1981 NAIA Division I football season

American college football season

1981 NAIA Division I football season

Regular season| August–November 1981
Postseason| December 5–19, 1981
National Championship| Burlington Memorial Stadium
Burlington, NC
Champions| Elon (2)

* ← 1980
* NAIA Division I football season
* 1982 →

The 1981 NAIA Division I football season was the 26th season of college football sponsored by the NAIA, was the 12th season of play of the NAIA's top division for football.

The season was played from August to November 1981 and culminated in the 1981 NAIA Division I Champion Bowl, played this year on December 19, 1981 at Burlington Memorial Stadium in Burlington, North Carolina (near the campus of Elon College).[1]

Defending national champion Elon defeated Pittsburg State in the Champion Bowl, 3–0, to win their second NAIA national title.[2]

## Conference changes

[edit]

* This is the final season the NAIA officially recognizes a football champion from the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference and the Lone Star Conference.[3] Both the GLIAC and the Lone Star became an NCAA Division II conferences, where both continue to sponsor football (with the exception of a ten-year hiatus for the GLIAC between 1989 and 1999).

## Conference standings

[edit]

1981 Arkansas Intercollegiate Conference football standings |

* v
* t
* e

| Conf. |  |  | Overall

|
|
|
|

Team | W |  | L |  | T |  |  | W |  | L |  | T
No. 8 Central Arkansas $^  | 6  | - | 0  | - | 0 |  |  | 8  | - | 3  | - | 0
No. 11 Arkansas–Monticello | 5  | - | 1  | - | 0 |  |  | 7  | - | 2  | - | 0
No. 18 Henderson State | 3  | - | 3  | - | 0 |  |  | 7  | - | 3  | - | 0
No. 14 Southern Arkansas | 3  | - | 3  | - | 0 |  |  | 7  | - | 3  | - | 0
Arkansas Tech | 2  | - | 4  | - | 0 |  |  | 4  | - | 5  | - | 1
Ouachita Baptist | 2  | - | 4  | - | 0 |  |  | 3  | - | 6  | - | 0
Harding | 0  | - | 6  | - | 0 |  |  | 2  | - | 9  | - | 0

* $ - Conference champion
* ^ – NAIA Division I playoff participant

Rankings from NAIA Division I poll
1981 Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association football standings |

* v
* t
* e

| Conf. |  |  | Overall

|
|
|
|

Team | W |  | L |  | T |  |  | W |  | L |  | T
Northern
No. 2 Virginia Union xy$^  | 7  | - | 0  | - | 0 |  |  | 11  | - | 1  | - | 0
Elizabeth City State ^  | 6  | - | 1  | - | 0 |  |  | 8  | - | 3  | - | 0
No. 10 Hampton | 5  | - | 2  | - | 0 |  |  | 8  | - | 2  | - | 0
Norfolk State | 3  | - | 4  | - | 0 |  |  | 4  | - | 5  | - | 1
Virginia State | 3  | - | 4  | - | 0 |  |  | 4  | - | 6  | - | 0
Saint Paul's (VA) | 0  | - | 7  | - | 0 |  |  | 0  | - | 10  | - | 0
Southern
North Carolina Central xy  | 6  | - | 1  | - | 0 |  |  | 7  | - | 4  | - | 0
Winston-Salem State | 4  | - | 3  | - | 0 |  |  | 5  | - | 5  | - | 0
Johnson C. Smith | 3  | - | 4  | - | 0 |  |  | 4  | - | 6  | - | 0
Fayetteville State | 2  | - | 5  | - | 0 |  |  | 3  | - | 5  | - | 0
Livingstone | 1  | - | 6  | - | 0 |  |  | 3  | - | 7  | - | 0
Bowie State *  | 2  | - | 5  | - | 0 |  |  | 5  | - | 5  | - | 0
Championship: Virginia Union 45, North Carolina Central 7

* $ - Conference champion
* x - Division champion/co-champions
* y - Championship game participant
* ^ - NCAA Division II playoff participant
* * – ineligible for conference title

Rankings from NCAA Division II Football Committee poll for Virginia Union and NAIA Division I poll for Hampton
1981 Central States Intercollegiate Conference football standings |

