# 1989 NCAA Division II football season

The 1989 NCAA Division II football season, part of college football in the United States organized by the National Collegiate Athletic Association at the Division II level, began in August 1989, and concluded with the NCAA Division II Football Championship on December 10, 1989, at Braly Municipal Stadium in Florence, Alabama, hosted by the University of North Alabama. The Mississippi College Choctaws defeated the Jacksonville State Gamecocks, 3–0, to win their first Division II national title. However, their championship was later revoked by the NCAA.
The Harlon Hill Trophy was awarded to Johnny Bailey, running back from Texas A&I, for the third consecutive year.

## Conference changes and new programs

* One program departed Division II for Division I-AA prior to the season.
| School | 1988 Conference | 1989 Conference |
| Cal Lutheran | Western | - |
| Liberty | Independent | I-AA Independent |
| Missouri Southern | Central States (NAIA) | MIAA |
| Missouri Western | Central States (NAIA) | MIAA |
| Pittsburg State | Central States (NAIA) | MIAA |
| Washburn | Central States (NAIA) | MIAA |

## Conference standings

1988 Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association football standings :
| 1988 Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association football standings vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T Northern Bowie State xy$ 5 –1 –07 –3 –1 Hampton 4 –1 –18 –1 –1 Virginia Union 4 –1 –16 –2 –1 Norfolk State 3 –2 –16 –3 –1 Virginia State 2 –3 –15 –4 –1 Elizabeth City State 0 –6 –02 –8 –0 Southern Winston-Salem State xy 5 –1 –08 –2 –0 North Carolina Central 3 –3 –05 –5 –0 Johnson C. Smith 1 –5 –04 –5 –0 Livingstone 1 –5 –01 –8 –0 Fayetteville State 1 –5 –01 –9 –0 Championship: Bowie State 28, Winston-Salem State 24 $ – Conference championx – Division champion/co-championsy – Championship game participant | 1989 Central States Intercollegiate Conference football standings vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T No. 6 Emporia State $^ 3 –0 –011 –2 –0 Fort Hays State 2 –1 –03 –7 –0 Kearney State 1 –2 –03 –6 –0 Wayne State (NE) 0 –3 –04 –7 –0 $ – Conference champion^ – NAIA Division I playoff participantRankings from NAIA Division I poll | 1989 Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference football standings vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T No. 3 Grand Valley State $^ 5 –0 –011 –1 –0 Hillsdale 3 –2 –06 –4 –0 Northern Michigan 3 –2 –05 –5 –0 Ferris State 2 –3 –06 –5 –0 Saginaw Valley State 2 –3 –03 –6 –0 Wayne State (MI) 0 –5 –02 –8 –0 $ – Conference champion^ – NCAA Division II playoff participantRankings from NCAA Division II Football Committee poll |
| 1989 Gulf South Conference football standings vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T No. 2 Jacksonville State $^ 8 –0 –013 –1 –0 No. T–12 Mississippi College ^ 6 –2 –011 –3 –0 Valdosta State 5 –3 –05 –5 –0 Delta State 4 –3 –16 –3 –1 North Alabama 4 –4 –06 –5 –0 Troy State 3 –5 –04 –6 –0 West Georgia 3 –5 –05 –7 –0 Livingston 1 –6 –10 –3 –7 Tennessee–Martin 1 –7 –00 –2 –9 $ – Conference champion^ – NCAA Division II playoff participantRankings from NCAA Division II Football Committee poll | 1989 Heartland Collegiate Conference standings vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T Butler $ 4 –0 –07 –2 –1 Ashland 2 –2 –06 –4 –0 Indianapolis 2 –2 –04 –5 –0 Saint Joseph's (IN) 2 –2 –04 –6 –0 Valparaiso 0 –4 –00 –10 –0 $ – Conference champion | 1989 Lone Star Conference football standings vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T No. 1 Texas A&I $^ 7 –0 –010 –1 –0 No. T–5 Angelo State ^ 5 –2 –011 –3 –0 Eastern New Mexico 5 –2 –07 –3 –0 Abilene Christian 5 –2 –05 –5 –0 East Texas State 2 –5 –04 –6 –0 Cameron 2 –5 –03 –7 –0 West Texas State 2 –5 –03 –8 –0 Central State (OK) 0 –7 –00 –10 –1 $ – Conference champion^ – NCAA Division II playoff participantRankings from NCAA Division II Football Committee poll |
