# 1994 NCAA Division I-AA football season

The 1994 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 1994, and concluded with the 1994 NCAA Division I-AA Football Championship Game on December 17, 1994, at Marshall University Stadium in Huntington, West Virginia. The defending champion Youngstown State Penguins won their third I-AA championship, defeating the Boise State Broncos by a score of 28−14. It was the fourth consecutive year that Youngstown State played in the I-AA title game.

## Conference changes and new programs

| School | 1993 Conference | 1994 Conference |
| California–Davis | American West | D-II Independent |
| Duquesne | I-AA Independent | MAAC |
| Marist | I-AA Independent | MAAC |
| Northeast Louisiana | Southland | I-A Independent |
| Robert Morris | New program | I-AA Independent |

## Conference standings

1994 American West Conference football standings :
| 1994 American West Conference football standings vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T Cal Poly $ 3 –0 –07 –4 –0 Sacramento State 2 –1 –05 –5 –0 Southern Utah 1 –2 –04 –7 –0 Cal State Northridge 0 –3 –03 –7 –0 $ – Conference champion | 1994 Big Sky Conference football standings vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T No. 3 Boise State $^ 6 –1 –013 –2 –0 No. 6 Idaho ^ 5 –2 –09 –3 –0 No. 8 Montana ^ 5 –2 –011 –3 –0 No. 25 Northern Arizona 4 –3 –07 –4 –0 Idaho State 4 –3 –06 –5 –0 Weber State 2 –5 –05 –6 –0 Eastern Washington 2 –5 –04 –7 –0 Montana State 0 –7 –03 –8 –0 $ – Conference champion^ – NCAA Division I-AA playoff participantRankings from The Sports Network poll | 1994 Gateway Football Conference standings vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T No. 11 Northern Iowa $^ 6 –0 –08 –4 –0 No. 24 Western Illinois 4 –2 –08 –3 –0 Eastern Illinois 4 –2 –06 –5 –0 Illinois State 3 –3 –05 –5 –1 Indiana State 2 –4 –05 –6 –0 Southwest Missouri State 2 –4 –04 –7 –0 Southern Illinois 0 –6 –01 –10 –0 $ – Conference champion^ – NCAA Division I-AA playoff participantRankings from The Sports Network poll |
| 1994 Ivy League football standings vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T No. 14 Penn $ 7 –0 –09 –0 –0 Brown 4 –3 –07 –3 –0 Princeton 4 –3 –07 –3 –0 Cornell 3 –4 –06 –4 –0 Columbia 3 –4 –05 –4 –1 Yale 3 –4 –05 –5 –0 Dartmouth 2 –5 –04 –6 –0 Harvard 2 –5 –04 –6 –0 $ – Conference championRankings from The Sports Network poll | 1994 Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference football standings vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T St. John's + 6 –1 –010 –1 –0 Marist + 6 –1 –07 –3 –0 Duquesne 4 –3 –06 –4 –0 Georgetown 4 –3 –05 –4 –0 Iona 3 –4 –03 –6 –0 Siena 3 –4 –03 –6 –0 Canisius 2 –5 –02 –8 –0 Saint Peter's 0 –7 –00 –9 –0 + – Conference co-champions | 1994 Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference football standings vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T No. 22 South Carolina State $ 6 –0 –010 –2 –0 Delaware State 4 –2 –07 –4 –0 North Carolina A&T 3 –3 –06 –5 –0 Bethune–Cookman 3 –3 –05 –6 –0 Florida A&M 2 –4 –06 –5 –0 Morgan State 2 –4 –03 –8 –0 Howard 1 –5 –04 –7 –0 $ – Conference championRankings from The Sports Network poll |
