1972 NAIA Division II football season

1972 NAIA Division II football season
Regular season	August–November 1972
Postseason	November 25–December 9, 1972
National Championship	Joplin, MO
Champions	Missouri Southern

The 1972 NAIA Division II football season was the 17th season of college football sponsored by the NAIA and the third season of play of the NAIA's lower division for football.

The season was played from August to November 1972 and culminated in the 1972 NAIA Division II Football National Championship, played on December 9, 1972, in Joplin, Missouri on the campus of Missouri Southern State College.

The Missouri Southern Lions defeated the Northwestern Red Raiders in the championship game, 21–14, to win their first NAIA national title. As of 2015, this was the earliest championship to feature a team that remains a NAIA member.

Conference standings

1972 College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin football standings Conf Overall Team W   L   T W   L   T No. 6 Carthage $ 7 – 1 – 0 8 – 1 – 0 No. 16 Millikin 6 – 2 – 0 7 – 2 – 0 Augustana (IL) 5 – 3 – 0 6 – 3 – 0 Carroll (WI) 5 – 3 – 0 6 – 3 – 0 Elmhurst 5 – 3 – 0 6 – 3 – 0 Illinois Wesleyan 4 – 4 – 0 4 – 5 – 0 North Park 2 – 5 – 1 2 – 6 – 1 Wheaton (IL) 1 – 7 – 0 1 – 8 – 0 North Central (IL) 0 – 7 – 1 0 – 7 – 2 $ – Conference champion Rankings from NAIA Division II poll	1972 Frontier Conference football standings Conf Overall Team W   L   T W   L   T Montana Tech + 3 – 1 – 0 6 – 3 – 0 Carroll (MT) + 3 – 1 – 0 4 – 3 – 0 Western Montana 2 – 2 – 0 3 – 5 – 0 Rocky Mountain 1 – 3 – 0 2 – 6 – 0 Eastern Montana 1 – 3 – 0 2 – 7 – 0 + – Conference co-champions	1972 Gateway Conference football standings Conf Overall Team W   L   T W   L   T Northland + 1 – 0 – 2 ? – ? – 0 Northwestern (WI) + 1 – 0 – 2 ? – ? – 0 Lakeland 1 – 1 – 1 4 – 5 – 1 Milton 0 – 2 – 1 4 – 5 – 1 $ – Conference champion
1972 Heart of America Athletic Conference football standings Conf Overall Team W   L   T W   L   T No. 11 Ottawa $ 6 – 1 – 0 9 – 1 – 0 No. T–18 Missouri Valley 5 – 2 – 0 8 – 2 – 0 No. T–18 Graceland 5 – 2 – 0 7 – 2 – 0 Central Methodist 5 – 2 – 0 7 – 3 – 0 William Jewell 4 – 3 – 0 6 – 5 – 0 Tarkio 2 – 5 – 0 2 – 7 – 0 College of Emporia 1 – 6 – 0 2 – 8 – 0 Baker 0 – 7 – 0 0 – 9 – 0 $ – Conference champion Rankings from NAIA Division II poll	1972 Hoosier–Buckeye Conference football standings Conf Overall Team W   L   T W   L   T Bluffton $ 5 – 2 – 0 5 – 4 – 0 Findlay 4 – 2 – 1 5 – 3 – 1 Manchester (IN) 4 – 3 – 0 5 – 5 – 0 Wilmington (OH) 4 – 3 – 0 5 – 4 – 0 Taylor 3 – 2 – 2 3 – 4 – 2 Defiance 3 – 4 – 0 5 – 4 – 0 Anderson (IN) 2 – 4 – 1 4 – 4 – 1 Hanover 2 – 5 – 0 4 – 5 – 0 Earlham 1 – 6 – 0 2 – 8 – 0 $ – Conference champion	1972 Iowa Conference football standings Conf Overall Team W   L   T W   L   T No. 5 William Penn + 6 – 1 – 0 10 – 1 – 0 No. T–14 Buena Vista + 6 – 1 – 0 7 – 2 – 0 Central (IA) 5 – 2 – 0 6 – 3 – 0 Dubuque 3 – 3 – 1 5 – 4 – 1 Luther 3 – 4 – 0 3 – 6 – 0 Simpson (IA) 1 – 4 – 2 2 – 5 – 2 Upper Iowa 1 – 5 – 1 4 – 5 – 1 Wartburg 1 – 6 – 0 3 – 6 – 0 + – Conference co-champions Rankings from NAIA Division II poll
