1978 NAIA Division II football season

American college football season

1978 NAIA Division II football season

Regular season| August–November 1978
Postseason| November–December 1978
National Championship| Donnell Stadium
Findlay, OH
Champions| Concordia–Moorhead (2)

* ←1977
* NAIA Division II football season
* 1979→

The 1978 NAIA Division II football season, as part of the 1978 college football season in the United States and the 23rd season of college football sponsored by the NAIA, was the ninth season of play of the NAIA's lower division for football.

The season was played from August to November 1978 and culminated in the 1978 NAIA Division II Football National Championship, played at Donnell Stadium in Findlay, Ohio.[1]

Concordia–Moorhead defeated Findlay in the championship game, 7–0, to win their second NAIA national title.

## Conference changes

[edit]

* This is the final season that the Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference is officially recognized as an NAIA football conferences.[2] The SIAC has since become an NCAA Division III conference.

## Conference standings

[edit]

1978 College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin football standings |

* v
* t
* e

| Conf. |  |  | Overall

|
|
|
|

Team | W |   | L |   | T |  |  | W |   | L |   | T
No. 11 Elmhurst \+  | 7  | – | 1  | – | 0 |  |  | 8  | – | 1  | – | 0
Millikin \+  | 7  | – | 1  | – | 0 |  |  | 8  | – | 1  | – | 0
North Central (IL) | 5  | – | 3  | – | 0 |  |  | 6  | – | 3  | – | 0
Carroll (WI) | 5  | – | 3  | – | 0 |  |  | 6  | – | 3  | – | 0
Wheaton (IL) | 5  | – | 3  | – | 0 |  |  | 6  | – | 3  | – | 0
Augustana (IL) | 3  | – | 5  | – | 0 |  |  | 4  | – | 5  | – | 0
Illinois Wesleyan | 3  | – | 5  | – | 0 |  |  | 4  | – | 5  | – | 0
Carthage | 1  | – | 7  | – | 0 |  |  | 1  | – | 8  | – | 0
North Park | 0  | – | 8  | – | 0 |  |  | 0  | – | 9  | – | 0

* \+ – Conference co-champions

Rankings from NAIA Division II poll
1978 Frontier Conference football standings |

* v
* t
* e

| Conf. |  |  | Overall

|
|
|
|

Team | W |   | L |   | T |  |  | W |   | L |   | T
No. 6 Carroll (MT) $^  | 4  | – | 0  | – | 0 |  |  | 9  | – | 1  | – | 0
Montana Tech | 2  | – | 1  | – | 1 |  |  | 2  | – | 4  | – | 2
Eastern Montana | 2  | – | 1  | – | 1 |  |  | 2  | – | 6  | – | 1
Rocky Mountain | 1  | – | 3  | – | 0 |  |  | 1  | – | 8  | – | 0
Western Montana | 0  | – | 4  | – | 0 |  |  | 1  | – | 8  | – | 0

* $ – Conference champion
* ^ – NAIA Division II playoff participant

Rankings from NAIA Division II poll
1978 Heart of America Athletic Conference football standings |

* v
* t
* e

| Conf. |  |  | Overall

|
|
|
|

Team | W |   | L |   | T |  |  | W |   | L |   | T
No. 5 Missouri Valley $^  | 6  | – | 0  | – | 0 |  |  | 9  | – | 2  | – | 0
No. 18 Baker | 4  | – | 2  | – | 0 |  |  | 8  | – | 2  | – | 0
Ottawa | 4  | – | 2  | – | 0 |  |  | 7  | – | 3  | – | 0
Central Methodist | 4  | – | 2  | – | 0 |  |  | 6  | – | 4  | – | 0
William Jewell | 2  | – | 4  | – | 0 |  |  | 4  | – | 6  | – | 0
Graceland | 1  | – | 5  | – | 0 |  |  | 3  | – | 6  | – | 0
Tarkio | 0  | – | 6  | – | 0 |  |  | 3  | – | 7  | – | 0

* $ – Conference champion
* ^ – NAIA Division II playoff participant

Rankings from NAIA Division II poll
1978 Hoosier–Buckeye Conference football standings |

