Atlantic |
| Presbyterian | Independent | South Atlantic |

## Conference standings

1975 Arkansas Intercollegiate Conference football standings :
| 1975 Arkansas Intercollegiate Conference football standings vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T No. 2 Henderson State + 5 –1 –011 –1 –0 No. 4 Ouachita Baptist +^ 5 –1 –09 –2 –0 Southern Arkansas 4 –1 –16 –3 –1 Central Arkansas 3 –2 –14 –6 –1 Harding 2 –4 –04 –6 –0 Arkansas Tech 1 –5 –03 –8 –0 Arkansas–Monticello 0 –6 –02 –8 –0 + – Conference co-champions^ – NAIA Division I playoff participantRankings from NAIA Division I poll | 1975 Evergreen Conference football standings vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T No. 5 Oregon College $^ 6 –0 –09 –1 –0 Central Washington 4 –2 –05 –4 –0 Southern Oregon 3 –3 –06 –4 –0 Western Washington 3 –3 –03 –5 –0 Eastern Oregon 2 –4 –05 –4 –0 Eastern Washington 2 –3 –03 –6 –0 Oregon Tech 1 –5 –03 –5 –0 $ – Conference champion^ – NAIA Division I playoff participantRankings from NAIA Division I poll | 1975 Great Plains Athletic Conference football standings vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T Northern Colorado $ 5 –0 –08 –1 –0 Pittsburg State 3 –2 –04 –4 –2 Southern Colorado 3 –2 –04 –5 –0 Washburn 2 –3 –05 –5 –0 Fort Hays State 2 –3 –03 –7 –0 Emporia State 0 –5 –01 –9 –0 Kearney State * 0 –0 –06 –3 –0 $ – Conference champion * – ineligible for conference standings |
| 1975 Gulf South Conference football standings vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T Nicholls State $ 7 –2 –08 –2 –0 No. 6 Livingston ^ 6 –2 –010 –3 –0 No. 11 Jacksonville State 5 –3 –07 –4 –0 Troy State 5 –3 –06 –4 –0 Delta State 5 –4 –06 –4 –0 North Alabama 4 –4 –06 –4 –0 Mississippi College 2 –5 –06 –5 –0 Southeastern Louisiana 2 –6 –04 –7 –0 Tennessee–Martin 1 –7 –02 –8 –0 $ – Conference champion^ – NCAA Division II playoff participantRankings from NCAA Division II AP poll for Livingston and NAIA Division I poll for Jacksonville State | 1975 Lone Star Conference football standings vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T No. 1 Texas A&I $^ 9 –0 –012 –0 –0 No. 6 Angelo State 7 –1 –18 –2 –1 No. T–17 Southwest Texas State 7 –2 –07 –3 –0 No. T–19 East Texas State 6 –3 –08 –3 –0 No. 16 Abilene Christian 5 –3 –16 –3 –1 Howard Payne 4 –5 –05 –5 –1 Sam Houston State 3 –6 –03 –7 –0 Stephen F. Austin 1 –8 –02 –8 –0 Sul Ross 1 –8 –01 –10 –0 Tarleton State 1 –8 –01 –10 –0 $ – Conference champion^ – NAIA Division I playoff participantRankings from NAIA Division I poll | 1975 Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference football standings vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T No. 13 Saint John's (MN) $ 6 –0 –18 –1 –1 Minnesota–Duluth 6 –1 –08 –2 –0 Hamline 4 –3 –05 –5 –0 Gustavus Adolphus 4 –3 –04 –5 –0 St. Olaf 3 –3 –15 –3 –1 Concordia–Moorhead 3 –4 –05 –4 –0 St. Thomas (MN) 3 –4 –03 –6 –0 Augsburg 1 –6 –02 –8 –0 Macalester 0 –7 –00 –10 –0 $ – Conference championRankings from NAIA Division I poll |
| 1975 Nebraska College Conference football standings vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T Kearney State $ 3 –0 –06 –3 –0 Chadron State 2 –1 –06 –3 –0 Wayne State (NE) 1 –2 –05 –5 –0 Peru State 0 –3 –04 –6 –0 $ – Conference champion | 1975 Northern Intercollegiate Conference football standings vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T No. 10 Minnesota Morris $ 6 –0 –08 –1 –0 St. Cloud State 5 –1 –07 –3 –0 Michigan Tech 4 –2 –07 –2 –0 Winona State 3 –3 –05 –4 –0 Moorhead State 2 –4 –02 –7 –0 Bemidji State 1 –5 –02 –7 –0 Southwest State (MN) 0 –6 –01 –7 –0 $ – Conference championRankings from NAIA Division I poll | 1975 Oklahoma Intercollegiate Conference football standings vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T No. 8 East Central $ 5 –0 –09 –3 –1 Central State (OK) 4 –1 –07 –4 –0 Northeastern State 2 –3 –07 –3 –0 SE Oklahoma State 2 –3 –06 –4 –0 SW Oklahoma State 2 –3 –05 –5 –0 NW Oklahoma State 0 –5 –02 –9 –0 $ – Conference championRankings from NAIA Division I poll |
