1973 NAIA Division I football season

1973 NAIA Division I football season
Regular seasonAugust–November 1973
PostseasonDecember 1–8, 1973
National ChampionshipIndependence Stadium
Shreveport, LA
ChampionsAbilene Christian

The 1973 NAIA Division I football season was the 18th season of college football sponsored by the NAIA and the fourth season of the league's two-division structure.

The season was played from August to November 1973 and culminated in the 1973 NAIA Champion Bowl, played on December 8, 1973 at Independence Stadium in Shreveport, Louisiana.

Abilene Christian defeated Elon in the Champion Bowl, 42–14, to win their first NAIA national title.

Conference realignment

Conference changes

Conference standings

1973 Arkansas Intercollegiate Conference football standings
Conf.Overall
TeamW L TW L T
No. 7 Henderson State $6–0–010–1–0
No. T–17 Southern Arkansas4–2–08–2–0
Harding4–2–07–3–0
State College of Arkansas3–3–06–5–0
Ouachita Baptist2–4–05–5–0
Arkansas Tech2–4–04–7–0
Arkansas–Monticello0–6–02–8–0
  • $ – Conference champion
Rankings from NAIA Division I poll
1973 Carolinas Conference football standings
Conf.Overall
TeamW L TW L T
No. 2/10 Elon $^4–0–012–1–0
Lenoir Rhyne2–1–05–5–1
Mars Hill2–2–05–6–0
Catawba1–3–05–5–0
Guilford0–3–01–9–0
  • $ – Conference champion
  • ^ – NAIA Division I playoff participant
Rankings from NAIA Division I poll and AP small college poll
1973 Evergreen Conference football standings
Conf.Overall
TeamW L TW L T
No. 16 Central Washington $5–1–07–2–0
Eastern Oregon4–2–07–2–0
Oregon College4–2–06–3–0
Southern Oregon4–2–06–3–0
Eastern Washington2–4–05–4–0
Western Washington1–5–01–7–0
Oregon Tech1–5–01–8–0
  • $ – Conference champion
Rankings from NAIA Division I poll
1973 Great Plains Athletic Conference football standings
Conf.Overall
TeamW L TW L T
No. T–17 Emporia State +4–1–07–2–0
Northern Colorado +4–1–07–2–0
Fort Hays State2–3–05–4–0
Washburn2–3–03–6–1
Pittsburg State2–3–03–7–0
Southern Colorado1–4–03–7–0
  • + – Conference co-champions
Rankings from NAIA Division I poll
1973 Gulf South Conference football standings
Conf.Overall
TeamW L TW L T
No. T–17 Troy State $6–1–07–2–1
No. 4 Jacksonville State5–2–07–2–0
Delta State6–3–08–3–0
Livingston4–3–16–3–1
Northwestern State3–4–05–6–0
Mississippi College3–4–04–6–0
Southeastern Louisiana3–4–04–6–0
Florence State3–6–04–6–0
Nicholls State2–7–02–9–0
Tennessee–Martin1–5–12–8–1
  • $ – Conference champion
Rankings from NAIA Division I poll
1973 Lone Star Conference football standings
Conf.Overall
TeamW L TW L T
No. 1/7 Abilene Christian $^9–0–011–1–0
No. 8 Howard Payne8–1–08–3–0
Stephen F. Austin6–3–09–3–0
East Texas State6–3–07–4–0
Angelo State5–4–05–4–2
Southwest Texas State3–6–04–6–0
Sul Ross3–6–03–7–0
Sam Houston State2–7–02–8–0
Texas A&I2–7–02–8–0
Tarleton State1–8–01–9–0
  • $ – Conference champion
  • ^ – NAIA Division I playoff participant
Rankings from NAIA Division I poll and AP small college poll
1973 Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference football standings
Conf.Overall
TeamW L TW L T
No. 11 St. Thomas (MN) +6–1–09–1–0
No. 9 Minnesota–Duluth +6–1–08–1–0
Augsburg5–2–07–2–0
Gustavus Adolphus4–3–05–5–0
Concordia–Moorhead3–4–05–5–0
Saint John's (MN)3–4–04–4–0
Hamline1–6–03–6–0
Macalester0–7–01–9–0
  • + – Conference co-champions
Rankings from NAIA Division I poll
1973 Nebraska College Conference football standings
Conf.Overall
TeamW L TW L T
Kearney State +2–1–06–3–0
Peru State +2–1–05–5–0
Wayne State (NE)1–2–06–2–1
Chadron State1–2–07–3–0
  • + – Conference co-champions
1973 Northern Intercollegiate Conference football standings
Conf.Overall
TeamW L TW L T
Moorhead State $5–1–07–3–0
Michigan Tech4–2–05–4–1
St. Cloud State4–2–04–6–0
Bemidji State2–4–05–4–0
Southwest State (MN)2–4–04–6–0
Minnesota Morris2–4–03–6–0
