1996 NAIA Division II football season

The 1996 NAIA Division II football season, as part of the 1996 college football season in the United States and the 41st season of college football sponsored by the NAIA, was the 27th (and final) season of play of the NAIA division II for football.

1996 NAIA Division II football season
Regular seasonAugust–November 1996
PostseasonNovember–December 1996
National ChampionshipJim Carroll Stadium
Savannah, Tennessee
ChampionsSioux Falls

The season was played from August to November 1996 and culminated in the 1996 NAIA Division II Football National Championship, played at Jim Carroll Stadium in Savannah, Tennessee.[1]

Sioux Falls defeated Western Washington in the championship game, 47–25, to win their first NAIA national title.

Conference changes

Conference changes

Membership changes
Team1995 conference1996 conference
Lewis & ClarkColumbia (Mount Hood)Northwest
LinfieldColumbia (Mount Hood)Northwest
Pacific LutheranColumbia (Mount Hood)Northwest
Puget SoundColumbia (Mount Hood)Northwest
WillametteColumbia (Mount Hood)Northwest
WhitworthColumbia (Mount Hood)Northwest

Conference standings
1996 American Southwest Conference football standings
ConfOverall
Team W L  W L 
No. 11 Hardin–Simmons +^  3 –1   8 –2  
Sul Ross +  3 –1   6 –4  
No. 19 Howard Payne  2 –2   8 –2  
Austin  1 –3   3 –7  
McMurry  1 –3   3 –7  
Mississippi College *  0 –0   4 –6  
  • + – Conference co-champions
  • ^ – NAIA Division II playoff participant
    * – Ineligible for conference title
Rankings from NAIA Division II poll
1996 Columbia Football Association standings
ConfOverall
Team W L  W L 
No. 6 Western Washington $^  4 –1   11 –2  
Simon Fraser  3 –2   6 –4  
Central Washington  3 –2   5 –5  
Eastern Oregon  2 –3   6 –4  
Western Oregon  2 –3   3 –7  
Southern Oregon  1 –4   4 –6  
  • $ – Conference champion
  • ^ – NAIA Division II playoff participant
Rankings from NAIA Division II poll
1996 Heart of America Athletic Conference football standings
ConfOverall
Team W L  W L 
No. 5 Evangel $^  9 –0   10 –1  
No. 15 Benedictine (KS) ^  7 –2   8 –3  
No. T–24 Graceland  7 –2   7 –3  
No. 22 Baker  7 –2   7 –4  
Culver–Stockton  4 –5   5 –5  
MidAmerica Nazarene  4 –5   5 –5  
Lindenwood  3 –6   4 –6  
William Jewell  2 –7   3 –7  
Central Methodist  1 –8   2 –8  
Missouri Valley  1 –8   1 –9  
  • $ – Conference champion
  • ^ – NAIA Division II playoff participant
Rankings from NAIA Division II poll
1996 Kansas Collegiate Athletic Conference football standings
ConfOverall
Team W L  W L 
No. 8 Bethany (KS) $^  8 –0   8 –2  
Bethel (KS)  7 –1   7 –3  
No. 23 Southwestern (KS)  6 –2   7 –3  
Friends  5 –3   5 –5  
McPherson  4 –4   5 –5  
Kansas Wesleyan  3 –5   3 –7  
Sterling  2 –6   2 –8  
Ottawa  1 –7   1 –8  
Tabor  0 –8   0 –10  
  • $ – Conference champion
  • ^ – NAIA Division II playoff participant
Rankings from NAIA Division II poll
1996 Mid-South Conference football standings
ConfOverall
Team W L  W L 
No. 3 Lambuth $^  7 –0   9 –2  
No. 18 Cumberland (TN)  6 –1   8 –2  
Campbellsville  4 –3   6 –4  
North Greenville  3 –4   6 –4  
Georgetown (KY)  3 –4   4 –5  
Union (KY)  3 –4   4 –6  
Cumberland (KY)  1 –6   2 –7  
Bethel (TN)  1 –6   2 –9  
  • $ – Conference champion
  • ^ – NAIA playoff participant
Rankings from NAIA Division II poll
1996 Mid-States Football Association standings
ConfOverall
Team W L  W L 
Mideast League
No. 13 Malone x  5 –1   8 –2  
No. 9 Westminster (PA) x^  5 –1   9 –3  
No. 10 Geneva x^  5 –1   7 –3  
Walsh  3 –3   6 –5  
Tiffin  2 –4   2 –8  
Tri-State  1 –5   4 –6  
Urbana  0 –6   1 –9  
Midwest League
No. 1 Findlay x^  6 –0   12 –1  
No. 17 St. Ambrose  5 –1   9 –1  
Olivet Nazarene  3 –3   6 –4  
Iowa Wesleyan  3 –3   5 –6  
Trinity International  3 –3   3 –7  
Saint Xavier  1 –5   2 –8  
Taylor  0 –6   1 –9  
  • x – League champion/co-champions
    ^ – NAIA playoff participant
Rankings from NAIA Division II poll
1996 Nebraska-Iowa Athletic Conference football standings
ConfOverall
Team W L  W L 
No. 12 Northwestern (IA) $^  5 –1   10 –2  
Doane  4 –2   6 –3  
Hastings  4 –2   6 –4  
Midland  4 –2   5 –5  
Dana  3 –3   4 –5  
Nebraska Wesleyan  1 –5   2 –8  
Concordia (NE)  0 –6   2 –7  
  • $ – Conference champion
  • ^ – NAIA Division II playoff participant
Rankings from NAIA Division II poll
1996 North Dakota College Athletic Conference football standings
ConfOverall
Team W L  W L 
No. 16 Valley City State +^  5 –1   9 –2  
No. 20 Mary +^  5 –1   7 –4  
Minot State  4 –2   6 –3  
Minnesota–Crookston  3 –3   6 –4  
Dickinson State  3 –3   5 –4  
Jamestown  1 –5   1 –8  
Mayville State  0 –6   2 –8  
  • + – Conference co-champions
  • ^ – NAIA Division II playoff participant
Rankings from NAIA Division II poll
1996 Northwest Conference football standings
ConfOverall
Team W L  W L 
No. 7 Willamette $^  5 –0   9 –2  
No. 15 Pacific Lutheran ^  4 –1   7 –3  
Linfield  3 –2   5 –4  
Lewis & Clark  2 –3   4 –6  
Whitworth  1 –4   1 –8  
Puget Sound  0 –5   0 –9  
  • $ – Conference champion
  • ^ – NAIA Division II playoff participant
Rankings from NAIA Division II poll
1996 South Dakota-Iowa Intercollegiate Conference football standings
ConfOverall
Team W L  W L 
No. 2 Sioux Falls $^  6 –0   14 –0  
Westmar  5 –1   7 –3  
Dakota Wesleyan  3 –3   5 –5  
Black Hills State  3 –3   4 –6  
Huron  2 –4   5 –5  
Dakota State  1 –5   2 –7  
South Dakota Tech  1 –5   1 –9  
  • $ – Conference champion
  • ^ – NAIA Division II playoff participant
Rankings from NAIA Division II poll
1996 NAIA Division II independents football records
ConfOverall
Team W L  W L 
No. 4 Clinch Valley ^   –   10 –1  
No. 21 Azusa Pacific   –   7 –3  
No. T–24 Peru State   –   7 –3  
McKendree   –   3 –5  
  • ^ – NAIA Division II playoff participant
Rankings from NAIA Division II poll

