# 1986 NCAA Division I-AA football season

The 1986 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, began in August 1986, and concluded with the 1986 NCAA Division I-AA Football Championship Game on December 19, 1986, at the Tacoma Dome in Tacoma, Washington. The Georgia Southern Eagles won their second consecutive I-AA championship, defeating the Arkansas State Indians by a score of 48–21.

## Conference changes and new programs

* Prior to the season, the Colonial League was established as a five-member, football-only league for teams in Massachusetts, New York, and Pennsylvania. The Colonial League was a forerunner of today's Patriot League and has no connection to the later Colonial Athletic Association (today's Coastal Athletic Association).
| School | 1985 Conference | 1986 Conference |
| Bucknell | I-AA Independent | Colonial |
| Colgate | I-AA Independent | Colonial |
| Delaware | I-AA Independent | Yankee |
| Drake | Missouri Valley (I-AA) | D-III Independent |
| Florida A&M | I-AA Independent | MEAC |
| Holy Cross | I-AA Independent | Colonial |
| Indiana State | Missouri Valley | Gateway |
| Lafayette | I-AA Independent | Colonial |
| Lehigh | I-AA Independent | Colonial |
| Richmond | I-AA Independent | Yankee |
| Southeastern Louisiana | Gulf Star | Dropped Program |
| Texas–Arlington | Southland | Dropped Program |
| West Texas State | Missouri Valley (I-AA) | Lone Star (II) |