* v
* t
* e

| Conf. |  |  | Overall

|
|
|
|

Team | W |  | L |  | T |  |  | W |  | L |  | T
No. 6 Pittsburg State $^  | 7  | - | 0  | - | 0 |  |  | 10  | - | 2  | - | 0
No. 12 Missouri Western | 5  | - | 2  | - | 0 |  |  | 8  | - | 2  | - | 0
Missouri Southern *  | 5  | - | 2  | - | 0 |  |  | 6  | - | 4  | - | 1
Kearney State | 4  | - | 3  | - | 0 |  |  | 5  | - | 4  | - | 0
Fort Hays State | 3  | - | 4  | - | 0 |  |  | 6  | - | 5  | - | 0
Wayne State (NE) | 2  | - | 5  | - | 0 |  |  | 4  | - | 6  | - | 0
Washburn | 2  | - | 5  | - | 0 |  |  | 3  | - | 7  | - | 0
Emporia State | 0  | - | 7  | - | 0 |  |  | 1  | - | 9  | - | 0

* $ - Conference champion
* ^ – NAIA Division I playoff participant
* – Missouri Southern forfeited a non-conference win over Evangel.

Rankings from NAIA Division I poll
1981 Evergreen Conference football standings |

* v
* t
* e

| Conf. |  |  | Overall

|
|
|
|

Team | W |  | L |  | T |  |  | W |  | L |  | T
No. 15 Oregon Tech $  | 4  | - | 0  | - | 0 |  |  | 7  | - | 2  | - | 0
Eastern Oregon | 3  | - | 1  | - | 0 |  |  | 5  | - | 4  | - | 0
Central Washington | 2  | - | 2  | - | 0 |  |  | 6  | - | 3  | - | 0
Western Oregon | 1  | - | 3  | - | 0 |  |  | 5  | - | 4  | - | 0
Western Washington | 0  | - | 4  | - | 0 |  |  | 0  | - | 9  | - | 0
Southern Oregon *  |  |  | - |  |  |  |  | 6  | - | 4  | - | 0

* $ - Conference champion
* * – Southern Oregon was ineligible for the conference

Rankings from NAIA Division I poll
1981 Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference football standings |

* v
* t
* e

| Conf. |  |  | Overall

|
|
|
|

Team | W |  | L |  | T |  |  | W |  | L |  | T
Grand Valley State $  | 6  | - | 0  | - | 0 |  |  | 7  | - | 2  | - | 0
No. 3 Hillsdale ^  | 5  | - | 1  | - | 0 |  |  | 10  | - | 2  | - | 0
Ferris State | 3  | - | 3  | - | 0 |  |  | 4  | - | 4  | - | 0
Wayne State (MI) | 3  | - | 3  | - | 0 |  |  | 4  | - | 5  | - | 0
Northwood | 2  | - | 4  | - | 0 |  |  | 4  | - | 6  | - | 0
Saginaw Valley State | 2  | - | 4  | - | 0 |  |  | 3  | - | 7  | - | 0
Michigan Tech | 0  | - | 6  | - | 0 |  |  | 1  | - | 8  | - | 0

* $ - Conference champion
* ^ – NAIA Division I playoff participant

Rankings from NAIA Division I poll
1981 Lone Star Conference football standings |

* v
* t
* e

| Conf. |  |  | Overall

|
|
|
|

Team | W |  | L |  | T |  |  | W |  | L |  | T
No. 4 Southwest Texas State $^  | 6  | - | 1  | - | 0 |  |  | 13  | - | 1  | - | 0
No. 9 Texas A&I | 5  | - | 2  | - | 0 |  |  | 9  | - | 2  | - | 0
Abilene Christian | 5  | - | 2  | - | 0 |  |  | 8  | - | 2  | - | 0
Angelo State | 5  | - | 2  | - | 0 |  |  | 8  | - | 3  | - | 0
No. 17 East Texas State | 4  | - | 3  | - | 0 |  |  | 7  | - | 4  | - | 0
Sam Houston State | 2  | - | 5  | - | 0 |  |  | 3  | - | 7  | - | 0
Howard Payne | 1  | - | 6  | - | 0 |  |  | 3  | - | 7  | - | 0
Stephen F. Austin | 0  | - | 7  | - | 0 |  |  | 1  | - | 10  | - | 0

* $ - Conference champion
* ^ - NCAA Division II playoff participant

Rankings from NCAA Division II Football Committee poll for Southwest Texas State and Texas A&I and NAIA Division I poll for East Texas State
1981 Northern Intercollegiate Conference football standings |

