# 1998 NAIA football season

The 1998 NAIA football season, as part of the 1998 college football season in the United States, was the 43rd season of college football sponsored by the NAIA.
The season was played from August to November 1998, culminating in the 1998 NAIA Football National Championship, played this year on December 19, 1998 at Jim Carroll Stadium in Savannah, Tennessee.
Azusa Pacific defeated Olivet Nazarene in the championship game, 17–14, to win their first NAIA national title.
Jack Williams, running back from Azusa Pacific, was named the 1998 NAIA Football Player of the Year.

## Conference standings

1998 Columbia Football Association standings :
| 1998 Columbia Football Association standings vteConfOverall Team W L W L  No. 15 Central Washington $  4 –1  7 –4   Western Washington  3 –2  5 –5   Humboldt State  3 –2  4 –7   Western Oregon  2 –3  4 –5   Southern Oregon  2 –3  4 –6   Simon Fraser  1 –4  3 –6   $ – Conference championRankings from NAIA poll | 1998 Frontier Conference football standings vteConfOverall Team W L W L  No. 2 Rocky Mountain $^  6 –0  9 –1   Montana Tech  3 –3  5 –5   Western Montana  2 –4  2 –7   Carroll (MT)  1 –5  1 –8   $ – Conference champion^ – NAIA playoff participantRankings from NAIA poll | 1998 Heart of America Athletic Conference football standings vteConfOverall Team W L W L  No. 5 Benedictine (KS) $  8 –1  9 –2   No. 16 Lindenwood ^  7 –2  8 –3   No. 23 Missouri Valley  6 –3  7 –3   Evangel  5 –4  5 –4   MidAmerica Nazarene  5 –4  6 –5   Baker  5 –4  5 –5   Graceland  4 –5  4 –6   William Jewell  3 –6  3 –7   Culver–Stockton  2 –7  3 –7   Central Methodist  0 –9  0 –10   $ – Conference champion^ – NAIA playoff participantRankings from NAIA poll |
| 1998 Kansas Collegiate Athletic Conference football standings vteConfOverall Team W L W L  No. 3 Southwestern (KS) $^  7 –1  9 –2   No. 19 Ottawa  6 –2  8 –2   Bethany (KS)  5 –3  6 –3   Kansas Wesleyan  4 –4  5 –4   Bethel (KS)  4 –4  5 –5   McPherson  4 –4  5 –5   Sterling  3 –5  4 –6   Friends  2 –6  2 –8   Tabor  1 –7  1 –9   $ – Conference champion^ – NAIA playoff participantRankings from NAIA poll | 1998 Mid-South Conference football standings vteConfOverall Team W L W L  No. 9 Georgetown (KY) +^  6 –1  9 –3   No. 20 North Greenville +  6 –1  7 –3   No. 18 Lambuth  5 –2  7 –3   No. 24 Campbellsville  4 –3  7 –4   Cumberland (TN)  4 –3  6 –5   Belhaven  2 –5  4 –6   Cumberland (KY)  1 –6  3 –7   Union (KY)  0 –7  0 –10   + – Conference co-champions^ – NAIA playoff participantRankings from NAIA poll | 1998 Mid-States Football Association standings vteConfOverall Team W L W L  Mideast League No. 12 Malone x^  5 –1  7 –4   No. 14 Tri-State ^  4 –2  11 –3   No. 17 Geneva  4 –2  8 –3   Tiffin  3 –3  6 –5   Walsh  2 –4  6 –5   Urbana  2 –4  5 –6   Saint Francis (IN)  1 –5  2 –8   Midwest League No. 7 Taylor x^  6 –0  8 –3   No. 11 Olivet Nazarene ^  5 –1  11 –3   McKendree  3 –3  6 –4   St. Ambrose  2 –4  5 –5   Iowa Wesleyan  2 –4  3 –8   Trinity International  2 –4  2 –8   Saint Xavier  1 –5  1 –9   x – League champion/co-champions ^ – NAIA playoff participantRankings from NAIA poll |
| 1998 Nebraska-Iowa Athletic Conference football standings vteConfOverall Team W L W L  No. 1 Hastings $^  6 –0  10 –1   Doane  4 –2  5 –4   No. 22 Northwestern (IA)  3 –3  7 –3   Nebraska Wesleyan  3 –3  6 –4   Midland  3 –3  4 –6   Concordia (NE)  2 –4  4 –5   Dana  0 –6  2 –8   $ – Conference champion^ – NAIA playoff participantRankings from NAIA poll | 1998 North Dakota College Athletic Conference football standings vteConfOverall Team W L W L  No. 10 Mary +^  5 –1  8 –3   No. 6 Jamestown +^  5 –1  8 –2   Dickinson State  4 –2  6 –3   Minnesota–Crookston  3 –3  6 –4   Minot State  2 –4  4 –5   Mayville State  2 –4  2 –8   Valley City State  0 –6  0 –10   + – Conference co-champions^ – NAIA Division II playoff participantRankings from NAIA poll | 1998 South Dakota-Iowa Intercollegiate Conference football standings vteConfOverall Team W L W L  No. 4 Sioux Falls $^  5 –0  8 –3   No. 13 Huron ^  4 –1  10 –3   Dakota State  3 –2  7 –3   Dakota Wesleyan  2 –3  4 –6   Black Hills State  1 –4  1 –9   South Dakota Tech  0 –5  0 –10   $ – Conference champion^ – NAIA playoff participantRankings from NAIA poll |
| 1998 NAIA independents football records vteConfOverall Team W L W L  No. 8 Azusa Pacific ^   –  12 –2   No. 21 NW Oklahoma State   –  7 –3   No. 25 Eastern Oregon   –  6 –4   Clinch Valley   –  4 –5   Peru State   –  4 –5   ^ – NAIA playoff participantRankings from NAIA poll |

