# 1985 NCAA Division I-AA football season

The 1985 NCAA Division I-AA football season, part of college football in the United States organized by the National Collegiate Athletic Association at the Division I-AA level, commenced in August 1985, and concluded with the 1985 NCAA Division I-AA Football Championship Game on December 21, 1985, at the Tacoma Dome in Tacoma, Washington. The Georgia Southern Eagles won their first I-AA championship, defeating the Furman Paladins by a score of 44–42.

## Conference changes and new programs

* The Mid-Continent Conference stopped sponsoring football after the 1984 season.
* In 1985, all four members of the Mid-Continent moved their football programs to the Gateway Collegiate Athletic Conference, which otherwise sponsored only women's sports.
* The Missouri Valley Conference, a hybrid I-A/I-AA conference since 1982, played its last season of football in 1985.
(+ Illinois State and Southern Illinois competed in both the Missouri Valley and the Gateway during the 1985 season).
| School | 1984 Conference | 1985 Conference |
| Eastern Illinois | Mid-Continent | Gateway |
| Illinois State | Missouri Valley | Gateway+ |
| Northern Iowa | Mid-Continent | Gateway |
| Southern Illinois | Missouri Valley | Gateway+ |
| Southwest Missouri State | Mid-Continent | Gateway |
| Western Illinois | Mid-Continent | Gateway |

## Conference standings

1985 Big Sky Conference football standings :
| 1985 Big Sky Conference football standings vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T No. 5 Idaho $^ 6 –1 –09 –3 –0 No. T–2 Nevada ^ 6 –1 –011 –2 –0 Boise State 5 –2 –07 –4 –0 Weber State 4 –3 –06 –5 –0 Idaho State 3 –4 –05 –6 –0 Montana 2 –5 –03 –8 –0 Northern Arizona 1 –6 –03 –8 –0 Montana State 1 –6 –02 –9 –0 $ – Conference champion^ – NCAA Division I-AA playoff participantRankings from NCAA Division I-AA Poll | 1985 Gateway Collegiate Athletic Conference football standings vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T No. 4 Northern Iowa $^ 5 –0 –011 –2 –0 Southwest Missouri State 2 –2 –16 –4 –1 Western Illinois 2 –3 –05 –5 –0 Southern Illinois 2 –3 –04 –7 –0 Eastern Illinois 2 –3 –06 –5 –0 Illinois State 1 –3 –16 –3 –2 $ – Conference champion^ – NCAA Division I-AA playoff participantRankings from NCAA Division I-AA Football Committee poll | 1985 Gulf Star Conference football standings vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T Stephen F. Austin + 4 –1 –09 –2 –0 Sam Houston State + 4 –1 –08 –3 –0 Nicholls State 2 –3 –06 –5 –0 Northwestern State 2 –3 –03 –8 –0 Southwest Texas State 2 –3 –03 –8 –0 Southeastern Louisiana 1 –4 –02 –9 –0 + – Conference co-champions |
| 1985 Ivy League football standings vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T Penn $ 6 –1 –07 –2 –1 Harvard 5 –2 –07 –3 –0 Princeton 5 –2 –05 –5 –0 Brown 4 –3 –05 –4 –1 Yale 3 –3 –14 –4 –1 Dartmouth 2 –4 –12 –7 –1 Cornell 2 –5 –03 –7 –0 Columbia 0 –7 –00 –10 –0 $ – Conference champion | 1985 Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference football standings vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T No. T–12 Delaware State $ 4 –0 –09 –2 –0 Bethune–Cookman 3 –1 –06 –4 –0 South Carolina State 2 –2 –05 –6 –0 North Carolina A&T 1 –3 –06 –5 –0 Howard 0 –4 –04 –7 –0 Morgan State 0 –0 –00 –9 –0 $ – Conference championMorgan State games did not count as conference games.Rankings from NCAA Division I-AA Football Committee poll | 1985 Missouri Valley Conference football standings vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T Tulsa $ 5 –0 –06 –5 –0 West Texas State 3 –1 –16 –3 –1 Illinois State 3 –1 –16 –3 –2 Indiana State 3 –2 –04 –6 –0 Wichita State 2 –3 –03 –8 –0 Southern Illinois 1 –3 –04 –7 –0 Drake 1 –5 –04 –7 –0 $ – Conference championThe conference was a hybrid of NCAA Division I-A and I-AA programs. Tulsa and Wichita State were I-A and the other teams were I-AA. |
| 1985 Ohio Valley Conference football standings vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T No. 1 Middle Tennessee $^ 7 –0 –011 –1 –0 No. 10 Akron ^ 5 –2 –08 –4 –0 No. 17 Murray State 5 –2 –07 –3 –1 No. 19 Eastern Kentucky 5 –2 –08 –3 –0 Youngstown State 4 –3 –05 –6 –0 Austin Peay 2 –5 –05 –6 –0 Tennessee Tech 1 –6 –01 –10 –0 Morehead State 0 –7 –01 –10 –0 $ – Conference champion^ – NCAA Division I-AA playoff participantRankings from NCAA Division I-AA Football Committee poll | 1985 Southern Conference football standings vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T No. T–2 Furman $^ 6 –0 –012 –2 –0 No. T–12 Appalachian State 6 –1 –08 –3 –0 Chattanooga 5 –2 –06 –5 –0 Marshall 3 –3 –17 –3 –1 The Citadel 2 –4 –15 –5 –1 Western Carolina 2 –4 –14 –6 –1 VMI 1 –4 –13 –7 –1 East Tennessee State 0 –7 –00 –10 –1 $ – Conference champion^ – NCAA Division I-AA playoff participantRankings from NCAA Division I-AA Football Committee poll | 1985 Southland Conference football standings vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T No. 6 Arkansas State $^ 5 –1 –09 –4 –0 No. 14 Louisiana Tech 4 –2 –08 –3 –0 McNeese State 3 –1 –26 –3 –2 Northeast Louisiana 3 –3 –06 –5 –0 North Texas State 2 –3 –14 –6 –1 UT Arlington 2 –3 –14 –6 –1 Lamar 0 –6 –02 –9 –0 $ – Conference champion^ – NCAA Division I-AA playoff participantRankings from NCAA Division I-AA Football Committee poll |
| 1985 Southwestern Athletic Conference football standings vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T No. 8 Grambling State +^ 6 –1 –09 –3 –0 No. 15 Jackson State +^ 6 –1 –08 –3 –0 Mississippi Valley State 5 –2 –08 –3 –0 No. 20 Alcorn State 5 –2 –07 –3 –0 Southern 3 –4 –06 –5 –0 Alabama State 2 –5 –03 –8 –0 Texas Southern 1 –6 –01 –10 –0 Prairie View A&M 0 –7 –02 –9 –0 + – Conference co-champions^ – NCAA Division I-AA playoff participantRankings from NCAA Division I-AA Football Committee poll | 1985 Yankee Conference football standings vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T No. 7 Rhode Island $^ 5 –0 –010 –3 –0 UMass 4 –1 –07 –4 –0 New Hampshire 2 –3 –06 –4 –0 Maine 2 –3 –06 –5 –0 Connecticut 1 –4 –04 –5 –0 Boston University 1 –4 –03 –8 –0 $ – Conference champion^ – NCAA Division I-AA playoff participantRankings from NCAA Division I-AA Football Committee poll | 1985 NCAA Division I-AA independents football standings vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T No. 9 Georgia Southern ^   –  13 –2 –0 No. 11 Eastern Washington ^   –  9 –3 –0 No. 18 Richmond   –  8 –3 –0 Colgate   –  7 –3 –1 Delaware   –  7 –4 –0 Tennessee State   –  7 –4 –0 No. 16 William & Mary   –  7 –4 –0 Lafayette   –  6 –5 –0 James Madison   –  5 –6 –0 Lehigh   –  5 –6 –0 Holy Cross   –  4 –6 –1 Florida A&M   –  4 –7 –0 Western Kentucky   –  4 –7 –0 Bucknell   –  3 –7 –0 Northeastern   –  2 –8 –0 ^ – NCAA Division I-AA playoff participantRankings from NCAA Division I-AA Football Committee poll |

