1983 NAIA Division I football season

1983 NAIA Division I football season
Regular season	August–November 1983
Postseason	December 3–17, 1983
National Championship	Ralph Stocker Stadium Grand Junction, CO
Champions	Carson–Newman
← 1982 NAIA Division I football season 1984 →

The 1983 NAIA Division I football season was the 28th season of college football sponsored by the NAIA, was the 14th season of play of the NAIA's top division for football.

The season was played from August to November 1983 and culminated in the 1983 NAIA Champion Bowl , played this year on December 17, 1983 at Ralph Stocker Stadium in Grand Junction, Colorado on the campus of Mesa College—now known as known as Colorado Mesa University. ^[1]

Carson–Newman defeated Mesa in the Champion Bowl, 36–28, to win their first NAIA national title. ^[2]

Conference changes

• This is the final season that the Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association is officially recognized as an NAIA football conference. ^[3]

Conference standings

1983 Arkansas Intercollegiate Conference football standings v t e Conf Overall Team W   L   T W   L   T No. 1 Central Arkansas $^ 6 – 0 – 0 11 – 1 – 0 Arkansas Tech 4 – 1 – 1 4 – 5 – 1 Southern Arkansas 4 – 2 – 0 5 – 5 – 0 No. 16 Arkansas–Monticello 3 – 2 – 1 6 – 2 – 1 Ouachita Baptist 1 – 4 – 1 2 – 7 – 1 Henderson State 1 – 5 – 0 3 – 7 – 0 Harding 0 – 5 – 1 3 – 6 – 1 $ – Conference champion ^ – NAIA Division I playoff participant Rankings from NAIA Division I poll	1983 Central States Intercollegiate Conference football standings v t e Conf Overall Team W   L   T W   L   T No. 9 Washburn $ 6 – 1 – 0 8 – 2 – 0 No. 10 Missouri Southern 5 – 2 – 0 9 – 2 – 0 No. 17 Fort Hays State 4 – 3 – 0 8 – 3 – 0 Pittsburg State 4 – 3 – 0 6 – 4 – 0 Kearney State 4 – 3 – 0 5 – 5 – 0 Missouri Western 3 – 4 – 0 5 – 6 – 0 Emporia State 1 – 6 – 0 2 – 8 – 0 Wayne State (NE) 1 – 6 – 0 1 – 9 – 0 $ – Conference champion Rankings from NAIA Division I poll	1983 Evergreen Conference football standings v t e Conf Overall Team W   L   T W   L   T Puget Sound $ 6 – 1 – 0 6 – 4 – 0 Southern Oregon 5 – 2 – 0 9 – 2 – 0 No. 14 Central Washington 5 – 2 – 0 8 – 2 – 0 Simon Fraser 4 – 3 – 0 4 – 6 – 0 Eastern Oregon 3 – 4 – 0 5 – 5 – 0 Oregon Tech 2 – 5 – 0 4 – 6 – 0 Western Oregon 2 – 5 – 0 3 – 7 – 0 Western Washington 1 – 6 – 0 1 – 9 – 0 $ – Conference champion Rankings from NAIA Division I poll
1983 Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference football standings v t e Conf Overall Team W   L   T W   L   T No. 7 Saginaw Valley State $^ 6 – 0 – 0 9 – 3 – 0 No. 8 Hillsdale 4 – 2 – 0 8 – 2 – 0 Wayne State (MI) 4 – 2 – 0 7 – 3 – 0 Northwood 3 – 3 – 0 4 – 4 – 0 Grand Valley State 3 – 3 – 0 4 – 6 – 0 Michigan Tech 1 – 5 – 0 3 – 7 – 0 Ferris State 0 – 6 – 0 0 – 9 – 0 $ – Conference champion ^ – NAIA Division I playoff participant Rankings from NAIA Division I poll	1983 Northern Intercollegiate Conference football standings v t e Conf Overall Team W   L   T W   L   T No. 20 Winona State $ 5 – 1 – 0 7 – 4 – 0 Moorhead State 4 – 2 – 0 6 – 3 – 0 Minnesota Duluth 4 – 2 – 0 6 – 4 – 0 Minnesota Morris 2 – 3 – 1 4 – 4 – 2 Northern State 1 – 3 – 2 4 – 4 – 2 Southwest State (MN) 1 – 3 – 2 3 – 6 – 2 Bemidji State 1 – 4 – 1 4 – 6 – 1 $ – Conference champion Rankings from NAIA Division I poll	1983 Oklahoma Intercollegiate Conference football standings v t e Conf Overall Team W   L   T W   L   T No. 4 Northeastern State $^ 4 – 0 – 0 8 – 2 – 0 No. 13 East Central 2 – 2 – 0 7 – 3 – 0 NW Oklahoma State 2 – 2 – 0 4 – 6 – 0 SW Oklahoma State 2 – 2 – 0 3 – 6 – 0 SE Oklahoma State 0 – 4 – 0 1 – 9 – 0 $ – Conference champion ^ – NAIA Division I playoff participant Rankings from NAIA Division I poll
1983 Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference football standings v t e Conf Overall Team W   L   T W   L   T No. 3 Mesa $^ 7 – 0 – 1 11 – 1 – 1 Southern Colorado 6 – 1 – 1 6 – 3 – 1 Western New Mexico 4 – 3 – 1 5 – 4 – 1 Southern Utah 4 – 4 – 0 5 – 5 – 0 Adams State 4 – 4 – 0 4 – 6 – 0 Fort Lewis 4 – 4 – 0 4 – 6 – 0 Colorado Mines 3 – 5 – 0 4 – 5 – 0 Western State (CO) 2 – 5 – 1 2 – 6 – 1 New Mexico Highlands 0 – 8 – 0 1 – 9 – 0 $ – Conference champion ^ – NAIA Division I playoff participant	1983 South Atlantic Conference football standings v t e Conf Overall Team W   L   T W   L   T No. 12 Carson–Newman $^ 6 – 1 – 0 10 – 3 – 0 Presbyterian 4 – 2 – 1 5 – 5 – 1 No. 18 Elon 4 – 3 – 0 7 – 3 – 0 Gardner–Webb 4 – 3 – 0 5 – 6 – 0 Mars Hill 3 – 3 – 1 4 – 7 – 1 Newberry 3 – 4 – 0 6 – 5 – 0 Lenoir–Rhyne 2 – 5 – 0 4 – 6 – 0 Catawba 0 – 7 – 0 0 – 9 – 1 $ – Conference champion ^ – NAIA Division I playoff participant Rankings from NAIA Division I poll	1983 West Virginia Intercollegiate Athletic Conference football standings v t e Conf Overall Team W   L   T W   L   T No. 5 Shepherd $^ 8 – 0 – 0 9 – 2 – 0 Glenville State 6 – 2 – 0 6 – 2 – 1 Concord 5 – 3 – 0 5 – 5 – 0 West Virginia Tech 4 – 3 – 1 5 – 4 – 1 West Liberty State 3 – 3 – 2 4 – 4 – 2 Fairmont State 2 – 5 – 1 2 – 7 – 1 Salem 2 – 6 – 0 3 – 7 – 0 West Virginia State 2 – 6 – 0 3 – 7 – 0 West Virginia Wesleyan 2 – 6 – 0 2 – 8 – 0 $ – Conference champion ^ – NAIA Division I playoff participant Rankings from NAIA Division I poll
1983 Wisconsin State University Conference football standings v t e Conf Overall Team W   L   T W   L   T No. 11 Wisconsin–Eau Claire $ 7 – 1 – 0 8 – 2 – 0 Wisconsin–La Crosse ^ 6 – 1 – 1 9 – 3 – 1 Wisconsin–River Falls 6 – 2 – 0 8 – 2 – 0 Wisconsin–Whitewater 6 – 2 – 0 6 – 5 – 0 Wisconsin–Oshkosh 3 – 4 – 1 5 – 4 – 1 Wisconsin–Platteville 3 – 5 – 0 4 – 6 – 0 Wisconsin–Stevens Point 2 – 6 – 0 4 – 6 – 0 Wisconsin–Stout 2 – 6 – 0 2 – 9 – 0 Wisconsin–Superior 0 – 8 – 0 1 – 10 – 0 $ – Conference champion ^ – NCAA Division III playoff participant Rankings from NAIA Division I poll	1983 NAIA Division I independents football records v t e Conf Overall Team W   L   T W   L   T No. 2 Central State (OK) ^   –   8 – 1 – 1 No. 6 Eastern New Mexico ^   –   8 – 2 – 1 Guilford   –   5 – 4 – 1 Wofford   –   6 – 5 – 0 Langston   –   4 – 6 – 0 Cameron   –   3 – 6 – 0 Kentucky State   –   2 – 7 – 2 Liberty Baptist   –   2 – 9 – 0 ^ – NAIA Division I playoff participant Rankings from NAIA Division I poll