1972 Kansas Collegiate Athletic Conference football standings Conf Overall Team W   L   T W   L   T Friends $ 6 – 1 – 1 6 – 3 – 1 Sterling 5 – 2 – 1 5 – 3 – 1 St. Mary of the Plains 5 – 3 – 0 5 – 4 – 0 Bethany (KS) 4 – 3 – 1 4 – 4 – 1 Southwestern (KS) 4 – 4 – 0 4 – 5 – 0 Kansas Wesleyan 3 – 4 – 1 3 – 5 – 1 Tabor 3 – 5 – 0 3 – 6 – 0 Bethel (KS) 3 – 5 – 0 3 – 7 – 0 McPherson 1 – 7 – 0 1 – 9 – 0 $ – Conference champion	1972 Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association football standings Conf Overall Team W   L   T W   L   T No. 8 Alma + 4 – 1 – 0 8 – 1 – 0 Adrian + 4 – 1 – 0 5 – 4 – 0 Hope 3 – 1 – 1 6 – 2 – 1 Olivet 2 – 3 – 0 3 – 6 – 0 Kalamazoo 1 – 3 – 1 2 – 5 – 1 Albion 0 – 5 – 0 2 – 7 – 0 + – Conference co-champions Rankings from NAIA Division II poll	1972 Midwest Conference football standings Conf Overall Team W   L   T W   L   T Monmouth (IL) $ 8 – 0 – 0 9 – 0 – 0 Cornell (IA) 6 – 2 – 0 6 – 3 – 0 Knox 5 – 3 – 0 6 – 3 – 0 St. Olaf 5 – 3 – 0 6 – 3 – 0 Ripon 5 – 3 – 0 5 – 3 – 0 Coe 5 – 3 – 0 5 – 4 – 0 Carleton 3 – 5 – 0 3 – 5 – 0 Lawrence 1 – 6 – 1 1 – 6 – 1 Grinnell 1 – 7 – 0 2 – 7 – 0 Beloit 0 – 7 – 1 0 – 8 – 1 $ – Conference champion
1972 Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference football standings Conf Overall Team W   L   T W   L   T Gustavus Adolphus $ 6 – 1 – 0 6 – 4 – 0 No. 14 Saint John's (MN) 5 – 2 – 0 7 – 2 – 0 Concordia–Moorhead 4 – 3 – 0 6 – 3 – 0 Minnesota–Duluth 4 – 3 – 0 5 – 4 – 0 St. Thomas (MN) 3 – 4 – 0 6 – 4 – 0 Augsburg 3 – 4 – 0 5 – 4 – 0 Hamline 3 – 4 – 0 5 – 4 – 0 Macalester 0 – 7 – 0 0 – 9 – 0 $ – Conference champion Rankings from NAIA Division I poll	1972 Nebraska Intercollegiate Athletic Conference football standings Conf Overall Team W   L   T W   L   T No. 3 Doane $^ 5 – 0 – 0 10 – 1 – 0 Concordia (NE) 4 – 1 – 0 7 – 2 – 0 Midland 3 – 2 – 0 7 – 2 – 0 Nebraska Wesleyan 2 – 3 – 0 4 – 5 – 0 Hastings 1 – 4 – 0 3 – 6 – 0 Dana 0 – 5 – 0 2 – 6 – 0 $ – Conference champion ^ – NAIA Division II playoff participant Rankings from NAIA Division II poll	1972 North Dakota College Athletic Conference football standings Conf Overall Team W   L   T W   L   T Minot State + 4 – 1 – 0 6 – 3 – 0 Valley City State + 4 – 1 – 0 5 – 4 – 0 Jamestown 3 – 2 – 0 5 – 4 – 0 Wahpeton Science 2 – 3 – 0 ? – ? – ? Dickinson State 1 – 4 – 0 2 – 7 – 0 Mayville State 0 – 5 – 0 1 – 7 – 0 + – Conference co-champions
