# 1992 NAIA Division II football season

The 1992 NAIA Division II football season, as part of the 1992 college football season in the United States and the 37th season of college football sponsored by the NAIA, was the 23rd season of play of the NAIA division II for football.
The season was played from August to November 1992 and culminated in the 1992 NAIA Division II Football National Championship, played in Portland, Oregon near the campus of Linfield College.
Findlay defeated Linfield in the championship game, 26–13, to win their second NAIA national title.

## Conference realignment
### Conference changes

* Before the season, the Nebraska Intercollegiate Athletic Conference rebranded as the Nebraska-Iowa Athletic Conference after the addition of Iowa-based Northwestern College. The NIAC had existed under its previous name since its foundation in 1969.

### Membership changes

| Team | 1991 conference | 1992 conference |
| Northwestern (IA) | NAIA independent | Nebraska-Iowa |

## Conference standings

1992 Columbia Football Association standings :
| 1992 Columbia Football Association standings vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T Mount Hood League No. 2 Linfield x^ 6 –0 –012 –1 –0 Lewis & Clark 4 –2 –04 –5 –0 Western Oregon 3 –3 –04 –5 –0 Eastern Oregon 3 –3 –03 –6 –0 Southern Oregon 2 –4 –03 –6 –0 Oregon Tech 2 –4 –02 –7 –0 Willamette 1 –5 –01 –8 –0 Mount Rainier League No. 3 Pacific Lutheran x^ 5 –0 –09 –2 –0 No. 15 Western Washington ^ 3 –2 –07 –3 –0 No. 21 Central Washington 3 –2 –06 –3 –0 Simon Fraser 3 –2 –05 –4 –0 Puget Sound 1 –4 –03 –6 –0 Whitworth 0 –5 –02 –7 –0 x – League champion/co-champions ^ – NAIA Division II playoff participantRankings from NAIA Division II poll | 1992 Frontier Conference football standings vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T Rocky Mountain + 4 –2 –08 –2 –0 No. 16 Montana Tech +^ 4 –2 –07 –4 –0 Carroll (MT) 2 –4 –04 –5 –0 Western Montana 2 –4 –02 –6 –1 $ – Conference champion^ – NAIA Division II playoff participantRankings from NAIA Division II poll | 1992 Heart of America Athletic Conference football standings vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T No. 10 Benedictine (KS) +^ 7 –1 –011 –2 –0 No. 5 Baker +^ 7 –1 –010 –2 –0 No. 23 Evangel 6 –2 –07 –3 –0 William Jewell 5 –3 –06 –3 –0 Missouri Valley 5 –3 –06 –4 –0 Central Methodist 2 –6 –04 –6 –0 Graceland 2 –6 –03 –7 –0 Culver–Stockton 1 –7 –01 –8 –1 MidAmerica Nazarene 1 –7 –01 –9 –0 + – Conference co-champions^ – NAIA Division II playoff participantRankings from NAIA Division II poll |
| 1992 Kansas Collegiate Athletic Conference football standings vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T No. 14 Friends $^ 8 –0 –08 –3 –0 No. 25 Bethany (KS) 7 –1 –07 –1 –1 Ottawa 5 –3 –05 –3 –1 Southwestern (KS) 5 –3 –05 –4 –0 McPherson 3 –5 –03 –5 –0 Kansas Wesleyan 3 –5 –03 –7 –0 Bethel (KS) 2 –6 –03 –6 –0 Sterling 2 –6 –02 –7 –0 Tabor 1 –7 –01 –8 –0 $ – Conference champion^ – NAIA Division II playoff participantRankings from NAIA Division II poll | 1992 Mid-South Conference football standings vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T No. 17 Union (KY) + 4 –1 –08 –2 –0 No. 11 Georgetown (KY) +^ 4 –1 –08 –3 –0 No. 20 Campbellsville + 4 –1 –07 –3 –0 Tusculum 2 –3 –04 –6 –0 Cumberland (KY) 1 –4 –03 –7 –0 Lambuth 0 –5 –03 –7 –0 + – Conference co-champions^ – NAIA Division II playoff participantRankings from NAIA Division II poll | 1992 Nebraska-Iowa Athletic Conference football standings vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T No. 12 Hastings $^ 6 –0 –08 –3 –0 No. 13 Northwestern (IA) ^ 4 –1 –18 –2 –1 Nebraska Wesleyan 4 –2 –06 –3 –0 Doane 3 –2 –15 –3 –1 Concordia (NE) 2 –4 –04 –6 –0 Midland 1 –5 –02 –8 –0 Dana 0 –6 –02 –8 –0 $ – Conference champion^ – NAIA Division II playoff participantRankings from NAIA Division II poll |
| 1992 North Dakota College Athletic Conference football standings vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T No. 19 Dickinson State + 4 –1 –07 –2 –0 No. 9 Minot State +^ 4 –1 –09 –3 –0 No. 24 Mary + 4 –1 –07 –1 –1 Jamestown 2 –3 –05 –4 –0 Valley City State 1 –4 –02 –7 –0 Mayville State 0 –5 –01 –8 –0 + – Conference co-champions^ – NAIA Division II playoff participant Rocky Mountain forfeited a win over Mary.Rankings from NAIA Division II poll | 1992 South Dakota Intercollegiate Conference football standings vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T No. 7 Dakota Wesleyan $^ 5 –0 –010 –1 –0 Black Hills State 4 –1 –04 –6 –0 Sioux Falls 2 –3 –05 –5 –0 Huron 2 –3 –03 –6 –0 Dakota State 1 –4 –05 –5 –0 South Dakota Tech 1 –4 –02 –7 –0 $ – Conference champion^ – NAIA Division II playoff participantRankings from NAIA Division II poll | 1992 Texas Intercollegiate Athletic Association football standings vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T No. 6 Howard Payne $^ 5 –0 –08 –3 –0 No. 8 Hardin–Simmons ^ 4 –1 –010 –2 –0 Austin 2 –3 –06 –4 –0 McMurry 2 –3 –04 –6 –0 Midwestern State 1 –4 –04 –6 –0 Sul Ross 1 –4 –02 –7 –0 $ – Conference champion^ – NAIA Division II playoff participantRankings from NAIA Division II poll |
| 1992 NAIA Division II independents football records vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T No. 4 Findlay ^   –  12 –1 –0 No. 1 Westminster (PA) ^   –  10 –1 –0 No. 18 Peru State   –  7 –2 –1 Azusa Pacific   –  4 –5 –0 Geneva   –  4 –5 –0 Mount St. Joseph   –  4 –5 –0 St. Ambrose   –  4 –6 –0 Tiffin   –  4 –6 –0 Clinch Valley   –  3 –7 –0 Trinity (IL)   –  2 –7 –1 Cumberland (TN)   –  2 –8 –0 Oklahoma Panhandle State   –  2 –8 –0 Westmar   –  1 –8 –0 Lindenwood   –  1 –9 –0 ^ – NAIA Division II playoff participantRankings from NAIA Division II poll |

