The 2023 NAIA football season was the component of the 2023 college football season organized by the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) in the United States.
The regular season began on August 19 and culminated on November 11.
The playoffs, known as the NAIA Football National Championship, began on November 18 and culminated with the championship game on December 18 at Durham County Memorial Stadium in Durham, North Carolina.
Membership changes School Former conference New conference Arizona Christian Firestorm Sooner Frontier Arkansas Baptist Buffaloes Independent Sooner Evangel Valor Heart of America Kansas Iowa Wesleyan Tigers North Star School closed Lyon Scots Sooner NCAA Division III independent Missouri Baptist Spartans Mid-States Heart of America North American Stallions Independent Sooner Pikeville Bears Mid-South Appalachian Presentation Saints North Star School closed Thomas Night Hawks New program Sun Thomas More Saints Mid-South Great Midwest (NCAA D-II) Trinity International Trojans Mid-States Dropped athletics
Headlines The NAIA Council of Presidents voted on and approved expanding the NAIA football playoffs from 16 to 20 teams effective for this season. Under the new format, there will be 13 automatic qualifiers, with 7 more at-large teams picked from the Top 25 teams in the final NAIA Coaches Poll, and the top 12 seeds will receive a bye in the first round.
Conference standings
Postseason
Bracket
Rankings
Coaching changes Preseason and in-season This is restricted to coaching changes that took place on or after May 1, 2023, and will include any changes announced after a team's last regularly scheduled games but before its playoff games. School Outgoing coach Date Reason Replacement Previous positionWaldorfChase ParamoreJune 2023ResignedTyler Chapa (named full time September 26)Waldorf offensive coordinator (2022) Olivet NazareneEric HehmanMay 25, 2023ResignedMike ConwayTaylor defensive coordinator (2019)
End of season This list includes coaching changes announced during the season that did not take effect until the end of the season. School Outgoing coach Date Reason Replacement Previous positionLawrence TechAvante MitchellNovember 14, 2023FiredScott MerchantChippewa Valley HS (MI) head coach (2009–2023)Missouri ValleyPaul TrothNovember 15, 2023ResignedCasey CreehanConcord defensive coordinator (2023)SAGUGreg EllisNovember 27, 2023ResignedJared HudginsSAGU defensive coordinator (2021–2023)MadonnaHerb HaygoodDecember 1, 2023Accepted administration positionBrett GuminskyPikeville co-offensive coordinator and wide receivers coach (2023)DoaneChris BesslerDecember 6, 2023ResignedJonathan JohnsonHilbert assistant head coach and defensive coordinator (2023)Olivet NazareneMike Conway (interim)January 18, 2024Permanent replacementAvante MitchellLawrence Tech head coach (2020–2023)KeiserDoug SochaJanuary 29, 2024Hired by Lenoir–RhyneMyles RussKeiser associate head coach and running backs coach (2019–2023)Dakota WesleyanRoss CimplFebruary 13, 2024Named school's athletic directorAlex KretzschmarDakota Wesleyan offensive coordinator and wide receivers coach (2023)Louisiana ChristianDrew MaddoxFebruary 20, 2024Hired as defensive line coach by Southeast Missouri StateBen McLaughlinBuckeye HS (LA) head coach (2022–2023)Texas WesleyanJoe Prud'hommeMarch 18, 2024ResignedBrad SherrodUTSA linebackers coach (2021–2023)
See also 2023 NCAA Division I FBS football season 2023 NCAA Division I FCS football season 2023 NCAA Division II football season 2023 NCAA Division III football season 2023 U Sports football season 2023 junior college football season
References