1973 NAIA Division II football season

The 1973 NAIA Division II football season was the 18th season of college football sponsored by the NAIA and the fourth season of play of the NAIA's lower division for football.

1973 NAIA Division II football season
Regular season	August–November 1973
Postseason	December 1–8, 1973
National Championship	Huntington, WV
Champions	Northwestern (IA)
←1972 NAIA Division II football season 1974→

The season was played from August to November 1973 and culminated in the 1973 NAIA Division II Football National Championship, played on December 8, 1973 in Huntington, West Virginia near the campus of Glenville State College.^[1]

The Northwestern Red Raiders defeated the Glenville State Pioneers in the championship game, 10–3, to win their first NAIA national title. As of 2015, this is the earliest NAIA championship won by a team that remains at the NAIA level.

Conference standings

1973 College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin football standings v t e Conf. Overall Team W   L   T W   L   T No. 4 Carthage $^ 8 – 0 – 0 8 – 2 – 0 No. 12 Millikin 6 – 2 – 0 8 – 2 – 0 No. 15 Augustana (IL) 6 – 2 – 0 7 – 2 – 0 Illinois Wesleyan 5 – 3 – 0 5 – 4 – 0 Carroll (WI) 3 – 5 – 0 4 – 5 – 0 Elmhurst 3 – 5 – 0 4 – 5 – 0 North Park 2 – 6 – 0 3 – 6 – 0 Wheaton (IL) 2 – 6 – 0 2 – 7 – 0 North Central (IL) 1 – 7 – 0 2 – 7 – 0 $ – Conference champion ^ – NAIA Division II playoff participant Rankings from NAIA Division II poll	1973 Frontier Conference football standings v t e Conf. Overall Team W   L   T W   L   T No. 8 Carroll (MT) $ 4 – 0 – 0 7 – 0 – 0 Montana Tech 2 – 2 – 0 6 – 2 – 0 Eastern Montana 2 – 2 – 0 3 – 5 – 0 Rocky Mountain 1 – 3 – 0 2 – 6 – 0 Western Montana 1 – 3 – 0 1 – 6 – 0 $ – Conference champion Rankings from NAIA Division II poll	1973 Gateway Conference football standings v t e Conf. Overall Team W   L   T W   L   T Northland $ 3 – 0 – 0 7 – 2 – 0 Lakeland 2 – 1 – 0 6 – 3 – 0 Milton 1 – 2 – 0 3 – 5 – 0 Northwestern (WI) 0 – 3 – 0 2 – 6 – 0 $ – Conference champion
1973 Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference football standings v t e Conf. Overall Team W   L   T W   L   T Northwood $ 2 – 0 – 0 6 – 2 – 0 Ferris State 1 – 1 – 0 4 – 4 – 1 Grand Valley State 0 – 2 – 0 6 – 3 – 0 + – Conference co-champions	1973 Heart of America Athletic Conference football standings v t e Conf. Overall Team W   L   T W   L   T No. 3 William Jewell $^ 7 – 0 – 0 11 – 1 – 0 No. 5 Missouri Valley 6 – 1 – 0 9 – 1 – 0 Central Methodist 5 – 2 – 0 6 – 3 – 1 Tarkio 4 – 3 – 0 4 – 5 – 0 Graceland 3 – 4 – 0 6 – 4 – 0 College of Emporia 2 – 5 – 0 3 – 7 – 0 Ottawa 1 – 6 – 0 3 – 6 – 0 Baker 0 – 7 – 0 0 – 10 – 0 $ – Conference champion ^ – NAIA Division II playoff participant Rankings from NAIA Division II poll	1973 Hoosier–Buckeye Conference football standings v t e Conf. Overall Team W   L   T W   L   T No. 13 Hanover $ 6 – 0 – 0 8 – 1 – 0 No. 19 Defiance 5 – 2 – 0 7 – 2 – 0 Taylor 4 – 2 – 1 4 – 4 – 1 Bluffton 4 – 3 – 0 4 – 5 – 0 Wilmington (OH) 4 – 3 – 0 5 – 3 – 0 Earlham 3 – 4 – 0 4 – 6 – 0 Anderson (IN) 2 – 5 – 0 3 – 6 – 0 Findlay 1 – 6 – 0 3 – 7 – 0 Manchester (IN) 0 – 6 – 1 1 – 7 – 1 $ – Conference champion Rankings from NAIA Division II poll
