College football is gridiron football that is played by teams of amateur student-athletes at universities and colleges. It was through collegiate competition that gridiron football first gained popularity in the United States.
University of Northwestern – St. Paul (UNW) is a private evangelical Christian university in Roseville, Minnesota.
NAIA independent schools are four-year institutional members of the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) that do not have formal conference affiliations. NAIA schools that are not members of any other athletic conference are members of the Continental Athletic Conference (CAC), formerly the Association of Independent Institutions (AII), which provides member services to the institution and allows members to compete in postseason competition. The CAC has one member institution in Canada's British Columbia. It provides services to the member institutions that are not fitting in any other NAIA conference and allows members to compete in postseason competition. The AII renamed itself the Continental Athletic Conference at the end of June 2021, citing the need to identify as a proper conference.
The National Christian College Athletic Association (NCCAA) is an association of Christian universities, colleges, and Bible colleges in the United States and Canada whose mission is "the promotion and enhancement of intercollegiate athletic competition with a Christian perspective". The national headquarters is located in Greenville, South Carolina. The NCCAA was formed in 1968. For the 2023–24 season, the NCCAA listed 92 members, 53 of which participate in Division I and 39 in Division II. Many teams in the NCCAA are also in other athletic associations, including the NCAA, NAIA, or ACCA.
The SFU Red Leafs or Simon Fraser Red Leafs teams represent Simon Fraser University (SFU), which is located in Burnaby, British Columbia, Canada. The Red Leafs are members of NCAA Division II and are the only Canadian university affiliated with the U.S.-based National Collegiate Athletic Association. The teams previously used the nicknames "Clan" and "Clansmen," which were used as a tribute to the Scottish heritage of the university's namesake, Simon Fraser. The names were retired in 2020 due to the negative connotation surrounding those terms. In September 2022, the updated nickname "Red Leafs" was announced.
Bluefield University is a private Baptist university in Bluefield, Virginia. It offers 22 majors and is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools. The 82-acre (330,000 m2) campus is about 150 ft (46 m) from the state line between Virginia and West Virginia. It is affiliated with the Baptist General Association of Virginia. Bluefield University merged with Edward Via College of Osteopathic Medicine which is on the campus of Virginia Tech in Blacksburg, Virginia.
Southern Wesleyan University is a private Christian university in Central, South Carolina, United States. It was founded in 1906 by what is now the Wesleyan Church. The institution is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges to award associate, bachelor's, master's, and doctoral degrees.
Point University is a private evangelical Christian college in West Point, Georgia and was founded in 1937 as Atlanta Christian College in East Point. The college announced its name change to Point University in 2011 and relocated its main campus to West Point in June 2012. As of 2022, over 2,000 students are enrolled both onsite and online.
The Malone Pioneers are athletic teams of Malone University in Canton, Ohio, United States. The Pioneers compete in Division II of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) as members of the Great Midwest Athletic Conference (G-MAC). Malone joined the G-MAC after four seasons in the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC) from 2012–13 to 2015–16. Malone joined the GLIAC and Division II in the 2011–12 season and completed the NCAA Division II membership process in July 2013 after having previously competed in the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA); mostly known for its tenure with the now-defunct American Mideast Conference from 1965–66 to 1988–89, and from 1993–94 to 2010–11. In 2016, the Pioneers began play in the Great Midwest Athletic Conference, also known as the G-MAC.
The 2008 Victory Bowl is a college football post-season bowl game. The game was played on November 21, 2008, at the Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The Malone Pioneers from the NAIA played against the NCAA Division III Northwestern Eagles.
The Indiana Wesleyan Wildcats are the athletic teams that represent Indiana Wesleyan University, located in Marion, Indiana, in intercollegiate sports as a member of the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA), primarily competing in the Crossroads League since the 1973–74 academic year; while its football team competes in the Mideast League of the Mid-States Football Association (MSFA) and its women's swimming team competes in the Mid-South Conference (MSC). They were also a member of the National Christian College Athletic Association (NCCAA), primarily competing as an independent in the Midwest Region of the Division I level.
