1990 NAIA Division I football season

The 1990 NAIA Division I football season was the 35th season of college football sponsored by the NAIA, was the 21st season of play of the NAIA's top division for football.

1990 NAIA Division I football season
Regular season	August–November 1990
Postseason	November 17–December 8, 1990
National Championship	Ralph Stocker Stadium Grand Junction, CO
Champions	Central State (OH)

The season was played from August to November 1990 and culminated in the 1990 NAIA Champion Bowl playoffs and the 1990 NAIA Champion Bowl, played this year on December 8, 1990 at Ralph Stocker Stadium in Grand Junction, Colorado, on the campus of Mesa State College.

The Central State Marauders defeated the Mesa State Mavericks in the Champion Bowl, 38–16, to win their first NAIA national title. The Marauders won the championship after winning all three games on the road.

Conference changes

• This is the final season that the NAIA officially recognizes a football champion from the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference. The RMAC, and its five football-playing members, would become an NCAA Division II conference by the 1992 season.

Conference standings

1990 Arkansas Intercollegiate Conference football standings Conf Overall Team W   L   T W   L   T No. 4 Central Arkansas $^ 6 – 0 – 0 8 – 4 – 0 Henderson State 4 – 2 – 0 6 – 3 – 1 No. 18 Ouachita Baptist 4 – 2 – 0 5 – 4 – 0 No. 10 Southern Arkansas 3 – 3 – 0 8 – 3 – 1 No. 15 Harding 3 – 3 – 0 6 – 4 – 0 Arkansas–Monticello 1 – 5 – 0 5 – 5 – 0 Arkansas Tech 0 – 6 – 0 4 – 6 – 0 + – Conference co-champions ^ – NAIA Division I playoff participant Rankings from NAIA Division I poll	1990 Oklahoma Intercollegiate Conference football standings Conf Overall Team W   L   T W   L   T No. 7 Northeastern State $^ 4 – 0 – 0 7 – 3 – 1 No. T–12 NW Oklahoma State 3 – 1 – 0 6 – 4 – 0 SE Oklahoma State 2 – 2 – 0 4 – 4 – 1 SW Oklahoma State 1 – 3 – 0 5 – 5 – 0 East Central 0 – 4 – 0 1 – 9 – 0 $ – Conference champion ^ – NAIA Division I playoff participant Rankings from NAIA Division I poll	1990 Northern Intercollegiate Conference football standings Conf Overall Team W   L   T W   L   T Minnesota Duluth + 5 – 1 – 0 9 – 1 – 1 No. 5 Southwest State (MN) +^ 5 – 1 – 0 8 – 3 – 0 No. 9 Northern State + 5 – 1 – 0 7 – 4 – 0 No. 19 Moorhead State 3 – 3 – 0 5 – 5 – 0 Minnesota Morris 2 – 4 – 0 4 – 7 – 0 Winona State 1 – 5 – 0 2 – 9 – 0 Bemidji State 0 – 6 – 0 1 – 10 – 0 + – Conference co-champions ^ – NAIA Division I playoff participant Rankings from NAIA Division I poll
1990 Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference football standings Conf Overall Team W   L   T W   L   T No. 6 Mesa State $^ 4 – 0 – 0 8 – 4 – 0 Adams State 3 – 1 – 0 5 – 4 – 0 Colorado Mines 1 – 3 – 0 5 – 5 – 0 Western State (CO) 1 – 3 – 0 3 – 7 – 0 Fort Lewis 1 – 3 – 0 2 – 7 – 0 $ – Conference champion ^ – NAIA Division I playoff participant Rankings from NAIA Division I poll	1990 South Atlantic Conference football standings Conf Overall Team W   L   T W   L   T No. 1 Carson–Newman $^ 7 – 0 – 0 11 – 1 – 0 Catawba 5 – 2 – 0 5 – 6 – 0 No. 16 Lenoir–Rhyne 4 – 3 – 0 6 – 5 – 0 No. 17 Wingate 3 – 4 – 0 6 – 4 – 0 Elon 3 – 4 – 0 5 – 6 – 0 Mars Hill 2 – 5 – 0 4 – 7 – 0 Gardner–Webb 2 – 5 – 0 2 – 8 – 0 Presbyterian 2 – 5 – 0 2 – 9 – 0 $ – Conference champion ^ – NAIA Division I playoff participant Rankings from NAIA Division I poll	1990 West Virginia Intercollegiate Athletic Conference football standings Conf Overall Team W   L   T W   L   T No. T–12 Concord $ 5 – 1 – 0 6 – 4 – 0 No. 11 Shepherd 4 – 1 – 1 6 – 3 – 1 No. 20 Fairmont State 4 – 1 – 1 5 – 4 – 1 West Virginia State 3 – 3 – 0 4 – 6 – 0 West Virginia Tech 2 – 4 – 0 3 – 7 – 0 West Liberty State 1 – 5 – 0 4 – 6 – 0 Glenville State 1 – 5 – 0 1 – 7 – 1 $ – Conference champion Rankings from NAIA Division I poll
1990 NAIA Division I independents football records Conf Overall Team W   L   T W   L   T No. 2 Central State (OH) ^   –   10 – 1 – 0 Arkansas–Pine Bluff   –   9 – 1 – 0 No. 3 Western New Mexico ^   –   8 – 2 – 0 No. 8 Fort Hays State ^   –   8 – 4 – 0 No. 14 Emporia State   –   6 – 4 – 0 West Virginia Wesleyan   –   5 – 5 – 0 Langston   –   4 – 5 – 0 ^ – NAIA Division I playoff participant Rankings from NAIA Division I poll

Conference champions

Conference	Champion	Record
Arkansas Intercollegiate	Central Arkansas	6—0
NIC	Northern State (SD) Southwest State (MN)	5–1
Oklahoma	Northeastern State	4–0
RMAC	Mesa State	4–0
South Atlantic	Carson–Newman	7–0
WVIAC	Concord (WV)	5–1

Rankings

Final NAIA Division I poll rankings:

Rank	Team (first place votes)	Record (thru Nov. 11)	Points
1	Carson–Newman (13)	10–0	237
2	Central State (OH) (1)	7–1	266
3	Western New Mexico	8–1	247
4	Central Arkansas	7–3	224
5	Southwest State (MN)	8–2	216
6	Mesa State	6–3	213
7	Northeastern State	7–2–1	209
8	Fort Hays State	8–3	185
9	Northern State	7–3	155
10	Southern Arkansas	7–3–1	141
11	Shepherd	6–3–1	127
T–12	Concord	6–4	117
T–12	Northwestern Oklahoma State	6–4	117
14	Emporia State	6–4	105
15	Harding	6–4	74
16	Lenoir–Rhyne	6–5	59
17	Wingate	6–4	46
18	Ouachita Baptist	5–4	44
19	Moorhead State	5–4	41
20	Fairmont State	5–4–1	35

Postseason

	Quarterfinals November 17, 1990 Campus sites					Semifinals December 1, 1990 Campus sites					1990 Champion Bowl December 8, 1990 Grand Junction, CO
	Central State (OH)		48
	Fort Hays State*		10
						Central State (OH)		41
						Carson–Newman*		14
	Southwest State (MN)		6
	Carson–Newman*		35
											Central State (OH)		38
											Mesa State*		16
	Western New Mexico		30
	Mesa State*		37
						Mesa State*		10
						Central Arkansas		9
	Northeastern State		14
	Central Arkansas*		26

See also

• 1990 NCAA Division I-A football season
• 1990 NCAA Division I-AA football season
• 1990 NCAA Division II football season
• 1990 NCAA Division III football season