## Conference champions

| Conference | Champion | Record |
| Frontier | Rocky Mountain | 6–0 |
| Heart of America | Benedictine | 8–1 |
| Kansas | Southwestern (KS) | 7–1 |
| Mid-South | Georgetown (KY) North Greenville | 6–1 |
| Mid-States | Mideast Division: Malone Midwest Division: Taylor | 5–1 6–0 |
| Nebraska-Iowa | Hastings | 6–0 |
| North Dakota | Jamestown Mary | 5–1 |
| South Dakota-Iowa | Sioux Falls | 5–0 |

## Postseason

| First Round November 21, 1998 Campus sites | First Round November 21, 1998 Campus sites | First Round November 21, 1998 Campus sites | Quarterfinals November 21, 1998 Campus sites | Quarterfinals November 21, 1998 Campus sites | Quarterfinals November 21, 1998 Campus sites | Semifinals December 5, 1998 Campus sites | Semifinals December 5, 1998 Campus sites | Semifinals December 5, 1998 Campus sites | | Championship December 19, 1998 Savannah, TN | Championship December 19, 1998 Savannah, TN | Championship December 19, 1998 Savannah, TN |
| 5 | Benedictine (KS)* | 28 | | | | | | | | | | |
| 14 | Tri-State | 33 | | | | | | | | | | |
| 14 | Tri-State | 33 | 14 | Tri-State | 37 | | | | | | | |
| | | | 9 | Georgetown (KY)* | 23 | | | | | | | |
| 9 | Georgetown (KY)* | 46 | 9 | Georgetown (KY)* | 23 | | | | | | | |
| 12 | Malone | 41 | | | | | | | | | | |
| 12 | Malone | 41 | | | | 14 | Tri-State | 28 | | | | |
| | | | | | | 11 | Olivet Nazarene ‡ | 33 | | | | |
| 1 | Hastings* | 26 | | | | | | | 11 | Olivet Nazarene ‡ | 33 | | | | |
| 11 | Olivet Nazarene | 32 | | | | | | | | | | |
| 11 | Olivet Nazarene | 32 | 11 | Olivet Nazarene | 37 | | | | | | | |
| | | | 4 | Sioux Falls* | 34 | | | | | | | |
| 4 | Sioux Falls* | 29 | 4 | Sioux Falls* | 34 | | | | | | | |
| 10 | Mary | 25 | | | | | | | | | | |
| 10 | Mary | 25 | | | | | | | | 11 | Olivet Nazarene | 14 |
| | | | | | | | | | | 8 | Azusa Pacific | 17 |
| 3 | Southwestern (KS)* | 12 | | | | | | | | | | | 8 | Azusa Pacific | 17 |
| 16 | Lindenwood | 10 | | | | | | | | | | |
| 16 | Lindenwood | 10 | 3 | Southwestern (KS) | 6 | | | | | | | |
| | | | 13 | Huron* | 52 | | | | | | | |
| 6 | Jamestown* | 19 | 13 | Huron* | 52 | | | | | | | |
| 13 | Huron | 61 | | | | | | | | | | |
| 13 | Huron | 61 | | | | 13 | Huron | 24 | | | | |
| | | | | | | 8 | Azusa Pacific* | 26 | | | | |
| 2 | Rocky Mountain* | 38 | | | | | | | 8 | Azusa Pacific* | 26 | | | | |
| 15 | Central Washington | 41† | | | | | | | | | | |
| 15 | Central Washington | 41† | 15 | Central Washington | 28 | | | | | | | |
| | | | 8 | Azusa Pacific* | 35 | | | | | | | |
| 8 | Azusa Pacific* | 31 | 8 | Azusa Pacific* | 35 | | | | | | | |
| 7 | Taylor | 28 | | | | | | | | | | |
* † demarcates Overtime
* ‡ Game played at Kankakee, Illinois