1983 NAIA Division II football season

The 1983 NAIA Division II football season, as part of the 1983 college football season in the United States and the 28th season of college football sponsored by the NAIA, was the 14th season of play of the NAIA's lower division for football.

1983 NAIA Division II football season
Regular season	August–November 1983
Postseason	November–December 1983
National Championship	Lincoln Bowl Tacoma, WA
Champions	Northwestern (IA)
←1982 NAIA Division II football season 1984→

The season was played from August to November 1983 and culminated in the 1983 NAIA Division II Football National Championship, played at the Lincoln Bowl near the campus of Pacific Lutheran University in Tacoma, Washington.^[1]

The Northwestern Red Raiders defeated the Pacific Lutheran Lutes in the championship game, 25–21, to win their second NAIA national title (and first since 1973).

Conference standings

1983 Frontier Conference football standings v t e Conf. Overall Team W   L   T W   L   T No. 11 Montana Tech $ 6 – 0 – 0 7 – 3 – 0 Western Montana 3 – 3 – 0 3 – 7 – 0 Carroll (MT) 2 – 4 – 0 2 – 7 – 0 Rocky Mountain 1 – 5 – 0 2 – 6 – 0 $ – Conference champion Rankings from NAIA Division II poll	1983 Heart of America Athletic Conference football standings v t e Conf. Overall Team W   L   T W   L   T No. 2 Baker $^ 7 – 0 – 0 10 – 1 – 0 No. 7 William Jewell ^ 5 – 1 – 1 9 – 2 – 1 No. 13 Missouri Valley 5 – 1 – 1 7 – 2 – 1 Graceland 4 – 3 – 0 7 – 3 – 0 MidAmerica Nazarene 3 – 4 – 0 5 – 5 – 0 Tarkio 2 – 5 – 0 3 – 7 – 0 Central Methodist 1 – 6 – 0 1 – 9 – 0 Culver–Stockton 0 – 7 – 0 1 – 9 – 0 + – Conference co-champions ^ – NAIA Division II playoff participant Rankings from NAIA Division II poll	1983 Hoosier–Buckeye Conference football standings v t e Conf. Overall Team W   L   T W   L   T No. 6 Findlay +^ 6 – 1 – 0 8 – 2 – 0 No. 3 Wilmington (OH) +^ 6 – 1 – 0 8 – 2 – 0 No. 18 Anderson (IN) 5 – 2 – 0 6 – 3 – 0 Earlham 4 – 3 – 0 6 – 3 – 0 Hanover 3 – 4 – 0 5 – 4 – 0 Defiance 3 – 4 – 0 5 – 4 – 0 Manchester (IN) 1 – 6 – 0 2 – 7 – 0 Bluffton 0 – 7 – 0 0 – 9 – 0 + – Conference co-champions ^ – NAIA Division II playoff participant Rankings from NAIA Division II poll
1983 Kansas Collegiate Athletic Conference football standings v t e Conf. Overall Team W   L   T W   L   T No. 9 Southwestern (KS) $ 8 – 0 – 1 8 – 2 – 1 No. 10 Bethany (KS) 7 – 2 – 0 8 – 2 – 0 No. 19 Sterling 6 – 2 – 1 6 – 2 – 1 Bethel (KS) 6 – 3 – 0 6 – 3 – 0 St. Mary of the Plains 4 – 5 – 0 4 – 6 – 0 Kansas Wesleyan 3 – 6 – 0 3 – 7 – 0 Ottawa 3 – 6 – 0 3 – 7 – 0 McPherson 2 – 6 – 1 2 – 6 – 1 Tabor 2 – 6 – 1 2 – 6 – 1 Friends 2 – 7 – 0 2 – 7 – 0 $ – Conference champion Rankings from NAIA Division II poll	1983 Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference football standings v t e Conf. Overall Team W   L   T W   L   T No. 4 St. Thomas (MN) $^ 9 – 0 – 0 9 – 2 – 0 Saint John's (MN) 7 – 2 – 0 7 – 4 – 0 Hamline 6 – 3 – 0 6 – 4 – 0 Gustavus Adolphus 5 – 4 – 0 6 – 4 – 0 Macalester 5 – 4 – 0 6 – 4 – 0 Concordia–Moorhead 4 – 5 – 0 5 – 6 – 0 Augsburg 3 – 6 – 0 4 – 7 – 0 St. Olaf 3 – 6 – 0 3 – 7 – 0 Bethel (MN) 2 – 7 – 0 2 – 8 – 0 Carleton 1 – 8 – 0 2 – 8 – 0 $ – Conference champion ^ – NAIA Division II playoff participant Rankings from NAIA Division II poll	1983 Nebraska Intercollegiate Athletic Conference football standings v t e Conf. Overall Team W   L   T W   L   T Nebraska Wesleyan + 4 – 1 – 0 7 – 3 – 0 Doane + 4 – 1 – 0 7 – 3 – 0 Concordia (NE) 3 – 2 – 0 7 – 3 – 0 No. 17 Midland 3 – 2 – 0 6 – 3 – 0 Hastings 1 – 4 – 0 5 – 5 – 0 Dana 0 – 5 – 0 1 – 8 – 0 + – Conference co-champions Rankings from NAIA Division II poll