1973 Iowa Conference football standings v t e Conf. Overall Team W   L   T W   L   T No. 9 Buena Vista $ 7 – 0 – 0 8 – 1 – 0 Central (IA) 6 – 1 – 0 7 – 2 – 0 Wartburg 4 – 3 – 0 5 – 4 – 0 Dubuque 3 – 3 – 1 5 – 4 – 1 William Penn 3 – 4 – 0 6 – 4 – 0 Luther 2 – 4 – 1 2 – 6 – 1 Simpson (IA) 1 – 5 – 1 2 – 6 – 1 Upper Iowa 0 – 6 – 1 1 – 7 – 1 $ – Conference champion Rankings from NAIA Division II poll	1973 Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference football standings v t e Conf. Overall Team W   L   T W   L   T No. 11 St. Thomas (MN) + 6 – 1 – 0 9 – 1 – 0 No. 9 Minnesota–Duluth + 6 – 1 – 0 8 – 1 – 0 Augsburg 5 – 2 – 0 7 – 2 – 0 Gustavus Adolphus 4 – 3 – 0 5 – 5 – 0 Concordia–Moorhead 3 – 4 – 0 5 – 5 – 0 Saint John's (MN) 3 – 4 – 0 4 – 4 – 0 Hamline 1 – 6 – 0 3 – 6 – 0 Macalester 0 – 7 – 0 1 – 9 – 0 + – Conference co-champions Rankings from NAIA Division I poll	1973 Kansas Collegiate Athletic Conference football standings v t e Conf. Overall Team W   L   T W   L   T St. Mary of the Plains + 7 – 1 – 0 7 – 3 – 0 Bethany (KS) + 7 – 1 – 0 7 – 4 – 0 Sterling 5 – 3 – 0 6 – 3 – 0 Friends 5 – 3 – 0 5 – 4 – 0 Tabor 4 – 4 – 0 4 – 5 – 0 Bethel (KS) 3 – 5 – 0 3 – 6 – 0 McPherson 2 – 6 – 0 2 – 8 – 0 Southwestern (KS) 2 – 6 – 0 2 – 7 – 0 Kansas Wesleyan 1 – 7 – 0 2 – 8 – 0 + – Conference co-champions
1973 Nebraska Intercollegiate Athletic Conference football standings v t e Conf. Overall Team W   L   T W   L   T No. 20 Doane $ 4 – 0 – 1 7 – 2 – 1 Nebraska Wesleyan 3 – 1 – 1 4 – 3 – 1 Hastings 3 – 2 – 0 5 – 4 – 0 Midland 3 – 2 – 0 5 – 5 – 0 Concordia (NE) 1 – 4 – 0 4 – 6 – 0 Dana 0 – 5 – 0 0 – 8 – 0 $ – Conference champion Rankings from NAIA Division II poll	1973 North Dakota College Athletic Conference football standings v t e Conf. Overall Team W   L   T W   L   T Minot State $ 5 – 0 – 0 6 – 3 – 0 Valley City State 4 – 1 – 0 6 – 3 – 0 Dickinson State 3 – 2 – 0 5 – 3 – 1 Jamestown 2 – 3 – 0 5 – 4 – 1 Mayville State 1 – 4 – 0 2 – 6 – 0 Wahpeton Science 0 – 5 – 0 1 – 5 – 0 $ – Conference champion	1973 Northwest Conference football standings v t e Conf. Overall Team W   L   T W   L   T Pacific Lutheran $ 6 – 1 – 0 6 – 3 – 0 No. 11 Linfield 5 – 2 – 0 7 – 2 – 0 Whitworth 4 – 2 – 0 4 – 5 – 0 Willamette 4 – 3 – 0 5 – 4 – 0 Whitman 3 – 4 – 0 3 – 5 – 1 Lewis & Clark 3 – 4 – 0 3 – 6 – 0 College of Idaho 2 – 4 – 0 2 – 7 – 0 Pacific (OR) 0 – 7 – 0 0 – 9 – 0 $ – Conference champion Rankings from NAIA Division II poll