| 1989 Missouri Intercollegiate Athletic Association football standings vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T No. 4 Pittsburg State $^ 10 –0 –012 –1 –0 No. 18 NW Missouri State ^ 8 –2 –09 –3 –0 SE Missouri State 7 –3 –07 –4 –0 Missouri Southern State 6 –4 –06 –4 –0 Southwest Baptist 5 –5 –05 –5 –0 Central Missouri State 5 –5 –05 –6 –0 Missouri Western State 5 –5 –05 –6 –0 NE Missouri State 4 –6 –04 –7 –0 Washburn 3 –7 –03 –7 –0 Missouri–Rolla 1 –9 –01 –9 –0 Lincoln (MO) 1 –9 –01 –10 –0 $ – Conference champion^ – NCAA Division II playoff participantRankings from NCAA Division II Football Committee poll | 1989 North Central Conference football standings vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T No. T–5 St. Cloud State $^ 8 –1 –010 –2 –0 No. 11 Augustana (SD) ^ 6 –2 –18 –3 –1 No. 17 North Dakota State ^ 6 –2 –18 –3 –1 Northern Colorado 5 –4 –06 –4 –0 Nebraska–Omaha 5 –4 –06 –5 –0 Mankato State 4 –4 –15 –5 –1 South Dakota 4 –5 –05 –6 –0 South Dakota State 3 –6 –05 –6 –0 North Dakota 2 –6 –13 –7 –1 Morningside 0 –9 –02 –9 –0 $ – Conference champion^ – NCAA Division II playoff participantRankings from NCAA Division II Football Committee poll | 1989 Northern California Athletic Conference football standings vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T No. 16 UC Davis $^ 5 –0 –08 –3 –0 Chico State 4 –1 –06 –4 –0 Humboldt State 3 –2 –06 –4 –0 Sonoma State 2 –3 –04 –6 –0 Cal State Hayward 1 –4 –01 –8 –0 San Francisco State 0 –5 –03 –7 –0 $ – Conference champion^ – NCAA Division II playoff participantRankings from NCAA Division II Football Committee poll |
| 1989 Northern Intercollegiate Conference football standings vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T No. 14 Moorhead State $^ 5 –1 –06 –4 –0 No. 12 Northern State 4 –2 –08 –2 –0 Southwest State (MN) 4 –2 –05 –5 –0 No. 19 Minnesota Morris 3 –3 –06 –4 –0 Minnesota Duluth 3 –3 –05 –5 –0 Bemidji State 2 –4 –04 –5 –0 Winona State 0 –6 –01 –9 –0 $ – Conference champion^ – NAIA Division I playoff participantRankings from NAIA Division I poll | 1989 Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference football standings vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T East Division No. 8 West Chester x^ 5 –1 –08 –3 –0 East Stroudsburg 4 –2 –06 –4 –0 Millersville 4 –2 –06 –4 –0 Cheyney 3 –3 –03 –8 –0 Mansfield 2 –4 –05 –6 –0 Bloomsburg 2 –4 –04 –7 –0 Kutztown 1 –5 –01 –9 –0 West Division No. 7 Edinboro x^ 6 –0 –08 –3 –0 No. 9 IUP ^ 5 –1 –011 –2 –0 Clarion 3 –3 –03 –7 –0 Slippery Rock 2 –3 –14 –5 –1 California (PA) 2 –4 –04 –6 –0 Shippensburg 1 –4 –15 –5 –1 Lock Haven 1 –5 –02 –9 –0 x – Division champion/co-champions^ – NCAA Division II playoff participantRankings from NCAA Division II Football Committee poll | 1989 Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference football standings vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T Alabama A&M $^ 6 –0 –08 –4 –0 Fort Valley State 5 –1 –07 –3 –0 Tuskegee 4 –2 –05 –5 –0 Albany State 2 –4 –05 –5 –0 Morehouse 2 –4 –02 –6 –1 Clark (GA) 1 –5 –03 –7 –0 Knoxville 0 –6 –01 –8 –0 Savannah State 0 –0 –08 –1 –0 Morris Brown 0 –0 –03 –7 –0 Miles 0 –0 –01 –7 –0 $ – Conference champion^ – NCAA Division II playoff participant |
| 1989 Western Football Conference standings vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T No. 14 Portland State $^ 4 –1 –09 –4 –0 Cal State Northridge 4 –2 –06 –5 –0 Southern Utah State 4 –2 –05 –5 –0 Santa Clara 3 –3 –07 –4 –0 Sacramento State 2 –3 –05 –4 –0 Cal Poly 1 –4 –05 –5 –0 Cal Lutheran 0 –3 –03 –6 –0 $ – Conference champion^ – NCAA Division II playoff participantRankings from NCAA Division II Football Committee poll | 1989 NCAA Division II independents football records vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T No. T–12 New Haven   –  8 –2 –0 No. 19 American International   –  7 –3 –0 UCF   –  7 –3 –0 Saint Mary's   –  6 –4 –0 Wofford   –  6 –5 –0 Central Connecticut   –  5 –5 –0 Springfield   –  4 –6 –0 Southern Connecticut State   –  3 –7 –0 Michigan Tech   –  2 –7 –0 Kentucky State   –  2 –9 –0 Rankings from NCAA Division II Football Committee poll |

