2023 NAIA Football National Championship
Northwestern Red Raiders Keiser Seahawks
(14–0) (11–2)
GPAC TSC
21 31
Head coach: 
Matt McCarty		 Head coach: 
Doug Socha
Seed
1
Seed
3
1234 Total
Northwestern 07014 21
Keiser 71077 31
DateDecember 18, 2023
Season2023
StadiumDurham County Memorial Stadium
LocationDurham, North Carolina
MVPJaden Meizinger (RB, Keiser) (Offensive)
Maddox Aprile (DL, Keiser) (Defensive)
RefereeBrad Bunting
Attendance1,183

The 2023 NAIA Football National Championship was a five-round, twenty team tournament played between November 18 and December 18, 2023. The tournament concluded with a single game, played as the 68th Annual NAIA Football National Championship.

The championship game was played at Durham County Memorial Stadium in Durham, North Carolina, between the undefeated 14–0 No. 1 Northwestern Red Raiders, representing Northwestern College from Orange City, Iowa, and the 11–2 No. 3 Keiser Seahawks, representing Keiser University from West Palm Beach, Florida. The game was played on December 18, 2023, with kickoff at 12:00 p.m. EST (11:00 a.m. local CST).

Teams

Northwestern (IA)

The Northwestern Red Raiders, led by 8th-year head coach Matt McCarty, entered the national championship game as the No. 1 seed and defending national champions. They were seeking to win their fourth national championship overall, having won in 1973, 1983, and 2022. They entered the game 14–0, 10–0 in GPAC play.

Keiser

The Keiser Seahawks, led by 6th-year head coach Doug Socha, entered the national championship game as the No. 3 seed and were looking to win the program's first-ever NAIA National Championship. They entered the game 11–2, 7–0 in Sun Conference play.

Series history

No. Date Location Winning team Losing team
1 December 17, 2022 Durham, NC No. 3 Northwestern (IA) 35 No. 12 Keiser 25
Northwestern (IA) leads 1–0

Game summary

[1][2]

2023 NAIA Football National Championship Game
Period 1 2 34Total
No. 3 Keiser 7 10 7731
No. 1 Northwestern (IA) 0 7 01421

at Durham County Memorial Stadium • Durham, North Carolina

  • Date: Monday, December 18, 2023
  • Game time: 12:00 p.m. EST (11:00 a.m. CST)
  • Game weather: • Temperature: 56 °F (13 °C) • Wind: Sunny
  • Game attendance: 1,183
  • Referee: Brad Bunting
Game information
First Quarter
  • (14:49) UK – Jaden Meizinger 75-yard run, Nico Cavanillas kick (Drive: 1 plays, 75 yards, 0:11; Keiser 7–0)
Second Quarter
  • (7:00) UK – Nico Cavanillas 31-yard field goal (Drive: 9 plays, 66 yards, 6:23; Keiser 14–0)
  • (4:55) UK – Andrew Burnette 1-yard run, Nico Cavanillas kick (Drive: 4 plays, 14 yards, 1:14; Keiser 21–0)
  • (0:29) NWC – Austyn Gerard 6-yard pass from Jalyn Gramstad, Eli Stader kick (Drive: 6 plays, 45 yards, 1:14; Keiser 21–7)
Third Quarter
  • (5:17) UK – Maurico Porcha 30-yard pass from Justin Wake, Nico Cavanillas kick (Drive: 5 plays, 99 yards, 2:29; Keiser 28–7)
Fourth Quarter
  • (10:54) NWC – Konner McQuillan 53-yard pass from Jalyn Gramstad, Eli Stader kick (Drive: 7 plays, 86 yards, 2:30; Keiser 28–14)
  • (7:17) NWC – Konner McQuillan 2-yard run, Eli Stader kick (Drive: 7 plays, 52 yards, 3:37; Keiser 28–21)
  • (7:06) UK – Louis Lubin III 77-yard kickoff return, Nico Cavanillas kick (Keiser 35–21)

Statistics

StatisticsKUNWC
First downs2321
Total yards490338
Rushes–yards45–37330–51
Passing yards117287
Passing: Comp–Att–Int10–15–215–34–1
Time of possession28:5831:02
TeamCategoryPlayerStatistics
KeiserPassingJustin Wake10/15, 117 yards, 1 TD, 2 INT
RushingJaden Meizinger22 carries, 261 yards, 1 TD
ReceivingMaurico Porcha2 receptions, 45 yards, 1 TD
Northwestern (IA)PassingJalyn Gramstad15/34, 287 yards, 2 TD, 1 INT
RushingJalyn Gramstad18 carries, 47 yards
ReceivingMichael Storey6 receptions, 121 yards

Postseason playoffs

A total of sixteen teams were selected to participate in the single-elimination tournament from across the country, with invitations that were revealed on Sunday, November 12, 2023. The field included thirteen conference champions who received automatic bids. The field was then filled with at-large selections that were awarded to the highest ranked teams that were not conference champions. First-round seedings were based on the final regular-season edition of the 2023 NAIA Coaches' Poll, with certain minor modifications given based on travel and geographic considerations. Each subsequent round also saw minor modifications based on travel and the geography of the remaining teams.[3]

Second round pairings were announced by the NAIA on November 18, after the first round results were known.[4]

Quarterfinal pairings were announced by the NAIA on November 25, after the second round results were known.

Semifinal pairings were announced by the NAIA on December 2, soon after completion of the day's quarterfinal games.[5]

First Round
November 18
Campus Sites		Second Round
November 25
Campus Sites		Quarterfinals
December 2nd
Campus Sites		Semifinals
December 9
Campus Sites		Championship
December 18
Durham, North Carolina
5Marian (IN)21
12Saint Xavier31
12Saint Xavier17
1Northwestern (IA)34
1Northwestern (IA)7
Dordt3516Dordt0
1Northwestern (IA)35
Ottawa7
4Georgetown (KY)10
6Indiana Wesleyan24
10Morningside21
6Indiana Wesleyan21
4Georgetown (KY)31
4Georgetown (KY)42
Baker5515Baker21
1Northwestern (IA)21
Louisiana Christian28
3Keiser31
8Montana Western42
11College of Idaho49
11College of Idaho31
2Grand View17
2Grand View28
Montana Tech2814Dickinson State3
11College of Idaho21
Dickinson State35
3Keiser28
7Bethel (TN)40
9Evangel13
7Bethel (TN)14
3Keiser56
3Keiser45
St. Thomas (FL)5513St. Thomas (FL)21
Reinhardt7

References

  1. ↑ "Keiser vs. Northwestern - Box Score - 12/18/2023". NAIA Stats. Retrieved December 18, 2023.
  2. ↑ "No. 3 Football vs No. 1 Northwestern College (Iowa) on 12/18/2023 - Box Score". Keiser University Athletics. Retrieved December 18, 2023.
  3. ↑ "2023 NAIA Football Championship Series Qualifiers Announced". NAIA. November 12, 2023. Retrieved December 18, 2023.
  4. ↑ "2023 NAIA Football Championship Series - Second Round Pairings Announced". NAIA. November 18, 2023. Retrieved December 18, 2023.
  5. ↑ "Semifinal Round Pairings in the 2023 NAIA Football Championship Series". NAIA. December 2, 2023. Retrieved December 18, 2023.
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