2020 NAIA football season
Regular seasonFall 2020 – Spring 2021
PostseasonApril 17 – May 10, 2021
National ChampionshipEddie Robinson Stadium
Grambing, LA
May 10, 2021
ChampionLindsey Wilson
Player of the YearTyson Kooima (quarterback, Northwestern (IA))

The 2020–21 NAIA football season was the component of the 2020 college football season organized by the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) in the United States. The regular season for many teams was moved to spring 2021 in light of the COVID-19 pandemic-related measures and protocols. The season's playoffs, known as the NAIA Football National Championship, culminated with the championship game on May 10, 2021, at Eddie Robinson Stadium in Grambling, Louisiana. It was originally scheduled for December 19, 2020.[1] The Lindsey Wilson Blue Raiders defeated the Northwestern Red Raiders, 45–13, in the title game to win the program's first NAIA championship.[2]

Conference changes and new programs

Membership changes

SchoolFormer conferenceNew conference
Florida Memorial LionsRevived programMid-South Sun
Madonna CrusadersNew programMSFA Mideast
Roosevelt LakersNew programMSFA Midwest

Roosevelt acquired Robert Morris University's football team in April 2020 after merging with Robert Morris.[3]

Conference standings

2020 Frontier Conference football standings
ConfOverall
Team W L  W L 
No. 19 College of Idaho +  3 –1   3 –1  
No. 21 Eastern Oregon +  3 –1   3 –1  
No. 22 Carroll (MT) +^  3 –1   3 –2  
Rocky Mountain  1 –3   1 –3  
MSU Northern  0 –4   0 –4  
  • + – Conference co-champions
  • ^ – NAIA playoff participant
Rankings from NAIA Coaches' Poll
2020 Great Plains Athletic Conference football standings
ConfOverall
Team W L  W L 
No. 3 Morningside $^  8 –0   10 –1  
No. 2 Northwestern (IA) ^  8 –1   11 –2  
No. 15 Dordt ^  7 –2   7 –3  
Midland  5 –3   5 –3  
Concordia (NE)  4 –4   4 –4  
Dakota Wesleyan  4 –5   4 –5  
Doane  2 –5   2 –5  
Hastings  2 –7   2 –8  
Jamestown  1 –7   1 –7  
Briar Cliff  1 –8   1 –8  
  • $ – Conference champion
  • ^ – NAIA playoff participant
Rankings from NAIA Coaches' Poll
2020 Heart of America Athletic Conference football standings
ConfOverall
Team W L  W L 
North
No. 4 Grand View x^  3 –0   7 –1  
Clarke  1 –0   2 –3  
William Penn  2 –1   4 –3  
Peru State  0 –0   1 –2  
Culver–Stockton  0 –2   1 –3  
Graceland  0 –3   0 –5  
South
No. 7 Baker x^  4 –0   7 –1  
No. 16 Benedictine (KS)  4 –1   8 –2  
Central Methodist  3 –2   5 –4  
MidAmerica Nazarene  2 –3   2 –6  
Evangel  1 –3   2 –5  
Missouri Valley  0 –5   1 –6  
  • x – Division champion/co-champions
  • ^ – NAIA playoff participant
Rankings from NAIA Coaches' Poll
2020 Kansas Collegiate Athletic Conference football standings
ConfOverall
Team W L  W L 
No. 19 Avila +  6 –1   8 –1  
No. 12 Bethel (KS) +^  6 –1   9 –2  
No. 25 Kansas Wesleyan  5 –2   8 –2  
No. 24 Southwestern (KS)  5 –2   7 –2  
Ottawa (KS)  2 –5   5 –5  
Friends  2 –5   2 –6  
Tabor  1 –6   3 –7  
Sterling  1 –6   1 –8  
McPherson  0 –0   3 –4  
Bethany (KS)  0 –0   1 –4  
Saint Mary (KS)  0 –0   0 –4  
  • $ – Conference champion
  • ^ – NAIA playoff participant
Rankings from NAIA Coaches' Poll
2020 Mid-South Conference football standings
ConfOverall
Team W L  W L 
Appalachian Division
No. 8 Reinhardt x^  6 –0   9 –1  
Faulkner  5 –1   6 –2  
Kentucky Christian  4 –2   6 –2  
St. Andrews  2 –3   3 –3  
Union (KY)  1 –4   1 –6  
Bluefield  1 –5   2 –7  
Point  1 –5   1 –7  
Bluegrass Division
No. 1 Lindsey Wilson x^  7 –0   11 –0  
No. 13 Georgetown (KY) ^  6 –1   6 –2  
Cumberlands (KY)  4 –3   4 –3  
Bethel (TN)  3 –4   3 –4  
Pikeville  3 –4   3 –4  
Cumberland (TN)  2 –5   2 –5  
Thomas More  2 –5   2 –5  
Campbellsville  1 –6   1 –6  
Sun Division
No. 4 Keiser x^  5 –0   9 –1  
Southeastern  3 –1   5 –1  
St. Thomas (FL)  3 –2   4 –6  
Ave Maria  2 –3   3 –4  
Warner  1 –3   2 –4  
Webber International  1 –5   1 –7  
Florida Memorial  0 –1   0 –3  
  • x – Division champion/co-champions
  • ^ – NAIA playoff participant
Rankings from NAIA Coaches' Poll
2020 Mid-States Football Association standings
ConfOverall
Team W L  W L 
Mideast League
No. 6 Concordia (MI) x^  4 –0   6 –1  
No. 10 Marian (IN) ^  3 –1   5 –2  
No. 17 Saint Francis (IN)  2 –2   2 –2  
Indiana Wesleyan  2 –3   2 –3  
Siena Heights  1 –2   2 –2  
Lawrence Tech  0 –1   0 –2  
Taylor  0 –4   0 –4  
Midwest League
No. 9 Olivet Nazarene x^  8 –0   8 –1  
No. 20 Roosevelt  5 –1   6 –1  
St. Ambrose  4 –2   5 –3  
Saint Xavier  3 –3   5 –3  
St. Francis (IL)  2 –4   2 –6  
Missouri Baptist  1 –6   1 –6  
Trinity International  0 –6   0 –7  
  • x – League champion/co-champions
    ^ – NAIA playoff participant
Rankings from NAIA Coaches' Poll
2020 North Star Athletic Association football standings
ConfOverall
Team W L  W L 
No. 11 Dickinson State $^  9 –0   9 –1  
Valley City State  5 –2   5 –2  
Waldorf  6 –3   6 –3  
Dakota State  4 –5   4 –5  
Mayville State  1 –6   2 –7  
Presentation  0 –9   0 –10  
  • $ – Conference champion
  • ^ – NAIA playoff participant
Rankings from NAIA Coaches' Poll
2020 Sooner Athletic Conference football standings
ConfOverall
Team W L  W L 
No. 14 Arizona Christian $^  6 –0   9 –2  
No. 23 Ottawa (AZ)  4 –1   4 –1  
SAGU  3 –2   4 –3  
Langston  2 –3   2 –3  
OK Panhandle State  2 –3   2 –8  
Wayland Baptist  1 –4   2 –5  
Texas Wesleyan  0 –0   1 –1  
Texas College  0 –0   0 –0  
Lyon  0 –5   0 –5  
  • $ – Conference champion
  • ^ – NAIA playoff participant
Rankings from NAIA Coaches' Poll
2020 NAIA independents football records
ConfOverall
Team W L  W L 
Edward Waters   –   1 –2  
Madonna   –   0 –4  

