1997 NAIA football season

1997 Frontier Conference football standings
	$ – Conference champion; ^ – NAIA playoff participant;

1997 Columbia Football Association standings
	$ – Conference champion;

1997 NAIA football season
Regular season	August–November 1997
Postseason	November 18–December 20, 1997
National Championship	Jim Carroll Stadium; Savannah, TN
Champion	Findlay (4)
Player of the Year	Bo Hurley; (QB, Findlay)

The 1997 NAIA football season, as part of the 1997 college football season in the United States, was the 42nd season of college football sponsored by the NAIA. It was the first season after 27 season of the NAIA's two-division structure.

The season was played from August to November 1997, culminating in the 1997 NAIA Football National Championship, played this year on December 20, 1997 at Jim Carroll Stadium in Savannah, Tennessee.[1]

Findlay defeated Willamette in the championship game, 14–7, to win their fourth NAIA national title.[2]

Conference standings

1997 Heart of America Athletic Conference football standings
	Conf				Overall
Team		W		L		W		L
Benedictine (KS) +^		8	–	1		9	–	2
Evangel +^		8	–	1		9	–	2
MidAmerica Nazarene		6	–	3		7	–	4
Baker		5	–	4		6	–	4
William Jewell		5	–	4		5	–	5
Graceland		4	–	5		5	–	5
Missouri Valley		4	–	5		5	–	5
Lindenwood		4	–	5		4	–	6
Central Methodist		1	–	8		1	–	9
Culver–Stockton		0	–	9		1	–	9

+ – Conference co-champions ^ – NAIA playoff participant

1997 Kansas Collegiate Athletic Conference football standings
	Conf				Overall
Team		W		L		W		L
Ottawa +^		7	–	1		9	–	2
Southwestern (KS) +^		7	–	1		8	–	3
Bethany (KS)		6	–	2		7	–	2
McPherson		4	–	4		6	–	4
Bethel (KS)		4	–	4		5	–	5
Friends		4	–	4		4	–	6
Sterling		2	–	6		3	–	7
Kansas Wesleyan		2	–	6		2	–	7
Tabor		0	–	8		1	–	9

$ – Conference champion ^ – NAIA playoff participant

1997 Mid-South Conference football standings
	Conf				Overall
Team		W		L		W		L
Campbellsville +^		5	–	1		7	–	3
Georgetown (KY) +		5	–	1		5	–	4
Cumberland (TN)		4	–	2		5	–	4
Cumberland (KY)		3	–	3		5	–	5
Lambuth		2	–	4		4	–	6
Union (KY)		2	–	4		2	–	8
North Greenville		0	–	6		1	–	8

+ – Conference co-champions ^ – NAIA playoff participant

1997 Nebraska-Iowa Athletic Conference football standings
	Conf				Overall
Team		W		L		W		L
Doane $^		6	–	0		11	–	1
Hastings		5	–	1		5	–	4
Northwestern (IA)		3	–	3		5	–	5
Nebraska Wesleyan		3	–	3		5	–	5
Dana		2	–	4		4	–	6
Midland		2	–	4		2	–	8
Concordia (NE)		0	–	6		1	–	9

$ – Conference champion ^ – NAIA playoff participant

1997 North Dakota College Athletic Conference football standings
	Conf				Overall
Team		W		L		W		L
Jamestown $^		6	–	0		10	–	1
Minnesota–Crookston ^		4	–	2		7	–	3
Dickinson State		4	–	2		6	–	3
Minot State		4	–	2		5	–	4
Valley City State		2	–	4		5	–	5
Mary		1	–	5		4	–	2
Mayville State		0	–	6		0	–	10

$ – Conference champion ^ – NAIA Division II playoff participant

1997 Northwest Conference football standings
	Conf				Overall
Team		W		L		W		L
Willamette $^		5	–	0		13	–	1
Linfield		4	–	1		6	–	3
Pacific Lutheran		3	–	2		7	–	2
Lewis & Clark		2	–	3		3	–	6
Whitworth		1	–	4		2	–	7
Puget Sound		0	–	5		2	–	7

$ – Conference champion ^ – NAIA playoff participant

1997 South Dakota-Iowa Intercollegiate Conference football standings
	Conf				Overall
Team		W		L		W		L
Sioux Falls $^		6	–	0		11	–	2
Westmar		5	–	1		8	–	2
Dakota Wesleyan		3	–	3		5	–	5
Huron		3	–	3		4	–	6
Black Hills State		2	–	4		3	–	6
Dakota State		1	–	5		2	–	8
South Dakota Tech		1	–	5		1	–	9

$ – Conference champion ^ – NAIA playoff participant

Conference champions

Conference	Champion	Record
Columbia	Western Oregon Central Washington	3–1
Frontier	Montana Tech	6–0
Heart of America	Benedictine Evangel	8–1
Kansas	Ottawa Southwestern (KS)	7–1
Mid-South	Campbellsville Georgetown (KY)	5–1
Mid-States	Mideast Division: Geneva Midwest Division: Findlay	6–0 6–0
Nebraska-Iowa	Doane	6–0
North Dakota	Jamestown	6–0
South Dakota-Iowa	Sioux Falls	—

Season events

The 1997 Linfield vs. Willamette football game was played between the Linfield Wildcats and the Willamette Bearcats played on October 18, 1997. The game was played at McCulloch Stadium in Salem, Oregon. Willamette won the game by a score of 27 to 0. During the game, Liz Heaston became the first woman to not only play but also to score in a college football game.[3]

Postseason

First Round November 18, 1997 Campus sites			Quarterfinals December 6, 1997 Campus sites			Semifinals December 13, 1997 Campus sites			Championship December 20, 1997 Savannah, TN


	Benedictine (KS)	30

	Jamestown	55
				Jamestown	6

				Sioux Falls	29
	Ottawa	14

	Sioux Falls	57
							Sioux Falls	7

							Willamette	17
	Minnesota–Crookston	10

	Montana Tech	51
				Montana Tech	24

				Willamette	50
	Western Oregon	20

	Willamette	26
										Willamette	7

										Findlay	14
	Southwestern (KS)	28

	Doane	53
				Doane	59

				Evangel	20
	McKendree	6

	Evangel	46
							Doane	25

							Findlay	26
	Campbellsville	14

	Geneva	34
				Geneva	7

				Findlay	28
	Westminster (PA)	0

	Findlay	40

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References

"1997 NAIA Football Playoffs". JonFMorse.com. Retrieved November 26, 2015.
"NAIA Championship History" (PDF). NAIA. pp. 4–11. Archived from the original (PDF) on July 15, 2015. Retrieved November 18, 2015.
"Woman Kicks Extra Points". The New York Times. October 20, 1997.

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[1] "1997 NAIA Football Playoffs". JonFMorse.com. Retrieved November 26, 2015.

[2] "NAIA Championship History" (PDF). NAIA. pp. 4–11. Archived from the original (PDF) on July 15, 2015. Retrieved November 18, 2015.

[3] "Woman Kicks Extra Points". The New York Times. October 20, 1997.