NAIA Football Colleges 2027 Roster Outlook
71 NAIA programs, and how many players each one loses after this season.
- players leave a typical team
- 15
- lose a quarterback
- 70%
2026-27 rosters, read September 29, 2026
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All 71 NAIA schools
Most players leaving first. Players leaving are players in their last season on the 2026-27 roster.
71 schools
NAIAOttawa University Arizona
Surprise, AZ
65players leaving
Positions
NAIAGrand View
Des Moines, IA
38players leaving
Positions
NAIAMidAmerica Nazarene
Olathe, KS
28players leaving
Positions
See which positions each school needs.
Roster Needs is part of Pro. It shows the positions each school is losing, so you can email the coaches who need your position.
NAIAMadonna
Livonia, MI
26players leaving
Positions
NAIAMidland
Fremont, NE
26players leaving
Positions
NAIATaylor (IN)
Upland, IN
26players leaving
Positions
NAIAArizona Christian
Glendale, AZ
25players leaving
Positions
NAIASaint Francis-IN
Fort Wayne, IN
25players leaving
Positions
NAIACollege of Idaho
Caldwell, ID
24players leaving
Positions
NAIACumberland-TN
Lebanon, TN
24players leaving
Positions.webp)
NAIAGeorgetown College (Ky.)
Georgetown, KY
24players leaving
Positions
NAIAIndiana Wesleyan
Marion, IN
24players leaving
Positions
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NAIAOlivet Nazarene
Bourbonnais, IL
24players leaving
Positions.webp)
NAIACentral Methodist (MO)
Fayette, MO
23players leaving
Positions
NAIAFriends
Wichita, KS
23players leaving
Positions
NAIAMount Marty
Yankton, SD
23players leaving
Positions
NAIALindsey Wilson
Columbia, KY
21players leaving
Positions
NAIAClarke (IA)
Dubuque, IA
20players leaving
Positions
NAIAEastern Oregon
La Grande, OR
20players leaving
Positions
NAIAKansas Wesleyan
Salina, KS
20players leaving
Positions
NAIAMayville State
Mayville, ND
20players leaving
Positions
NAIACumberlands-KY
Williamsburg, KY
19players leaving
Positions
NAIATabor
Hillsboro, KS
19players leaving
Positions
NAIADakota State
Madison, SD
18players leaving
Positions
NAIAMissouri Baptist
Saint Louis, MO
18players leaving
Positions
NAIAOttawa KS
Ottawa, KS
18players leaving
Positions
NAIASt. Xavier
Chicago, IL
18players leaving
Positions
NAIAEvangel
Springfield, MO
17players leaving
Positions
NAIASouthwestern-KS
Winfield, KS
17players leaving
Positions
NAIADickinson State
Dickinson, ND
16players leaving
Positions
NAIAFaulkner
Montgomery, AL
16players leaving
Positions
NAIAJudson
Elgin, IL
16players leaving
Positions.webp)
NAIACulver-Stockton (MO)
Canton, MO
15players leaving
Positions
NAIAHastings
Hastings, NE
15players leaving
Positions
NAIAMarian-IN
Indianapolis, IN
15players leaving
Positions
NAIASouthern Oregon
Ashland, OR
15players leaving
Positions
NAIADordt
Sioux Center, IA
14players leaving
Positions
NAIAFlorida Memorial
Miami Gardens, FL
14players leaving
Positions
NAIALangston
Langston, OK
14players leaving
Positions
NAIAMcPherson
McPherson, KS
14players leaving
Positions
NAIAPikeville (KY)
Pikeville, KY
14players leaving
Positions
NAIAReinhardt (GA)
Waleska, GA
14players leaving
Positions
NAIASterling
Sterling, KS
14players leaving
Positions
NAIAWilliam Woods (MO)
Fulton, MO
13players leaving
Positions
NAIABluefield (VA)
Bluefield, VA
12players leaving
Positions
NAIALouisiana Christian
Pineville, LA
12players leaving
Positions
NAIAMontana State-Northern
Havre, MT
12players leaving
Positions
NAIAPoint
West Point, GA
12players leaving
Positions
NAIAThomas
Thomasville, GA
12players leaving
Positions
NAIAWarner
Lake Wales, FL
12players leaving
Positions
NAIAWebber Int'l
Babson Park, FL
12players leaving
Positions
NAIABaker (KS)
Baldwin City, KS
11players leaving
Positions
NAIABethel College
North Newton, KS
11players leaving
Positions
NAIADakota Wesleyan
Mitchell, SD
11players leaving
Positions
NAIAMontana Tech
Butte, MT
11players leaving
Positions
NAIAPeru State
Peru, NE
11players leaving
Positions
NAIATexas Wesleyan
