NAIA returned to a single division playoff for its football championship in 1997.
First round (Nov. 22)
| at Geneva College (Pa.) 34 | Campbellsville Univ. (Ky.) 14 |
| at Jamestown Coll. (ND) 55 | Benedictine Coll. (Kan.) 30 |
| at Sioux Falls (SD) 57 | Ottawa Univ. (Kan.) 14 |
| at Evangel Coll. (Mo.) 46 | McKendree Coll. (Ill.) 6 |
| at Montana Tech 51 | Minnesota-Crookston 10 |
| at Findlay (Ohio) 40 | Westminster Coll. (Pa.) 0 |
| at Doane Coll. (Neb.) 53 | Southwestern Coll. (Kan.) 28 |
| at Willamette Univ. (Ore.) 26 | Western Ore. Univ. 20, OT |
Quarterfinals (Dec. 6)
| at Findlay 28 | Geneva 7 |
| Sioux Falls 29 | at Jamestown 6 |
| Doane 59 | at Evangel 20 |
| at Willamette 50 | Montana Tech 24 |
Semifinals (Dec. 13)
| at Findlay 26 | Doane 25 |
| at Willamette 17 | Sioux Falls 7 |
Championship
Dec. 20 at Savannah, Tenn. (Att: 4,000 est.)
| Findlay 14 | Willamette 7 |
| (14-0) | (13-1) |
