# 1973 NAIA Division II football season

The 1973 NAIA Division II football season was the 18th season of college football sponsored by the NAIA and the fourth season of play of the NAIA's lower division for football.
The season was played from August to November 1973 and culminated in the 1973 NAIA Division II Football National Championship, played on December 8, 1973 in Huntington, West Virginia near the campus of Glenville State College.
The Northwestern Red Raiders defeated the Glenville State Pioneers in the championship game, 10–3, to win their first NAIA national title. As of 2015, this is the earliest NAIA championship won by a team that remains at the NAIA level.

## Conference standings

1973 College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin football standings :
| 1973 College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin football standings vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T No. 4 Carthage $^ 8 –0 –08 –2 –0 No. 12 Millikin 6 –2 –08 –2 –0 No. 15 Augustana (IL) 6 –2 –07 –2 –0 Illinois Wesleyan 5 –3 –05 –4 –0 Carroll (WI) 3 –5 –04 –5 –0 Elmhurst 3 –5 –04 –5 –0 North Park 2 –6 –03 –6 –0 Wheaton (IL) 2 –6 –02 –7 –0 North Central (IL) 1 –7 –02 –7 –0 $ – Conference champion^ – NAIA Division II playoff participantRankings from NAIA Division II poll | 1973 Frontier Conference football standings vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T No. 8 Carroll (MT) $ 4 –0 –07 –0 –0 Montana Tech 2 –2 –06 –2 –0 Eastern Montana 2 –2 –03 –5 –0 Rocky Mountain 1 –3 –02 –6 –0 Western Montana 1 –3 –01 –6 –0 $ – Conference championRankings from NAIA Division II poll | 1973 Gateway Conference football standings vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T Northland $ 3 –0 –07 –2 –0 Lakeland 2 –1 –06 –3 –0 Milton 1 –2 –03 –5 –0 Northwestern (WI) 0 –3 –02 –6 –0 $ – Conference champion |
| 1973 Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference football standings vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T Northwood $ 2 –0 –06 –2 –0 Ferris State 1 –1 –04 –4 –1 Grand Valley State 0 –2 –06 –3 –0 + – Conference co-champions | 1973 Heart of America Athletic Conference football standings vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T No. 3 William Jewell $^ 7 –0 –011 –1 –0 No. 5 Missouri Valley 6 –1 –09 –1 –0 Central Methodist 5 –2 –06 –3 –1 Tarkio 4 –3 –04 –5 –0 Graceland 3 –4 –06 –4 –0 College of Emporia 2 –5 –03 –7 –0 Ottawa 1 –6 –03 –6 –0 Baker 0 –7 –00 –10 –0 $ – Conference champion^ – NAIA Division II playoff participantRankings from NAIA Division II poll | 1973 Hoosier–Buckeye Conference football standings vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T No. 13 Hanover $ 6 –0 –08 –1 –0 No. 19 Defiance 5 –2 –07 –2 –0 Taylor 4 –2 –14 –4 –1 Bluffton 4 –3 –04 –5 –0 Wilmington (OH) 4 –3 –05 –3 –0 Earlham 3 –4 –04 –6 –0 Anderson (IN) 2 –5 –03 –6 –0 Findlay 1 –6 –03 –7 –0 Manchester (IN) 0 –6 –11 –7 –1 $ – Conference championRankings from NAIA Division II poll |
| 1973 Iowa Conference football standings vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T No. 9 Buena Vista $ 7 –0 –08 –1 –0 Central (IA) 6 –1 –07 –2 –0 Wartburg 4 –3 –05 –4 –0 Dubuque 3 –3 –15 –4 –1 William Penn 3 –4 –06 –4 –0 Luther 2 –4 –12 –6 –1 Simpson (IA) 1 –5 –12 –6 –1 Upper Iowa 0 –6 –11 –7 –1 $ – Conference championRankings from NAIA Division II poll | 1973 Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference football standings vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T No. 11 St. Thomas (MN) + 6 –1 –09 –1 –0 No. 9 Minnesota–Duluth + 6 –1 –08 –1 –0 Augsburg 5 –2 –07 –2 –0 Gustavus Adolphus 4 –3 –05 –5 –0 Concordia–Moorhead 3 –4 –05 –5 –0 Saint John's (MN) 3 –4 –04 –4 –0 Hamline 1 –6 –03 –6 –0 Macalester 0 –7 –01 –9 –0 + – Conference co-championsRankings from NAIA Division I poll | 1973 Kansas Collegiate Athletic Conference football standings vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T St. Mary of the Plains + 7 –1 –07 –3 –0 Bethany (KS) + 7 –1 –07 –4 –0 Sterling 5 –3 –06 –3 –0 Friends 5 –3 –05 –4 –0 Tabor 4 –4 –04 –5 –0 Bethel (KS) 3 –5 –03 –6 –0 McPherson 2 –6 –02 –8 –0 Southwestern (KS) 2 –6 –02 –7 –0 Kansas Wesleyan 1 –7 –02 –8 –0 + – Conference co-champions |