* v
* t
* e

| Conf. |  |  | Overall

|
|
|
|

Team | W |  | L |  | T |  |  | W |  | L |  | T
No. 1 Moorhead State $*  | 6  | - | 0  | - | 0 |  |  | 10  | - | 1  | - | 1
Minnesota Duluth | 5  | - | 1  | - | 0 |  |  | 9  | - | 1  | - | 0
Minnesota Morris ^  | 4  | - | 2  | - | 0 |  |  | 7  | - | 3  | - | 1
Southwest State (MN) | 3  | - | 3  | - | 0 |  |  | 6  | - | 4  | - | 0
Northern State | 2  | - | 4  | - | 0 |  |  | 4  | - | 6  | - | 0
Winona State | 1  | - | 5  | - | 0 |  |  | 1  | - | 9  | - | 0
Bemidji State | 0  | - | 6  | - | 0 |  |  | 0  | - | 10  | - | 0

* $ - Conference champion
* ^ - NCAA Division III playoff participant
* * – NAIA Division I playoff participant

Rankings from NAIA Division I poll
1981 Oklahoma Intercollegiate Conference football standings |

* v
* t
* e

| Conf. |  |  | Overall

|
|
|
|

Team | W |  | L |  | T |  |  | W |  | L |  | T
No. 13 Northeastern State $  | 3  | - | 1  | - | 0 |  |  | 9  | - | 1  | - | 0
SW Oklahoma State | 2  | - | 2  | - | 0 |  |  | 3  | - | 8  | - | 0
SE Oklahoma State | 2  | - | 2  | - | 0 |  |  | 3  | - | 6  | - | 0
East Central | 2  | - | 2  | - | 0 |  |  | 2  | - | 7  | - | 0
NW Oklahoma State | 1  | - | 3  | - | 0 |  |  | 3  | - | 7  | - | 0

* $ - Conference champion
* SW Oklahoma State forfeited six victories including conference wins over Northeastern State and SE Oklahoma State.poll=NAIA Division I poll

Rankings from AP Poll
1981 Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference football standings |

* v
* t
* e

| Conf. |  |  | Overall

|
|
|
|

Team | W |  | L |  | T |  |  | W |  | L |  | T
No. 19 New Mexico Highlands $  | 7  | - | 1  | - | 0 |  |  | 7  | - | 3  | - | 0
Mesa | 6  | - | 2  | - | 0 |  |  | 7  | - | 3  | - | 0
No. 20 Southern Utah | 6  | - | 2  | - | 0 |  |  | 7  | - | 3  | - | 0
Western State (CO) | 5  | - | 3  | - | 0 |  |  | 5  | - | 4  | - | 0
Adams State | 3  | - | 4  | - | 1 |  |  | 3  | - | 5  | - | 1
Fort Lewis | 3  | - | 5  | - | 0 |  |  | 3  | - | 7  | - | 0
Southern Colorado | 2  | - | 6  | - | 0 |  |  | 4  | - | 6  | - | 0
Colorado Mines | 2  | - | 5  | - | 1 |  |  | 3  | - | 5  | - | 1
Western New Mexico | 1  | - | 7  | - | 0 |  |  | 1  | - | 8  | - | 0

* $ - Conference champion

Rankings from NAIA Division I poll
1981 South Atlantic Conference football standings |

* v
* t
* e

| Conf. |  |  | Overall

|
|
|
|

Team | W |  | L |  | T |  |  | W |  | L |  | T
No. 2 Elon $^  | 6  | - | 1  | - | 0 |  |  | 12  | - | 1  | - | 1
Presbyterian | 5  | - | 2  | - | 0 |  |  | 6  | - | 5  | - | 0
Carson–Newman | 4  | - | 3  | - | 0 |  |  | 7  | - | 4  | - | 0
Catawba | 3  | - | 4  | - | 0 |  |  | 5  | - | 5  | - | 0
Gardner–Webb | 3  | - | 4  | - | 0 |  |  | 5  | - | 5  | - | 0
Mars Hill | 3  | - | 4  | - | 0 |  |  | 5  | - | 5  | - | 0
Newberry | 2  | - | 5  | - | 0 |  |  | 4  | - | 7  | - | 0
Lenoir–Rhyne | 2  | - | 5  | - | 0 |  |  | 2  | - | 9  | - | 0

