# 1973 NAIA Division I football season

The 1973 NAIA Division I football season was the 18th season of college football sponsored by the NAIA and the fourth season of the league's two-division structure.
The season was played from August to November 1973 and culminated in the 1973 NAIA Champion Bowl, played on December 8, 1973 at Independence Stadium in Shreveport, Louisiana.
Abilene Christian defeated Elon in the Champion Bowl, 42–14, to win their first NAIA national title.

## Conference realignment
### Conference changes

* This was the final season for the Oklahoma Collegiate Conference. After sixty-five season of football dating back to 1929, the OCC disbanded after the end of play, with six of its members subsequently departing to form the Oklahoma Intercollegiate Conference for the 1974 season.

## Conference standings

1973 Arkansas Intercollegiate Conference football standings :
| 1973 Arkansas Intercollegiate Conference football standings vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T No. 7 Henderson State $ 6 –0 –010 –1 –0 No. T–17 Southern Arkansas 4 –2 –08 –2 –0 Harding 4 –2 –07 –3 –0 State College of Arkansas 3 –3 –06 –5 –0 Ouachita Baptist 2 –4 –05 –5 –0 Arkansas Tech 2 –4 –04 –7 –0 Arkansas–Monticello 0 –6 –02 –8 –0 $ – Conference championRankings from NAIA Division I poll | 1973 Carolinas Conference football standings vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T No. 2/10 Elon $^ 4 –0 –012 –1 –0 Lenoir Rhyne 2 –1 –05 –5 –1 Mars Hill 2 –2 –05 –6 –0 Catawba 1 –3 –05 –5 –0 Guilford 0 –3 –01 –9 –0 $ – Conference champion^ – NAIA Division I playoff participantRankings from NAIA Division I poll and AP small college poll | 1973 Evergreen Conference football standings vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T No. 16 Central Washington $ 5 –1 –07 –2 –0 Eastern Oregon 4 –2 –07 –2 –0 Oregon College 4 –2 –06 –3 –0 Southern Oregon 4 –2 –06 –3 –0 Eastern Washington 2 –4 –05 –4 –0 Western Washington 1 –5 –01 –7 –0 Oregon Tech 1 –5 –01 –8 –0 $ – Conference championRankings from NAIA Division I poll |
| 1973 Great Plains Athletic Conference football standings vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T No. T–17 Emporia State + 4 –1 –07 –2 –0 Northern Colorado + 4 –1 –07 –2 –0 Fort Hays State 2 –3 –05 –4 –0 Washburn 2 –3 –03 –6 –1 Pittsburg State 2 –3 –03 –7 –0 Southern Colorado 1 –4 –03 –7 –0 + – Conference co-championsRankings from NAIA Division I poll | 1973 Gulf South Conference football standings vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T No. T–17 Troy State $ 6 –1 –07 –2 –1 No. 4 Jacksonville State 5 –2 –07 –2 –0 Delta State 6 –3 –08 –3 –0 Livingston 4 –3 –16 –3 –1 Northwestern State 3 –4 –05 –6 –0 Mississippi College 3 –4 –04 –6 –0 Southeastern Louisiana 3 –4 –04 –6 –0 Florence State 3 –6 –04 –6 –0 Nicholls State 2 –7 –02 –9 –0 Tennessee–Martin 1 –5 –12 –8 –1 $ – Conference championRankings from NAIA Division I poll | 1973 Lone Star Conference football standings vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T No. 1/7 Abilene Christian $^ 9 –0 –011 –1 –0 No. 8 Howard Payne 8 –1 –08 –3 –0 Stephen F. Austin 6 –3 –09 –3 –0 East Texas State 6 –3 –07 –4 –0 Angelo State 5 –4 –05 –4 –2 Southwest Texas State 3 –6 –04 –6 –0 Sul Ross 3 –6 –03 –7 –0 Sam Houston State 2 –7 –02 –8 –0 Texas A&I 2 –7 –02 –8 –0 Tarleton State 1 –8 –01 –9 –0 $ – Conference champion^ – NAIA Division I playoff participantRankings from NAIA Division I poll and AP small college 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 Nebraska College Conference football standings vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T Kearney State $ 3 –0 –06 –3 –0 Chadron State 2 –1 –07 –3 –0 Wayne State (NE) 1 –2 –05 –5 –0 Peru State 0 –3 –04 –6 –0 $ – Conference champion | 1973 Northern Intercollegiate Conference football standings vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T Moorhead State $ 5 –1 –07 –3 –0 Michigan Tech 4 –2 –05 –4 –1 St. Cloud State 4 –2 –04 –6 –0 Bemidji State 2 –4 –05 –4 –0 Southwest State (MN) 2 –4 –04 –6 –0 Minnesota Morris 2 –4 –03 –6 –0 Winona State 2 –4 –03 –7 –0 $ – Conference champion |