* v
* t
* e

| Conf. |  |  | Overall

|
|
|
|

Team | W |   | L |   | T |  |  | W |   | L |   | T
No. 2 Findlay $^  | 8  | – | 0  | – | 0 |  |  | 11  | – | 1  | – | 0
Hanover | 6  | – | 2  | – | 0 |  |  | 6  | – | 2  | – | 1
Defiance | 5  | – | 3  | – | 0 |  |  | 5  | – | 4  | – | 0
Wilmington (OH) | 4  | – | 4  | – | 0 |  |  | 5  | – | 4  | – | 0
Anderson (IN) | 4  | – | 4  | – | 0 |  |  | 5  | – | 4  | – | 0
Manchester (IN) | 4  | – | 4  | – | 0 |  |  | 4  | – | 5  | – | 0
Bluffton | 2  | – | 6  | – | 0 |  |  | 2  | – | 7  | – | 0
Taylor | 2  | – | 6  | – | 0 |  |  | 2  | – | 7  | – | 0
Earlham | 1  | – | 7  | – | 0 |  |  | 2  | – | 7  | – | 0

* $ – Conference champion
* ^ – NAIA Division II playoff participant

Rankings from NAIA Division II poll
1978 Illini–Badger Football Conference standings |

* v
* t
* e

| Conf. |  |  | Overall

|
|
|
|

Team | W |   | L |   | T |  |  | W |   | L |   | T
No. 19 Milton $  | 4  | – | 0  | – | 0 |  |  | 7  | – | 2  | – | 0
Lakeland | 3  | – | 1  | – | 0 |  |  | 7  | – | 3  | – | 0
Northeastern Illinois | 2  | – | 2  | – | 0 |  |  | 3  | – | 7  | – | 0
Eureka | 1  | – | 3  | – | 0 |  |  | 4  | – | 6  | – | 0
Concordia (IL) | 0  | – | 4  | – | 0 |  |  | 2  | – | 7  | – | 0

* $ – Conference champion

Rankings from NAIA Division II poll
1978 Kansas Collegiate Athletic Conference football standings |

* v
* t
* e

| Conf. |  |  | Overall

|
|
|
|

Team | W |   | L |   | T |  |  | W |   | L |   | T
No. 8 Bethany (KS) $^  | 8  | – | 0  | – | 0 |  |  | 10  | – | 1  | – | 0
Southwestern (KS) | 7  | – | 1  | – | 0 |  |  | 7  | – | 2  | – | 0
Friends | 5  | – | 3  | – | 0 |  |  | 5  | – | 4  | – | 0
McPherson | 5  | – | 3  | – | 0 |  |  | 5  | – | 4  | – | 0
Tabor | 4  | – | 4  | – | 0 |  |  | 4  | – | 6  | – | 0
Sterling | 3  | – | 5  | – | 0 |  |  | 3  | – | 6  | – | 0
St. Mary of the Plains | 3  | – | 5  | – | 0 |  |  | 3  | – | 7  | – | 0
Kansas Wesleyan | 1  | – | 7  | – | 0 |  |  | 1  | – | 9  | – | 0
Bethel (KS) | 0  | – | 8  | – | 0 |  |  | 0  | – | 9  | – | 0

* $ – Conference champion
* ^ – NAIA Division II playoff participant

Rankings from NAIA Division II poll
1978 Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference football standings |

* v
* t
* e

| Conf. |  |  | Overall

|
|
|
|

Team | W |   | L |   | T |  |  | W |   | L |   | T
No. 1 Concordia–Moorhead * +  | 7  | – | 1  | – | 0 |  |  | 11  | – | 1  | – | 0
St. Olaf +^  | 7  | – | 1  | – | 0 |  |  | 9  | – | 2  | – | 0
No. 15 Gustavus Adolphus | 6  | – | 2  | – | 0 |  |  | 8  | – | 2  | – | 0
No. T–20 Saint John's (MN) | 5  | – | 3  | – | 0 |  |  | 6  | – | 3  | – | 0
St. Thomas (MN) | 4  | – | 4  | – | 0 |  |  | 5  | – | 4  | – | 0
Hamline | 3  | – | 4  | – | 1 |  |  | 5  | – | 4  | – | 1
Augsburg | 2  | – | 5  | – | 1 |  |  | 3  | – | 6  | – | 1
Bethel (MN) | 1  | – | 7  | – | 0 |  |  | 2  | – | 8  | – | 0
Macalester | 0  | – | 8  | – | 0 |  |  | 0  | – | 9  | – | 0

* \+ – Conference co-champions
* ^ – NCAA Division III playoff participant
* * – NAIA Division II playoff participant

Rankings from NAIA Division II poll
1978 Nebraska Intercollegiate Athletic Conference football standings |

* v
* t
* e

| Conf. |  |  | Overall

|
|
|
|

Team | W |   | L |   | T |  |  | W |   | L |   | T
No. 13 Hastings $  | 4½  | – | ½  | – | 0 |  |  | 8  | – | 1  | – | 0
Nebraska Wesleyan | 3  | – | 2  | – | 0 |  |  | 5  | – | 4  | – | 0
Concordia (NE) | 3  | – | 2  | – | 0 |  |  | 4  | – | 5  | – | 1
Doane | 2½  | – | 2½  | – | 0 |  |  | 6  | – | 4  | – | 0
Dana | 1  | – | 4  | – | 0 |  |  | 2  | – | 7  | – | 0
Midland | 1  | – | 4  | – | 0 |  |  | 1  | – | 8  | – | 0

* $ – Conference champion
* Hastings and Doane played twice; each game counted as ½ of a game in the conference standings.