Conference champions

Conference	Champion	Record
Arkansas Intercollegiate	Central Arkansas	6–0
Central States	Washburn	6–1
Evergreen	Puget Sound	6–1
NIC	Winona State	5–1
Oklahoma	Northeastern State	4–0
RMAC	Mesa	7–0–1
South Atlantic	Carson–Newman	6–1
WSUC	Wisconsin–Eau Claire	7–1
WVIAC	Shepherd	8–0

Postseason

	Quarterfinals December 3, 1983 Campus sites					Semifinals December 10, 1983 Campus sites					1983 Champion Bowl December 17, 1983 Grand Junction, CO
	Saginaw Valley State		14
	Central State (OK)*		13
						Saginaw Valley State		7
						Carson–Newman*		41
	Shepherd		21
	Carson–Newman *		42
											Carson–Newman		36
											Mesa*		28
	Northeastern State		7
	Central Arkansas *		18
						Central Arkansas		17
						Mesa*		34
	Eastern New Mexico		9
	Mesa *		35

See also

• 1983 NAIA Division II football season
• 1983 NCAA Division I-A football season
• 1983 NCAA Division I-AA football season
• 1983 NCAA Division II football season
• 1983 NCAA Division III football season

References

1. "NAIA Championship History" (PDF). NAIA. pp. 4–11. Archived from the original (PDF) on July 15, 2015. Retrieved November 23, 2015.
2. "1983 Division I NAIA Football Playoffs". JonFMorse.com. Retrieved November 23, 2015.
3. "NAIA Football Regular Season Records" (PDF). NAIA. p. 20. Retrieved December 11, 2021.