# 1979 NAIA Division I football season

The 1979 NAIA Division I football season was the 24th season of college football sponsored by the NAIA, was the 10th season of play of the NAIA's top division for football.
The season was played from August to November 1979 and culminated in the 1979 NAIA Division I Football National Championship. Known again this year as the Palm Bowl, the title game was played on December 15, 1979, at McAllen Veterans Memorial Stadium in McAllen, Texas.
The Texas A&I Javelinas defeated the Central State Bronchos in the Palm Bowl, 20–14, to win their sixth NAIA national title.

## Conference realignment
### Membership changes

| Team | 1978 conference | 1979 conference |
| Eastern Washington | Evergreen (NAIA) | Independent (NCAA Division II) |

## Conference standings

1979 Arkansas Intercollegiate Conference football standings :
| 1979 Arkansas Intercollegiate Conference football standings vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T No. 11 Arkansas–Monticello $ 5 –1 –09 –2 –0 Henderson State 4 –2 –05 –5 –0 Arkansas Tech 3 –2 –13 –6 –1 Central Arkansas 2 –2 –27 –2 –2 Ouachita Baptist 2 –4 –05 –5 –0 Harding 2 –4 –04 –6 –0 Southern Arkansas 1 –4 –13 –6 –1 $ – Conference championRankings from NAIA Division I poll | 1979 Central States Intercollegiate Conference football standings vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T No. 3 Kearney State +^ 6 –1 –08 –2 –0 Pittsburg State + 6 –1 –07 –3 –0 Missouri Western 3 –4 –07 –4 –0 Missouri Southern 3 –4 –05 –5 –0 Wayne State (NE) 3 –4 –04 –5 –1 Fort Hays State 3 –4 –04 –6 –0 Emporia State 2 –5 –04 –6 –0 Washburn 2 –5 –04 –6 –0 + – Conference co-champions^ – NAIA Division I playoff participantRankings from NAIA Division I poll | 1979 Evergreen Conference football standings vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T No. 13 Oregon College $ 5 –0 –08 –1 –1 No. T–15 Oregon Tech 3 –2 –07 –2 –0 Eastern Oregon 3 –2 –06 –3 –0 Western Washington 2 –3 –04 –5 –0 Southern Oregon 1 –4 –02 –7 –0 Central Washington 1 –4 –01 –8 –1 $ – Conference championRankings from NAIA Division I poll |
| 1979 Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference football standings vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T No. 8 Saginaw Valley State $^ 4 –0 –18 –2 –1 Wayne State (MI) 3 –1 –13 –5 –1 Ferris State 3 –2 –05 –4 –1 Grand Valley State 2 –3 –04 –5 –0 Northwood 1 –4 –05 –4 –0 Hillsdale 1 –4 –03 –8 –0 $ – Conference champion^ – NAIA Division I playoff participantRankings from NAIA Division I poll | 1979 Lone Star Conference football standings vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T No. 2 Texas A&I $^ 6 –1 –012 –1 –0 No. 17 Stephen F. Austin 5 –2 –08 –3 –0 No. 7 Angelo State ^ 5 –2 –09 –3 –0 East Texas State 5 –2 –05 –5 –0 Abilene Christian 3 –4 –07 –4 –0 No. 19 Southwest Texas State 3 –4 –07 –4 –0 Howard Payne 1 –6 –02 –8 –0 Sam Houston State 0 –7 –01 –9 –0 $ – Conference champion^ – NAIA Division I playoff participantRankings from NAIA Division I poll | 1979 Northern Intercollegiate Conference football standings vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T Minnesota Duluth + 7 –1 –08 –2 –0 Moorhead State + 7 –1 –08 –3 –0 Minnesota Morris ^ 6 –2 –09 –2 –0 St. Cloud State 5 –3 –05 –6 –0 Mankato State 4 –4 –05 –5 –0 Michigan Tech 4 –4 –04 –6 –0 Southwest State (MN) 2 –6 –04 –7 –0 Bemidji State 1 –7 –01 –8 –1 Winona State 0 –8 –00 –11 –0 + – Conference co-champions^ – NCAA Division III playoff participant |
| 1979 Oklahoma Intercollegiate Conference football standings vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T East Central $ 4 –0 –06 –4 –0 No. 18 SW Oklahoma State 3 –1 –07 –2 –0 No. 12 Northeastern State 2 –2 –08 –2 –0 SE Oklahoma State 1 –3 –02 –8 –0 NW Oklahoma State 0 –4 –02 –8 –0 $ – Conference championRankings from NAIA Division I poll | 1979 Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference football standings vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T No. 6 Western State (CO) $^ 7 –1 –08 –2 –0 No. 14 Southern Colorado 6 –2 –08 –2 –0 Colorado Mines 5 –3 –06 –4 –0 Adams State 4 –4 –05 –5 –0 Fort Lewis 4 –4 –05 –5 –0 Southern Utah 3 –5 –04 –6 –0 New Mexico Highlands 3 –5 –03 –7 –0 Western New Mexico 2 –6 –02 –7 –0 Mesa 1 –7 –01 –8 –0 $ – Conference champion^ – NAIA Division I playoff participantRankings from NAIA Division I poll | 1979 South Atlantic Conference football standings vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T No. 1 Presbyterian $^ 7 –0 –011 –2 –0 No. 9 Mars Hill 5 –1 –07 –2 –1 Carson–Newman 4 –3 –06 –4 –0 Elon 3 –4 –05 –5 –0 Newberry 3 –4 –05 –5 –0 Lenoir–Rhyne 2 –4 –05 –5 –0 Catawba 2 –5 –03 –8 –0 Gardner–Webb 1 –6 –04 –7 –0 $ – Conference champion^ – NAIA Division I playoff participantRankings from NAIA Division I poll |
| 1979 West Virginia Intercollegiate Athletic Conference football standings vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T Northern Division No. 10 Fairmont State xy$ 7 –1 –19 –1 –1 No. T–15th West Liberty State x 7 –1 –17 –2 –1 Salem 6 –2 –16 –3 –1 Shepherd 5 –4 –05 –5 –0 West Virginia Wesleyan 1 –8 –01 –8 –0 Southern Division West Virginia State xy 6 –3 –06 –5 –0 Concord 4 –3 –25 –3 –2 Glenville State 3 –6 –04 –6 –0 West Virginia Tech 1 –6 –21 –6 –2 Bluefield State 1 –7 –11 –8 –1 Championship: Fairmont State 14, West Virginia State 13 $ – Conference championx – Division champion/co-championsy – Championship game participantRankings from NAIA Division I poll | 1979 Wisconsin State University Conference football standings vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T No. 4 Wisconsin–River Falls $^ 7 –1 –09 –1 –0 No. 20 Wisconsin–La Crosse 6 –2 –07 –2 –0 Wisconsin–Whitewater 6 –2 –07 –4 –0 Wisconsin–Stout 4 –4 –06 –4 –0 Wisconsin–Stevens Point 4 –4 –05 –5 –0 Wisconsin–Oshkosh 3 –5 –05 –5 –0 Wisconsin–Platteville 3 –5 –05 –5 –0 Wisconsin–Eau Claire 3 –5 –03 –7 –0 Wisconsin–Superior 0 –8 –01 –10 –0 $ – Conference champion^ – NAIA Division I playoff participant Wisconsin–Eau Claire forfeited two non-conference games.Rankings from NAIA Division I poll | 1979 NAIA Division I independents football records vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T Liberty Baptist   –  9 –1 –1 No. 5 Central State (OK) ^   –  11 –2 –0 Kentucky State   –  6 –5 –0 Wofford   –  5 –5 –0 Guilford   –  4 –5 –0 Eastern New Mexico   –  4 –6 –0 Cameron   –  3 –7 –0 Langston   –  1 –8 –0 ^ – NAIA Division I playoff participantRankings from NAIA Division I poll |