Rankings from NAIA Division II poll
1978 North Dakota College Athletic Conference football standings |

* v
* t
* e

| Conf. |  |  | Overall

|
|
|
|

Team | W |   | L |   | T |  |  | W |   | L |   | T
No. 10 Valley City State $  | 6  | – | 0  | – | 0 |  |  | 8  | – | 0  | – | 1
No. 12 Jamestown | 5  | – | 1  | – | 0 |  |  | 8  | – | 1  | – | 0
Dickinson State | 4  | – | 2  | – | 0 |  |  | 5  | – | 4  | – | 0
Minot State | 3  | – | 3  | – | 0 |  |  | 3  | – | 4  | – | 1
Wahpeton Science | 2  | – | 4  | – | 0 |  |  | 2  | – | 6  | – | 0
Mayville State | 1  | – | 5  | – | 0 |  |  | 1  | – | 6  | – | 1
Bismarck JC | 0  | – | 6  | – | 0 |  |  | 1  | – | 6  | – | 0

* $ – Conference champion

Rankings from NAIA Division II poll
1978 Northwest Conference football standings |

* v
* t
* e

| Conf. |  |  | Overall

|
|
|
|

Team | W |   | L |   | T |  |  | W |   | L |   | T
No. 3 Linfield $^  | 5  | – | 0  | – | 0 |  |  | 9  | – | 1  | – | 0
Pacific Lutheran | 3  | – | 2  | – | 0 |  |  | 5  | – | 3  | – | 0
Pacific (OR) | 3  | – | 2  | – | 0 |  |  | 5  | – | 4  | – | 0
Willamette | 2  | – | 3  | – | 0 |  |  | 3  | – | 6  | – | 0
Whitworth | 1  | – | 4  | – | 0 |  |  | 3  | – | 6  | – | 0
Lewis & Clark | 1  | – | 4  | – | 0 |  |  | 2  | – | 7  | – | 0

* $ – Conference champion
* ^ – NAIA Division II playoff participant

Rankings from NAIA Division II poll
1978 South Dakota Intercollegiate Conference football standings |

* v
* t
* e

| Conf. |  |  | Overall

|
|
|
|

Team | W |   | L |   | T |  |  | W |   | L |   | T
No. T–20 Dakota State $  | 6  | – | 0  | – | 0 |  |  | 8  | – | 2  | – | 0
South Dakota Tech | 5  | – | 1  | – | 0 |  |  | 7  | – | 2  | – | 1
Dakota Wesleyan | 3  | – | 2  | – | 1 |  |  | 5  | – | 4  | – | 1
Black Hills State | 3  | – | 2  | – | 1 |  |  | 6  | – | 3  | – | 1
Huron | 2  | – | 4  | – | 0 |  |  | 2  | – | 7  | – | 0
South Dakota–Springfield | 1  | – | 5  | – | 0 |  |  | 1  | – | 7  | – | 1
Sioux Falls | 0  | – | 6  | – | 0 |  |  | 1  | – | 9  | – | 0

* $ – Conference champion

Rankings from NAIA Division II poll
1978 Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference football standings |

* v
* t
* e

| Conf. |  |  | Overall

|
|
|
|

Team | W |   | L |   | T |  |  | W |   | L |   | T
Redlands $  | 5  | – | 0  | – | 0 |  |  | 9  | – | 1  | – | 0
Claremont-Mudd | 4  | – | 1  | – | 0 |  |  | 6  | – | 3  | – | 0
Whittier | 3  | – | 2  | – | 0 |  |  | 6  | – | 3  | – | 0
Occidental | 2  | – | 3  | – | 0 |  |  | 4  | – | 6  | – | 0
La Verne | 1  | – | 4  | – | 0 |  |  | 1  | – | 7  | – | 0
Pomona-Pitzer | 0  | – | 5  | – | 0 |  |  | 0  | – | 7  | – | 0