| 1973 Oklahoma Collegiate Conference football standings vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T No. 3 Langston $^ 8 –0 –011 –1 –0 No. 12 Northeastern State 6 –2 –07 –2 –0 SE Oklahoma State 5 –3 –06 –4 –0 Central State (OK) 5 –3 –06 –4 –1 Cameron 4 –4 –05 –5 –0 East Central 3 –4 –04 –7 –0 Panhandle 2 –6 –03 –7 –1 SW Oklahoma State 2 –6 –03 –7 –0 NW Oklahoma State 0 –7 –11 –8 –1 $ – Conference champion^ – NAIA Division I playoff participantRankings from NAIA Division I poll | 1973 Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference football standings vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T East Division West Chester xy 4 –0 –05 –5 –0 East Stroudsburg 5 –1 –06 –1 –1 Millersville 4 –2 –07 –2 –0 Cheyney 3 –2 –05 –4 –0 Bloomsburg 2 –4 –04 –5 –0 Kutztown 1 –5 –02 –7 –0 Mansfield 0 –5 –01 –7 –0 West Division No. T–20 Slippery Rock xy$ 5 –0 –08 –2 –0 Clarion 3 –2 –05 –4 –0 Edinboro 3 –2 –04 –4 –1 Lock Haven 2 –3 –02 –7 –0 California (PA) 1 –4 –03 –6 –0 Shippensburg 1 –4 –02 –7 –0 Indiana (PA) * 0 –0 –04 –5 –0 Championship: Slippery Rock 28, West Chester 14 $ – Conference championx – Division champion/co-championsy – Championship game participant * – Ineligible for conference title Rankings from NAIA Division I poll | 1973 Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference football standings vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T Western State (CO) $ 5 –1 –06 –3 –0 Adams State 4 –2 –06 –3 –0 Southern Utah 4 –2 –05 –4 –0 Fort Lewis 3 –3 –04 –5 –0 Western New Mexico 3 –3 –03 –5 –0 Westminster (UT) 2 –4 –03 –6 –0 Colorado Mines 0 –6 –00 –9 –0 $ – Conference champion |
| 1973 Southwestern Athletic Conference football standings vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T No. 5/7 Grambling +^ 5 –1 –010 –3 –0 No. 10 Jackson State + 5 –1 –09 –2 –0 No. T–20 Alcorn A&M 3 –2 –17 –2 –1 Southern 3 –3 –06 –4 –0 Texas Southern 2 –3 –15 –5 –1 Mississippi Valley State 2 –4 –03 –5 –0 Prairie View A&M 0 –6 –02 –6 –1 + – Conference co-champions^ – NCAA Division II playoff participantRankings from NAIA Division I poll and AP small college 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 Wisconsin State University Conference football standings vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T No. 6 Wisconsin–La Crosse $^ 7 –1 –09 –2 –0 No. 14 Wisconsin–Platteville 6 –1 –18 –1 –1 Wisconsin–Whitewater 4 –2 –26 –2 –2 Wisconsin–Eau Claire 4 –4 –05 –5 –0 Wisconsin–Oshkosh 4 –4 –04 –6 –0 Wisconsin–River Falls 3 –4 –14 –5 –1 Wisconsin–Stevens Point 3 –5 –04 –6 –0 Wisconsin–Superior 2 –6 –02 –8 –0 Wisconsin–Stout 1 –7 –01 –9 –0 $ – Conference champion^ – NAIA Division I playoff participantRankings from NAIA Division I poll |
| 1973 NAIA Division I independents football records vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T No. 15 Hillsdale   –  7 –2 –0 No. 13 Carson–Newman   –  6 –3 –0 Eastern New Mexico   –  6 –4 –0 Wofford   –  3 –6 –1 Kentucky State   –  3 –8 –0 Presbyterian   –  3 –8 –0 Rankings from NAIA Division I poll |

## Postseason

| Semifinals December 1, 1973 | Semifinals December 1, 1973 | Semifinals December 1, 1973 | 1973 Champion Bowl December 8, 1973 Shreveport, LA | 1973 Champion Bowl December 8, 1973 Shreveport, LA | 1973 Champion Bowl December 8, 1973 Shreveport, LA |
| Wisconsin–La Crosse | Wisconsin–La Crosse | 24 | | | |
| Elon* | Elon* | 35 | | | |
| Elon* | Elon* | 35 | Elon | Elon | 14 |
| | | | Abilene Christian | Abilene Christian | 42 |
| Langston | Langston | 6 | Abilene Christian | Abilene Christian | 42 |
| Abilene Christian* | Abilene Christian* | 34 | | | |