# 1983 NAIA Division II football season

The 1983 NAIA Division II football season, as part of the 1983 college football season in the United States and the 28th season of college football sponsored by the NAIA, was the 14th season of play of the NAIA's lower division for football.
The season was played from August to November 1983 and culminated in the 1983 NAIA Division II Football National Championship, played at the Lincoln Bowl near the campus of Pacific Lutheran University in Tacoma, Washington.
The Northwestern Red Raiders defeated the Pacific Lutheran Lutes in the championship game, 25–21, to win their second NAIA national title (and first since 1973).

## Conference standings

1983 Frontier Conference football standings :
| 1983 Frontier Conference football standings vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T No. 11 Montana Tech $ 6 –0 –07 –3 –0 Western Montana 3 –3 –03 –7 –0 Carroll (MT) 2 –4 –02 –7 –0 Rocky Mountain 1 –5 –02 –6 –0 $ – Conference championRankings from NAIA Division II poll | 1983 Heart of America Athletic Conference football standings vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T No. 2 Baker $^ 7 –0 –010 –1 –0 No. 7 William Jewell ^ 5 –1 –19 –2 –1 No. 13 Missouri Valley 5 –1 –17 –2 –1 Graceland 4 –3 –07 –3 –0 MidAmerica Nazarene 3 –4 –05 –5 –0 Tarkio 2 –5 –03 –7 –0 Central Methodist 1 –6 –01 –9 –0 Culver–Stockton 0 –7 –01 –9 –0 + – Conference co-champions^ – NAIA Division II playoff participantRankings from NAIA Division II poll | 1983 Hoosier–Buckeye Conference football standings vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T No. 6 Findlay +^ 6 –1 –08 –2 –0 No. 3 Wilmington (OH) +^ 6 –1 –08 –2 –0 No. 18 Anderson (IN) 5 –2 –06 –3 –0 Earlham 4 –3 –06 –3 –0 Hanover 3 –4 –05 –4 –0 Defiance 3 –4 –05 –4 –0 Manchester (IN) 1 –6 –02 –7 –0 Bluffton 0 –7 –00 –9 –0 + – Conference co-champions^ – NAIA Division II playoff participantRankings from NAIA Division II poll |
| 1983 Kansas Collegiate Athletic Conference football standings vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T No. 9 Southwestern (KS) $ 8 –0 –18 –2 –1 No. 10 Bethany (KS) 7 –2 –08 –2 –0 No. 19 Sterling 6 –2 –16 –2 –1 Bethel (KS) 6 –3 –06 –3 –0 St. Mary of the Plains 4 –5 –04 –6 –0 Kansas Wesleyan 3 –6 –03 –7 –0 Ottawa 3 –6 –03 –7 –0 McPherson 2 –6 –12 –6 –1 Tabor 2 –6 –12 –6 –1 Friends 2 –7 –02 –7 –0 $ – Conference championRankings from NAIA Division II poll | 1983 Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference football standings vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T No. 4 St. Thomas (MN) $^ 9 –0 –09 –2 –0 Saint John's (MN) 7 –2 –07 –4 –0 Hamline 6 –3 –06 –4 –0 Gustavus Adolphus 5 –4 –06 –4 –0 Macalester 5 –4 –06 –4 –0 Concordia–Moorhead 4 –5 –05 –6 –0 Augsburg 3 –6 –04 –7 –0 St. Olaf 3 –6 –03 –7 –0 Bethel (MN) 2 –7 –02 –8 –0 Carleton 1 –8 –02 –8 –0 $ – Conference champion^ – NAIA Division II playoff participantRankings from NAIA Division II poll | 1983 Nebraska Intercollegiate Athletic Conference football standings vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T Nebraska Wesleyan + 4 –1 –07 –3 –0 Doane + 4 –1 –07 –3 –0 Concordia (NE) 3 –2 –07 –3 –0 No. 17 Midland 3 –2 –06 –3 –0 Hastings 1 –4 –05 –5 –0 Dana 0 –5 –01 –8 –0 + – Conference co-championsRankings from NAIA Division II poll |
| 1983 North Dakota College Athletic Conference football standings vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T No. 15 Minot State + 5 –1 –07 –2 –0 Valley City State + 5 –1 –06 –3 –0 No. 20 Dickinson State 4 –2 –07 –2 –0 Jamestown 4 –2 –07 –2 –0 Mayville State 2 –4 –04 –5 –0 Bismarck JC 1 –5 –03 –5 –0 North Dakota Science 0 –6 –01 –8 –0 + – Conference co-championsRankings from NAIA Division II poll | 1983 Northwest Conference football standings vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T No. 8 Pacific Lutheran $^ 4 –1 –09 –3 –0 No. 14 Linfield 3 –1 –16 –2 –1 Whitworth 3 –1 –15 –3 –1 Lewis & Clark 2 –3 –04 –5 –0 Pacific (OR) 1 –4 –04 –5 –0 Willamette 1 –4 –01 –8 –0 $ – Conference champion^ – NAIA Division II playoff participantRankings from NAIA Division II poll | 1983 South Dakota Intercollegiate Conference football standings vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T Black Hills State $ 5 –0 –25 –2 –2 Dakota State 5 –1 –15 –4 –1 South Dakota Tech 5 –2 –05 –4 –0 Yankton 4 –2 –15 –3 –2 Sioux Falls 3 –3 –15 –4 –1 Huron 1 –4 –21 –7 –2 Dakota Wesleyan 1 –6 –01 –9 –0 South Dakota–Springfield 0 –6 –11 –8 –1 $ – Conference champion |
| 1983 Texas Intercollegiate Athletic Association football standings vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T McMurry + 4 –2 –06 –3 –0 Sul Ross + 4 –2 –05 –3 –0 Austin 3 –3 –06 –4 –0 Tarleton State 1 –5 –02 –7 –0 + – Conference co-champions | 1983 NAIA Division II independents football records vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T No. 1 Northwestern (IA) ^   –  14 –0 –0 No. 5 Westminster (PA) ^   –  9 –2 –0 No. 12 Loras   –  8 –2 –1 No. 16 Iowa Wesleyan   –  7 –2 –1 Texas Lutheran   –  7 –3 –0 Azusa Pacific   –  6 –3 –0 Waynesburg   –  6 –3 –1 Benedictine (KS)   –  6 –4 –0 Geneva   –  5 –4 –0 Peru State   –  4 –5 –0 Cal Lutheran   –  4 –6 –0 Chadron State   –  4 –6 –0 Oklahoma Panhandle State   –  3 –7 –0 Westmar   –  2 –7 –1 Evangel   –  2 –8 –0 ^ – NAIA Division II playoff participantRankings from NAIA Division II poll |

