1976 NAIA Division II football season

The 1976 NAIA Division II football season was the 21st season of college football sponsored by the NAIA and the seventh season of play of the NAIA's lower division for football.

1976 NAIA Division II football season
Regular season	August–November 1976
Postseason	November–December 1976
National Championship	Redlands, CA
Champions	Westminster (PA) (2)

The season was played from August to November 1976 and culminated in the 1976 NAIA Division II Football National Championship, played on the campus of the University of Redlands in Redlands, California.

The Westminster Titans defeated the Redlands Bulldogs in the championship game, 20–13, to win their second NAIA national title.

Conference standings

1976 College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin football standings Conf Overall Team W   L   T W   L   T Carroll (WI) $^ 7 – 0 – 1 8 – 1 – 1 Augustana (IL) ^ 6 – 2 – 0 7 – 3 – 0 No. 13 Illinois Wesleyan 5 – 3 – 0 6 – 3 – 0 Wheaton (IL) 5 – 3 – 0 6 – 3 – 0 North Central (IL) 4 – 3 – 1 5 – 3 – 1 Millikin 4 – 4 – 0 4 – 5 – 0 Carthage 3 – 5 – 0 3 – 6 – 0 Elmhurst 1 – 7 – 0 2 – 7 – 0 North Park 0 – 8 – 0 1 – 8 – 0 $ – Conference champion ^ – NCAA Division III playoff participant	1976 Frontier Conference football standings Conf Overall Team W   L   T W   L   T No. 12 Carroll (MT) $ 4 – 0 – 0 7 – 1 – 0 Western Montana 2 – 2 – 0 3 – 5 – 0 Rocky Mountain 2 – 2 – 0 2 – 6 – 0 Eastern Montana 1 – 3 – 0 3 – 6 – 0 Montana Tech 1 – 3 – 0 1 – 8 – 0 $ – Conference champion Rankings from NAIA Division II poll	1976 Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference football standings Conf Overall Team W   L   T W   L   T No. 15 Northwood $ 4 – 1 – 0 5 – 2 – 1 No. 7 Grand Valley State 3 – 2 – 0 8 – 2 – 0 Wayne State (MI) 3 – 2 – 0 6 – 2 – 0 Ferris State 3 – 2 – 0 5 – 5 – 0 Hillsdale 2 – 3 – 0 5 – 5 – 0 Saginaw Valley State 0 – 5 – 0 3 – 7 – 0 $ – Conference champion Rankings from NAIA Division II poll
1976 Heart of America Athletic Conference football standings Conf Overall Team W   L   T W   L   T No. 6 Missouri Valley $ 5 – 0 – 1 8 – 1 – 1 No. 17 Graceland 4 – 2 – 0 6 – 3 – 0 Ottawa 3 – 3 – 0 5 – 4 – 0 William Jewell 3 – 3 – 0 3 – 6 – 0 Central Methodist 3 – 3 – 0 3 – 7 – 0 Tarkio 2 – 4 – 0 5 – 5 – 0 Baker 0 – 5 – 1 2 – 7 – 1 $ – Conference champion Rankings from NAIA Division II poll	1976 Hoosier–Buckeye Conference football standings Conf Overall Team W   L   T W   L   T Defiance + 6 – 2 – 0 6 – 3 – 0 Findlay + 6 – 2 – 0 6 – 3 – 0 Hanover + 6 – 2 – 0 6 – 3 – 0 Wilmington (OH) 5 – 2 – 1 5 – 3 – 1 Taylor 4 – 4 – 0 5 – 4 – 0 Manchester (IN) 4 – 4 – 0 4 – 5 – 0 Anderson (IN) 3 – 5 – 0 3 – 6 – 0 Bluffton 1 – 7 – 0 1 – 8 – 0 Earlham 0 – 7 – 1 1 – 7 – 1 + – Conference co-champions	1976 Illini–Badger Football Conference standings Conf Overall Team W   L   T W   L   T No. 14 Milton $ 4 – 0 – 0 7 – 2 – 0 Eureka 3 – 1 – 0 6 – 3 – 0 Northeastern Illinois 2 – 2 – 0 3 – 6 – 0 Concordia (IL) 1 – 3 – 0 2 – 6 – 1 Lakeland 0 – 4 – 0 1 – 9 – 0 $ – Conference champion Rankings from NAIA Division II poll
