Football | 11/13/22 | 5:31 PM
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – [Qualifier Reveal | FCS Schedule] The National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) announced the 16 team field and the matchups for the First Round of the NAIA Football Championship Series on Sunday. The 16-team FCS will kick-off on Saturday, November 19th at eight campus host sites across the country, with the higher seed hosting each contest. Carroll College, the Frontier Conference Co-Champion and automatic qualifier, will play at No. 2 Grand View University.
The full field features 12 automatic qualifiers and four at-large berths. In order to qualify for an automatic bid, teams must win their conference regular-season title. At-large berths were determined by the NAIA Football National Selection Committee. Teams earning an at-large berth must be ranked in the Top 20 of the final NAIA Coaches' Top 25 poll, which can be accessed here.
The 67th Annual NAIA Football National Championship will culminate on December 17th at Durham County Memorial Stadium in Durham, N.C.
Stay tuned to www.carrollathletics.com for further information on the Fighting Saints' opening round matchup.
2022 NAIA Football Championship Series - First Round Schedule
Saturday, November 19 | Campus Sites
| Seed |
School |
Record |
|
Seed |
School |
Record |
| 1 |
Morningside (Iowa) |
10-0 |
vs. |
16 |
Arizona Christian |
8-2 |
| 2 |
Grand View (Iowa) |
11-0 |
vs. |
15 |
Carroll (Mont.) |
8-2 |
| 3 |
Northwestern (Iowa) |
9-1 |
vs. |
14 |
Dickinson State (N.D.) |
8-2 |
| 4 |
Bethel (Tenn.) |
11-0 |
vs. |
12 |
Keiser (Fla.) |
7-3 |
| 5 |
Indiana Wesleyan |
9-1 |
vs. |
13 |
Avila (Mo.) |
10-1 |
| 6 |
Benedictine (Kan.) |
10-1 |
vs. |
10 |
Southwestern (Kan.) |
9-1 |
| 7 |
Marian (Ind.) |
8-1 |
vs. |
11 |
Saint Xavier (Ill.) |
9-2 |
| 8 |
Lindsey Wilson (Ky.) |
9-1 |
vs. |
9 |
Reinhardt (Ga.) |
8-1 |
2022 NAIA Football Championship Qualifiers
(Alphabetical Listing)
| School |
Qualification Method |
Record |
Appearances |
Last |
FCS Record |
Titles |
| Arizona Christian |
Sooner Athletic Conference Champion |
8-2 |
2 |
2020 |
0-1 |
0 |
| Avila (Mo.) |
Kansas Collegiate Athletic Conference Champion |
10-1 |
- |
- |
- |
- |
| Benedictine (Kan.) |
Heart of America South Division Champion |
10-1 |
15 |
2018 |
7-14 |
0 |
| Bethel (Tenn.) |
Mid-South Conference Champion |
11-0 |
6 |
2018 |
3-5 |
0 |
| Carroll (Mont.) |
Frontier Conference Champion |
8-2 |
24 |
2020 |
42-17 |
6 |
| Dickinson State (N.D.) |
North Star Athletic Association Champion |
8-2 |
23 |
2021 |
7-22 |
0 |
| Grand View (Iowa) |
Heart of America North Division Champion |
11-0 |
11 |
2021 |
12-9 |
1 |
| Indiana Wesleyan |
Mid-States Football Association - East |
9-1 |
2 |
2021 |
0-1 |
0 |
| Keiser (Fla.) |
The Sun Conference Champion |
7-3 |
4 |
2021 |
3-3 |
0 |
| Lindsey Wilson (Ky.) |
At-Large |
9-1 |
8 |
2021 |
11-6 |
1 |
| Marian (Ind.) |
At-Large |
8-1 |
11 |
2021 |
19-8 |
2 |
| Morningside (Iowa) |
Great Plains Athletic Conference Champion |
10-0 |
19 |
2021 |
33-15 |
3 |
| Northwestern (Iowa) |
At-Large |
9-1 |
24 |
2021 |
26-21 |
2 |
| Reinhardt (Ga.) |
Appalachian Athletic Conference Champion |
8-1 |
8 |
2021 |
6-6 |
0 |
| Saint Xavier (Ill.) |
Mid-States Football Association - West |
9-2 |
15 |
2021 |
18-13 |
1 |
| Southwestern (Kan.) |
At-Large |
9-1 |
6 |
2021 |
2-5 |