1983 North Dakota College Athletic Conference football standings v t e Conf. Overall Team W   L   T W   L   T No. 15 Minot State + 5 – 1 – 0 7 – 2 – 0 Valley City State + 5 – 1 – 0 6 – 3 – 0 No. 20 Dickinson State 4 – 2 – 0 7 – 2 – 0 Jamestown 4 – 2 – 0 7 – 2 – 0 Mayville State 2 – 4 – 0 4 – 5 – 0 Bismarck JC 1 – 5 – 0 3 – 5 – 0 North Dakota Science 0 – 6 – 0 1 – 8 – 0 + – Conference co-champions Rankings from NAIA Division II poll	1983 Northwest Conference football standings v t e Conf. Overall Team W   L   T W   L   T No. 8 Pacific Lutheran $^ 4 – 1 – 0 9 – 3 – 0 No. 14 Linfield 3 – 1 – 1 6 – 2 – 1 Whitworth 3 – 1 – 1 5 – 3 – 1 Lewis & Clark 2 – 3 – 0 4 – 5 – 0 Pacific (OR) 1 – 4 – 0 4 – 5 – 0 Willamette 1 – 4 – 0 1 – 8 – 0 $ – Conference champion ^ – NAIA Division II playoff participant Rankings from NAIA Division II poll	1983 South Dakota Intercollegiate Conference football standings v t e Conf. Overall Team W   L   T W   L   T Black Hills State $ 5 – 0 – 2 5 – 2 – 2 Dakota State 5 – 1 – 1 5 – 4 – 1 South Dakota Tech 5 – 2 – 0 5 – 4 – 0 Yankton 4 – 2 – 1 5 – 3 – 2 Sioux Falls 3 – 3 – 1 5 – 4 – 1 Huron 1 – 4 – 2 1 – 7 – 2 Dakota Wesleyan 1 – 6 – 0 1 – 9 – 0 South Dakota–Springfield 0 – 6 – 1 1 – 8 – 1 $ – Conference champion
1983 Texas Intercollegiate Athletic Association football standings v t e Conf. Overall Team W   L   T W   L   T McMurry + 4 – 2 – 0 6 – 3 – 0 Sul Ross + 4 – 2 – 0 5 – 3 – 0 Austin 3 – 3 – 0 6 – 4 – 0 Tarleton State 1 – 5 – 0 2 – 7 – 0 + – Conference co-champions	1983 NAIA Division II independents football records v t e Conf. Overall Team W   L   T W   L   T No. 1 Northwestern (IA) ^   –   14 – 0 – 0 No. 5 Westminster (PA) ^   –   9 – 2 – 0 No. 12 Loras   –   8 – 2 – 1 No. 16 Iowa Wesleyan   –   7 – 2 – 1 Texas Lutheran   –   7 – 3 – 0 Azusa Pacific   –   6 – 3 – 0 Waynesburg   –   6 – 3 – 1 Benedictine (KS)   –   6 – 4 – 0 Geneva   –   5 – 4 – 0 Peru State   –   4 – 5 – 0 Cal Lutheran   –   4 – 6 – 0 Chadron State   –   4 – 6 – 0 Oklahoma Panhandle State   –   3 – 7 – 0 Westmar   –   2 – 7 – 1 Evangel   –   2 – 8 – 0 ^ – NAIA Division II playoff participant Rankings from NAIA Division II poll

Conference champions

Conference	Champion	Record
Frontier	Montana Tech	6–0
Heart of America	Baker	7–0
Hoosier-Buckeye	Findlay Wilmington (OH)	6–1
Kansas	Southwestern (KS)	8–0–1
Nebraska	Doane Nebraska Wesleyan	4–1
North Dakota	Valley City State Minot State	5–1
Northwest	Pacific Lutheran	4–1
South Dakota	Black Hills State	5–0–2
Texas	McMurry (TX) Sul Ross	4–2

Postseason

	Quarterfinals Campus sites				Semifinals Campus sites				Championship Tacoma, WA
	Baker (KS)	3
	Pacific Lutheran*	35
					Pacific Lutheran*	16
					Westminster (PA)	13
	Westminster (PA)	28
	Findlay*	0
									Pacific Lutheran*	21
									Northwestern (IA)	25
	Wilmington (OH)	7
	William Jewell*	51
					William Jewell*	12
					Northwestern (IA)	30
	St. Thomas (MN)	10
	Northwestern (IA)*	17

See also

• 1983 NAIA Division I 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