# 1997 NAIA football season

The 1997 NAIA football season, as part of the 1997 college football season in the United States, was the 42nd season of college football sponsored by the NAIA.
The season was played from August to November 1997, culminating in the 1997 NAIA Football National Championship, played this year on December 20, 1997 at Jim Carroll Stadium in Savannah, Tennessee.
Findlay defeated Willamette in the championship game, 14–7, to win their fourth NAIA national title.

## Conference standings

1997 Columbia Football Association standings :
| 1997 Columbia Football Association standings vteConfOverall Team W L W L  No. 13 Western Oregon $^  4 –1  7 –3   Central Washington  3 –2  5 –4   Southern Oregon  3 –2  5 –4   Western Washington  3 –2  5 –5   Simon Fraser  1 –4  2 –7   Humboldt State  1 –4  2 –8   $ – Conference champion^ – NAIA playoff participantRankings from NAIA poll | 1997 Frontier Conference football standings vteConfOverall Team W L W L  No. 4 Montana Tech $^  6 –0  10 –2   Rocky Mountain  3 –3  4 –5   Carroll (MT)  2 –4  4 –5   Western Montana  1 –5  1 –8   $ – Conference champion^ – NAIA playoff participantRankings from NAIA poll | 1997 Heart of America Athletic Conference football standings vteConfOverall Team W L W L  No. 10 Benedictine (KS) +^  8 –1  9 –2   No. 9 Evangel +^  8 –1  9 –2   No. 23 MidAmerica Nazarene  6 –3  7 –4   Baker  5 –4  6 –4   William Jewell  5 –4  5 –5   Graceland  4 –5  5 –5   Missouri Valley  4 –5  5 –5   Lindenwood  4 –5  4 –6   Central Methodist  1 –8  1 –9   Culver–Stockton  0 –9  1 –9   + – Conference co-champions^ – NAIA playoff participantRankings from NAIA poll |
| 1997 Kansas Collegiate Athletic Conference football standings vteConfOverall Team W L W L  No. 12 Ottawa +^  7 –1  9 –2   No. 15 Southwestern (KS) +^  7 –1  8 –3   No. 20 Bethany (KS)  6 –2  7 –2   McPherson  4 –4  6 –4   Bethel (KS)  4 –4  5 –5   Friends  4 –4  4 –6   Sterling  2 –6  3 –7   Kansas Wesleyan  2 –6  2 –7   Tabor  0 –8  1 –9   $ – Conference champion^ – NAIA playoff participantRankings from NAIA poll | 1997 Mid-South Conference football standings vteConfOverall Team W L W L  No. 11 Campbellsville +^  5 –1  7 –3   Georgetown (KY) +  5 –1  5 –4   Cumberland (TN)  4 –2  5 –4   Cumberland (KY)  3 –3  5 –5   Lambuth  2 –4  4 –6   Union (KY)  2 –4  2 –8   North Greenville  0 –6  1 –8   + – Conference co-champions^ – NAIA playoff participantRankings from NAIA poll | 1997 Mid-States Football Association standings vteConfOverall Team W L W L  Mideast League No. 5 Geneva x^  6 –0  11 –2   No. 8 Westminster (PA) ^  5 –1  9 –2   No. 21 Walsh  4 –2  7 –3   Malone  3 –3  5 –5   Tri-State  2 –4  4 –6   Tiffin  1 –4  4 –7   Urbana  0 –6  0 –10   Midwest League No. 1 Findlay x^  6 –0  14 –0   No. 24 Taylor  5 –1  7 –3   Olivet Nazarene  4 –2  7 –3   St. Ambrose  3 –3  4 –6   Iowa Wesleyan  1 –5  4 –7   Saint Xavier  1 –5  1 –9   Trinity International  1 –5  1 –9   x – League champion/co-champions ^ – NAIA playoff participantRankings from NAIA poll |
| 1997 Nebraska-Iowa Athletic Conference football standings vteConfOverall Team W L W L  No. 7 Doane $^  6 –0  11 –1   Hastings  5 –1  5 –4   Northwestern (IA)  3 –3  5 –5   Nebraska Wesleyan  3 –3  5 –5   Dana  2 –4  4 –6   Midland  2 –4  2 –8   Concordia (NE)  0 –6  1 –9   $ – Conference champion^ – NAIA playoff participantRankings from NAIA poll | 1997 North Dakota College Athletic Conference football standings vteConfOverall Team W L W L  No. 6 Jamestown $^  6 –0  10 –1   No. 16 Minnesota–Crookston ^  4 –2  7 –3   No. 22 Dickinson State  4 –2  6 –3   Minot State  4 –2  5 –4   Valley City State  2 –4  5 –5   Mary  1 –5  4 –2   Mayville State  0 –6  0 –10   $ – Conference champion^ – NAIA Division II playoff participantRankings from NAIA poll | 1997 Northwest Conference football standings vteConfOverall Team W L W L  No. 2 Willamette $^  5 –0  13 –1   No. 19 Linfield  4 –1  6 –3   No. 17 Pacific Lutheran  3 –2  7 –2   Lewis & Clark  2 –3  3 –6   Whitworth  1 –4  2 –7   Puget Sound  0 –5  2 –7   $ – Conference champion^ – NAIA playoff participantRankings from NAIA poll |
| 1997 South Dakota-Iowa Intercollegiate Conference football standings vteConfOverall Team W L W L  No. 3 Sioux Falls $^  6 –0  11 –2   No. 25 Westmar  5 –1  8 –2   Dakota Wesleyan  3 –3  5 –5   Huron  3 –3  4 –6   Black Hills State  2 –4  3 –6   Dakota State  1 –5  2 –8   South Dakota Tech  1 –5  1 –9   $ – Conference champion^ – NAIA playoff participantRankings from NAIA poll | 1997 NAIA independents football records vteConfOverall Team W L W L  No. 14 McKendree ^   –  8 –2   No. 18 Clinch Valley   –  6 –3   Peru State   –  6 –4   NW Oklahoma State   –  5 –5   Azusa Pacific   –  4 –5   Eastern Oregon   –  4 –6   ^ – NAIA playoff participantRankings from NAIA poll |

