The Mid-States Football Association, established in 1994, is an NAIA-affiliated association spanning four states and including three major Midwest metropolitan cities: Chicago, Detroit, and Indianapolis. The MSFA is comprised of fourteen teams across two leagues - MSFA Mideast and MSFA Midwest. MSFA members play each team within their own league, in addition to crossover games against other MSFA opponents in the opposite league. The champion of each league receives an automatic playoff berth into the NAIA Football Championship Series, provided they are ranked among the top 20 in the final NAIA Coaches' Poll. There are nearly 1,700 student-athletes in the Mid-States Football Association.
The MSFA has produced nine NAIA Football Championships, including six since 2011. The University of Saint Francis (Ind.) in 2016 & 2017, Marian University in 2012 & 2015, and Saint Xavier University in 2011. Grand View University (Iowa) in 2013, the University of Findlay (Ohio) in 1995 & 1997, and Westminster College (Pa.) in 1994 also won national titles as members of the MSFA.