## Conference champions

| Conference | Champion | Record |
| Arkansas | Arkansas–Monticello | 5–1 |
| Central States | Kearney State Pittsburg State | 6–1 |
| Evergreen | Oregon College | 5–0 |
| Great Lakes | Saginaw Valley State | 4–0–1 |
| Lone Star | Texas A&I | 6–1 |
| NIC | Minnesota–Duluth Moorhead State (MN) | 7–1 |
| Oklahoma | East Central State | 4–0 |
| RMAC | Western State (CO) | 7–1 |
| South Atlantic | Presbyterian | 7–0 |
| WVIAC | North: Fairmont and West Liberty State South: West Virginia State | 6–2–1 6–3 |
| Wisconsin State | Wisconsin–River Falls | 7–1 |

## Postseason

| Quarterfinals December 1, 1979 Campus sites | Quarterfinals December 1, 1979 Campus sites | Quarterfinals December 1, 1979 Campus sites | Semifinals December 8, 1979 Campus sites | Semifinals December 8, 1979 Campus sites | Semifinals December 8, 1979 Campus sites | 1979 Palm Bowl December 15, 1979 McAllen, TX | 1979 Palm Bowl December 15, 1979 McAllen, TX | 1979 Palm Bowl December 15, 1979 McAllen, TX |
| Saginaw Valley State | Saginaw Valley State | 3 | | | | | | |
| Presbyterian* | Presbyterian* | 36 | | | | | | |
| Presbyterian* | Presbyterian* | 36 | Presbyterian | Presbyterian | 6 | | | |
| | | | Central State (OK)* | Central State (OK)* | 28 | | | |
| Central State (OK) | Central State (OK) | 42 | Central State (OK)* | Central State (OK)* | 28 | | | |
| Kearney State* | Kearney State* | 22 | | | | | | |
| Kearney State* | Kearney State* | 22 | | | | Central State (OK) | Central State (OK) | 14 |
| | | | | | | Texas A&I | Texas A&I | 20 |
| Wisconsin–River Falls | Wisconsin–River Falls | 7 | | | | | | | Texas A&I | Texas A&I | 20 |
| Angelo State* | Angelo State* | 31 | | | | | | |
| Angelo State* | Angelo State* | 31 | Angelo State | Angelo State | 19 | | | |
| | | | Texas A&I* | Texas A&I* | 22 | | | |
| Western State (CO) | Western State (CO) | 14 | Texas A&I* | Texas A&I* | 22 | | | |
| Texas A&I* | Texas A&I* | 38 | | | | | | |