## Conference standings

1986 Big Sky Conference football standings :
| 1986 Big Sky Conference football standings vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T No. 1 Nevada $^ 7 –0 –013 –1 –0 No. 16 Idaho ^ 5 –2 –08 –4 –0 Northern Arizona 5 –2 –07 –4 –0 Montana* 4 –4 –06 –4 –0 Boise State 3 –4 –05 –6 –0 Weber State 2 –5 –03 –8 –0 Montana State 2 –5 –03 –8 –0 Idaho State* 1 –7 –02 –9 –0 $ – Conference champion^ – NCAA Division I-AA playoff participant * – Montana and Idaho State played twice. Rankings from NCAA Division I-AA Poll | 1986 Colonial League football standings vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T No. 5 Holy Cross $ 4 –0 –010 –1 –0 Lafayette 2 –2 –06 –5 –0 Lehigh 2 –2 –05 –6 –0 Colgate 1 –3 –04 –7 –0 Bucknell 1 –3 –03 –7 –0 $ – Conference championRankings from NCAA Division I-AA Football Committee poll | 1986 Gateway Collegiate Athletic Conference football standings vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T No. 3 Eastern Illinois $^ 5 –1 –011 –2 –0 No. 17 Southern Illinois 4 –2 –07 –4 –0 Northern Iowa 4 –2 –07 –3 –1 Illinois State 3 –3 –05 –5 –0 Western Illinois 2 –4 –06 –5 –0 SW Missouri State 1 –5 –03 –7 –0 Indiana State 1 –5 –03 –8 –0 $ – Conference champion^ – NCAA Division I-AA playoff participantRankings from NCAA Division I-AA Football Committee poll |
| 1986 Gulf Star Conference football standings vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T No. 11 Sam Houston State $^ 3 –1 –08 –3 –0 No. 12 Nicholls State ^ 2 –2 –010 –3 –0 Northwestern State 2 –2 –05 –5 –1 Southwest Texas State 2 –2 –04 –7 –0 Stephen F. Austin 1 –3 –05 –6 –0 $ – Conference champion^ – NCAA Division I-AA playoff participantRankings from NCAA Division I-AA Football Committee poll | 1986 Ivy League football standings vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T No. 7 Penn $ 7 –0 –010 –0 –0 Cornell 6 –1 –08 –2 –0 Brown 4 –2 –15 –4 –1 Dartmouth 3 –3 –13 –6 –1 Harvard 3 –4 –03 –7 –0 Yale 2 –5 –03 –7 –0 Princeton 2 –5 –02 –8 –0 Columbia 0 –7 –00 –10 –0 $ – Conference championRankings from NCAA Division I-AA Football Committee poll | 1986 Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference football standings vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T No. 20 North Carolina A&T $^ 4 –1 –09 –3 –0 Howard 3 –2 –08 –3 –0 Delaware State 3 –2 –07 –4 –0 South Carolina State 3 –2 –05 –6 –0 Bethune–Cookman 2 –3 –03 –8 –0 Morgan State 0 –5 –01 –9 –0 $ – Conference champion^ – NCAA Division I-AA playoff participantRankings from NCAA Division I-AA Football Committee poll |
| 1986 Ohio Valley Conference football standings vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T No. 10 Eastern Kentucky ^ 6 –1 –010 –3 –1 No. 18 Murray State $^ 6 –1 –07 –4 –1 Akron 4 –3 –07 –4 –0 Middle Tennessee 4 –3 –06 –5 –0 Morehead State 3 –4 –07 –4 –0 Austin Peay 3 –4 –05 –6 –0 Youngstown State 2 –5 –02 –9 –0 Tennessee Tech 0 –7 –00 –10 –0 $ – Conference champion^ – NCAA Division I-AA playoff participantRankings from NCAA Division I-AA Football Committee poll | 1986 Southern Conference football standings vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T No. 6 Appalachian State $^ 6 –0 –19 –2 –1 Western Carolina 5 –2 –06 –5 –0 No. 15 Furman ^ 4 –2 –17 –3 –2 East Tennessee State 4 –3 –06 –5 –0 Marshall 3 –3 –06 –4 –1 Chattanooga 2 –4 –04 –7 –0 VMI 1 –5 –01 –10 –0 The Citadel 0 –6 –03 –8 –0 $ – Conference champion^ – NCAA Division I-AA playoff participantRankings from NCAA Division I-AA Football Committee poll | 1986 Southland Conference football standings vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T No. 2 Arkansas State $^ 5 –0 –012 –2 –1 North Texas State 3 –2 –06 –4 –0 Louisiana Tech 3 –2 –06 –4 –1 Northeast Louisiana 3 –2 –05 –6 –0 McNeese State 1 –4 –02 –9 –0 Lamar 0 –5 –02 –9 –0 $ – Conference champion^ – NCAA Division I-AA playoff participantRankings from NCAA Division I-AA Football Committee poll |
| 1986 Southwestern Athletic Conference football standings vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T No. 9 Jackson State $^ 7 –0 –09 –3 –0 Alcorn State 5 –2 –05 –5 –0 Grambling State 4 –3 –07 –4 –0 Southern 4 –3 –05 –5 –1 Mississippi Valley State 3 –3 –14 –4 –1 Alabama State 2 –5 –04 –7 –0 Texas Southern 1 –5 –12 –8 –1 Prairie View A&M 1 –6 –03 –8 –0 $ – Conference champion^ – NCAA Division I-AA playoff participantRankings from NCAA Division I-AA Football Committee poll | 1986 Yankee Conference football standings vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T No. 13 Delaware +^ 5 –2 –09 –4 –0 No. 19 Connecticut + 5 –2 –08 –3 –0 UMass + 5 –2 –08 –3 –0 New Hampshire 4 –3 –07 –4 –0 Maine 3 –4 –07 –4 –0 Richmond 3 –4 –04 –7 –0 Boston University 3 –4 –04 –7 –0 Rhode Island 0 –7 –01 –10 –0 + – Conference co-champions^ – NCAA Division I-AA playoff participantRankings from NCAA Division I-AA Football Committee poll | 1986 NCAA Division I-AA independents football standings vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T No. 4 Georgia Southern ^   –  13 –2 –0 No. 14 Tennessee State ^   –  10 –2 –1 No. 8 William & Mary ^   –  9 –3 –0 Eastern Washington   –  5 –5 –0 James Madison   –  5 –5 –1 Florida A&M   –  5 –6 –0 Northeastern   –  4 –6 –0 Western Kentucky   –  4 –6 –1 ^ – NCAA Division I-AA playoff participantRankings from NCAA Division I-AA Football Committee poll |