| 1975 Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference football standings vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T Western State (CO) $ 7 –0 –09 –1 –0 No. 15 Adams State 6 –1 –06 –3 –0 Colorado Mines 5 –2 –06 –4 –0 Fort Lewis 4 –3 –06 –3 –0 Western New Mexico 3 –4 –04 –5 –0 Westminster (UT) 2 –5 –04 –5 –0 Southern Utah 1 –6 –03 –6 –0 Mesa 0 –7 –00 –8 –0 $ – Conference championRankings from NAIA Division I poll | 1975 South Atlantic Conference football standings vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T Lenoir Rhyne $ 6 –0 –17 –3 –1 Presbyterian 3 –2 –13 –6 –1 Newberry 4 –3 –05 –5 –0 Mars Hill 3 –3 –07 –3 –0 Elon 3 –3 –05 –6 –0 Carson–Newman 2 –4 –06 –5 –0 Catawba 2 –4 –04 –6 –0 Gardner–Webb 1 –5 –02 –6 –0 $ – Conference champion | 1975 Southwestern Athletic Conference football standings vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T No. 4 Grambling State * 4 –2 –010 –2 –0 No. 9 Southern + 4 –2 –09 –3 –0 No. 7 Jackson State + 4 –2 –07 –3 –0 No. T–19 Alcorn State 3 –3 –06 –3 –1 Mississippi Valley State 3 –3 –06 –4 –0 Texas Southern 2 –4 –04 –6 –0 Prairie View A&M 1 –5 –03 –7 –0 $ – Conference champion * – Grambling State vacated a share of the conference championship. Rankings from NCAA Division II AP poll for Grambling State and NAIA Division I poll for Southern and Jackson State |
| 1975 West Virginia Intercollegiate Athletic Conference football standings vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T Northern Division No. 3 Salem xy$^ 4 –0 –011 –1 –0 Shepherd 2 –2 –08 –3 –0 Fairmont State 2 –2 –06 –4 –0 West Liberty State 2 –2 –03 –4 –2 West Virginia Wesleyan 0 –4 –05 –5 –0 Southern Division Concord xy 4 –0 –06 –5 –0 West Virginia State 2 –2 –03 –6 –1 Glenville State 2 –2 –02 –6 –1 West Virginia Tech 1 –3 –02 –7 –0 Bluefield State 1 –3 –01 –9 –0 Championship: Salem 27, Concord 10 $ – Conference championx – Division champion/co-championsy – Championship game participant^ – NAIA Division I playoff participant Conference standings based on power ratingsRankings from NAIA Division I poll | 1975 Wisconsin State University Conference football standings vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T No. 14 Wisconsin–River Falls + 7 –1 –08 –2 –0 Wisconsin–La Crosse + 7 –1 –08 –3 –0 Wisconsin–Whitewater + 7 –1 –08 –3 –0 Wisconsin–Stevens Point 4 –4 –04 –6 –0 Wisconsin–Eau Claire 3 –5 –04 –6 –0 Wisconsin–Oshkosh 3 –5 –03 –7 –0 Wisconsin–Stout 3 –5 –03 –7 –0 Wisconsin–Platteville 2 –6 –03 –7 –0 Wisconsin–Superior 0 –8 –01 –9 –0 + – Conference co-championsRankings from NAIA Division I poll | 1975 NAIA Division I independents football records vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T No. T–17 Guilford   –  8 –2 –0 Cameron   –  8 –2 –1 No. 12 Eastern New Mexico   –  8 –3 –0 Wofford   –  7 –3 –1 Kentucky State   –  7 –4 –0 Langston   –  5 –5 –0 New Mexico Highlands   –  2 –6 –0 Rankings from NAIA Division I poll |

## Postseason

| Semifinals November 29–December 6, 1975 | Semifinals November 29–December 6, 1975 | Semifinals November 29–December 6, 1975 | 1975 NAIA Champion Bowl December 13, 1975 Kingsville, TX | 1975 NAIA Champion Bowl December 13, 1975 Kingsville, TX | 1975 NAIA Champion Bowl December 13, 1975 Kingsville, TX |
| Ouachita Baptist* | Ouachita Baptist* | 7 | | | |
| Salem | Salem | 21 | | | |
| Salem | Salem | 21 | Salem | Salem | 0 |
| | | | Texas A&I* | Texas A&I* | 37 |
| Oregon College | Oregon College | 0 | Texas A&I* | Texas A&I* | 37 |
| Texas A&I* | Texas A&I* | 37 | | | |