1971 junior college football season
{{Short description|American junior college football season}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=January 2025}}
{{Infobox junior college football season
| year = 1971
| image =
| image_caption =
| number_of_teams =
| regular_season =
| postseason =
| championship = Shrine Bowl, Savannah, GA (NJCAA)
| champions = Mississippi Gulf Coast (NJCAA)
}}
The 1971 junior college football season was the season of intercollegiate junior college football running from September to December 1971. Mississippi Gulf Coast won the NJCAA National Football Championship, defeating {{cfb link|year=1971|team=Fort Scott Greyhounds|title=Fort Scott}} in the Shrine Bowl in Savannah, Georgia.{{cite news|title=Gulf Coast Defeats Fort Scott 22-13; Wins National Junior College Title|newspaper=The Daily Herald|date=October 4, 1971|page=13 (section 2)|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/sun-herald-gulf-coast-defeats-fort-scott/144799537/|via=Newspapers.com}}{{cite news|title=Gulf Coast Bulldog Fans' Chants Echoed In Savannah|newspaper=The Sunday Herald|date=December 5, 1971|page=B1|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/sun-herald-gulf-coast-bulldog-fans-chan/144759203/|via=Newspapers.com}}
{{cfb link|year=1971|team=El Camino Warriors|title=El Camino}} won the California state junior college large division playoffs, defeating {{cfb link|year=1971|team=Santa Rosa Bear Cubs|title=Santa Rosa}} in the championship game at Bakersfield College Stadium in Bakersfield, California, while {{cfb link|year=1971|team=Reedley Tigers|title=Reedley}} won the California state junior college small division playoffs, beating {{cfb link|year=1971|team=Hartnell Panthers|title=Hartnell}} in the title game at Ratcliffe Stadium in Fresno, California.{{cite news |last=Leef |first=Ralph |title=El Camino Beats Cubs for State Title |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-press-democrat/145910694/ |newspaper=The Press Democrat |location=Santa Rosa, California|date=December 12, 1971 |page=1S |access-date=April 23, 2024 |via=Newspapers.com {{Open access}} }}{{cite news |author= |title=Reedley Wins Small-Schools Title |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-fresno-bee/145910471/ |newspaper=The Fresno Bee |location=Fresno, California|date=December 5, 1971 |page=B1 |access-date=April 23, 2024 |via=Newspapers.com {{Open access}} }}
Conference standings
=California=
==Large division==
| cellpadding="5"
|valign="top" width=25em|{{1971 Camino Norte Conference football standings}} |valign="top" width=25em|{{1971 Golden Gate Conference football standings}} |valign="top" width=25em|{{1971 Metropolitan Conference football standings}} |
| valign="top" width=25em|{{1971 Mission Conference football standings}}
|valign="top" width=25em|{{1971 South Coast Conference (California) football standings}} |valign="top" width=25em|{{1971 Southern California Conference football standings}} |
| valign="top" width=25em|{{1971 Valley Conference football standings}}
|valign="top" width=25em|{{1971 Western State Conference football standings}} |
==Small division==
| cellpadding="5"
|valign="top" width=25em|{{1971 Central Conference football standings}} |valign="top" width=25em|{{1971 Coast Conference football standings}} |valign="top" width=25em|{{1971 Desert Conference football standings}} |
| valign="top" width=25em|{{1971 Golden Valley Conference football standings}} |
=NJCAA=
| cellpadding="5"
|valign="top" width=25em|{{1971 Arizona Junior College Athletic Conference football standings}} |valign="top" width=25em|{{1971 Coastal Football Conference standings}} |valign="top" width=25em|{{1971 Intermountain Collegiate Athletic Conference football standings}} |
| valign="top" width=25em|{{1971 Mississippi Junior College Conference football standings}}
|valign="top" width=25em|{{1971 Northwest Community College Conference football standings}} |valign="top" width=25em|{{1971 Texas Junior College Football Federation standings}} |
California state playoffs
=Large division=
{{8TeamBracket
| seeds = no
| RD1 = Quarterfinals
November 26–27
| RD2 = Semifinals
December 4
| RD3 = Championship game
December 11
Bakersfield College Stadium—Bakersfield, California
| RD1-team1 = {{cfb link|year=1971|team=Citrus Owls|title=Citrus}}
| RD1-score1 = 14
| RD1-team2 = {{cfb link|year=1971|team=El Camino Warriors|title=El Camino}}
| RD1-score2 = 42
| RD1-team3 = {{cfb link|year=1971|team=Rio Hondo Roadrunners|title=Rio Hondo}}
| RD1-score3 = 34
| RD1-team4 = {{cfb link|year=1970|team=Santa Barbara City Vaqueros|title=Santa Barbara City}}
| RD1-score4 = 24
| RD1-team5 = {{cfb link|year=1971|team=San Mateo Bulldogs|title=San Mateo}}
| RD1-score5 = 0
| RD1-team6 = {{cfb link|year=1971|team=San Joaquin Delta Mustangs|title=San Joaquin Delta}}
| RD1-score6 = 9
| RD1-team7 = {{cfb link|year=1971|team=Orange Coast Pirates|title=Orange Coast}}
| RD1-score7 = 22
| RD1-team8 = {{cfb link|year=1971|team=Santa Rosa Bear Cubs|title=Santa Rosa}}
| RD1-score8 = 26
| RD2-team1 = El Camino
| RD2-score1 = 51
| RD2-team2 = Rio Hondo
| RD2-score2 = 36
| RD2-team3 = San Joaquin Delta
| RD2-score3 = 15
| RD2-team4 = Santa Rosa
| RD2-score4 = 39
| RD3-team1 = El Camino
| RD3-score1 = 48
| RD3-team2 = Santa Rosa
| RD3-score2 = 14
}}
=Small division=
{{4TeamBracket
| seeds = no
| RD1 = Semifinals
November 27
| RD2 = Championship game
December 4
Ratcliffe Stadium—Fresno, CA
| RD1-team1 = {{cfb link|year=1971|team=Reedley Tigers|title=Reedley}}
| RD1-score1 = 74
| RD1-team2 = {{cfb link|year=1971|team=College of the Canyons Cougars|title=College of the Canyons}}
| RD1-score2 = 20
| RD1-team3 = {{cfb link|year=1971|team=Redwoods Corsairs|title=Redwoods}}
| RD1-score3 = 15
| RD1-team4 = {{cfb link|year=1971|team=Hartnell Panthers|title=Hartnell}}
| RD1-score4 = 37
| RD2-team1 = Reedley
| RD2-score1 = 20
| RD2-team2 = Hartnell
| RD2-score2 = 10
}}
{{cite news |author= |title=JC Pairings |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/progress-bulletin/145909519/ |newspaper=Progress Bulletin |location=Pomona, California |date=November 22, 1971 |page=D2 |access-date=April 23, 2024 |via=Newspapers.com {{Open access}} }}