2015 NAIA football national championship

The 2015 NAIA football national championship was a four-round, sixteen team tournament played between November 21 and December 19 of 2015. The tournament concluded on December 19 with a single game played as the 60th Annual NAIA Football National Championship Presented by Waste Pro. Waste Pro became the newest title game sponsor in an announcement made October 31, 1015.^[1] The game matched #7 Southern Oregon (11–2) against #6 Marian (11–2) in a rematch between the two teams that met in the 2014 championship game. Marian was making its third appearance in the last four years of the championship event. In a reversal of last year's outcome, Marian prevailed 31-14 to win their second national title in the past four years.^{[2] [3]}

2015 Waste Pro NAIA Football National Championship
Southern Oregon Raiders Marian Knights (11–2) (11–2) 14 31 Head coach:  Craig Howard Head coach:  Mark Henninger Coaches 7 Coaches 6
1 2 3 4 Total Southern Oregon 0 0 0 14 14 Marian 0 14 0 17 31
Date	December 19, 2015
Season	2015
Stadium	Municipal Stadium
Location	Daytona Beach, Florida
MVP	Krishawn Hogan (Marian) - OOP Dewayne Beckford (Marian) - ODP
Attendance	3,500
NAIA Football National Championship  < 2014  2016 >

The championship game was played at Municipal Stadium in Daytona Beach, Florida. A total of sixteen teams were selected to participate in the single-elimination tournament from across the country. The field included ten conference champions who received automatic bids. The field was filled with at-large selections that were awarded to the highest ranked teams that were not conference champions. Seeding was based on the final edition of the 2015 NAIA Coaches' Poll, with certain minor modifications given based on geographic considerations.^[4]

Quarterfinal pairings were announced by the NAIA on November 22, a day after the first round results were known.^[5]

Semifinal pairings were finalized by the NAIA on November 28, after the quarterfinal results were known.^[6]

This was the 2nd time the championship game was played at this venue after the prior six games were played at Barron Stadium in Rome, Georgia.

Tournament bracket

	1st Round November 21					Quarterfinals November 28					Semifinals December 5					Championship December 19
	4	Saint Francis (IN) (9–0)	37
	12	Reinhardt (GA) (9–1)	26
						4	Saint Francis (IN) (10–0)	42
						5	Montana Tech (10–1)	20
	5	Montana Tech (9–1)	44
	18	Dickinson State (ND) (8–2)	10
											4	Saint Francis (IN) (11–0)	14
											6	Marian (IN) (10–2)	45
	3	Grand View (IA) (10–1)	16
	13	Lindsey Wilson (KY) (8–2)	13
						3	Grand View (IA) (11–1)	3
						6	Marian (IN) (9–2)	30
	6	Marian (IN) (8–2)	44
	11	Campbellsville (KY) (8–2)	7
																6	Marian (IN) (11–2)	31
																7	Southern Oregon (11–2)	14
	1	Morningside (IA) (10–1)	75*
	16	Saint Xavier (IL) (7–3)	69
						1	Morningside (IA) (11–1)	51
						8	Tabor (KS) (11–1)	6
	8	Tabor (KS) (10–1)	16
	9	Doane (NE) (9–1)	14
											1	Morningside (IA) (12–1)	27
											7	Southern Oregon (10–2)	30
	2	Baker (KS) (10–1)	68
	17	Point (GA) (8–2)	21
						2	Baker (KS) (11–1)	19
						7	Southern Oregon (9–2)	24
	7	Southern Oregon (8–2)	52
	10	Kansas Wesleyan (10–1)	8

* denotes OT

References

1. "Waste Pro Becomes 2015 NAIA Football Championship Title Sponsor". National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics. October 31, 2015.
2. "2015 NAIA FCS Semifinals Recap". National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics. December 5, 2015. Retrieved December 5, 2015.
3. "Marian (IN) Wins Second Football National Championship". National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics. December 19, 2015. Retrieved December 19, 2015.
4. "2015 NAIA FCS First Round Pairings Announced". National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics. November 15, 2015.
5. "2015 NAIA FCS Quarterfinal Pairings Announced". National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics. November 22, 2015.
6. "2015 Schedule / Results". National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics. November 28, 2015.