## Conference champions

* Conference Champions
* Big Sky Conference – Nevada
* Colonial League – Holy Cross
* Gateway Collegiate Athletic Conference – Eastern Illinois
* Gulf Star Conference – Sam Houston State
* Ivy League – Penn
* Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference – North Carolina A&T
* Ohio Valley Conference – Murray State
* Southern Conference – Appalachian State
* Southland Conference – Arkansas State
* Southwestern Athletic Conference – Jackson State
* Yankee Conference – Connecticut, Delaware, and Massachusetts

## Postseason

The playoffs expanded from twelve to sixteen teams this season, eliminating the bye for the top four seeds.
The I-AA playoff field remained at sixteen through the 2009 season, expanding to twenty in 2010 and 24 in 2013.

### NCAA Division I-AA playoff bracket

The top four teams were seeded, with remaining teams placed in the bracket based on geographical considerations.
| First Round November 29 Campus sites | First Round November 29 Campus sites | First Round November 29 Campus sites | Quarterfinals December 6 Campus sites | Quarterfinals December 6 Campus sites | Quarterfinals December 6 Campus sites | Semifinals December 13 Campus sites | Semifinals December 13 Campus sites | Semifinals December 13 Campus sites | | National Championship Game December 19 Tacoma Dome Tacoma, Washington | National Championship Game December 19 Tacoma Dome Tacoma, Washington | National Championship Game December 19 Tacoma Dome Tacoma, Washington |
| | Idaho | 7 | | | | | | | | | | |
| 1 | Nevada* | 27 | | | | | | | | | | |
| 1 | Nevada* | 27 | 1 | Nevada* | 33 | | | | | | | |
| | | | | Tennessee State | 6 | | | | | | | |
| Tennessee State | Tennessee State | 32 | | Tennessee State | 6 | | | | | | | |
| Jackson State* | Jackson State* | 23 | | | | | | | | | | |
| Jackson State* | Jackson State* | 23 | | | | 1 | Nevada* | 38 | | | | |
| | | | | | | 4 | Georgia Southern | 48 | | | | |
| | North Carolina A&T | 21 | | | | | | | 4 | Georgia Southern | 48 | | | | |
| 4 | Georgia Southern* | 52 | | | | | | | | | | |
| 4 | Georgia Southern* | 52 | 4 | Georgia Southern* | 55 | | | | | | | |
| | | | | Nicholls State | 31 | | | | | | | |
| Nicholls State | Nicholls State | 28 | | Nicholls State | 31 | | | | | | | |
| Appalachian State* | Appalachian State* | 26 | | | | | | | | | | |
| Appalachian State* | Appalachian State* | 26 | | | | | | | | 4 | Georgia Southern | 48 |
| | | | | | | | | | | 2 | Arkansas State | 21 |
| | Sam Houston State | 7 | | | | | | | | | | | 2 | Arkansas State | 21 |
| 2 | Arkansas State* | 48 | | | | | | | | | | |
| 2 | Arkansas State* | 48 | 2 | Arkansas State | 55 | | | | | | | |
| | | | | Delaware* | 14 | | | | | | | |
| Delaware | Delaware | 51 | | Delaware* | 14 | | | | | | | |
| William & Mary* | William & Mary* | 21 | | | | | | | | | | |
| William & Mary* | William & Mary* | 21 | | | | 2 | Arkansas State* | 24 | | | | |
| | | | | | | | Eastern Kentucky | 10 | | | | |
| | Murray State | 21 | | | | | | | | Eastern Kentucky | 10 | | | | |
| 3 | Eastern Illinois* | 28 | | | | | | | | | | |
| 3 | Eastern Illinois* | 28 | 3 | Eastern Illinois* | 22 | | | | | | | |
| | | | | Eastern Kentucky | 24 | | | | | | | |
| Eastern Kentucky | Eastern Kentucky | 23 | | Eastern Kentucky | 24 | | | | | | | |
| Furman* | Furman* | 10 | | | | | | | | | | |
* Denotes host institution