* $ - Conference champion
* ^ – NAIA Division I playoff participant

Rankings from NAIA Division I poll
1981 West Virginia Intercollegiate Athletic Conference football standings |

* v
* t
* e

| Conf. |  |  | Overall

|
|
|
|

Team | W |  | L |  | T |  |  | W |  | L |  | T
No. 4 Concord +^  | 7  | - | 1  | - | 0 |  |  | 9  | - | 2  | - | 0
No. 5 Fairmont State +^  | 7  | - | 1  | - | 0 |  |  | 9  | - | 2  | - | 0
No. 16 Shepherd | 6  | - | 2  | - | 0 |  |  | 7  | - | 2  | - | 0
West Virginia Tech | 5  | - | 3  | - | 0 |  |  | 6  | - | 4  | - | 0
Salem | 3  | - | 5  | - | 0 |  |  | 3  | - | 6  | - | 0
West Virginia State | 2  | - | 5  | - | 1 |  |  | 3  | - | 5  | - | 1
West Virginia Wesleyan | 2  | - | 5  | - | 1 |  |  | 2  | - | 6  | - | 1
West Liberty State | 2  | - | 6  | - | 0 |  |  | 2  | - | 7  | - | 0
Glenville State | 1  | - | 7  | - | 0 |  |  | 1  | - | 8  | - | 0

* \+ - Conference co-champions
* ^ – NAIA Division I playoff participant

Rankings from NAIA Division I poll
1981 Wisconsin State University Conference football standings |

* v
* t
* e

| Conf. |  |  | Overall

|
|
|
|

Team | W |  | L |  | T |  |  | W |  | L |  | T
No. 9 Wisconsin–Eau Claire $  | 8  | - | 0  | - | 0 |  |  | 9  | - | 1  | - | 0
Wisconsin–Whitewater | 5  | - | 3  | - | 0 |  |  | 7  | - | 3  | - | 0
Wisconsin–Stout | 5  | - | 3  | - | 0 |  |  | 7  | - | 4  | - | 0
Wisconsin–La Crosse | 4  | - | 4  | - | 0 |  |  | 6  | - | 4  | - | 0
Wisconsin–Platteville | 4  | - | 4  | - | 0 |  |  | 6  | - | 4  | - | 0
Wisconsin–Stevens Point | 4  | - | 4  | - | 0 |  |  | 5  | - | 5  | - | 0
Wisconsin–Oshkosh | 3  | - | 5  | - | 0 |  |  | 5  | - | 5  | - | 0
Wisconsin–River Falls | 3  | - | 5  | - | 0 |  |  | 5  | - | 5  | - | 0
Wisconsin–Superior | 0  | - | 8  | - | 0 |  |  | 0  | - | 11  | - | 0

* $ - Conference champion

Rankings from NAIA Division I poll
1981 NAIA Division I independents football records |

* v
* t
* e

| Conf. |  |  | Overall

|
|
|
|

Team | W |  | L |  | T |  |  | W |  | L |  | T
No. 7 Cameron ^  |  |  | - |  |  |  |  | 5  | - | 5  | - | 0
Central State (OK) |  |  | - |  |  |  |  | 7  | - | 2  | - | 0
Wofford |  |  | - |  |  |  |  | 6  | - | 5  | - | 0
Eastern New Mexico |  |  | - |  |  |  |  | 5  | - | 5  | - | 0
Guilford |  |  | - |  |  |  |  | 5  | - | 5  | - | 0
Kentucky State |  |  | - |  |  |  |  | 2  | - | 6  | - | 0
Liberty Baptist |  |  | - |  |  |  |  | 1  | - | 9  | - | 0
Langston |  |  | - |  |  |  |  | 0  | - | 10  | - | 0

* ^ – NAIA Division I playoff participant

Rankings from NAIA Division I poll

## Conference champions

[edit]

Conference  | Champion  | Record

|
|

Arkansas Intercollegiate | Central Arkansas | 6–0
Central States | Pittsburg State | 7–0
Evergreen | Oregon Tech | 5–0
NIC | Moorhead State (MN) | 6–0
Oklahoma | Northeastern State | 3–1
RMAC | New Mexico Highlands | 7–1
South Atlantic | Elon | 6–1
WVIAC | Concord (WV)
Fairmont State | 7–1
WSUC | Wisconsin–Eau Claire | 8–0