## Conference champions

| Conference | Champion | Record |
| Columbia | Mount Rainier League: Pacific Lutheran Mount Hood League: Linfield | 5–0 6–0 |
| Frontier | Montana Tech Montana Western | 4–2 |
| Heart of America | Baker Benedictine | 7–1 |
| Kansas | Friends | 8–0 |
| Mid-South | Campbellsville Georgetown (KY) Union (KY) | 4–1 |
| Nebraska | Hastings | 6–0 |
| North Dakota | Dickinson State Mary Minot State | 4–1 |
| South Dakota | Dakota Wesleyan | 5–0 |
| Texas | Howard Payne | 5–0 |

## Rankings

Final NAIA Division II poll rankings:
| Rank | Team (first place votes) | Record (thru Nov. 15) | Points |
| 1 | Westminster (PA) | 9–0 | 423 |
| 2 | Linfield | 9–0 | 410 |
| 3 | Pacific Lutheran | 8–1 | 387 |
| 4 | Findlay | 8–1 | 372 |
| 5 | Baker | 9–1 | 341 |
| 6 | Howard Payne | 8–2 | 321 |
| 7 | Dakota Wesleyan | 10–0 | 317 |
| 8 | Hardin–Simmons | 9–1 | 297 |
| 9 | Minot State | 7–2 | 283 |
| 10 | Benedictine (KS) | 9–1 | 271 |
| 11 | Georgetown (KY) | 8–2 | 244 |
| 12 | Hastings | 8–2 | 243 |
| 13 | Northwestern (IA) | 8–1–1 | 226 |
| 14 | Friends | 8–2 | 201 |
| 15 | Western Washington | 7–2 | 196 |
| 16 | Montana Tech | 7–3 | 191 |
| 17 | Union (KY) | 8–2 | 138 |
| 18 | Peru State | 7–2–1 | 136 |
| 19 | Dickinson State | 7–2 | 102 |
| 20 | Campbellsville | 7–3 | 88 |
| 21 | Central Washington | 6–3 | 79 |
| 22 | Greenville | 7–2 | 69 |
| 23 | Evangel | 7–3 | 68 |
| 24 | Mary | 7–1–1 | 60 |
| 25 | Bethany (KS) | 7–1–1 | 49 |

## Postseason

| First Round Campus sites | First Round Campus sites | Quarterfinals Campus sites | Quarterfinals Campus sites | Semifinals Campus sites | Semifinals Campus sites | Championship Portland, OR | Championship Portland, OR | Championship Portland, OR |
| Georgetown (KY) | 14 | | | | | | | |
| Findlay* | 32 | | | | | | | |
| Findlay* | 32 | Findlay | 13 | | | | | |
| | | Westminster (PA)* | 7 | | | | | |
| Friends (KS) | 0 | Westminster (PA)* | 7 | | | | | |
| Westminster (PA)* | 28 | | | | | | | |
| Westminster (PA)* | 28 | | | Findlay* | 27 | | | |
| | | | | Benedictine (KS) | 24 | | | |
| Northwestern (IA) | 20 | | | | | Benedictine (KS) | 24 | | | |
| Baker* | 21 | | | | | | | |
| Baker* | 21 | Baker | 14 | | | | | |
| | | Benedictine (KS)* | 21 | | | | | |
| Hastings | 15 | Benedictine (KS)* | 21 | | | | | |
| Benedictine (KS)* | 17 | | | | | | | |
| Benedictine (KS)* | 17 | | | | | | Findlay | 26 |
| | | | | | | | Linfield* | 13 |
| Minot State | 31 | | | | | | | | Linfield* | 13 |
| Dakota Wesleyan* | 0 | | | | | | | |
| Dakota Wesleyan* | 0 | Minot State | 21 | | | | | |
| | | Hardin–Simmons* | 14 | | | | | |
| Hardin–Simmons | 42 | Hardin–Simmons* | 14 | | | | | |
| Howard Payne* | 28 | | | | | | | |
| Howard Payne* | 28 | | | Minot State | 12 | | | |
| | | | | Linfield* | 47 | | | |
| Montana Tech | 0 | | | | | Linfield* | 47 | | | |
| Pacific Lutheran* | 37 | | | | | | | |
| Pacific Lutheran* | 37 | Pacific Lutheran | 30 | | | | | |
| | | Linfield* | 44 | | | | | |
| Western Washington | 0 | Linfield* | 44 | | | | | |
| Linfield* | 26 | | | | | | | |