## Conference summaries

* Conference Champions
* Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association – Bowie State
* Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference – Grand Valley State
* Gulf South Conference – Jacksonville State
* Heartland Collegiate Conference – Butler
* Lone Star Conference – Texas A&I
* Missouri Intercollegiate Athletic Association – Pittsburg State
* North Central Conference – Saint Cloud State
* Northern California Athletic Conference – UC Davis
* Northern Intercollegiate Conference – Minnesota State–Moorhead
* Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference – Millersville and West Chester (East), Edinboro
* Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference – Adams State
* South Atlantic Conference – Carson-Newman
* Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference – Alabama A&M
* Western Football League – Portland State

## Postseason

The 1989 NCAA Division II Football Championship playoffs were the 17th single-elimination tournament to determine the national champion of men's NCAA Division II college football. The championship game was held at Braly Municipal Stadium in Florence, Alabama, for the fourth time.

### Playoff bracket

| First round Campus sites | First round Campus sites | Quarterfinals Campus sites | Quarterfinals Campus sites | Semifinals Campus sites | Semifinals Campus sites | | Championship Braly Municipal Stadium Florence, AL | Championship Braly Municipal Stadium Florence, AL |
| Mississippi College† | 34 | | | | | | | |
| Texas A&I | 19 | | | | | | | |
| Texas A&I | 19 | Mississippi College† | 55 | | | | | |
| | | St. Cloud State | 24 | | | | | |
| St. Cloud State | 27 | St. Cloud State | 24 | | | | | |
| Augustana (SD) | 20 | | | | | | | |
| Augustana (SD) | 20 | | | Mississippi College† | 26 | | | |
| | | | | IUP | 14 | | | |
| Portland State | 56*** | | | | | IUP | 14 | | | |
| West Chester | 50 | | | | | | | |
| West Chester | 50 | Portland State | 0 | | | | | |
| | | IUP | 17 | | | | | |
| IUP | 34 | IUP | 17 | | | | | |
| Grand Valley State | 24 | | | | | | | |
| Grand Valley State | 24 | | | | | | Mississippi College† | 3 |
| | | | | | | | Jacksonville State | 0 |
| Pittsburg State | 28 | | | | | | | | Jacksonville State | 0 |
| Northwest Missouri State | 7 | | | | | | | |
| Northwest Missouri State | 7 | Pittsburg State | 21 | | | | | |
| | | Angelo State | 24 | | | | | |
| Angelo State | 28 | Angelo State | 24 | | | | | |
| UC Davis | 23 | | | | | | | |
| UC Davis | 23 | | | Angelo State | 16 | | | |
| | | | | Jacksonville State | 34 | | | |
| North Dakota State | 45 | | | | | Jacksonville State | 34 | | | |
| Edinboro | 32 | | | | | | | |
| Edinboro | 32 | North Dakota State | 17 | | | | | |
| | | Jacksonville State | 21 | | | | | |
| Jacksonville State | 33 | Jacksonville State | 21 | | | | | |
| Alabama A&M | 9 | | | | | | | |