// Workers AI · dad joke modeWhat did 1982 say to NAIA football? "You're a division above the rest.

1982 NAIA Division I football season
Regular season	August–November 1982
Postseason	December 4–18, 1982
National Championship	Wantland Stadium Edmond, OK
Champions	Central State (OK) (2)

The 1982 NAIA Division I football season was the 27th season of college football sponsored by the NAIA, was the 13th season of play of the NAIA's top division for football.

The season was played from August to November 1982 and culminated in the 1982 NAIA Champion Bowl, played this year on December 18, 1982 at Wantland Stadium in Edmond, Oklahoma on the campus of Central State University (now Central Oklahoma).

Central State (OK) defeated Mesa in the Champion Bowl, 14–11, to win their second NAIA national title.

Conference standings

1982 Arkansas Intercollegiate Conference football standings Conf. Overall Team W   L   T W   L   T No. 8 Ouachita Baptist $^ 6 – 0 – 0 8 – 3 – 0 Central Arkansas 3 – 1 – 2 4 – 2 – 3 Henderson State 3 – 2 – 1 4 – 5 – 1 Southern Arkansas 2 – 3 – 1 5 – 4 – 1 Arkansas–Monticello 2 – 4 – 0 3 – 6 – 0 Arkansas Tech 2 – 4 – 0 3 – 7 – 0 Harding 1 – 5 – 0 5 – 6 – 0 $ – Conference champion ^ – NAIA Division I playoff participant Rankings from NAIA Division I poll	1982 Central States Intercollegiate Conference football standings Conf. Overall Team W   L   T W   L   T No. 13 Pittsburg State + 6 – 1 – 0 7 – 2 – 0 Kearney State + 6 – 1 – 0 6 – 4 – 0 No. 16 Missouri Southern 5 – 1 – 1 7 – 2 – 1 Fort Hays State 4 – 2 – 1 6 – 3 – 1 Missouri Western 3 – 4 – 0 5 – 5 – 0 Emporia State 1 – 6 – 0 3 – 7 – 0 Wayne State (NE) 1 – 6 – 0 2 – 8 – 0 Washburn 1 – 6 – 0 1 – 9 – 0 + – Conference co-champions Rankings from NAIA Division I poll	1982 Evergreen Conference football standings Conf. Overall Team W   L   T W   L   T No. 12 Central Washington + 4 – 1 – 0 8 – 2 – 0 No. 14 Oregon Tech + 4 – 1 – 0 7 – 2 – 0 Southern Oregon 3 – 1 – 0 6 – 4 – 0 Eastern Oregon 2 – 2 – 0 5 – 4 – 0 Western Oregon 1 – 4 – 0 3 – 6 – 0 Western Washington 0 – 5 – 0 1 – 8 – 0 + – Conference co-champions Rankings from NAIA Division I poll
1982 Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference football standings Conf. Overall Team W   L   T W   L   T No. 1 Hillsdale $^ 6 – 0 – 0 12 – 1 – 0 Grand Valley State 5 – 1 – 0 7 – 3 – 0 Northwood 4 – 2 – 0 6 – 4 – 0 Wayne State (MI) 2 – 4 – 0 3 – 7 – 0 Ferris State 2 – 4 – 0 2 – 6 – 0 Michigan Tech 1 – 5 – 0 1 – 8 – 0 Saginaw Valley State 1 – 5 – 0 1 – 9 – 0 $ – Conference champion ^ – NAIA Division I playoff participant Rankings from NAIA Division I poll	1982 Northern Intercollegiate Conference football standings Conf. Overall Team W   L   T W   L   T No. 6 Moorhead State $^ 5 – 0 – 1 7 – 2 – 1 Minnesota Duluth 5 – 1 – 0 7 – 2 – 0 Minnesota Morris 3 – 2 – 1 4 – 4 – 2 Northern State 2 – 4 – 0 3 – 6 – 0 Southwest State (MN) 2 – 4 – 0 2 – 7 – 0 Bemidji State 2 – 4 – 0 2 – 8 – 0 Winona State 1 – 5 – 0 3 – 6 – 0 $ – Conference champion ^ – NAIA Division I playoff participant Rankings from NAIA Division I poll	1982 Oklahoma Intercollegiate Conference football standings Conf. Overall Team W   L   T W   L   T No. 2 Northeastern State $^ 4 – 0 – 0 11 – 1 – 0 No. 18 SW Oklahoma State 3 – 1 – 0 7 – 3 – 0 East Central 2 – 2 – 0 5 – 5 – 0 SE Oklahoma State 1 – 3 – 0 1 – 8 – 0 NW Oklahoma State 0 – 4 – 0 2 – 8 – 0 $ – Conference champion ^ – NAIA Division I playoff participantpoll=NAIA Division I poll Rankings from AP Poll