| 1994 Ohio Valley Conference football standings vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T No. 4 Eastern Kentucky $^ 8 –0 –08 –4 –0 No. 16 Middle Tennessee ^ 7 –1 –08 –3 –1 Southeast Missouri State 5 –3 –07 –5 –0 Tennessee State 4 –4 –05 –6 –0 Murray State 4 –4 –05 –6 –0 Tennessee Tech 3 –5 –05 –6 –0 Austin Peay 3 –5 –04 –7 –0 Tennessee–Martin 2 –6 –05 –6 –0 Morehead State 0 –8 –00 –11 –0 $ – Conference champion^ – NCAA Division I-AA playoff participantRankings from The Sports Network poll | 1994 Patriot League football standings vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T Lafayette $ 5 –0 –05 –6 –0 Lehigh 3 –2 –05 –5 –1 Holy Cross 3 –2 –03 –8 –0 Bucknell 2 –3 –05 –6 –0 Colgate 2 –3 –03 –8 –0 Fordham 0 –5 –00 –11 –0 $ – Conference champion | 1994 Pioneer Football League standings vteConfOverall Team W L W L  Dayton +  4 –1  8 –2   Butler +  4 –1  7 –3   Drake  3 –2  7 –3   Valparaiso  2 –3  7 –3   San Diego  2 –3  6 –4   Evansville  0 –5  4 –6   + – Conference co-champions |
| 1994 Southern Conference football standings vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T No. 2 Marshall $^ 7 –1 –012 –2 –0 No. 17 Appalachian State ^ 6 –2 –09 –4 –0 Georgia Southern 5 –3 –06 –5 –0 Western Carolina 5 –3 –06 –5 –0 The Citadel 4 –4 –06 –5 –0 East Tennessee State 4 –4 –06 –5 –0 Furman 2 –6 –03 –8 –0 Chattanooga 2 –6 –03 –8 –0 VMI 1 –7 –01 –10 –0 $ – Conference champion^ – NCAA Division I-AA playoff participantRankings from The Sports Network poll | 1994 Southland Conference football standings vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T No. 18 North Texas $^ 5 –0 –17 –4 –1 No. 5 McNeese State ^ 5 –1 –010 –3 –0 No. 21 Stephen F. Austin 4 –1 –16 –3 –2 Northwestern State 3 –3 –05 –6 –0 Sam Houston State 1 –5 –06 –5 –0 Nicholls State 1 –5 –05 –6 –0 Southwest Texas State 1 –5 –04 –7 –0 $ – Conference champion^ – NCAA Division I-AA playoff participantRankings from The Sports Network poll | 1994 Southwestern Athletic Conference football standings vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T No. 7 Grambling State + 6 –1 –09 –3 –0 No. 15 Alcorn State +^ 6 –1 –08 –3 –1 Southern 5 –2 –06 –5 –0 Jackson State 4 –3 –07 –4 –0 Alabama State 3 –4 –06 –5 –0 Mississippi Valley State 2 –5 –04 –6 –0 Texas Southern 2 –5 –04 –7 –0 Prairie View A&M 0 –7 –00 –11 –0 + – Conference co-champions^ – NCAA Division I-AA playoff participantRankings from The Sports Network poll |
| 1994 Yankee Conference football standings vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T New England Division No. 12 New Hampshire x$^ 8 –0 –010 –2 –0 No. 9 Boston University ^ 6 –2 –09 –3 –0 Connecticut 4 –4 –04 –7 –0 UMass 4 –4 –05 –6 –0 Rhode Island 2 –6 –02 –9 –0 Maine 2 –6 –03 –8 –0 Mid-Atlantic Division No. 13 James Madison x^ 6 –2 –010 –3 –0 No. 19 William & Mary x 6 –2 –08 –3 –0 Delaware 5 –3 –07 –3 –1 Villanova 2 –6 –05 –6 –0 Northeastern 2 –6 –02 –9 –0 Richmond 1 –7 –03 –8 –0 $ – Conference championx – Division champion/co-champions^ – NCAA Division I-AA playoff participantRankings from The Sports Network poll | 1994 NCAA Division I-AA independents football standings vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T No. 1 Youngstown State ^   –  11 –0 –1 No. 23 Hofstra   –  8 –1 –1 Towson   –  8 –2 –0 No. 10 Troy State ^   –  8 –4 –0 Robert Morris   –  7 –1 –1 Monmouth   –  7 –2 –0 Saint Mary's   –  7 –3 –0 UAB   –  7 –4 –0 No. 20 UCF   –  7 –4 –0 Wagner   –  6 –5 –0 Liberty   –  5 –6 –0 Western Kentucky   –  5 –6 –0 Central Connecticut State   –  4 –6 –0 Samford   –  4 –6 –1 Davidson   –  3 –7 –0 Buffalo   –  3 –8 –0 Saint Francis   –  2 –7 –1 Charleston Southern   –  0 –11 –0 ^ – NCAA Division I-AA playoff participantRankings from The Sports Network poll |