Fort Worth, TX
11players leaving
Positions
NAIAWaldorf
Forest City, IA
11players leaving
Positions
NAIAAve Maria
Ave Maria, FL
10players leaving
Positions
NAIABriar Cliff
Sioux City, IA
9players leaving
Positions
NAIALawrence Tech
Southfield, MI
9players leaving
Positions
NAIAMissouri Valley
Marshall, MO
9players leaving
Positions
NAIASt. Francis IL
Joliet, IL
9players leaving
Positions
NAIAValley City State
Valley City, ND
9players leaving
Positions
NAIACarroll College
Helena, MT
8players leaving
Positions
NAIASaint Mary-KS
Leavenworth, KS
8players leaving
Positions
NAIAMontana Western
Dillon, MT
7players leaving
Positions
NAIANelson
Waxahachie, TX
7players leaving
Positions
NAIARocky Mountain
Billings, MT
7players leaving
Positions
NAIABethel-TN
McKenzie, TN
5players leaving
Positions
NAIAWayland Baptist
Plainview, TX
5players leaving
Positions
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Questions
How many NAIA football teams are there?
NextCommit's coach data lists 91 NAIA football programs for 2026. This page shows the 71 whose 2026-27 rosters we could read in full on September 29, 2026.
How many players does an NAIA football program lose each year?
The typical NAIA football program on this list has 15 players in their last season on its 2026-27 roster. Defensive backs are the most common opening: 92% of these programs lose at least one, then wide receivers at 90%.
What does "players leaving" mean?
Players in their last season on the college's 2026-27 roster page: seniors, graduate students and fifth-year players at four-year schools, and sophomores at junior colleges. Redshirt marks do not change the count. Their spots open for recruits who start college in 2027.
Does a player leaving mean an open scholarship?
No. It means a roster spot the coaches have to refill, with high school recruits, transfers or walk-ons. How many spots carry aid depends on the level: Division I schools in the House settlement have a 105-player roster limit and no scholarship cap, Division II has 36 football equivalencies shared across the team, Division III gives no athletic aid, the NAIA allows 24 and the NJCAA 85. Some players also get an extra year through a waiver.
Which positions does each school need?
That is Roster Needs, part of NextCommit Pro. It shows the positions each school is losing and filters your coach list to the programs that need your position. This page shows each school's total only.
How should I use this list?
Find schools at your level with players leaving, check which level fits you with the free Football Recruit Score, then email the position coach or recruiting coordinator with your film, measurables and GPA. Follow up when you have something new to share.
How often is this data updated?
NextCommit reads college roster pages twice a year, after fall and spring rosters are posted. This page shows the September 29, 2026 read of 2026-27 rosters. Schools we could not read in full join the list when a later read passes.
How we got these numbers
We read each college's own roster page on September 29, 2026. Players leaving are players in their last season on the 2026-27 roster: seniors, graduate students and fifth-year players at four-year schools, and sophomores at junior colleges. Redshirt marks don't change the count.
This list shows 71 of the 91 programs in NextCommit's coach data (78%). Schools whose roster we couldn't read in full aren't listed yet. We call a list complete when we can read at least 75% of its rosters.
Divisions are for the 2026 season, including North Dakota State and Sacramento State moving to FBS and Saint Francis (PA) moving to Division III.
A player leaving is a spot to refill, not a scholarship offer. Coaches also fill spots from the transfer portal, some players get an extra year, and a roster page can lag behind the team. Use the numbers to decide where to look, then ask the coach.
Last updated November 3, 2026.
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