1996 NAIA Division I football season

1996 NAIA Division I football season
Regular seasonAugust–November 1996
PostseasonNovember 23–December 7, 1996
National ChampionshipMilam Stadium
Weatherford, OK
ChampionsSouthwestern Oklahoma State

The 1996 NAIA Division I football season was the NAIA, was the 27th (and final) season of play of the NAIA's top division for football. The NAIA reverted to a single division for its football championship in 1997.

The regular season was played from August to November 1996. The 1996 NAIA Division I Football Championship Series then concluded with the 1996 NAIA Champion Bowl, played that year on December 7, 1996 at Milam Stadium in Weatherford, Oklahoma.[1][2]

Southwestern Oklahoma State defeated Montana Tech in the Champion Bowl, 33–31, to win their first NAIA national title.[3]

Conference standings

1996 Frontier Conference football standings
Conf Overall
Team   W   L     W   L  
No. 2 Montana Tech $^   4 – 2     7 – 5  
No. 4 Carroll (MT) ^   3 – 3     6 – 4  
Rocky Mountain   3 – 3     6 – 4  
Western Montana   2 – 4     3 – 6  
  • $ – Conference champion
  • ^ – NAIA Division I playoff participant
Rankings from NAIA Division I poll
1996 Oklahoma Intercollegiate Conference football standings
Conf Overall
Team   W   L     W   L  
No. 1 SW Oklahoma State +^   4 – 1     9 – 3  
No. 3 NW Oklahoma State +^   4 – 1     8 – 3  
Langston   3 – 2     6 – 4  
No. 5 SE Oklahoma State   3 – 2     6 – 4  
East Central   1 – 4     3 – 7  
Panhandle State   0 – 5     0 – 10  
Northeastern State *   0 – 0     3 – 8  
  • + – Conference co-champions
  • ^ – NAIA Division I playoff participant
    * – ineligible for conference title
Rankings from NAIA Division I poll
1996 NAIA Division I independents football records
Conf Overall
Team   W   L     W   L  
Harding   –     6 – 4  
Central State (OH)   –     4 – 4  
Arkansas–Pine Bluff   –     5 – 5  
Ouachita Baptist   –     3 – 7  

Conference champions

Conference Champion Record
Frontier Montana Tech 4–2

Rankings

Final NAIA Division I poll rankings:

Rank Team (first place votes) Record (thru Nov. 17) Points
1 Southwestern Oklahoma State (2) 7–3 10
2 Montana Tech 6–4 8
3 Northwestern Oklahoma State 8–2 6
4 Carroll (MT) 6–3 4
5 SE Oklahoma State 6–4 2

[4]

Postseason

1996 NAIA Division I Football Championship
1st 2nd 3rd 4th Total
Montana Tech 10 7 7 7 31
Southwestern Oklahoma State 0 23 7 3 33
StadiumMilam Stadium
CityWeatherford, Oklahoma
MOP (Offense)Keith Kizzie, Southwestern Oklahoma State
MOP (Defense)Mark Patterson, Southwestern Oklahoma State
NAIA Football National Championship

< 1995

1997 >

Bracket

Semifinals
November 23 		Championship Game
December 7
      
Carroll (MT) 28
Montana Tech 49
Montana Tech 31
SW Oklahoma State 33
NW Oklahoma State 7
SW Oklahoma State 17

See also

References

  1. ^ "NAIA OFFICIAL ATHLETIC SITE - National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics". Archived from the original on March 4, 2016. Retrieved November 26, 2015.
  2. ^ "NAIA Championship History" (PDF). NAIA. pp. 4–11. Archived from the original (PDF) on July 15, 2015. Retrieved November 26, 2015.
  3. ^ "1996 Division I NAIA Football Playoffs". JonFMorse.com. Retrieved November 26, 2015.
  4. ^ "NAIA Division I poll". Billings Gazette. Billings, Montana. Associated Press. November 18, 1996. p. 3B. Retrieved May 28, 2023 – via Newspapers.com Open access icon.