## Postseason

[edit]

| Quarterfinals
December 5, 1981
Campus sites | | | Semifinals
December 12, 1981
Campus sites | | | 1981 Champion Bowl
December 19, 1981
Burlington, NC |

|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|

|  |  |  | | |  |  |  | | |  |  |  |
| Cameron† | 48 | | |
| Central Arkansas | 24 |
| | Vacant | – |
|  |
| | | Pittsburg State | – |
| Moorhead State | 13 |

| Pittsburg State | 14 |
| | Pittsburg State | 0 |
|  |
| | | Elon* | 3 |
| Hillsdale | 14 | |

| Fairmont State | 12 |
| | Hillsdale | 13 |
|  |
| | | Elon | 41 |
| Elon | 38 |

| Concord | 8 |

* † Cameron was disqualified after their first round win over Central Arkansas after it was discovered they had been using ineligible players.

## See also

[edit]

* 1981 NAIA Division II football season
* 1981 NCAA Division I-A football season
* 1981 NCAA Division I-AA football season
* 1981 NCAA Division II football season
* 1981 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 22, 2015.
2. ^ "1981 Division I NAIA Football Playoffs". JonFMorse.com. Retrieved November 22, 2015.
3. ^ "NAIA Football Regular Season Records" (PDF). NAIA. p. 20. Retrieved December 11, 2021.

* v
* t
* e

NAIA football

Seasons|

* 1956
* 1957
* 1958
* 1959
* 1960
* 1961
* 1962
* 1963
* 1964
* 1965
* 1966
* 1967
* 1968
* 1969
* 1970–1996
* 1997
* 1998
* 1999
* 2000
* 2001
* 2002
* 2003
* 2004
* 2005
* 2006
* 2007
* 2008
* 2009
* 2010
* 2011
* 2012
* 2013
* 2014
* 2015
* 2016
* 2017
* 2018
* 2019
* 2020
* 2021
* 2022
* 2023
* 2024
* 2025

Division I|

* 1970
* 1971
* 1972
* 1973
* 1974
* 1975
* 1976
* 1977
* 1978
* 1979
* 1980
* 1981
* 1982
* 1983
* 1984
* 1985
* 1986
* 1987
* 1988
* 1989
* 1990
* 1991
* 1992
* 1993
* 1994
* 1995
* 1996

Division II|

* 1970
* 1971
* 1972
* 1973
* 1974
* 1975
* 1976
* 1977
* 1978
* 1979
* 1980
* 1981
* 1982
* 1983
* 1984
* 1985
* 1986
* 1987
* 1988
* 1989
* 1990
* 1991
* 1992
* 1993
* 1994
* 1995
* 1996

Women's flag|

* 2021
* 2022
* 2023
* 2024
* 2025

Championships|

* 1956
* 1957
* 1958
* 1959
* 1960
* 1961
* 1962
* 1963
* 1964
* 1965
* 1966
* 1967
* 1968
* 1969
* 1970–1996
* 1997
* 1998
* 1999
* 2000
* 2001
* 2002
* 2003
* 2004
* 2005
* 2006
* 2007
* 2008
* 2009
* 2010
* 2011
* 2012
* 2013
* 2014
* 2015
* 2016
* 2017
* 2018
* 2019
* 2020
* 2021
* 2022
* 2023
* 2024
* 2025

Division I|

* 1970
* 1971
* 1972
* 1973
* 1974
* 1975
* 1976
* 1977
* 1978
* 1979
* 1980
* 1981
* 1982
* 1983
* 1984
* 1985
* 1986
* 1987
* 1988
* 1989
* 1990
* 1991
* 1992
* 1993
* 1994
* 1995
* 1996

Division II|

* 1970
* 1971
* 1972
* 1973
* 1974
* 1975
* 1976
* 1977
* 1978
* 1979
* 1980
* 1981
* 1982
* 1983
* 1984
* 1985
* 1986
* 1987
* 1988
* 1989
* 1990
* 1991
* 1992
* 1993
* 1994
* 1995
* 1996

Records & statistics|

* Playoff appearances
* Coach of the Year
* Conferences
* Player of the Year
* Programs
* List of college football seasons

*[v]: View this template
*[t]: Discuss this template
*[e]: Edit this template
*[Conf.]: Conference record
*[W]: Wins
*[L]: Losses
*[T]: Ties
*[No.]: Number