Conference champions
Conference Champion Record
Columbia Western Washington 4–1
Heart of America Evangel 9–0
Kansas Bethany 8–0
Mid-South Lambuth 7–0
Mid-States Mideast Division: Geneva, Malone, and Westminster (PA)
Midwest Division: Findlay		 5–1
6–0
Nebraska-Iowa Northwestern (IA) 5–1
North Dakota Valley City State
Mary		 5–1
Northwest Willamette 5–0
South Dakota-Iowa Sioux Falls 6–0

Postseason
1996 Division II NAIA Football Championship
1st 2nd 3rd 4th Total
Western Washington 15 0 10 0 25
Sioux Falls (SD) 17 10 10 10 47
DateDecember 21, 1996
StadiumJim Carroll Stadium
CitySavannah, Tennessee
MOP (Offense)Kurtis Riggs, Sioux Falls
MOP (Defense)Travis Dumke, Sioux Falls
NAIA Football National Championship

< 1995

1997 >

The 1996 NAIA Division II Football Championship Series concluded on December 21, 1996, with the championship game played at Jim Carroll Stadium in Savannah, Tennessee. The game was won by the Sioux Falls Cougars over the Western Washington Vikings by a score of 47–25.[3]

Bracket
1st Round Quarterfinals Semifinals Championship
            
Bethany (KS) 35
Willamette 56
Willamette 12
Western Washington 13
Pacific Lutheran 20
Western Washington 21*
Western Washington 28
Findlay 21
Westminster (PA) 27
Clinch Valley 20
Westminster (PA) 9
Findlay (OH) 28
Geneva 13
Findlay 38
Western Washington 25
Sioux Falls 47
Valley City State 7
Northwestern (IA) 14
Sioux Falls 52
Northwestern (IA) 21
Sioux Falls 56
Mary 19
Sioux Falls 28
Evangel 21
Hardin–Simmons 23
Evangel 45
Evangel 28
Lambuth 27
Benedictine (KS) 20
Lambuth 34
  •  * denotes OT.

See also

References
  1. "NAIA Championship History" (PDF). NAIA. pp. 4–11. Archived from the original (PDF) on July 15, 2015. Retrieved December 6, 2015.
  2. "NAIA Football Regular Season Records" (PDF). NAIA. pp. 20–23. Retrieved December 11, 2021.
  3. "NAIA OFFICIAL ATHLETIC SITE - National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics". Archived from the original on March 4, 2016. Retrieved December 6, 2015.
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