1973 NAIA Division I football season

The 1973 NAIA Division I football season was the 18th season of college football sponsored by the NAIA and the fourth season of the league's two-division structure.

1973 NAIA Division I football season
Regular season	August–November 1973
Postseason	December 1–8, 1973
National Championship	Independence Stadium Shreveport, LA
Champions	Abilene Christian

The season was played from August to November 1973 and culminated in the 1973 NAIA Champion Bowl, played on December 8, 1973 at Independence Stadium in Shreveport, Louisiana.

Abilene Christian defeated Elon in the Champion Bowl, 42–14, to win their first NAIA national title.

Conference realignment

Conference changes

• This was the final season for the Oklahoma Collegiate Conference. After sixty-five season of football dating back to 1929, the OCC disbanded after the end of play, with six of its members subsequently departing to form the Oklahoma Intercollegiate Conference for the 1974 season.

Conference standings

1973 Arkansas Intercollegiate Conference football standings Conf Overall Team W   L   T W   L   T No. 7 Henderson State $ 6 – 0 – 0 10 – 1 – 0 No. T–17 Southern Arkansas 4 – 2 – 0 8 – 2 – 0 Harding 4 – 2 – 0 7 – 3 – 0 State College of Arkansas 3 – 3 – 0 6 – 5 – 0 Ouachita Baptist 2 – 4 – 0 5 – 5 – 0 Arkansas Tech 2 – 4 – 0 4 – 7 – 0 Arkansas–Monticello 0 – 6 – 0 2 – 8 – 0 $ – Conference champion Rankings from NAIA Division I poll	1973 Carolinas Conference football standings Conf Overall Team W   L   T W   L   T No. 2/10 Elon $^ 4 – 0 – 0 12 – 1 – 0 Lenoir Rhyne 2 – 1 – 0 5 – 5 – 1 Mars Hill 2 – 2 – 0 5 – 6 – 0 Catawba 1 – 3 – 0 5 – 5 – 0 Guilford 0 – 3 – 0 1 – 9 – 0 $ – Conference champion ^ – NAIA Division I playoff participant Rankings from NAIA Division I poll and AP small college poll	1973 Evergreen Conference football standings Conf Overall Team W   L   T W   L   T No. 16 Central Washington $ 5 – 1 – 0 7 – 2 – 0 Eastern Oregon 4 – 2 – 0 7 – 2 – 0 Oregon College 4 – 2 – 0 6 – 3 – 0 Southern Oregon 4 – 2 – 0 6 – 3 – 0 Eastern Washington 2 – 4 – 0 5 – 4 – 0 Western Washington 1 – 5 – 0 1 – 7 – 0 Oregon Tech 1 – 5 – 0 1 – 8 – 0 $ – Conference champion Rankings from NAIA Division I poll
1973 Great Plains Athletic Conference football standings Conf Overall Team W   L   T W   L   T No. T–17 Emporia State + 4 – 1 – 0 7 – 2 – 0 Northern Colorado + 4 – 1 – 0 7 – 2 – 0 Fort Hays State 2 – 3 – 0 5 – 4 – 0 Washburn 2 – 3 – 0 3 – 6 – 1 Pittsburg State 2 – 3 – 0 3 – 7 – 0 Southern Colorado 1 – 4 – 0 3 – 7 – 0 + – Conference co-champions Rankings from NAIA Division I poll	1973 Gulf South Conference football standings Conf Overall Team W   L   T W   L   T No. T–17 Troy State $ 6 – 1 – 0 7 – 2 – 1 No. 4 Jacksonville State 5 – 2 – 0 7 – 2 – 0 Delta State 6 – 3 – 0 8 – 3 – 0 Livingston 4 – 3 – 1 6 – 3 – 1 Northwestern State 3 – 4 – 0 5 – 6 – 0 Mississippi College 3 – 4 – 0 4 – 6 – 0 Southeastern Louisiana 3 – 4 – 0 4 – 6 – 0 Florence State 3 – 6 – 0 4 – 6 – 0 Nicholls State 2 – 7 – 0 2 – 9 – 0 Tennessee–Martin 1 – 5 – 1 2 – 8 – 1 $ – Conference champion Rankings from NAIA Division I poll	1973 Lone Star Conference football standings Conf Overall Team W   L   T W   L   T No. 1/7 Abilene Christian $^ 9 – 0 – 0 11 – 1 – 0 No. 8 Howard Payne 8 – 1 – 0 8 – 3 – 0 Stephen F. Austin 6 – 3 – 0 9 – 3 – 0 East Texas State 6 – 3 – 0 7 – 4 – 0 Angelo State 5 – 4 – 0 5 – 4 – 2 Southwest Texas State 3 – 6 – 0 4 – 6 – 0 Sul Ross 3 – 6 – 0 3 – 7 – 0 Sam Houston State 2 – 7 – 0 2 – 8 – 0 Texas A&I 2 – 7 – 0 2 – 8 – 0 Tarleton State 1 – 8 – 0 1 – 9 – 0 $ – Conference champion ^ – NAIA Division I playoff participant Rankings from NAIA Division I poll and AP small college poll