Postseason

Bracket

1st Round
April 17, 2021 		Quarterfinals
April 24, 2021 		Semifinals
May 1, 2021 		Championship
May 10, 2021
            
3 Lindsey Wilson 42
14 Bethel (KS) 10
3 Lindsey Wilson 49
5 Concordia (MI) 27
5 Concordia (MI) 21
12 Georgetown (KY) 7
3 Lindsey Wilson 38
4 Keiser 14
4 Keiser 63
15 Arizona Christian 21
4 Keiser 42
8 Reinhardt 14
8 Reinhardt 40
9 Marian (IN) 29
3 Lindsey Wilson 45
6 Northwestern (IA) 13
1 Morningside 55
16 Carroll (MT) 0
1 Morningside 45
7 Baker 29
7 Baker 59
10 Olivet Nazarene 54
1 Morningside 41
6 Northwestern (IA) 44
2 Grand View 38
13 Dordt 10
2 Grand View 24
6 Northwestern (IA) 27
6 Northwestern (IA) 31
11 Dickinson State 7

Rankings

See also

References

  1. ↑ "NAIA's annual football tourney joins other NAIA fall championships in moving to spring". The Kansas City Star. July 31, 2020.
  2. ↑ "Dukes, Blue Raiders down Red Raiders". Sioux City Journal. May 11, 2021. p. B1 – via Newspapers.com.
  3. ↑ "Football Is Coming to Roosevelt University This Fall". Roosevelt Lakers. April 3, 2020. Retrieved May 14, 2020.


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