1980 NAIA Division I football season
{{short description|American college football season}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=August 2023}}
{{Infobox NAIA Division I football season
| year = 1980
| image =
| image_caption =
| regular_season = August–November 1980
| playoffs = December 6–20, 1980
| championship = Burlington Memorial Stadium
Burlington, NC
| champions = Elon
}}
The 1980 NAIA Division I football season was the 25th season of college football sponsored by the NAIA, was the 11th season of play of the NAIA's top division for football.
The season was played from August to November 1980 and culminated in the 1980 NAIA Division I Champion Bowl. The title game was played on December 20, 1980 at Burlington Memorial Stadium in Burlington, North Carolina, near the campus of Elon College.{{cite web|title=NAIA Championship History|url=http://www.naia.org/fls/27900/1NAIA/SportsInfo/Championships/FB_Championship.pdf?SPSID=640523|work=NAIA|accessdate=November 22, 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}}
Elon defeated {{cfb link|year=1980|team=Northeastern State Redmen|title=Northeastern State}} in the Champion Bowl, 17–10, to win their first NAIA national title.{{cite web|title=1980 Division I NAIA Football Playoffs|url=http://www.jonfmorse.com/wiki/index.php?title=1980_NAIA_Division_I_Football_Playoffs|work=JonFMorse.com|accessdate=November 22, 2015}}
Conference standings
| cellpadding="5"
|valign="top" width=25em|{{1980 Arkansas Intercollegiate Conference football standings}} |valign="top" width=25em|{{1980 Central States Intercollegiate Conference football standings}} |valign="top" width=25em|{{1980 Evergreen Conference football standings}} |
| valign="top" width=25em|{{1980 Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference football standings}}
|valign="top" width=25em|{{1980 Lone Star Conference football standings}} |valign="top" width=25em|{{1980 Northern Intercollegiate Conference football standings}} |
| valign="top" width=25em|{{1980 Oklahoma Intercollegiate Conference football standings}}
|valign="top" width=25em|{{1980 Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference football standings}} |valign="top" width=25em|{{1980 South Atlantic Conference football standings}} |
| valign="top" width=25em|{{1980 West Virginia Intercollegiate Athletic Conference football standings}}
|valign="top" width=25em|{{1980 Wisconsin State University Conference football standings}} |valign="top" width=25em|{{1980 NAIA Division I independents football records}} |
Conference champions
| class="wikitable" |
| Conference
! Champion ! Record |
|---|
| Arkansas Intercollegiate
| 6–0 |
| Central States
|6–0–1 |
| Evergreen
|4–1 |
| Great Lakes
| 5–1 |
| NIC
|8–0 |
| Oklahoma
|East Central State |3–1 |
| RMAC
|7–1 |
| South Atlantic
|6–1 |
| Lone Star
|6–1 |
| WVIAC
|North: Shepherd and Fairmont State |6–2–1 |
| WSUC
|Wisconsin–La Crosse |6–2 |
Postseason
{{8TeamBracket
| RD1 = Quarterfinals
December 6, 1980
Campus sites
| RD2 = Semifinals
December 13, 1980
Campus sites
| RD3 = 1980 Champion Bowl
December 20, 1980
Burlington, NC
| seed-width =
| team-width = 145
| score-width =
| RD1-seed1 =
| RD1-team1 = Elon
| RD1-score1 =17
| RD1-seed2 =
| RD1-team2 = {{cfb link|year=1980|team=Concord Mountain Lions|title=Concord}}*
| RD1-score2 =14
| RD1-seed3 =
| RD1-team3 = East Texas State
| RD1-score3 =27
| RD1-seed4 =
| RD1-team4 = {{cfb link|year=1980|team=Central Arkansas Bears|title=Central Arkansas}}*
| RD1-score4 = 21
| RD1-seed5 =
| RD1-team5 = {{cfb link|year=1980|team=Kearney State Lopers|title=Kearney State}}
| RD1-score5 = 9*
| RD1-seed6 =
| RD1-team6 = {{cfb link|year=1980|team=Mars Hill Lions|title=Mars Hill}}*
| RD1-score6 = 6
| RD1-seed7 =
| RD1-team7 = {{cfb link|year=1980|team=Angelo State Rams|title=Angelo State}}
| RD1-score7 = 3
| RD1-seed8 =
| RD1-team8 = {{cfb link|year=1980|team=Northeastern State Redmen|title=Northeastern State}}*
| RD1-score8 =10
| RD2-seed1 =
| RD2-team1 = Elon
| RD2-score1 =14
| RD2-seed2 =
| RD2-team2 = East Texas State*
| RD2-score2 =6
| RD2-seed3 =
| RD2-team3 = Kearney State
| RD2-score3 =0
| RD2-seed4 =
| RD2-team4 = Northeastern State*
| RD2-score4 =14
| RD3-seed1 =
| RD3-team1 =Elon*
| RD3-score1 =17
| RD3-seed2 =
| RD3-team2 =Northeastern State
| RD3-score2 =10
}}