1980 NAIA Division II football season
{{short description|American college football season}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=August 2023}}
{{Infobox NAIA Division II football season
| year = 1980
| image =
| image_caption =
| regular_season = August–November 1980
| playoffs = November–December 1980
| championship = Lincoln Bowl
Tacoma, WA
| champions = Pacific Lutheran
}}
The 1980 NAIA Division II football season, as part of the 1980 college football season in the United States and the 25th season of college football sponsored by the NAIA, was the 11th season of play of the NAIA's lower division for football.
The season was played from August to November 1980 and culminated in the 1980 NAIA Division II Football National Championship, played at the Lincoln Bowl in Tacoma, Washington.{{cite web|title=NAIA Championship History|url=http://www.naia.org/fls/27900/1NAIA/SportsInfo/Championships/FB_Championship.pdf?SPSID=640523|work=NAIA|access-date=December 2, 2015|pages=4–11|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150715022933/http://www.naia.org/fls/27900/1NAIA/SportsInfo/Championships/FB_Championship.pdf?SPSID=640523|archive-date=July 15, 2015|url-status=dead}}
The Pacific Lutheran Lutes defeated the {{cfb link|year=1980|team=Wilmington Quakers|title=Wilmington Quakers)}} in the championship game, 38–10, to win their first NAIA national title.
Conference realignment
=Conference changes=
- This was the final season for the Tri-State Conference. Its three remaining members, from Iowa and South Dakota, would all become independents.
Conference standings
| cellpadding="5"
|valign="top" width=25em|{{1980 College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin football standings}} |valign="top" width=25em|{{1980 Frontier Conference football standings}} |valign="top" width=25em|{{1980 Heart of America Athletic Conference football standings}} |
| valign="top" width=25em|{{1980 Hoosier–Buckeye Conference football standings}}
|valign="top" width=25em|{{1980 Illini–Badger Football Conference standings}} |valign="top" width=25em|{{1980 Kansas Collegiate Athletic Conference football standings}} |
| valign="top" width=25em|{{1980 Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference football standings}}
|valign="top" width=25em|{{1980 Nebraska Intercollegiate Athletic Conference football standings}} |valign="top" width=25em|{{1980 North Dakota College Athletic Conference football standings}} |
| valign="top" width=25em|{{1980 Northwest Conference football standings}}
|valign="top" width=25em|{{1980 South Dakota Intercollegiate Conference football standings}} |valign="top" width=25em|{{1980 Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference football standings}} |
| valign="top" width=25em|{{1980 Texas Intercollegiate Athletic Association football standings}}
|valign="top" width=25em|{{1980 Tri-State Conference football standings}} |valign="top" width=25em|{{1980 NAIA Division II independents football records}} |
Conference champions
| class="wikitable" |
| Conference
! Champion ! Record |
|---|
| Frontier
|4–2 |
| Heart of America
| 7–0–1 |
| Hoosier-Buckeye
| Anderson (IN) | 7–1 |
| Kansas
| Bethany | 7–1 |
| Minnesota
| 7–1 |
| Nebraska
| Hastings | 4–1 |
| North Dakota
| 4–0 |
| Northwest
| Linfield | 5–0 |
| South Dakota
| 6–0 |
| Texas
|9–1 |
Postseason
{{8TeamBracket
| RD1 = Quarterfinals
Campus sites
| RD2 = Semifinals
Campus sites
| RD3 = Championship
Tacoma, WA
| seed-width =
| team-width = 160
| score-width =
| RD1-seed1 =
| RD1-team1 = {{cfb link|year=1980|team=Linfield Wildcats|title=Linfield}}
| RD1-score1 = 20
| RD1-seed2 =
| RD1-team2 = Pacific Lutheran*
| RD1-score2 =35
| RD1-seed3 =
| RD1-team3 = {{cfb link|year=1980|team=Valley City State Vikings|title=Valley City State}}
| RD1-score3 =16
| RD1-seed4 =
| RD1-team4 = {{cfb link|year=1980|team=McMurry War Hawks|title=McMurry (TX)}}*
| RD1-score4 =7
| RD1-seed5 =
| RD1-team5 = {{cfb link|year=1980|team=Baker Wildcats|title=Baker}}
| RD1-score5 =17
| RD1-seed6 =
| RD1-team6 = {{cfb link|year=1980|team=William Jewell Cardinals|title=William Jewell}}*
| RD1-score6 =20
| RD1-seed7 =
| RD1-team7 = {{cfb link|year=1980|team=Hanover Panthers|title=Hanover}}
| RD1-score7 =49
| RD1-seed8 =
| RD1-team8 = {{cfb link|year=1980|team=Wilmington Quakers|title=Wilmington (OH)}}* (4OT)
| RD1-score8 =56
| RD2-seed1 =
| RD2-team1 = Pacific Lutheran*
| RD2-score1 =32
| RD2-seed2 =
| RD2-team2 = Valley City State
| RD2-score2 =0
| RD2-seed3 =
| RD2-team3 = William Jewell*
| RD2-score3 =17
| RD2-seed4 =
| RD2-team4 = Wilmington (OH)
| RD2-score4 =31
| RD3-seed1 =
| RD3-team1 = Pacific Lutheran*
| RD3-score1 = 38
| RD3-seed2 =
| RD3-team2 = Wilmington (OH)
| RD3-score2 =10
}}