For many student-athletes, the charm of NAIA schools comes from its smaller class sizes and overall flexibility between athletics, academics and a social life. Furthermore, NAIA football colleges are allowed to manage their own recruiting process—no timelines or calendars to memorize. Coaches at NAIA football schools can recruit at any time, and the window of opportunity is often open longer than at the other division levels. 

Are there divisions in the NAIA?

For football, all NAIA teams play in the same division. Two NAIA football divisions existed until 1997, at which point they were consolidated into one. NAIA football schools compete for the Football National Championship, which is decided by a post-season playoff system with the top NAIA football teams battling to make it to the championship game.

NAIA football programs can offer up to 24 scholarships per team. The coaches can divide the scholarships as partial scholarships in order to get more high-quality players on the team. Athletes can receive full-ride scholarships, but they are somewhat rare, reserved for the players who are projected to make the most impact on the team and for athletes who are in unique positions.

How many NAIA schools are there?

There are 95 NAIA football schools across the country. There are over 250 NAIA schools in total.

NAIA football conferences include: Frontier Conference, Great Plains Athletic, Heart of America Athletic, Kansas Collegiate Athletic, Mid-South, Mid-States Football Association, North Start Athletic Association and Sooner Athletic conferences.

NCSA wants to ensure that student-athletes have the opportunity to make the most informed decision regarding their college choice. To aid in the decision-making process, NCSA Power Rankings give student-athletes and their families a more complete picture of the top NAIA football schools. NCSA looks beyond college athletics to rank these schools based on size, tuition, location and academics. 

Related Articles

Every week, the NAIA produces a “Coaches’ Top 25” list that reflect how head NAIA football coaches to rank these programs across each conference.

To start exploring the wealth of NAIA colleges across the country, use the following list of NAIA football teams. Search by state, conference or school name.

