2012 NAIA football national championship
| 2012 Russell Athletic NAIA Football National Championship | ||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Date | December 13, 2012 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Season | 2012 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Stadium | Barron Stadium | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Location | Rome, Georgia | |||||||||||||||||||||
| MVP | Mike Josifovski, Marian (offense) Robert Palmer, Marian (defense) | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Referee | Glen Welch Nate Hudson Todd Luedke Larry Schmitt Pat Bettise Eric Obrigewitch Joel Fuhrmann | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Attendance | 5,263 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| United States TV coverage | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Network | CBS Sports Network | |||||||||||||||||||||
The 2012 NAIA football national championship was played on December 13, 2012 as the 57th Annual Russell Athletic NAIA Football National Championship. The game matched the once-beaten and 5th-ranked Knights from Marian University against the undefeated and 3rd-ranked Mustangs from Morningside College. The game matched two teams making their first appearance in the championship game, assuring someone would win the title for the first time. The teams proved to be evenly matched, and the outcome was not decided until the winning points were scored in the first round of overtime. With their winning field goal, the Marian Knights prevailed, 30-27 in the first overtime game in NAIA football championship history.
The championship game was played at Barron Stadium in Rome, Georgia. A total of sixteen teams participated in the single-elimination tournament from across the country. Placement in the tournament was based on the final edition of the 2012 NAIA Coaches' Poll. This year's field included the top 15 teams from the final poll as well as #18 Bethel (TN). Two teams were bypassed as a result of the automatic berth granted to Bethel, champions of the Mid-South Conference West Division.