1991 NAIA Division I football season

The 1991 NAIA Division I football season was the 36th season of college football sponsored by the NAIA, was the 22nd season of play of the NAIA's top division for football.

1991 NAIA Division I football season
Regular seasonAugust–November 1991
PostseasonNovember 23–December 14, 1991
National ChampionshipMcPherson Stadium
Wilberforce, OH
ChampionsCentral Arkansas

The season was played from August to November 1991 and culminated in the 1991 NAIA Champion Bowl playoffs and the 1991 NAIA Champion Bowl, played this year on December 14, 1991 at McPherson Stadium in Wilberforce, Ohio, on the campus of Central State University.[1]

The Central Arkansas Bears defeated the Central State Marauders, the defending national champions, in the Champion Bowl, 19–16, to win their third NAIA national title.[2] It was the Bears' first non-shared national title.

Conference changes

Conference standings
1991 Arkansas Intercollegiate Conference football standings
ConfOverall
TeamW L TW L T
No. T–7 Central Arkansas $^ 5 –0 –19 –2 –2
No. 12 Harding 4 –1 –17 –3 –1
No. 18 Southern Arkansas 4 –2 –07 –4 –0
Ouachita Baptist 3 –3 –05 –5 –0
Henderson State 2 –4 –02 –7 –1
Arkansas–Monticello 1 –5 –02 –8 –0
Arkansas Tech 1 –5 –01 –9 –0
  • + – Conference co-champions
  • ^ – NAIA Division I playoff participant
Rankings from NAIA Division I poll
1991 Northern Intercollegiate Conference football standings
ConfOverall
TeamW L TW L T
No. 4 Moorhead State $^ 5 –0 –010 –2 –0
No. 9 Southwest State (MN) 5 –1 –09 –1 –0
Minnesota Duluth 4 –1 –06 –4 –0
Northern State 3 –3 –06 –5 –0
Bemidji State 1 –4 –02 –7 –0
Minnesota Morris 1 –5 –02 –9 –0
Winona State 0 –5 –01 –9 –0
  • $ – Conference champion
  • ^ – NAIA Division I playoff participant
Rankings from NAIA Division I poll
1991 Oklahoma Intercollegiate Conference football standings
ConfOverall
TeamW L TW L T
No. 1 Northeastern State $^ 5 –0 –010 –1 –0
No. 14 NW Oklahoma State 4 –1 –08 –2 –0
No. 15 SW Oklahoma State 3 –2 –06 –4 –1
East Central 2 –3 –05 –4 –1
SE Oklahoma State 1 –4 –04 –5 –0
Langston 0 –5 –02 –8 –0
  • $ – Conference champion
  • ^ – NAIA Division I playoff participant
Rankings from NAIA Division I poll
1991 Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference football standings
ConfOverall
TeamW L TW L T
No. 5 Western State (CO) $^ 6 –0 –010 –2 –0
No. 11 Fort Hays State 4 –2 –08 –3 –0
Colorado Mines 3 –3 –06 –4 –0
Chadron State 3 –3 –05 –5 –1
Mesa State 3 –3 –03 –7 –0
No. 16 Adams State 2 –4 –06 –4 –0
Fort Lewis 0 –6 –02 –8 –0
New Mexico Highlands * 0 –0 –01 –9 –0
  • $ – Conference champion
  • ^ – NAIA Division I playoff participant
    * – ineligible for conference title
Rankings from NAIA Division I poll
1991 South Atlantic Conference football standings
ConfOverall
TeamW L TW L T
No. 3 Carson–Newman $^ 7 –0 –010 –1 –0
No. 13 Catawba 5 –2 –07 –3 –0
No. 20 Lenoir–Rhyne 4 –3 –06 –5 –0
No. 17 Wingate 3 –4 –06 –4 –0
Elon 3 –4 –06 –5 –0
Gardner–Webb 3 –4 –06 –5 –0
Presbyterian 3 –4 –04 –7 –0
Mars Hill 1 –6 –03 –7 –0
  • $ – Conference champion
  • ^ – NAIA Division I playoff participant
Rankings from NAIA Division I poll
1991 West Virginia Intercollegiate Athletic Conference football standings
ConfOverall
TeamW L TW L T
No. 6 Shepherd $^ 7 –0 –08 –3 –0
No. 10 Concord 6 –1 –08 –2 –0
No. 19 West Virginia State 4 –3 –06 –4 –0
West Liberty State 3 –3 –14 –5 –1
Glenville State 3 –4 –04 –5 –1
West Virginia Wesleyan 3 –4 –04 –5 –0
Fairmont State 1 –5 –11 –8 –1
West Virginia Tech 0 –7 –00 –10 –0
  • $ – Conference champion
  • ^ – NAIA Division I playoff participant
    West Virginia Tech forfeited four victories, including two conference wins, over Fairmont State and West Virginia Wesleyan.
Rankings from NAIA Division I poll
1991 NAIA Division I independents football records
ConfOverall
TeamW L TW L T
No. 2 Central State (OH) ^   –  11 –2 –0
No. T–7 Iowa Wesleyan ^   –  10 –2 –0
Western New Mexico   –  4 –4 –0
  • ^ – NAIA Division I playoff participant
Rankings from NAIA Division I poll

Rankings

Final NAIA Division I poll rankings:

Rank Team (first place votes) Record (thru Nov. 16) Points
1 Northeastern State (8) 10–0 252
2 Central State (OH) (2) 9–1 246
3 Carson–Newman (3) 7–3 231
4 Moorhead State 8–1 219
5 Western State (CO) 9–1 207
6 Shepherd 8–2 187
T–7 Central Arkansas 6–2–2 175
T–7 Iowa Wesleyan 10–1 175
9 Southwest State (MN) 8–1 155
10 Concord 8–2 139
11 Fort Hays State 8–3 132
12 Harding 7–3–1 106
13 Catawba 7–3 104
14 Northwestern Oklahoma State 8–2 98
15 Southwestern Oklahoma State 6–3–1 68
16 Adams State 6–4 52
17 Wingate 6–4 48
18 Southern Arkansas 6–5 44
19 West Virginia State 6–4 31
20 Lenoir–Rhyne 6–5 28

[4]

Conference champions
Conference Champion Record
Arkansas Central Arkansas 5–0–1
NIC Minnesota–Duluth 4–1
Oklahoma Northeastern State 5–0
South Atlantic Carson–Newman —
WVIAC Shepherd 7–0

Postseason
Quarterfinals
November 23, 1991
Campus sites 		Semifinals
December 7, 1991
Campus sites 		1991 Champion Bowl
December 14, 1991
Wilberforce, OH
         
Iowa Wesleyan 14
Moorhead State (MN)* 47
Moorhead State (MN) 18
Central Arkansas* 38
Central Arkansas 30
Northeastern State* 14
Central Arkansas 19
Central State (OH)* 16
Carson–Newman 21
Western State (CO)* 38
Western State (CO) 13
Central State (OH)* 20
Shepherd 22
Central State (OH)* 34

See also

References
  1. "NAIA Championship History" (PDF). NAIA. pp. 4–11. Archived from the original (PDF) on July 15, 2015. Retrieved November 25, 2015.
  2. "1991 Division I NAIA Football Playoffs". JonFMorse.com. Retrieved November 25, 2015.
  3. "NAIA Football Regular Season Records" (PDF). NAIA. p. 22. Retrieved December 11, 2021.
  4. "NAIA Division I Poll". Independent Record. Helena, Montana. Associated Press. November 18, 1991. p. 2B. Retrieved May 27, 2023 – via Newspapers.com open access.
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