Week 7 in the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics brings a 43-game schedule with three matchups inside the Top 25, which mark the NAIA’s three featured games for Oct. 17. The KCAC will have one remaining unbeaten team after Friends (Kan.) visits McPherson (Kan.), St. Thomas (Fla.) hosts Keiser (Fla.) in a game with major implications in The Sun, and Olivet Nazarene (Ill.) travels to Marian (Ind.) in the MSFA Midwest opener for both ranked teams. Those games, plus more in the Oct. 15 edition of the NAIA Football Notebook.
Download the PDF version of the notebook here.
A pair of top-10 teams meet in Miami Gardens with significant Sun Conference implications. Unbeaten St. Thomas leads the NAIA in rushing defense, allowing just 40.2 yards per game, while Keiser ranks second nationally in passing defense at 132.6 yards allowed per contest. Both teams rank among the nation’s top 10 in scoring defense, setting up a matchup between two of the NAIA’s top defensive units. Keiser’s offense provides another challenge, averaging 47.6 points per game.
Two unbeaten teams meet in a KCAC showdown featuring the nation’s highest-scoring offense against its top-ranked scoring defense. Friends averages 66.0 points and an NAIA-best 440.3 rushing yards per game, while McPherson allows just 7.3 points and 197.5 total yards per contest. The Bulldogs bring plenty of offensive firepower of their own, averaging 555.5 yards and 47.2 points per game. McPherson’s Jalil Brown also ranks among the nation’s leading rushers with 950 yards and 11 touchdowns.
Fresh off its 30-28 victory over then-No. 3 Indiana Wesleyan, Marian faces another ranked opponent as unbeaten Olivet Nazarene visits Indianapolis. The Tigers average 44.2 points per game, while Marian has won five straight following a season-opening loss. The Knights enter with two reigning NAIA Players of the Week in defensive honoree Samirion Ford, who recorded 14 tackles against Indiana Wesleyan, and special teams winner Ashton Vogel, who kicked three field goals, including the game-winning 27-yarder.
Conference championships are on the line with two weeks left in the regular season, and the NAIA Football Notebook takes a look at the penultimate week in the regular season with four featured games, four more to watch, statistical leaders, standings, and scores. The Victory Sports Network is a major contributor this week, checking in […]
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – The National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) has extended its agreement with Visit Wichita to host the NAIA Men’s Wrestling Championship an additional year, through the 2028 Championship, March 2-4, 2028. “We’re proud to continue our longstanding partnership with the NAIA and welcome the Men’s Wrestling National Championship back to the […]
KANSAS CITY, Mo – It is championship season in the 2026 NAIA Women’s Cross-Country schedule, and all of the top teams and individuals in the country will be vying for conference titles and a ticket to the National Championship meet this weekend. The final regular-season ratings came out last week, and there are no changes […]
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – The final weekend of the regular season in NAIA Men’s Cross Country is upon us, with conference championships up for grabs over the next three days across the country. Let’s look at the latest Top 5 ratings released last week. Cumberlands (Ky.) The Patriots grabbed all of the top votes after […]