1972 Northwest Conference football standings Conf Overall Team W   L   T W   L   T Linfield $ 6 – 0 – 0 6 – 3 – 0 No. 8 Pacific (OR) 5 – 1 – 0 8 – 1 – 0 Pacific Lutheran 4 – 2 – 0 6 – 3 – 0 Lewis & Clark 2 – 3 – 0 3 – 6 – 0 Willamette 2 – 4 – 0 3 – 6 – 0 College of Idaho 1 – 5 – 0 3 – 6 – 0 Whitman 0 – 5 – 0 0 – 8 – 0 Whitworth *   –   7 – 2 – 0 $ – Conference champion * Played only two conference games, ineligible for championship Rankings from NAIA Division II poll	1972 South Dakota Intercollegiate Conference football standings Conf Overall Team W   L   T W   L   T Northern State $ 6 – 0 – 0 8 – 2 – 0 Huron 4 – 2 – 0 ? – ? – ? Dakota State 3 – 3 – 0 4 – 5 – 0 Dakota Wesleyan 3 – 3 – 0 3 – 6 – 0 South Dakota Tech 3 – 3 – 0 3 – 6 – 0 South Dakota–Springfield 2 – 4 – 0 ? – ? – ? Black Hills State 0 – 6 – 0 1 – 9 – 0 $ – Conference champion	1972 Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference football standings Conf Overall Team W   L   T W   L   T No. 17 Whittier $ 5 – 0 – 0 7 – 2 – 1 Redlands 4 – 1 – 0 5 – 5 – 0 La Verne 3 – 2 – 0 6 – 3 – 0 Claremont-Mudd 1 – 4 – 0 3 – 6 – 0 Occidental 1 – 4 – 0 2 – 7 – 0 Pomona-Pitzer 1 – 4 – 0 2 – 7 – 0 $ – Conference champion Rankings from NAIA Division II poll
1972 Tri-State Conference football standings Conf Overall Team W   L   T W   L   T No. 2 Northwestern (IA) $^ 5 – 0 – 0 10 – 1 – 0 Westmar 4 – 1 – 0 5 – 4 – 0 Concordia (MN) 2 – 3 – 0 4 – 4 – 0 Bethel (MN) 2 – 3 – 0 3 – 6 – 0 Sioux Falls 1 – 4 – 0 5 – 4 – 0 Yankton 1 – 4 – 0 2 – 7 – 0 $ – Conference champion ^ – NAIA Division II playoff participant Rankings from NAIA Division II poll	1972 NAIA Division II independents football records Conf Overall Team W   L   T W   L   T No. 1 Missouri Southern ^   –   12 – 0 – 0 No. 12 Geneva   –   8 – 1 – 0 No. 7 Westminster (PA)   –   7 – 1 – 0 No. 4 Franklin (IN) ^   –   8 – 3 – 0 Cal Lutheran   –   5 – 5 – 0 Simon Fraser   –   4 – 5 – 0 Eureka   –   2 – 5 – 1 Missouri Western   –   3 – 7 – 0 Texas Lutheran   –   3 – 7 – 0 Iowa Wesleyan   –   2 – 6 – 1 Azusa Pacific   –   2 – 7 – 0 Georgetown (KY)   –   2 – 7 – 0 Austin   –   1 – 8 – 0 Waynesburg   –   1 – 8 – 0 Grove City   –   0 – 8 – 0 Oklahoma Panhandle State   –   0 – 11 – 0 ^ – NAIA Division II playoff participant Rankings from NAIA Division II poll

Postseason

	Semifinals November 25, 1972					Championship December 9, 1972 Joplin, MO
	Doane		6
	Missouri Southern*		24
						Missouri Southern*		21
						Northwestern (IA)		14
	Northwestern (IA)		13
	Franklin (IN)*		6

See also

• 1972 NAIA Division I football season
• 1972 NCAA University Division football season
• 1972 NCAA College Division football season