Winona State2–4–03–7–0
  • $ – Conference champion
1973 Oklahoma Collegiate Conference football standings
Conf.Overall
TeamW L TW L T
No. 3 Langston $^8–0–011–1–0
No. 12 Northeastern State6–2–07–2–0
SE Oklahoma State5–3–06–4–0
Central State (OK)5–3–06–4–1
Cameron4–4–05–5–0
East Central3–4–04–7–0
Panhandle2–6–03–7–1
SW Oklahoma State2–6–03–7–0
NW Oklahoma State0–7–11–8–1
  • $ – Conference champion
  • ^ – NAIA Division I playoff participant
Rankings from NAIA Division I poll
1973 Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference football standings
Conf.Overall
TeamW L TW L T
East Division
West Chester xy4–0–05–5–0
East Stroudsburg5–1–06–1–1
Millersville4–2–07–2–0
Cheyney3–2–05–4–0
Bloomsburg2–4–04–5–0
Kutztown1–5–02–7–0
Mansfield0–5–01–7–0
West Division
No. T–20 Slippery Rock xy$5–0–08–2–0
Clarion3–2–05–4–0
Edinboro3–2–04–4–1
Lock Haven2–3–02–7–0
California (PA)1–4–03–6–0
Shippensburg1–4–02–7–0
Indiana (PA) *0–0–04–5–0
Championship: Slippery Rock 28, West Chester 14
  • $ – Conference champion
  • x – Division champion/co-champions
  • y – Championship game participant
  • * – Ineligible for conference title
Rankings from NAIA Division I poll
1973 Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference football standings
Conf.Overall
TeamW L TW L T
Western State (CO) $5–1–06–3–0
Adams State4–2–06–3–0
Southern Utah4–2–05–4–0
Fort Lewis3–3–04–5–0
Western New Mexico3–3–03–5–0
Westminster (UT)2–4–03–6–0
Colorado Mines0–6–00–9–0
  • $ – Conference champion
1973 Southwestern Athletic Conference football standings
Conf.Overall
TeamW L TW L T
No. 5/7 Grambling +^5–1–010–3–0
No. 10 Jackson State +5–1–09–2–0
No. T–20 Alcorn A&M3–2–17–2–1
Southern3–3–06–4–0
Texas Southern2–3–15–5–1
Mississippi Valley State2–4–03–5–0
Prairie View A&M0–6–02–6–1
  • + – Conference co-champions
  • ^ – NCAA Division II playoff participant
Rankings from NAIA Division I poll and AP small college poll
1973 West Virginia Intercollegiate Athletic Conference football standings
Conf.Overall
TeamW L TW L T
Northern Division
Fairmont State xy$3–0–06–3–1
West Liberty State2–1–13–5–1
Salem2–2–06–4–0
Shepherd1–2–06–4–0
West Virginia Wesleyan0–3–12–6–1
Southern Division
No. 2 Glenville State xy^4–0–010–2–0
Bluefield State3–1–04–5–0
West Virginia State2–2–05–5–0
West Virginia Tech1–3–04–5–0
Concord0–4–00–9–0
Championship: Fairmont State 21, Glenville State 7
  • $ – Conference champion
  • x – Division champion/co-champions
  • y – Championship game participant
  • ^ – NAIA Division II playoff participant
    Conference standings based on power ratings
Rankings from NAIA Division II poll
1973 Wisconsin State University Conference football standings
Conf.Overall
TeamW L TW L T
No. 6 Wisconsin–La Crosse $^7–1–09–2–0
No. 14 Wisconsin–Platteville6–1–18–1–1
Wisconsin–Whitewater4–2–26–2–2
Wisconsin–Eau Claire4–4–05–5–0
Wisconsin–Oshkosh4–4–04–6–0
Wisconsin–River Falls3–4–14–5–1
Wisconsin–Stevens Point3–5–04–6–0
Wisconsin–Superior2–6–02–8–0
Wisconsin–Stout1–7–01–9–0
  • $ – Conference champion
  • ^ – NAIA Division I playoff participant
Rankings from NAIA Division I poll
1973 NAIA Division I independents football records
Conf.Overall
TeamW L TW L T
No. 15 Hillsdale – 7–2–0
No. 13 Carson–Newman – 6–3–0
Eastern New Mexico – 6–4–0
Wofford – 3–6–1
Kentucky State – 3–8–0
Presbyterian – 3–8–0
Rankings from NAIA Division I poll

Postseason

Semifinals
December 1, 1973 		1973 Champion Bowl
December 8, 1973
Shreveport, LA
      
Wisconsin–La Crosse 24
Elon* 35
Elon 14
Abilene Christian 42
Langston 6
Abilene Christian* 34

See also

References

  1. ↑ "NAIA Championship History" (PDF). NAIA. pp. 4–11. Archived from the original (PDF) on July 15, 2015. Retrieved November 27, 2015.
  2. ↑ "1973 Division I NAIA Football Playoffs". JonFMorse.com. Retrieved November 27, 2015.