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's lower division for football.

1996 NAIA Division II football season
Regular season	August–November 1996
Postseason	November–December 1996
National Championship	Jim Carroll Stadium Savannah, Tennessee
Champions	Sioux 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 standings

1996 American Southwest Conference football standings Conf     Overall Team   W   L         W   L   Hardin–Simmons +^   3 – 1         8 – 2   Sul Ross +   3 – 1         6 – 4   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	1996 Columbia Football Association standings Conf     Overall Team   W   L         W   L   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	1996 Heart of America Athletic Conference football standings Conf     Overall Team   W   L         W   L   Evangel $^   9 – 0         10 – 1   Benedictine (KS) ^   7 – 2         8 – 3   Graceland   7 – 2         7 – 3   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
1996 Kansas Collegiate Athletic Conference football standings Conf     Overall Team   W   L         W   L   Bethany (KS) $^   8 – 0         8 – 2   Bethel (KS)   7 – 1         7 – 3   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	1996 Mid-South Conference football standings Conf     Overall Team   W   L         W   L   Lambuth ^   7 – 0         9 – 2   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 co-champions ^ – NAIA playoff participant	1996 Mid-States Football Association standings Conf     Overall Team   W   L         W   L   Mideast League Malone x   5 – 1         8 – 2   Westminster (PA) x^   5 – 1         9 – 3   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 Findlay x^   6 – 0         12 – 1   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 – Division champion/co-champions ^ – NAIA Division playoff participant
1996 Nebraska-Iowa Athletic Conference football standings Conf     Overall Team   W   L         W   L   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	1996 North Dakota College Athletic Conference football standings Conf     Overall Team   W   L         W   L   Valley City State +^   5 – 1         9 – 2   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	1996 Northwest Conference football standings Conf     Overall Team   W   L         W   L   Willamette $^   5 – 0         9 – 2   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
1996 South Dakota-Iowa Intercollegiate Conference football standings Conf     Overall Team   W   L         W   L   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	1996 NAIA Division II independents football records Conf     Overall Team   W   L         W   L   Clinch Valley ^   –         10 – 1   ^ – NAIA Division II playoff participant

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
Date	December 21, 1996
Stadium	Jim Carroll Stadium
City	Savannah, 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.[2]

Bracket

	1st Round					Quarterfinals					Semifinals					Championship
	Bethany (KS)		35
	Willamette (OR)		56
						Willamette (OR)		12
						Western Washington		13
	Pacific Lutheran (WA)		20
	Western Washington		21*
											Western Washington		28
											Findlay (OH)		21
	Westminster (PA)		27
	Clinch Valley (VA)		20
						Westminster (PA)		9
						Findlay (OH)		28
	Geneva (PA)		13
	Findlay (OH)		38
																Western Washington		25
																Sioux Falls (SD)		47
	Valley City State (ND)		7
	Northwestern (IA)		14
						Sioux Falls (SD)		52
						Northwestern (IA)		21
	Sioux Falls (SD)		56
	Mary (ND)		19
											Sioux Falls (SD)		28
											Evangel (MO)		21
	Hardin-Simmons (TX)		23
	Evangel (MO)		45
						Evangel (MO)		28
						Lambuth (TN)		27
	Benedictine (KS)		20
	Lambuth (TN)		34

•  * denotes OT.

See also

• 1996 NCAA Division I-A football season
• 1996 NCAA Division I-AA football season
• 1996 NCAA Division II football season
• 1996 NCAA Division III football season

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 OFFICIAL ATHLETIC SITE - National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics