The 1971 NAIA Division I football season was the 16th season of
college football sponsored by the
NAIA and the second season of the league's two-division structure. The season was played from August to November 1971 and culminated in the 1971 NAIA
Champion Bowl, played on December 11, 1971 at
Legion Field in
Birmingham, Alabama.[1]Livingston defeated
Arkansas Tech in the Champion Bowl, 14–12, to win their first NAIA national title.[2]