1989 NAIA Division I football season

The 1989 NAIA Division I football season was the 34th season of college football sponsored by the NAIA, was the 20th season of play of the NAIA's top division for football.

1989 NAIA Division I football season
Regular season	August–November 1989
Postseason	December 2–16, 1989
National Championship	Burke–Tarr Stadium Jefferson City, TN
Champions	Carson–Newman (5)
← 1988 NAIA Division I football season 1990 →

The season was played from August to November 1989 and culminated in the 1989 NAIA Champion Bowl playoffs and the 1989 NAIA Champion Bowl, played this year on December 16, 1989 again at Burke–Tarr Stadium in Jefferson City, Tennessee, on the campus of Carson–Newman College.^[1]

Carson–Newman defeated Emporia State in the Champion Bowl, 34–20, to win their fifth, and second consecutive, NAIA national title. It was the Eagles' fourth straight appearance in the Champion Bowl, going 2–1 in the previous two.^[2]

Conference realignment

Membership changes

Team	1988 conference	1989 conference
Newberry	South Atlantic	Independent
Wingate	Independent	South Atlantic

Conference standings

1989 Arkansas Intercollegiate Conference football standings v t e Conf Overall Team W   L   T W   L   T Central Arkansas + 5 – 1 – 0 9 – 1 – 0 Harding +^ 5 – 1 – 0 7 – 4 – 0 Henderson State 4 – 2 – 0 8 – 3 – 0 Arkansas Tech 3 – 3 – 0 6 – 3 – 0 Ouachita Baptist 2 – 4 – 0 5 – 5 – 0 Arkansas–Monticello 1 – 5 – 0 4 – 6 – 0 Southern Arkansas 1 – 5 – 0 3 – 6 – 1 + – Conference co-champions ^ – NAIA Division I playoff participant	1989 Central States Intercollegiate Conference football standings v t e Conf Overall Team W   L   T W   L   T Emporia State $^ 3 – 0 – 0 11 – 2 – 0 Fort Hays State 2 – 1 – 0 3 – 7 – 0 Kearney State 1 – 2 – 0 3 – 6 – 0 Wayne State (NE) 0 – 3 – 0 4 – 7 – 0 $ – Conference champion ^ – NAIA Division I playoff participant	1989 Oklahoma Intercollegiate Conference football standings v t e Conf Overall Team W   L   T W   L   T SE Oklahoma State + 3 – 1 – 0 8 – 1 – 2 NW Oklahoma State +^ 3 – 1 – 0 7 – 4 – 0 SW Oklahoma State 2 – 2 – 0 6 – 4 – 0 East Central 1 – 3 – 0 2 – 8 – 0 Northeastern State 1 – 3 – 0 2 – 8 – 0 + – Conference co-champions ^ – NAIA Division I playoff participant East Central forfeited a win over SW Oklahoma State.
1989 Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference football standings v t e Conf Overall Team W   L   T W   L   T Adams State $^ 7 – 0 – 0 9 – 2 – 0 Mesa State 6 – 1 – 0 9 – 1 – 0 Western New Mexico 5 – 2 – 0 7 – 4 – 0 Western State (CO) 2 – 5 – 0 3 – 7 – 0 Colorado Mines 1 – 6 – 0 3 – 7 – 0 Fort Lewis 1 – 6 – 0 1 – 9 – 0 Chadron State *† 0 – 0 – 0 8 – 2 – 0 Kearney State * 0 – 0 – 0 4 – 6 – 0 Wayne State (NE) * 0 – 0 – 0 4 – 7 – 0 Fort Hays State * 0 – 0 – 0 3 – 7 – 0 $ – Conference champion ^ – NAIA Division I playoff participant † – NAIA Division II playoff participant * – ineligible for conference title	1989 South Atlantic Conference football standings v t e Conf Overall Team W   L   T W   L   T Carson–Newman $^ 6 – 1 – 0 12 – 1 – 0 Gardner–Webb 4 – 3 – 0 7 – 4 – 0 Mars Hill 4 – 3 – 0 5 – 5 – 0 Lenoir–Rhyne 4 – 3 – 0 5 – 6 – 0 Catawba 4 – 3 – 0 4 – 7 – 0 Presbyterian 3 – 4 – 0 4 – 7 – 0 Wingate 2 – 5 – 0 5 – 5 – 0 Elon 1 – 6 – 0 1 – 9 – 0 $ – Conference champion ^ – NAIA Division I playoff participant	1989 NAIA Division I independents football records v t e Conf Overall Team W   L   T W   L   T Central State (OH) ^   –   10 – 3 – 0 Arkansas–Pine Bluff   –   7 – 2 – 1 ^ – NAIA Division II playoff participant

Conference champions

Conference	Champion	Record
Arkansas	Central Arkansas Harding	5–1
NIC	Moorhead State (MN)	5–1
Oklahoma	Northwestern Oklahoma State Southeastern Oklahoma State	3–1
RMAC	Adams State	7–0
South Atlantic	Carson–Newman	6–1
WVIAC	West Virginia Tech Concord (WV)	5–0–1

Postseason

	Quarterfinals December 2, 1989 Campus sites				Semifinals December 9, 1989 Campus sites				1989 Champion Bowl December 16, 1989 Jefferson City, TN
	Harding	9
	Emporia State*	32
					Emporia State	51
					Adams State*	44
	NW Oklahoma State	22
	Adams State*	30
									Emporia State	20
									Carson–Newman*	34
	Central State (OH)	56
	Moorhead State*	7
					Central State (OH)	17
					Carson–Newman*	20
	Carson–Newman	51
	West Virginia Tech*	13

See also

• 1989 NCAA Division I-A football season
• 1989 NCAA Division I-AA football season
• 1989 NCAA Division II football season
• 1989 NCAA Division III football season

References

1. (PDF). NAIA. pp. 4–11. Archived from the original (PDF) on July 15, 2015. Retrieved November 25, 2015.
2. "1989 Division I NAIA Football Playoffs". JonFMorse.com. Retrieved November 25, 2015.