* $ – Conference champion

1978 Texas Intercollegiate Athletic Association football standings |

* v
* t
* e

| Conf. |  |  | Overall

|
|
|
|

Team | W |   | L |   | T |  |  | W |   | L |   | T
No. 4 Tarleton State $^  | 7  | – | 0  | – | 1 |  |  | 8  | – | 1  | – | 1
McMurry | 5  | – | 3  | – | 0 |  |  | 7  | – | 3  | – | 0
Trinity (TX) | 2  | – | 4  | – | 2 |  |  | 4  | – | 4  | – | 2
Austin | 2  | – | 5  | – | 1 |  |  | 3  | – | 6  | – | 1
Sul Ross | 2  | – | 6  | – | 0 |  |  | 2  | – | 7  | – | 0

* $ – Conference champion
* ^ – NAIA Division II playoff participant

Rankings from NAIA Division II poll
1978 Tri-State Conference football standings |

* v
* t
* e

| Conf. |  |  | Overall

|
|
|
|

Team | W |   | L |   | T |  |  | W |   | L |   | T
No. 7 Northwestern (IA) $^  | 2  | – | 0  | – | 0 |  |  | 9  | – | 2  | – | 0
Westmar | 2  | – | 1  | – | 0 |  |  | 8  | – | 2  | – | 0
Yankton | 0  | – | 3  | – | 0 |  |  | 1  | – | 8  | – | 1

* $ – Conference champion
* ^ – NAIA Division II playoff participant

Rankings from NAIA Division II poll
1978 NAIA Division II independents football records |

* v
* t
* e

| Conf. |  |  | Overall

|
|
|
|

Team | W |   | L |   | T |  |  | W |   | L |   | T
No. 9 Cal Lutheran |   |  | – |  |   |  |  | 8  | – | 2  | – | 0
Waynesburg |   |  | – |  |   |  |  | 6  | – | 2  | – | 0
No. 16 Chadron State |   |  | – |  |   |  |  | 7  | – | 2  | – | 2
No. 14 Westminster (PA) |   |  | – |  |   |  |  | 6  | – | 2  | – | 1
No. 17 Illinois College |   |  | – |  |   |  |  | 6  | – | 2  | – | 1
Peru State |   |  | – |  |   |  |  | 5  | – | 3  | – | 2
Simon Fraser |   |  | – |  |   |  |  | 4  | – | 5  | – | 0
Azusa Pacific |   |  | – |  |   |  |  | 3  | – | 6  | – | 0
Benedictine (KS) |   |  | – |  |   |  |  | 3  | – | 6  | – | 0
Texas Lutheran |   |  | – |  |   |  |  | 3  | – | 6  | – | 0
Geneva |   |  | – |  |   |  |  | 3  | – | 7  | – | 0
Oklahoma Panhandle State |   |  | – |  |   |  |  | 2  | – | 7  | – | 0
Iowa Wesleyan |   |  | – |  |   |  |  | 0  | – | 9  | – | 0
Rankings from NAIA Division II poll

## Conference champions

[edit]

Conference  | Champion  | Record

|
|

Frontier | Carroll (MT) | 4–0
Heart of America | Missouri Valley | 6–0
Hoosier-Buckeye | Findlay | 8–0
Illini-Badger | Milton | 4–0
Kansas | Bethany | 8–0
Minnesota | Concordia–Moorhead
St. Olaf | 7–1
Nebraska | Hastings | 4–0–1
North Dakota | Valley City State | 4–0
Pacific Northwest | Linfield | 5–0
South Dakota | Dakota State | 6–0
SCIAC | Redlands | 5–0
Texas | Tarleton State | 7–0–1

## Postseason

[edit]

| Quarterfinals
Campus sites | | | Semifinals
Campus sites | | | Championship
Findlay, OH |

|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|

|  |  |  | | |  |  |  | | |  |  |  |
|   | Missouri Valley* | 30 | | |
|   | Bethany (KS) | 16 |
| |   | Missouri Valley | 9 |
|  |
| | |   | Findlay* | 27 |
|   | Findlay* | 13 |

|   | Tarleton State | 6 |
| |   | Findlay* | 0 |
|  |
| | |   | Concordia–Moorhead | 7 |
|   | Concordia–Moorhead* | 49 | |

|   | Northwestern (IA) | 0 |
| |   | Concordia–Moorhead | 24 |
|  |
| | |   | Linfield* | 23 |
|   | Linfield* | 32 |

|   | Carroll (MT) | 6 |

## See also

[edit]

* 1978 NAIA Division I football season
* 1978 NCAA Division I-A football season
* 1978 NCAA Division I-AA football season
* 1978 NCAA Division II football season
* 1978 NCAA Division III football season

## References

[edit]

1. ^ "NAIA Championship History" (PDF). NAIA. pp. 4–11\. Archived from the original (PDF) on July 15, 2015. Retrieved November 29, 2015.
2. ^ "NAIA Football Regular Season Records" (PDF). NAIA. p. 22. Retrieved December 11, 2021.

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