The 2026 NAIA football season is the component of the 2026 college football season organized by the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) in the United States.
The regular season will begin on August 27 and will culminate on November 14.
The playoffs, known as the NAIA Football National Championship, will begin on November 21 and culminate with the championship game on December 19 at Crowley ISD Multi-Purpose Stadium in Fort Worth, Texas.
Membership changes
School Former conference New conference Andrew Fighting Tigers Independent (NJCAA) Independent Faulkner Eagles Mid-South Independent Mount Mercy Mustangs New program Heart of America Saint Mary-of-the-Woods Pomeroys MSFL (Sprint football) Mid-States Siena Heights Saints Mid-States School closed
Conference standings
Postseason Teams
Automatic bids (13) Automatic bidsConferenceSchoolRecordAppearanceLastAppalachianFrontier East Division West DivisionGreat PlainsHeart of America North Division South DivisionKCAC Bissell Division Kessinger DivisionMid-SouthMid-States Mideast League Midwest LeagueSoonerSun
At-large bids (7) At-large bidsSchoolConferenceRecordAppearanceLast
Bracket
Rankings
Coaching changes Preseason and in-season This is restricted to coaching changes that took place on or after May 1, 2026, 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 position
See also 2026 NCAA Division I FBS football season 2026 NCAA Division I FCS football season 2026 NCAA Division II football season 2026 NCAA Division III football season 2026 U Sports football season 2026 NAIA flag football season
References