1973 South Dakota Intercollegiate Conference football standings v t e Conf. Overall Team W   L   T W   L   T No. 17 Dakota State $ 5 – 0 – 0 6 – 3 – 0 South Dakota Tech 3 – 1 – 1 4 – 3 – 2 Black Hills State 3 – 2 – 0 4 – 5 – 1 Huron 2 – 2 – 1 ? – ? – ? Dakota Wesleyan 1 – 4 – 0 1 – 8 – 0 South Dakota–Springfield 0 – 5 – 0 ? – ? – ? $ – Conference champion Rankings from NAIA Division II poll	1973 Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference football standings v t e Conf. Overall Team W   L   T W   L   T No. 10 Redlands $ 5 – 0 – 0 8 – 1 – 0 Whittier 3 – 2 – 0 6 – 3 – 0 La Verne 3 – 2 – 0 4 – 5 – 0 Claremont-Mudd 2 – 3 – 0 3 – 5 – 0 Occidental 2 – 3 – 0 2 – 6 – 0 Pomona-Pitzer 0 – 5 – 0 1 – 7 – 1 $ – Conference champion Rankings from NAIA Division II poll	1973 Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference football standings v t e Conf. Overall Team W   L   T W   L   T Division I Bethune–Cookman x 5 – 0 – 0 9 – 2 – 0 Florida A&M 4 – 1 – 0 5 – 6 – 0 No. 16 Albany State 3 – 2 – 0 6 – 3 – 1 Alabama A&M 3 – 2 – 0 5 – 5 – 0 Tuskegee 2 – 3 – 0 7 – 4 – 0 Morris Brown 1 – 4 – 0 1 – 8 – 1 Alabama State 0 – 5 – 0 3 – 8 – 0 Division II No. 7 Fisk x 5 – 0 – 0 9 – 0 – 0 Fort Valley State 4 – 1 – 0 7 – 1 – 1 Clark (GA) 4 – 1 – 0 4 – 3 – 1 Morehouse 3 – 2 – 0 4 – 3 – 1 Savannah State 2 – 3 – 0 3 – 6 – 0 Lane 1 – 4 – 0 3 – 6 – 0 Miles 1 – 4 – 0 1 – 8 – 0 Knoxville 0 – 5 – 0 0 – 8 – 0 x – Division champion/co-champions Rankings from NAIA Division II poll
1973 Tri-State Conference football standings v t e Conf. Overall Team W   L   T W   L   T No. 1 Northwestern (IA) $^ 5 – 0 – 0 12 – 0 – 0 No. 14 Yankton 4 – 1 – 0 7 – 2 – 0 Sioux Falls 2 – 3 – 0 5 – 5 – 0 Westmar 2 – 3 – 0 3 – 5 – 0 Bethel (MN) 2 – 3 – 0 3 – 6 – 0 Concordia (MN) 0 – 5 – 0 2 – 7 – 0 $ – Conference champion ^ – NAIA Division II playoff participant Rankings from NAIA Division II poll	1973 West Virginia Intercollegiate Athletic Conference football standings v t e Conf. Overall Team W   L   T W   L   T Northern Division Fairmont State xy$ 3 – 0 – 0 6 – 3 – 1 West Liberty State 2 – 1 – 1 3 – 5 – 1 Salem 2 – 2 – 0 6 – 4 – 0 Shepherd 1 – 2 – 0 6 – 4 – 0 West Virginia Wesleyan 0 – 3 – 1 2 – 6 – 1 Southern Division No. 2 Glenville State xy^ 4 – 0 – 0 10 – 2 – 0 Bluefield State 3 – 1 – 0 4 – 5 – 0 West Virginia State 2 – 2 – 0 5 – 5 – 0 West Virginia Tech 1 – 3 – 0 4 – 5 – 0 Concord 0 – 4 – 0 0 – 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 NAIA Division II independents football records v t e Conf. Overall Team W   L   T W   L   T No. 6 Westminster (PA)   –   7 – 1 – 0 No. 18 Simon Fraser   –   6 – 2 – 0 Texas Lutheran   –   7 – 3 – 0 Cal Lutheran   –   6 – 4 – 0 Azusa Pacific   –   5 – 4 – 0 Franklin (IN)   –   5 – 4 – 0 Missouri Western   –   4 – 5 – 1 Geneva   –   4 – 5 – 0 Missouri Southern   –   4 – 6 – 0 Austin   –   3 – 5 – 1 Iowa Wesleyan   –   3 – 5 – 0 Waynesburg   –   3 – 5 – 0 Benedictine (KS)   –   3 – 6 – 0 Eureka   –   3 – 6 – 0 Georgetown (KY)   –   3 – 6 – 0 Oklahoma Panhandle State   –   3 – 7 – 1 Rankings from NAIA Division II poll

Postseason

	Semifinals December 1, 1973					Championship December 8, 1973 Huntington, WV
	William Jewell		2
	Northwestern (IA)*		28
						Northwestern (IA)		10
						Glenville State*		3
	Carthage		7
	Glenville State*		14

See also

• 1973 NAIA Division I football season
• 1973 NCAA Division I football season
• 1973 NCAA Division II football season
• 1973 NCAA Division III football season