The NAIA national football championship is decided by a post-season playoff system featuring the best NAIA college football teams in the United States. Under sponsorship of the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics, the championship game has been played annually since 1956. In 1970, NAIA football was divided into two divisions, Division I and Division II, with a championship gamed played in each division. In 1997, NAIA football was again consolidated into one division. The game is now played in Savannah, Hardin County, Tennessee.

Over the years, the NAIA championship games were played under a variety of names: Aluminum Bowl (1956), Apple Bowl (1977, Division I game only), Champion Bowl (1964-1976 and 1980-1996, Division I games only), Holliday Bowl (1957-1960, not to be confused with the NCAA Division I bowl of the same name), and Palm Bowl (1978-1979, Division I games only).

• 1956 Montana State/ St. Joseph’s (Ind.) 0-0-(tie)
• 1957 Pittsburg State (Kan.) 27-26 Hillsdale (Mich.)
• 1958 Northeastern State (Okla.) 19-13 Northern Arizona
• 1959 Texas A&I 20-7 Lenoir-Rhyne (N.C.)

• 1960 Lenoir-Rhyne (N.C.) 15-14 Humboldt State (Calif.)
• 1961 Pittsburg State (Kan.) 12-7 Linfield (Ore.)
• 1962 Central State (Okla.) 28-13 Lenoir-Rhyne (N.C.)
• 1963 St. John’s (Minn.) 33-27 Prairie View A&M (Texas)
• 1964 Concordia-Moorhead (Minn.)/Sam Houston State (Texas) 7-7 (tie)
• 1965 St. John’s (Minn.) 33-0 Linfield (Ore.)
• 1966 Waynesburg (Pa.) 42-21 Wisconsin-Whitewater
• 1967 Fairmont State (W.Va.) 28-21 Eastern Washington
• 1968 Troy State (Ala.) 43-35 Texas A&I
• 1969 Texas A&I 32-7 Concordia-Moorhead (Minn.)

• 1970-I Texas A&I 48-7 Wofford (S.C.)
• 1970-II Westminster (Pa.) 21-16 Anderson (Ind.)
• 1971-I Livingston (Ala.) 14-12 Arkansas Tech
• 1971-II California Lutheran 30-14 Westminster (Pa.)
• 1972-I East Texas State 21-18 Carson-Newman (Tenn.)
• 1972-II Missouri Southern 21-14 Northwestern (Iowa)
• 1973-I Abilene Christian (Texas) 42-14 Elon (N.C.)
• 1973-II Northwestern (Iowa) 10-3 Glenville State (W.Va.)
• 1974-I Texas A&I 34-23 Henderson State (Ark.)
• 1974-II Texas Lutheran 42-0 Missouri Valley
• 1975-I Texas A&I 37-0 Salem (W.Va.)
• 1975-II Texas Lutheran 34-8 California Lutheran
• 1976-I Texas A&I 26-0 Central Arkansas
• 1976-II Westminster (Pa.) 20-13 Redlands (Calif.)
• 1977-I Abilene Christian (Texas) 24-7 Southwestern Oklahoma
• 1977-II Westminster (Pa.) 17-9 California Lutheran
• 1978-I Angelo State (Texas) 24-14 Elon (N.C.)
• 1978-II Concordia-Moorhead (Minn.) 7-0 Findlay (Ohio)
• 1979-I Texas A&I 20-14 Central State (Okla.)
• 1979-II Findlay (Ohio) 51-6 Northwestern (Iowa)

• 1980-I Elon (N.C.) 17-10 Northeastern State (Okla.)
• 1980-II Pacific Lutheran (Wash.) 38-10 Wilmington (Ohio)
• 1981-I Elon (N.C.) 3-0 Pittsburg State (Kan.)
• 1981-II Austin College (Texas)/Concordia-Moorhead (Minn.) 24-24 (tie)
• 1982-I Central State (Okla.) 14-11 Mesa (Colo.)
• 1982-II Linfield (Ore.) 33-15 William Jewell (Mo.)
• 1983-I Carson-Newman (Tenn.) 36-28 Mesa (Colo.)
• 1983-II Northwestern (Iowa) 25-21 Pacific Lutheran (Wash.)
• 1984-I Carson-Newman (Tenn.)/Central Arkansas 19-19 (tie)
• 1984-II Linfield (Ore.) 33-22 Northwestern (Iowa)
• 1985-I Hillsdale (Mich.)/Central Arkansas 10-10 (tie)
• 1985-II Wisconsin-La Crosse 24-7 Pacific Lutheran (Wash.)
• 1986-I Carson-Newman (Tenn.) 17-0 Cameron (Okla.)
• 1986-II Linfield (Ore.) 17-0 Baker (Kan.)
• 1987-I Cameron (Okla.) 30-2 Carson-Newman (Tenn.)
• 1987-II Pacific Lutheran (Wash.)/Vacant Wisconsin-Stevens Point forfeited its entire 1987 schedule because of the use of an ineligible student-athlete. Pacific Lutheran (Wash.) is considered a co-champion with the other position vacated. 16-16 (tie)
• 1988-I Carson-Newman (Tenn.) 56-21 Adams State (Colo.)
• 1988-II Westminster (Pa.) 21-14 Wisconsin-La Crosse
• 1989-I Carson-Newman (Tenn.) 34-20 Emporia State (Kan.)
• 1989-II Westminster (Pa.) 51-30 Wisconsin-La Crosse

• 1990-I Central State (Ohio) 38-16 Mesa State (Colo.)
• 1990-II Peru State (Neb.) 17-7 Westminster (Pa.)
• 1991-I Central Arkansas 19-16 Central State (Ohio)
• 1991-II Georgetown (Ky.) 28-20 Pacific Lutheran (Wash.)
• 1992-I Central State (Ohio) 19-16 Gardner-Webb (N.C.)
• 1992-II Findlay (Ohio) 26-13 Linfield (Ore.)
• 1993-I East Central (Okla.) 49-35 Glenville State (W.Va.)
• 1993-II Pacific Lutheran (Wash.) 50-20 Westminster (Pa.)
• 1994-I Northeastern State (Okla.) 13-12 Arkansas-Pine Bluff
• 1994-II Westminster (Pa.) 27-7 Pacific Lutheran (Wash.)
• 1995-I Central State (Ohio) 37-7 Northeastern State (Okla.)
• 1995-II Central Washington/Findlay (Ohio) 21-21 (tie)
• 1996-I Southwestern Oklahoma 33-31 Montana Tech
• 1996-II Sioux Falls (S.D.) 47-25 Western Washington
• 1997 Findlay (Ohio) 14-7 Willamette (Ore.)
• 1998 Azusa Pacific (Calif.) 17-14 Olivet Nazarene (Ill.)
• 1999 Northwestern Oklahoma State 34-26 Georgetown (Ky.)

• 2000 Georgetown (Ky.) 20-0 Northwestern Oklahoma State
• 2001 Georgetown (Ky.) 49-27 Sioux Falls (S.D.)
• 2002 Carroll (Mont.) 28-7 Georgetown (Ky.)
• 2003 Carroll (Mont.) 41-28 Northwestern Oklahoma State
• 2004 Carroll (Mont.) 15-13 St. Francis (Ind.)