1976 Kansas Collegiate Athletic Conference football standings Conf Overall Team W   L   T W   L   T No. 8 Friends $ 8 – 0 – 0 8 – 1 – 0 Sterling 6 – 2 – 0 6 – 3 – 0 Bethany (KS) 5 – 3 – 0 6 – 4 – 0 Bethel (KS) 5 – 3 – 0 5 – 4 – 0 McPherson 4 – 4 – 0 4 – 5 – 0 Southwestern (KS) 3 – 5 – 0 3 – 6 – 0 St. Mary of the Plains 3 – 5 – 0 3 – 6 – 0 Kansas Wesleyan 2 – 6 – 0 3 – 7 – 0 Tabor 0 – 8 – 0 0 – 9 – 0 $ – Conference champion Rankings from NAIA Division II poll	1976 Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference football standings Conf Overall Team W   L   T W   L   T Saint John's (MN) $^ 7 – 0 – 0 10 – 0 – 1 St. Olaf 5 – 2 – 0 7 – 3 – 0 St. Thomas (MN) 5 – 2 – 0 7 – 3 – 0 Concordia–Moorhead 5 – 2 – 0 6 – 3 – 0 Gustavus Adolphus 3 – 4 – 0 5 – 5 – 0 Hamline 2 – 5 – 0 4 – 5 – 0 Augsburg 1 – 6 – 0 1 – 8 – 0 Macalester 0 – 7 – 0 0 – 8 – 0 $ – Conference champion ^ – NCAA Division III playoff participant St. Thomas (MN) received a non-conference forfeit win from St. Cloud State.	1976 Nebraska Intercollegiate Athletic Conference football standings Conf Overall Team W   L   T W   L   T Midland + 4 – 1 – 0 8 – 2 – 0 Hastings + 4 – 1 – 0 7 – 3 – 0 Nebraska Wesleyan + 4 – 1 – 0 6 – 3 – 0 Doane 2 – 3 – 0 5 – 5 – 0 Dana 1 – 4 – 0 3 – 5 – 0 Concordia (NE) 0 – 5 – 0 1 – 9 – 0 + – Conference co-champions
1976 North Dakota College Athletic Conference football standings Conf Overall Team W   L   T W   L   T No. 5 Valley City State $^ 6 – 0 – 0 8 – 2 – 0 Minot State 5 – 1 – 0 6 – 3 – 0 Jamestown 4 – 2 – 0 6 – 3 – 0 Mayville State 3 – 3 – 0 3 – 5 – 0 Dickinson State 2 – 4 – 0 4 – 4 – 1 Wahpeton Science 1 – 5 – 0 4 – 5 – 0 Bismarck JC 0 – 6 – 0 1 – 7 – 0 $ – Conference champion ^ – NAIA Division II playoff participant Rankings from NAIA Division II poll	1976 Northwest Conference football standings Conf Overall Team W   L   T W   L   T Linfield $ 6 – 1 – 0 7 – 3 – 0 Lewis & Clark 5 – 2 – 0 7 – 2 – 0 Pacific Lutheran 6 – 2 – 0 6 – 3 – 0 Willamette 4 – 2 – 1 4 – 4 – 1 Whitworth 4 – 3 – 0 6 – 3 – 0 Pacific (OR) 2 – 5 – 0 2 – 7 – 0 Whitman 1 – 6 – 0 3 – 6 – 0 College of Idaho 0 – 6 – 1 1 – 7 – 1 $ – Conference champion	1976 South Dakota Intercollegiate Conference football standings Conf Overall Team W   L   T W   L   T No. 9 Dakota State + 4 – 1 – 0 8 – 2 – 0 No. 10 Dakota Wesleyan + 4 – 1 – 0 8 – 2 – 0 Black Hills State 3 – 2 – 0 5 – 5 – 0 South Dakota Tech 2 – 3 – 0 4 – 4 – 1 Huron 1 – 3 – 1 4 – 5 – 1 South Dakota–Springfield 0 – 4 – 1 1 – 7 – 1 + – Conference co-champions Rankings from NAIA Division II poll