| 1973 Nebraska Intercollegiate Athletic Conference football standings vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T No. 20 Doane $ 4 –0 –17 –2 –1 Nebraska Wesleyan 3 –1 –14 –3 –1 Hastings 3 –2 –05 –4 –0 Midland 3 –2 –05 –5 –0 Concordia (NE) 1 –4 –04 –6 –0 Dana 0 –5 –00 –8 –0 $ – Conference championRankings from NAIA Division II poll | 1973 North Dakota College Athletic Conference football standings vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T Minot State $ 5 –0 –06 –3 –0 Valley City State 4 –1 –06 –3 –0 Dickinson State 3 –2 –05 –3 –1 Jamestown 2 –3 –05 –4 –1 Mayville State 1 –4 –02 –6 –0 Wahpeton Science 0 –5 –01 –5 –0 $ – Conference champion | 1973 Northwest Conference football standings vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T Pacific Lutheran $ 6 –1 –06 –3 –0 No. 11 Linfield 5 –2 –07 –2 –0 Whitworth 4 –2 –04 –5 –0 Willamette 4 –3 –05 –4 –0 Whitman 3 –4 –03 –5 –1 Lewis & Clark 3 –4 –03 –6 –0 College of Idaho 2 –4 –02 –7 –0 Pacific (OR) 0 –7 –00 –9 –0 $ – Conference championRankings from NAIA Division II poll |
| 1973 South Dakota Intercollegiate Conference football standings vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T No. 17 Dakota State $ 5 –0 –06 –3 –0 South Dakota Tech 3 –1 –14 –3 –2 Black Hills State 3 –2 –04 –5 –1 Huron 2 –2 –1 ? – ? – ? Dakota Wesleyan 1 –4 –01 –8 –0 South Dakota–Springfield 0 –5 –0 ? – ? – ? $ – Conference championRankings from NAIA Division II poll | 1973 Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference football standings vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T No. 10 Redlands $ 5 –0 –08 –1 –0 Whittier 3 –2 –06 –3 –0 La Verne 3 –2 –04 –5 –0 Claremont-Mudd 2 –3 –03 –5 –0 Occidental 2 –3 –02 –6 –0 Pomona-Pitzer 0 –5 –01 –7 –1 $ – Conference championRankings from NAIA Division II poll | 1973 Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference football standings vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T Division I Bethune–Cookman x 5 –0 –09 –2 –0 Florida A&M 4 –1 –05 –6 –0 No. 16 Albany State 3 –2 –06 –3 –1 Alabama A&M 3 –2 –05 –5 –0 Tuskegee 2 –3 –07 –4 –0 Morris Brown 1 –4 –01 –8 –1 Alabama State 0 –5 –03 –8 –0 Division II No. 7 Fisk x 5 –0 –09 –0 –0 Fort Valley State 4 –1 –07 –1 –1 Clark (GA) 4 –1 –04 –3 –1 Morehouse 3 –2 –04 –3 –1 Savannah State 2 –3 –03 –6 –0 Lane 1 –4 –03 –6 –0 Miles 1 –4 –01 –8 –0 Knoxville 0 –5 –00 –8 –0 x – Division champion/co-championsRankings from NAIA Division II poll |
| 1973 Tri-State Conference football standings vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T No. 1 Northwestern (IA) $^ 5 –0 –012 –0 –0 No. 14 Yankton 4 –1 –07 –2 –0 Sioux Falls 2 –3 –05 –5 –0 Westmar 2 –3 –03 –5 –0 Bethel (MN) 2 –3 –03 –6 –0 Concordia (MN) 0 –5 –02 –7 –0 $ – Conference champion^ – NAIA Division II playoff participantRankings from NAIA Division II poll | 1973 West Virginia Intercollegiate Athletic Conference football standings vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T Northern Division Fairmont State xy$ 3 –0 –06 –3 –1 West Liberty State 2 –1 –13 –5 –1 Salem 2 –2 –06 –4 –0 Shepherd 1 –2 –06 –4 –0 West Virginia Wesleyan 0 –3 –12 –6 –1 Southern Division No. 2 Glenville State xy^ 4 –0 –010 –2 –0 Bluefield State 3 –1 –04 –5 –0 West Virginia State 2 –2 –05 –5 –0 West Virginia Tech 1 –3 –04 –5 –0 Concord 0 –4 –00 –9 –0 Championship: Fairmont State 21, Glenville State 7 $ – 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 | 1973 NAIA Division II independents football records vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T No. 6 Westminster (PA)   –  7 –1 –0 No. 18 Simon Fraser   –  6 –2 –0 Texas Lutheran   –  7 –3 –0 Cal Lutheran   –  6 –4 –0 Azusa Pacific   –  5 –4 –0 Franklin (IN)   –  5 –4 –0 Missouri Western   –  4 –5 –1 Geneva   –  4 –5 –0 Missouri Southern   –  4 –6 –0 Austin   –  3 –5 –1 Iowa Wesleyan   –  3 –5 –0 Waynesburg   –  3 –5 –0 Benedictine (KS)   –  3 –6 –0 Eureka   –  3 –6 –0 Georgetown (KY)   –  3 –6 –0 Oklahoma Panhandle State   –  3 –7 –1 Rankings from NAIA Division II poll |

## Postseason

| Semifinals December 1, 1973 | Semifinals December 1, 1973 | Semifinals December 1, 1973 | Championship December 8, 1973 Huntington, WV | Championship December 8, 1973 Huntington, WV | Championship December 8, 1973 Huntington, WV |
| William Jewell | William Jewell | 2 | | | |
| Northwestern (IA)* | Northwestern (IA)* | 28 | | | |
| Northwestern (IA)* | Northwestern (IA)* | 28 | Northwestern (IA) | Northwestern (IA) | 10 |
| | | | Glenville State* | Glenville State* | 3 |
| Carthage | Carthage | 7 | Glenville State* | Glenville State* | 3 |
| Glenville State* | Glenville State* | 14 | | | |