The Geneva Golden Tornadoes football program represents Geneva College in college football. The team competes in NCAA Division III and is affiliated with the Presidents' Athletic Conference (PAC). The team is also a member of the National Christian College Athletic Association. Since its initial season in 1890, the team has won over 500 games. Home games are currently played at Reeves Field, in Beaver Falls, Pennsylvania. Several Geneva College players have received national attention, including Cal Hubbard and Larry Bruno.
Victor Santa Cruz is an American college football coach and former player. He is the head football coach for JSerra Catholic High School, a position he has held since 2023. He was the defensive ends coach at Hawaii in 2021. Prior to that, he was the head football coach at Azusa Pacific University in Azusa, California from 2006 to 2019.
The Central Oklahoma Bronchos football team represents the University of Central Oklahoma (UCO) in college football. The team is a member of the Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association (MIAA), which is in Division II of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA). The Bronchos football program began in 1902 and has since compiled over 600 wins, two national championships, and 28 conference championships. As of 2022, the Bronchos are ranked fifth in NCAA Division II for wins. In 1962, the Bronchos went 11–0 on the season and defeated Lenoir–Rhyne University (NC) 28–13 in the Camellia Bowl to claim its first NAIA national championship. Twenty years later, Central Oklahoma defended its home turf and defeated Colorado Mesa University 14–11 in the NAIA national championship game to take its second title and finish the season with a 10–2 record. Despite its rich history in football, Central Oklahoma has struggled beginning in the late 2000s. In 2024, the program broke on a 21 year playoff drought. The Bronchos play their home games at Chad Richison Stadium, a 12,000-seat football stadium built in 1965, and remodeled in 2022. The Bronchos have enjoyed nine undefeated home seasons and are 5–1 in playoff games at Wantland Stadium.
The Bluefield Rams are the athletic teams that represent Bluefield University, located in Bluefield, Virginia, in intercollegiate sports as a member of the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA), primarily competing in the Appalachian Athletic Conference (AAC) for most of their sports since the 2014–15 academic year ; while its football team competes in the Mid-South Conference (MSC) since the 2014 fall season. They were also a member of the National Christian College Athletic Association (NCCAA), primarily competing as an independent in the Mid-East Region of the Division I level until after the 2019–20 school year to fully align with the NAIA. The Rams previously competed in the Mid-South as a full member from 2012–13 to 2013–14. Athletes make up about 60% of the student population at Bluefield. It serves as host for the NCAA Softball National Championship.
The Southeastern Fire are the athletic teams that represents Southeastern University, located in Lakeland, Florida, in intercollegiate sports as a member of the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA), primarily competing in the Sun Conference since the 2009–10 academic year. The Fire previously competed as a member of the National Christian College Athletic Association (NCCAA), primarily competing as an independent in the South Region of both the Division II and Division I levels. The Fire previously competed as an NAIA Independent within the Association of Independent Institutions (AII) during the 2008–09 school year.
The Warner Royals are the athletic teams for Warner University in Lake Wales, Florida, in intercollegiate sports as a member of the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA), primarily competing in the Sun Conference for most of its sports since the 1990–91 academic year; while its men's volleyball team competes in the Mid-South Conference (MSC). They are also a member of the National Christian College Athletic Association (NCCAA), primarily competing as an independent in the South Region of the Division I level. Their rivals are the Webber Warriors.
Bethesda University is a private Christian university in Anaheim, California. It was founded in 1976 by David Yonggi Cho. The university is accredited by the Association for Biblical Higher Education and the Transnational Association of Christian Colleges and Schools and it is approved by the Bureau for Private Postsecondary Education of the State of California.
NCAA Division II bowl games are American college football bowl games played annually among some of the highest-ranking NCAA Division II football teams not invited to participate in the NCAA Division II Football Championship playoffs. The games are officially recognized by the NCAA. They are held in December, and are most commonly scheduled on the first Saturday of the month, three weeks after the final games of the Division II football regular season.