1982 Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference football standings Conf. Overall Team W   L   T W   L   T No. 4 Mesa $^ 7 – 0 – 1 11 – 1 – 1 No. 5 Southern Colorado ^ 7 – 1 – 0 9 – 2 – 0 Southern Utah 5 – 1 – 2 6 – 2 – 2 Adams State 3 – 3 – 2 3 – 4 – 2 Fort Lewis 3 – 4 – 1 4 – 5 – 1 Western New Mexico 2 – 5 – 1 4 – 5 – 1 Western State (CO) 2 – 6 – 0 3 – 6 – 0 New Mexico Highlands 1 – 6 – 1 2 – 7 – 1 Colorado Mines 1 – 7 – 0 2 – 7 – 0 $ – Conference champion ^ – NAIA Division I playoff participant Rankings from NAIA Division I poll	1982 South Atlantic Conference football standings Conf. Overall Team W   L   T W   L   T No. 3 Carson–Newman $^ 6 – 1 – 0 10 – 2 – 0 No. 15 Elon 5 – 2 – 0 7 – 3 – 0 No. 17 Gardner–Webb 5 – 2 – 0 7 – 3 – 0 Presbyterian 4 – 2 – 1 5 – 5 – 1 Lenoir–Rhyne 3 – 3 – 1 5 – 5 – 1 Newberry 3 – 4 – 0 5 – 6 – 0 Mars Hill 1 – 6 – 0 1 – 10 – 0 Catawba 0 – 7 – 0 2 – 9 – 0 $ – Conference champion ^ – NAIA Division I playoff participant Rankings from NAIA Division I poll	1982 West Virginia Intercollegiate Athletic Conference football standings Conf. Overall Team W   L   T W   L   T No. 10 Shepherd $ 7 – 1 – 0 7 – 2 – 1 No. 20 Concord 6 – 2 – 0 6 – 3 – 0 Fairmont State 6 – 2 – 0 6 – 3 – 0 West Virginia State 5 – 3 – 0 5 – 4 – 0 West Virginia Wesleyan 4 – 4 – 0 5 – 5 – 0 West Liberty State 3 – 5 – 0 3 – 6 – 1 Glenville State 2 – 5 – 1 3 – 6 – 1 West Virginia Tech 1 – 5 – 2 5 – 4 – 1 Salem 0 – 7 – 1 0 – 9 – 1 $ – Conference champion Rankings from NAIA Division I poll
1982 Wisconsin State University Conference football standings Conf. Overall Team W   L   T W   L   T No. 11 Wisconsin–La Crosse $ 7 – 1 – 0 8 – 2 – 0 Wisconsin–River Falls 6 – 2 – 0 7 – 2 – 1 Wisconsin–Eau Claire 6 – 2 – 0 6 – 4 – 0 Wisconsin–Stout 5 – 3 – 0 8 – 3 – 0 Wisconsin–Whitewater 4 – 4 – 0 7 – 4 – 0 Wisconsin–Platteville 3 – 5 – 0 5 – 5 – 0 Wisconsin–Stevens Point 3 – 5 – 0 3 – 7 – 0 Wisconsin–Oshkosh 1 – 7 – 0 3 – 7 – 0 Wisconsin–Superior 1 – 7 – 0 2 – 9 – 0 $ – Conference champion Wisconsin–Stevens Point forfeited 3 games. Rankings from NAIA Division I poll	1982 NAIA Division I independents football records Conf. Overall Team W   L   T W   L   T No. 7 Central State (OK) ^   –   10 – 2 – 0 No. 9 Wofford   –   8 – 3 – 0 No. 19 Liberty Baptist   –   7 – 4 – 0 Guilford   –   5 – 5 – 0 Cameron   –   4 – 5 – 0 Eastern New Mexico   –   4 – 6 – 0 Kentucky State   –   2 – 9 – 0 Langston   –   0 – 10 – 0 ^ – NAIA Division I playoff participant Rankings from NAIA Division I poll

Conference champions

Conference	Champion	Record
Arkansas Intercollegiate	Ouachita Baptist	6–0
Central States	Pittsburg State Kearney State	6–1
Evergreen	Central Washington Oregon Tech	4–1
NIC	Moorhead State (MN)	5–0–1
Oklahoma	Northeastern State	4–0
RMAC	Mesa	7–0–1
South Atlantic	Carson–Newman	6–1
WVIAC	Shepherd	7–1
WSUC	Wisconsin–La Crosse	7–1

Postseason

	Quarterfinals December 4, 1982 Campus sites					Semifinals December 11, 1982 Campus sites					1982 Champion Bowl December 18, 1982 Edmond, OK
	Carson–Newman		12
	Hillsdale*		20
						Hillsdale		9
						Mesa*		18
	Moorhead State		20
	Mesa*		43
											Mesa State		11
											Central State (OK)		14
	Central State (OK)		61
	Southern Colorado*		20
						Central State (OK)		28
						Northeastern State*		17
	Ouachita Baptist		23
	Northeastern State*		38

See also

• 1982 NAIA Division II football season
• 1982 NCAA Division I-A football season
• 1982 NCAA Division I-AA football season
• 1982 NCAA Division II football season
• 1982 NCAA Division III football season