1971 NAIA Division II football season

The 1971 NAIA Division II football season was the 16th season of college football sponsored by the NAIA and the second season of play of the NAIA's lower division for football. The season was played from August to November 1971 and culminated in the 1971 NAIA Division II Football National Championship, played on December 11, 1971 in Thousand Oaks, California, on the campus of California Lutheran University.^[3]

The Cal Lutheran Kingsmen defeated the Westminster Titans, the defending national champion, in the championship game, 30–14, to win their first NAIA national title. The game was covered by Los Angeles Times sportswriter Jim Murray. The game was also televised nationally on NBC and nearly 10,000 spectators saw the game at Mt. Clef field.^[4] Cal Lutheran’s head coach Robert Shoup was named National Assn. of Intercollegiate Athletics Coach of the Year and Lutheran Coach of the Year following the championship win.^[5][6] The university held a celebration in conjunction with the Dallas Cowboys, who won Super Bowl VI, at the Hollywood Palladium.

Several Cal Lutheran players were drafted for NFL teams after the championship game, including Brian Kelley by the New York Giants and Sam Cvijanovich. Mike Sheppard and Ralph Miller were other notable Kingsmen players. While Bob Shoup was the team's head coach, Don Green was the assistant coach.