## Conference champions

* Conference Champions
* Big Sky Conference – Idaho
* Gateway Collegiate Athletic Conference – Northern Iowa
* Gulf Star Conference – Stephen F. Austin and Sam Houston State
* Ivy League – Penn
* Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference – Delaware State
* Ohio Valley Conference – Middle Tennessee State
* Southern Conference – Furman Paladins
* Southland Conference – Arkansas State
* Southwestern Athletic Conference –Grambling and Jackson State
* Yankee Conference – Rhode Island

## Postseason
### NCAA Division I-AA playoff bracket

The top four teams were seeded, and received first-round byes.
| First Round November 30 Campus sites | First Round November 30 Campus sites | First Round November 30 Campus sites | Quarterfinals December 7 Campus sites | Quarterfinals December 7 Campus sites | Quarterfinals December 7 Campus sites | Semifinals December 14 Campus sites | Semifinals December 14 Campus sites | Semifinals December 14 Campus sites | National Championship Game December 21 Neutral Site | National Championship Game December 21 Neutral Site | National Championship Game December 21 Neutral Site |
| | | | (1) Middle Tennessee | (1) Middle Tennessee | 21 | | | | | | |
| Georgia Southern | Georgia Southern | 27 | Georgia Southern | Georgia Southern | 28 | | | | | | |
| Jackson State | Jackson State | 0 | | | | Georgia Southern | Georgia Southern | 40 | | | |
| | | | | | | (4) Northern Iowa | (4) Northern Iowa | 33 | | | |
| | | | (4) Northern Iowa | (4) Northern Iowa | 17 | | | | | | |
| Idaho | Idaho | 38 | Eastern Washington | Eastern Washington | 14 | | | | | | |
| Eastern Washington | Eastern Washington | 42 | | | | | | | Georgia Southern | Georgia Southern | 44 |
| | | | | | | | | | (3) Furman | (3) Furman | 42 |
| | | | (3) Furman | (3) Furman | 59 | | | | | | |
| Rhode Island | Rhode Island | 35 | Rhode Island | Rhode Island | 15 | | | | | | |
| Akron | Akron | 27 | | | | (3) Furman | (3) Furman | 35 | | | |
| | | | | | | (2) Nevada | (2) Nevada | 12 | | | |
| | | | (2) Nevada | (2) Nevada | 24 | | | | | | |
| Arkansas State | Arkansas State | 10 | Arkansas State | Arkansas State | 23 | | | | | | |
| Grambling State | Grambling State | 7 | | | | | | | | | |