## Conference champions

| Conference | Champion | Record |
| Columbia | Western Oregon Central Washington | 3–1 |
| Frontier | Montana Tech | 6–0 |
| Heart of America | Benedictine Evangel | 8–1 |
| Kansas | Ottawa Southwestern (KS) | 7–1 |
| Mid-South | Campbellsville Georgetown (KY) | 5–1 |
| Mid-States | Mideast Division: Geneva Midwest Division: Findlay | 6–0 6–0 |
| Nebraska-Iowa | Doane | 6–0 |
| North Dakota | Jamestown | 6–0 |
| South Dakota-Iowa | Sioux Falls | — |

## Season events

The 1997 Linfield vs. Willamette football game was played between the Linfield Wildcats and the Willamette Bearcats played on October 18, 1997. The game was played at McCulloch Stadium in Salem, Oregon. Willamette won the game by a score of 27 to 0. During the game, Liz Heaston became the first woman to not only play but also to score in a college football game.

## Postseason

| First Round November 18, 1997 Campus sites | First Round November 18, 1997 Campus sites | First Round November 18, 1997 Campus sites | Quarterfinals December 6, 1997 Campus sites | Quarterfinals December 6, 1997 Campus sites | Quarterfinals December 6, 1997 Campus sites | Semifinals December 13, 1997 Campus sites | Semifinals December 13, 1997 Campus sites | Semifinals December 13, 1997 Campus sites | | Championship December 20, 1997 Savannah, TN | Championship December 20, 1997 Savannah, TN | Championship December 20, 1997 Savannah, TN |
| 10 | Benedictine (KS) | 30 | | | | | | | | | | |
| 6 | Jamestown | 55 | | | | | | | | | | |
| 6 | Jamestown | 55 | 6 | Jamestown | 6 | | | | | | | |
| | | | 3 | Sioux Falls | 29 | | | | | | | |
| 12 | Ottawa | 14 | 3 | Sioux Falls | 29 | | | | | | | |
| 3 | Sioux Falls | 57 | | | | | | | | | | |
| 3 | Sioux Falls | 57 | | | | 3 | Sioux Falls | 7 | | | | |
| | | | | | | 2 | Willamette | 17 | | | | |
| 16 | Minnesota–Crookston | 10 | | | | | | | 2 | Willamette | 17 | | | | |
| 4 | Montana Tech | 51 | | | | | | | | | | |
| 4 | Montana Tech | 51 | 4 | Montana Tech | 24 | | | | | | | |
| | | | 2 | Willamette | 50 | | | | | | | |
| 13 | Western Oregon | 20 | 2 | Willamette | 50 | | | | | | | |
| 2 | Willamette | 26 | | | | | | | | | | |
| 2 | Willamette | 26 | | | | | | | | 2 | Willamette | 7 |
| | | | | | | | | | | 1 | Findlay | 14 |
| 15 | Southwestern (KS) | 28 | | | | | | | | | | | 1 | Findlay | 14 |
| 7 | Doane | 53 | | | | | | | | | | |
| 7 | Doane | 53 | 7 | Doane | 59 | | | | | | | |
| | | | 9 | Evangel | 20 | | | | | | | |
| 14 | McKendree | 6 | 9 | Evangel | 20 | | | | | | | |
| 9 | Evangel | 46 | | | | | | | | | | |
| 9 | Evangel | 46 | | | | 7 | Doane | 25 | | | | |
| | | | | | | 1 | Findlay | 26 | | | | |
| 11 | Campbellsville | 14 | | | | | | | 1 | Findlay | 26 | | | | |
| 5 | Geneva | 34 | | | | | | | | | | |
| 5 | Geneva | 34 | 5 | Geneva | 7 | | | | | | | |
| | | | 1 | Findlay | 28 | | | | | | | |
| 8 | Westminster (PA) | 0 | 1 | Findlay | 28 | | | | | | | |
| 1 | Findlay | 40 | | | | | | | | | | |