1976 Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference football standings Conf Overall Team W   L   T W   L   T No. 2 Redlands $^ 5 – 0 – 0 10 – 2 – 0 Occidental 3 – 2 – 0 5 – 3 – 0 La Verne 3 – 2 – 0 5 – 4 – 0 Whittier 2 – 3 – 0 6 – 4 – 0 Claremont-Mudd 2 – 3 – 0 2 – 6 – 0 Pomona-Pitzer 0 – 5 – 0 2 – 7 – 0 $ – Conference champion ^ – NAIA Division II playoff participant Rankings from NAIA Division II poll	1976 Texas Intercollegiate Athletic Association football standings Conf Overall Team W   L   T W   L   T Trinity (TX) $ 4 – 0 – 0 6 – 5 – 0 Sul Ross 3 – 1 – 0 7 – 2 – 0 McMurry 1 – 3 – 0 3 – 8 – 0 Tarleton State 1 – 3 – 0 2 – 7 – 0 Austin 0 – 4 – 0 3 – 7 – 0 $ – Conference champion	1976 Tri-State Conference football standings Conf Overall Team W   L   T W   L   T Northwestern (IA) $ 4 – 0 – 0 5 – 5 – 0 Bethel (MN) 3 – 1 – 0 7 – 2 – 0 Yankton 2 – 2 – 0 0 – 6 – 4 Sioux Falls 1 – 3 – 0 1 – 8 – 0 Westmar 0 – 4 – 0 0 – 9 – 0 $ – Conference champion
1976 West Virginia Intercollegiate Athletic Conference football standings Conf Overall Team W   L   T W   L   T Northern Division No. 5 Shepherd xy 4 – 0 – 0 10 – 2 – 0 No. 11 Salem 3 – 1 – 0 8 – 1 – 1 West Liberty State 2 – 2 – 0 5 – 5 – 0 Fairmont State 1 – 3 – 0 4 – 6 – 0 West Virginia Wesleyan 0 – 4 – 0 2 – 8 – 0 Southern Division No. T–19 Concord xy$ 4 – 0 – 0 8 – 3 – 0 West Virginia State 2 – 2 – 0 4 – 4 – 1 Bluefield State 2 – 2 – 0 4 – 6 – 0 West Virginia Tech 1 – 3 – 0 2 – 7 – 0 Glenville State 1 – 3 – 0 3 – 7 – 0 Championship: Concord 21, Shepherd 7 $ – Conference champion Conference standings based on power ratings Rankings from NAIA Division I poll for Salem and Shepherd and NAIA Division II poll for Concord	1976 NAIA Division II independents football records Conf Overall Team W   L   T W   L   T No. 3 Texas Lutheran ^   –   10 – 1 – 0 No. 1 Westminster (PA) ^   –   10 – 1 – 0 No. 4 Cal Lutheran   –   9 – 1 – 0 No. 11 Georgetown (KY)   –   7 – 2 – 1 Franklin (IN)   –   6 – 3 – 0 No. 18 Waynesburg   –   6 – 3 – 0 No. T–19 Benedictine (KS)   –   7 – 4 – 0 Simon Fraser   –   5 – 5 – 0 Azusa Pacific   –   4 – 5 – 0 Iowa Wesleyan   –   2 – 7 – 0 Oklahoma Panhandle State   –   2 – 8 – 0 Geneva   –   1 – 8 – 0 ^ – NAIA Division II playoff participant Rankings from NAIA Division II poll

Postseason

	Semifinals Campus sites					Championship Redlands, CA
		Westminster (PA)	31
		Texas Lutheran*	0
							Westminster (PA)	20
							Redlands*	13
		Valley City State	39
		Redlands* (OT)	40

See also

• 1976 NAIA Division I football season
• 1976 NCAA Division I football season
• 1976 NCAA Division II football season
• 1976 NCAA Division III football season