List of NAIA football schools

School

City and State

Type

Conference

Division

Phoenix, Arizona

Private

Golden State Athletic Conference

NAIA

Little Rock, Arkansas

Private

NAIA – Associate Member

NAIA

Ave Maria, Florida

Private

Sun Conference

NAIA

Kansas City, Missouri

Private

Kansas Collegiate Athletic Conference

NAIA

Baldwin City, Kansas

Private

Heart of America Athletic Conference

NAIA

Atchison, Kansas

Private

Heart of America Athletic Conference

NAIA

Lindsborg, Kansas

Private

Kansas Collegiate Athletic Conference

NAIA

North Newton, Kansas

Private

Kansas Collegiate Athletic Conference

NAIA

McKenzie, Tennessee

Private

Mid-South Conference

NAIA

Bluefield, Virginia

Private

Apalachian Athletic Conference

NAIA

Sioux City, Iowa

Private

Great Plains Athletic Conference

NAIA

Whiting, Indiana

Private

Chicagoland Collegiate Athletic Conference

NAIA

Campbellsville, Kentucky

Private

Mid-South Conference

NAIA

Helena, Montana

Private

Frontier Conference

NAIA

Fayette, Missouri

Private

Heart of America Athletic Conference

NAIA

Dubuque, Iowa

Private

Heart of America Athletic Conference

NAIA

Ann Arbor, Michigan

Private

Great Plains Athletic Conference

NAIA

Seward, Nebraska

Private

Great Plains Athletic Conference

NAIA

Canton, Missouri

Private

Heart of America Athletic Conference

NAIA

Lebanon, Tennessee

Private

Mid-South Conference

NAIA

Madison, South Dakota

Public

North Star Athletic Association

NAIA

Mitchell, South Dakota

Private

Great Plains Athletic Conference

NAIA

Dickinson, North Dakota

Public

North Star Athletic Association

NAIA

Crete, Nebraska

Private

Great Plains Athletic Conference

NAIA

Sioux Center, Iowa

Private

Great Plains Athletic Conference

NAIA

La Grande, Oregon

Public

Frontier Conference

NAIA

Springfield, Missouri

Private

Heart of America Athletic Conference

NAIA

Montgomery, Alabama

Private

Southern States Athletic Conference

NAIA

Miami Gardens, Florida

Private

Sun Conference

NAIA

Wichita, Kansas

Private

Kansas Collegiate Athletic Conference

NAIA

Georgetown, Kentucky

Private

Mid-South Conference

NAIA

Lamoni, Iowa

Private

Heart of America Athletic Conference

NAIA

Des Moines, Iowa

Private

Heart of America Athletic Conference

NAIA

Hastings, Nebraska

Private

Great Plains Athletic Conference

NAIA

Marion, Indiana

Private

Crossroads League

NAIA

Elgin, Illinois

Private

Chicagoland Collegiate Athletic Conference

NAIA

Salina, Kansas

Private

Kansas Collegiate Athletic Conference

NAIA

West Palm Beach, Florida

Public

The Sun Conference

NAIA

Grayson, Kentucky

Private

Apalachian Athletic Conference

NAIA

Langston, Oklahoma

Public

Sooner Athletic Conference

NAIA

Southfield, Michigan

Private

Wolverine-Hoosier Athletic Conference

NAIA

Columbia, Kentucky

Private

Mid-South Conference

NAIA

Pineville, Louisiana

Private

Red River Athletic Conference

NAIA

Livonia, Michigan

Private

Wolverine-Hoosier Athletic Conference

NAIA

Indianapolis, Indiana

Private

Crossroads League

NAIA

Mayville, North Dakota

Public

North Star Athletic Association

NAIA

McPherson, Kansas

Private

Kansas Collegiate Athletic Conference

NAIA

Olathe, Kansas

Private

Heart of America Athletic Conference

NAIA

Fremont, Nebraska

Private

Great Plains Athletic Conference

NAIA

Midway, Kentucky

Private

River States Conference

NAIA

Saint Louis, Missouri

Private

American Midwest Conference

NAIA

Marshall, Missouri

Private

Heart of America Athletic Conference

NAIA

Havre, Montana

Public

Frontier Conference

NAIA

Butte, Montana

Public

Frontier Conference

NAIA

Sioux City, Iowa

Private

Great Plains Athletic Conference

NAIA

Stafford, Texas

Private

Continental Athletic Conference (Independent)

NAIA

Orange City, Iowa

Private

Great Plains Athletic Conference

NAIA

Oakland City, Indiana

Private

River States Conference

NAIA

Goodwell, Oklahoma

Public

Sooner Athletic Conference

NAIA

Bourbonnais, Illinois

Private

Chicagoland Collegiate Athletic Conference

NAIA

Ottawa, Kansas

Private

Kansas Collegiate Athletic Conference

NAIA

Phoenix, Arizona

Private

Golden State Athletic Conference

NAIA

Peru, Nebraska

Public

Heart of America Athletic Conference

NAIA

West Point, Georgia

Private

Apalachian Athletic Conference

NAIA

Waleska, Georgia

Private

Apalachian Athletic Conference

NAIA

Billings, Montana

Private

Frontier Conference

NAIA

Chicago, Illinois

Private

Chicagoland Collegiate Athletic Conference

NAIA

Chicago, Illinois

Private

Chicagoland Collegiate Athletic Conference

NAIA

Adrian, Michigan

Private

Wolverine-Hoosier Athletic Conference

NAIA

Redding, California

Private

California Pacific Conference

NAIA

Lakeland, Florida

Private

Sun Conference

NAIA

Ashland, Oregon

Public

Cascade Collegiate Conference

NAIA

Waxahachie, Texas

Private

Sooner Athletic Conference

NAIA

Winfield, Kansas

Private

Kansas Collegiate Athletic Conference

NAIA

Davenport, Iowa

Private

Chicagoland Collegiate Athletic Conference

NAIA

Laurinburg, North Carolina

Private

Apalachian Athletic Conference

NAIA

Miami, Florida

Private

The Sun Conference

NAIA

Sterling, Kansas

Private

Kansas Collegiate Athletic Conference

NAIA

Hillsboro, Kansas

Private

Kansas Collegiate Athletic Conference

NAIA

Upland, Indiana

Private

Crossroads League

NAIA

Tyler, Texas

Private

Red River Athletic Conference

NAIA

Fort Worth, Texas

Private

Sooner Athletic Conference

NAIA

Caldwell, Idaho

Private

Cascade Collegiate Conference

NAIA

Thomasville, Georgia

Private

Sun Conference

NAIA

Barbourville, Kentucky

Private

Apalachian Athletic Conference

NAIA

Jamestown, North Dakota

Private

Great Plains Athletic Conference

NAIA

Dillon, Montana

Public

Frontier Conference

NAIA

Pikeville, Kentucky

Private

Mid-South Conference

NAIA

Fort Wayne, Indiana

Private

Crossroads League

NAIA

Leavenworth, Kansas

Private

Kansas Collegiate Athletic Conference

NAIA

Joliet, Illinois

Private

Chicagoland Collegiate Athletic Conference

NAIA

Williamsburg, Kentucky

Private

Mid-South Conference

NAIA

Valley City, North Dakota

Public

North Star Athletic Association

NAIA

Forest City, Iowa

Private

North Star Athletic Conference

NAIA

Lake Wales, Florida

Private

The Sun Conference

NAIA

Plainview, Texas

Private

Sooner Athletic Conference

NAIA

Babson Park, Florida

Private

Sun Conference

NAIA

Oskaloosa, Iowa

Private

Heart of America Athletic Conference

NAIA