## Conference champions

| Conference | Champion | Record |
| Frontier | Montana Tech | 6–0 |
| Heart of America | Baker | 7–0 |
| Hoosier-Buckeye | Findlay Wilmington (OH) | 6–1 |
| Kansas | Southwestern (KS) | 8–0–1 |
| Nebraska | Doane Nebraska Wesleyan | 4–1 |
| North Dakota | Valley City State Minot State | 5–1 |
| Northwest | Pacific Lutheran | 4–1 |
| South Dakota | Black Hills State | 5–0–2 |
| Texas | McMurry (TX) Sul Ross | 4–2 |

## Postseason

| Quarterfinals Campus sites | Quarterfinals Campus sites | Semifinals Campus sites | Semifinals Campus sites | Championship Tacoma, WA | Championship Tacoma, WA |
| Baker (KS) | 3 | | | | |
| Pacific Lutheran* | 35 | | | | |
| Pacific Lutheran* | 35 | Pacific Lutheran* | 16 | | |
| | | Westminster (PA) | 13 | | |
| Westminster (PA) | 28 | Westminster (PA) | 13 | | |
| Findlay* | 0 | | | | |
| Findlay* | 0 | | | Pacific Lutheran* | 21 |
| | | | | Northwestern (IA) | 25 |
| Wilmington (OH) | 7 | | | | | Northwestern (IA) | 25 |
| William Jewell* | 51 | | | | |
| William Jewell* | 51 | William Jewell* | 12 | | |
| | | Northwestern (IA) | 30 | | |
| St. Thomas (MN) | 10 | Northwestern (IA) | 30 | | |
| Northwestern (IA)* | 17 | | | | |