1973 Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference football standings 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 Nebraska College Conference football standings Conf Overall Team W   L   T W   L   T Kearney State $ 3 – 0 – 0 6 – 3 – 0 Chadron State 2 – 1 – 0 7 – 3 – 0 Wayne State (NE) 1 – 2 – 0 5 – 5 – 0 Peru State 0 – 3 – 0 4 – 6 – 0 $ – Conference champion	1973 Northern Intercollegiate Conference football standings Conf Overall Team W   L   T W   L   T Moorhead State $ 5 – 1 – 0 7 – 3 – 0 Michigan Tech 4 – 2 – 0 5 – 4 – 1 St. Cloud State 4 – 2 – 0 4 – 6 – 0 Bemidji State 2 – 4 – 0 5 – 4 – 0 Southwest State (MN) 2 – 4 – 0 4 – 6 – 0 Minnesota Morris 2 – 4 – 0 3 – 6 – 0 Winona State 2 – 4 – 0 3 – 7 – 0 $ – Conference champion
1973 Oklahoma Collegiate Conference football standings Conf Overall Team W   L   T W   L   T No. 3 Langston $^ 8 – 0 – 0 11 – 1 – 0 No. 12 Northeastern State 6 – 2 – 0 7 – 2 – 0 SE Oklahoma State 5 – 3 – 0 6 – 4 – 0 Central State (OK) 5 – 3 – 0 6 – 4 – 1 Cameron 4 – 4 – 0 5 – 5 – 0 East Central 3 – 4 – 0 4 – 7 – 0 Panhandle 2 – 6 – 0 3 – 7 – 1 SW Oklahoma State 2 – 6 – 0 3 – 7 – 0 NW Oklahoma State 0 – 7 – 1 1 – 8 – 1 $ – Conference champion ^ – NAIA Division I playoff participant Rankings from NAIA Division I poll	1973 Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference football standings Conf Overall Team W   L   T W   L   T East Division West Chester xy 4 – 0 – 0 5 – 5 – 0 East Stroudsburg 5 – 1 – 0 6 – 1 – 1 Millersville 4 – 2 – 0 7 – 2 – 0 Cheyney 3 – 2 – 0 5 – 4 – 0 Bloomsburg 2 – 4 – 0 4 – 5 – 0 Kutztown 1 – 5 – 0 2 – 7 – 0 Mansfield 0 – 5 – 0 1 – 7 – 0 West Division No. T–20 Slippery Rock xy$ 5 – 0 – 0 8 – 2 – 0 Clarion 3 – 2 – 0 5 – 4 – 0 Edinboro 3 – 2 – 0 4 – 4 – 1 Lock Haven 2 – 3 – 0 2 – 7 – 0 California (PA) 1 – 4 – 0 3 – 6 – 0 Shippensburg 1 – 4 – 0 2 – 7 – 0 Indiana (PA) * 0 – 0 – 0 4 – 5 – 0 Championship: Slippery Rock 28, West Chester 14 $ – Conference champion x – Division champion/co-champions y – Championship game participant * – Ineligible for conference title Rankings from NAIA Division I poll	1973 Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference football standings Conf Overall Team W   L   T W   L   T Western State (CO) $ 5 – 1 – 0 6 – 3 – 0 Adams State 4 – 2 – 0 6 – 3 – 0 Southern Utah 4 – 2 – 0 5 – 4 – 0 Fort Lewis 3 – 3 – 0 4 – 5 – 0 Western New Mexico 3 – 3 – 0 3 – 5 – 0 Westminster (UT) 2 – 4 – 0 3 – 6 – 0 Colorado Mines 0 – 6 – 0 0 – 9 – 0 $ – Conference champion
1973 Southwestern Athletic Conference football standings Conf Overall Team W   L   T W   L   T No. 5/7 Grambling +^ 5 – 1 – 0 10 – 3 – 0 No. 10 Jackson State + 5 – 1 – 0 9 – 2 – 0 No. T–20 Alcorn A&M 3 – 2 – 1 7 – 2 – 1 Southern 3 – 3 – 0 6 – 4 – 0 Texas Southern 2 – 3 – 1 5 – 5 – 1 Mississippi Valley State 2 – 4 – 0 3 – 5 – 0 Prairie View A&M 0 – 6 – 0 2 – 6 – 1 + – Conference co-champions ^ – NCAA Division II playoff participant Rankings from NAIA Division I poll and AP small college poll	1973 West Virginia Intercollegiate Athletic Conference football standings 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 Wisconsin State University Conference football standings Conf Overall Team W   L   T W   L   T No. 6 Wisconsin–La Crosse $^ 7 – 1 – 0 9 – 2 – 0 No. 14 Wisconsin–Platteville 6 – 1 – 1 8 – 1 – 1 Wisconsin–Whitewater 4 – 2 – 2 6 – 2 – 2 Wisconsin–Eau Claire 4 – 4 – 0 5 – 5 – 0 Wisconsin–Oshkosh 4 – 4 – 0 4 – 6 – 0 Wisconsin–River Falls 3 – 4 – 1 4 – 5 – 1 Wisconsin–Stevens Point 3 – 5 – 0 4 – 6 – 0 Wisconsin–Superior 2 – 6 – 0 2 – 8 – 0 Wisconsin–Stout 1 – 7 – 0 1 – 9 – 0 $ – Conference champion ^ – NAIA Division I playoff participant Rankings from NAIA Division I poll
1973 NAIA Division I independents football records Conf Overall Team W   L   T W   L   T No. 15 Hillsdale   –   7 – 2 – 0 No. 13 Carson–Newman   –   6 – 3 – 0 Eastern New Mexico   –   6 – 4 – 0 Wofford   –   3 – 6 – 1 Kentucky State   –   3 – 8 – 0 Presbyterian   –   3 – 8 – 0 Rankings from NAIA Division I poll

Postseason

	Semifinals December 1, 1973					1973 Champion Bowl December 8, 1973 Shreveport, LA
	Wisconsin–La Crosse		24
	Elon*		35
						Elon		14
						Abilene Christian		42
	Langston		6
	Abilene Christian*		34

See also

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