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]