## Conference champions

* Conference Champions
* American West Conference – Cal Poly
* Big Sky Conference – Boise State
* Gateway Football Conference – Northern Iowa
* Ivy League – Penn
* Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference – Marist and St. John's
* Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference – South Carolina State
* Ohio Valley Conference – Eastern Kentucky
* Patriot League – Lafayette
* Pioneer Football League – Butler and Dayton
* Southern Conference – Marshall
* Southland Conference – North Texas
* Southwestern Athletic Conference – Alcorn State and Grambling State
* Yankee Conference – New Hampshire

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

Only the top four teams in the bracket were seeded. The site of the title game, Marshall University Stadium, had been determined in March 1994.
| First Round November 26 Campus sites | First Round November 26 Campus sites | Quarterfinals December 3 Campus sites | Quarterfinals December 3 Campus sites | Semifinals December 10 Campus sites | Semifinals December 10 Campus sites | | National Championship Game December 17 Marshall University Stadium Huntington, West Virginia | National Championship Game December 17 Marshall University Stadium Huntington, West Virginia |
| Alcorn State | 20 | | | | | | | |
| (1) Youngstown State* | 63 | | | | | | | |
| (1) Youngstown State* | 63 | (1) Youngstown State* | 18 | | | | | |
| | | Eastern Kentucky | 15 | | | | | |
| Boston University | 23 | Eastern Kentucky | 15 | | | | | |
| Eastern Kentucky* | 30 | | | | | | | |
| Eastern Kentucky* | 30 | | | (1) Youngstown State* | 28 | | | |
| | | | | Montana | 9 | | | |
| Idaho | 21 | | | | | Montana | 9 | | | |
| (4) McNeese State* | 38 | | | | | | | |
| (4) McNeese State* | 38 | (4) McNeese State | 28 | | | | | |
| | | Montana* | 30 | | | | | |
| Northern Iowa | 21 | Montana* | 30 | | | | | |
| Montana* | 23 | | | | | | | |
| Montana* | 23 | | | | | | (1) Youngstown State | 28 |
| | | | | | | | (3) Boise State | 14 |
| Middle Tennessee | 14 | | | | | | | | (3) Boise State | 14 |
| (2) Marshall* | 49 | | | | | | | |
| (2) Marshall* | 49 | (2) Marshall* | 28* | | | | | |
| | | James Madison | 21 | | | | | |
| Troy State | 26 | James Madison | 21 | | | | | |
| James Madison* | 45 | | | | | | | |
| James Madison* | 45 | | | (2) Marshall | 24 | | | |
| | | | | (3) Boise State* | 28 | | | |
| North Texas | 20 | | | | | (3) Boise State* | 28 | | | |
| (3) Boise State* | 24 | | | | | | | |
| (3) Boise State* | 24 | (3) Boise State* | 17 | | | | | |
| | | Appalachian State | 14 | | | | | |
| Appalachian State | 17* | Appalachian State | 14 | | | | | |
| New Hampshire* | 10 | | | | | | | |
* By team name denotes host institution
* By score denotes overtime periods
Source: