# 1995 NCAA Division I-AA football season

The 1995 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 1995, and concluded with the 1995 NCAA Division I-AA Football Championship Game on December 16, 1995, at Marshall University Stadium in Huntington, West Virginia. The Montana Grizzlies won their first I-AA championship, defeating the Marshall Thundering Herd by a score of 22−20.

## Conference changes and new programs

One team upgraded to Division I-A and two new programs upgraded from Division II.
| School | 1994 Conference | 1995 Conference |
| Hampton | CIAA (II) | MEAC (I-AA) |
| North Texas | Southland (I-AA) | I-A Independent |
| Wofford | D-II Independent | I-AA Independent |

## Conference standings

1995 American West Conference football standings :
| 1995 American West Conference football standings vteConf.Overall TeamW L TW L T Sacramento State $ 3 –0 –04 –6 –1 Cal Poly 2 –1 –05 –6 –0 Cal State Northridge 1 –2 –02 –8 –0 Southern Utah 0 –3 –02 –9 –0 $ – Conference champion | 1995 Big Sky Conference football standings vteConf.Overall TeamW L TW L T No. 8 Montana $^ 6 –1 –013 –2 –0 No. 21 Boise State 4 –3 –07 –4 –0 No. 22 Northern Arizona 4 –3 –07 –4 –0 No. 17 Idaho ^ 4 –3 –06 –5 –0 Weber State 4 –3 –06 –5 –0 Idaho State 3 –4 –06 –5 –0 Montana State 2 –5 –05 –6 –0 Eastern Washington 1 –6 –03 –8 –0 $ – Conference champion^ – NCAA Division I-AA playoff participantRankings from The Sports Network poll | 1995 Gateway Football Conference standings vteConf.Overall TeamW L TW L T No. 12 Eastern Illinois +^ 5 –1 –010 –2 –0 No. 18 Northern Iowa +^ 5 –1 –08 –5 –0 No. 24 Indiana State 3 –3 –07 –4 –0 Illinois State 3 –3 –05 –6 –0 Southern Illinois 2 –4 –05 –6 –0 Western Illinois 2 –4 –04 –7 –0 Southwest Missouri State 1 –5 –04 –7 –0 $ – Conference champion^ – NCAA Division I-AA playoff participantRankings from The Sports Network poll |
| 1995 Ivy League football standings vteConf.Overall TeamW L TW L T Princeton $ 5 –1 –18 –1 –1 Penn 5 –2 –07 –3 –0 Cornell 5 –2 –06 –4 –0 Dartmouth 4 –2 –17 –2 –1 Columbia 3 –4 –03 –6 –1 Brown 2 –5 –05 –5 –0 Yale 2 –5 –03 –7 –0 Harvard 1 –6 –02 –8 –0 $ – Conference champion | 1995 Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference football standings vteConf.Overall Team W L W L  Duquesne $ 7 –0 –010 –1 –0 Georgetown 5 –2 –06 –3 –0 Marist 4 –3 –06 –4 –0 Canisius 4 –3 –04 –6 –0 St. John's 3 –4 –04 –6 –0 Iona 3 –4 –03 –6 –0 Saint Peter's 2 –5 –02 –7 –0 Siena 0 –7 –00 –9 –0 $ – Conference champion | 1995 Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference football standings vteConf.Overall TeamW L TW L T No. 16 Florida A&M $ 6 –0 –09 –3 –0 Delaware State 5 –1 –06 –5 –0 South Carolina State 4 –2 –06 –4 –0 Howard 2 –4 –06 –5 –0 North Carolina A&T 2 –4 –04 –7 –0 Bethune–Cookman 2 –4 –03 –8 –0 Morgan State 0 –6 –01 –10 –0 $ – Conference championRankings from The Sports Network poll |
| 1995 Ohio Valley Conference football standings vteConf.Overall TeamW L TW L T No. 4 Murray State $^ 8 –0 –011 –1 –0 No. 10 Eastern Kentucky ^ 7 –1 –09 –3 –0 No. 25 Middle Tennessee 6 –2 –07 –4 –0 Southeast Missouri State 5 –3 –05 –6 –0 Tennessee–Martin 4 –4 –05 –6 –0 Austin Peay 2 –6 –03 –8 –0 Tennessee Tech 2 –6 –03 –8 –0 Morehead State 1 –7 –02 –8 –0 Tennessee State 1 –7 –02 –9 –0 $ – Conference champion^ – NCAA Division I-AA playoff participantRankings from The Sports Network poll | 1995 Patriot League football standings vteConf.Overall TeamW L TW L T Lehigh $ 5 –0 –08 –3 –0 Bucknell 4 –1 –07 –4 –0 Lafayette 3 –2 –04 –6 –1 Fordham 2 –3 –04 –6 –1 Holy Cross 1 –4 –02 –9 –0 Colgate 0 –5 –00 –11 –0 $ – Conference champion | 1995 Pioneer Football League standings vteConf.Overall TeamW L TW L T Drake $ 5 –0 –08 –1 –1 Dayton 4 –1 –09 –2 –0 San Diego 3 –2 –05 –5 –0 Evansville 1 –4 –05 –5 –0 Valparaiso 1 –4 –05 –5 –0 Butler 1 –4 –02 –8 –0 $ – Conference champion |
| 1995 Southern Conference football standings vteConf.Overall TeamW L TW L T No. 2 Appalachian State $^ 8 –0 –012 –1 –0 No. 6 Marshall ^ 7 –1 –012 –3 –0 No. 15 Georgia Southern ^ 5 –3 –09 –4 –0 Furman 5 –3 –06 –5 –0 East Tennessee State 4 –4 –04 –7 –0 VMI 3 –5 –04 –7 –0 Chattanooga 2 –6 –04 –7 –0 Western Carolina 2 –6 –03 –7 –0 The Citadel 0 –8 –02 –9 –0 $ – Conference champion^ – NCAA Division I-AA playoff participantRankings from The Sports Network poll | 1995 Southland Conference football standings vteConf.Overall TeamW L TW L T No. 1 McNeese State $^ 5 –0 –013 –1 –0 No. 5 Stephen F. Austin ^ 4 –1 –011 –2 –0 Northwestern State 2 –3 –06 –5 –0 Sam Houston State 2 –3 –05 –5 –0 Southwest Texas State 2 –3 –04 –7 –0 Nicholls State 0 –5 –00 –11 –0 $ – Conference champion^ – NCAA Division I-AA playoff participantRankings from The Sports Network poll | 1995 Southwestern Athletic Conference football standings vteConf.Overall Team W L W L  No. 14 Jackson State $^  7 –0  9 –3   No. 11 Southern  6 –1  11 –1   Alabama State  5 –2  8 –3   Grambling State  4 –3  5 –6   Alcorn State  3 –4  4 –7   Mississippi Valley State  2 –5  2 –9   Texas Southern  1 –6  2 –8   Prairie View A&M  0 –7  0 –11   $ – Conference champion^ – NCAA Division I-AA playoff participantRankings from The Sports Network Poll |
| 1995 Yankee Conference football standings vteConf.Overall TeamW L TW L T New England Division Rhode Island x 6 –2 –07 –4 –0 No. 23 Connecticut 5 –3 –08 –3 –0 New Hampshire 4 –4 –06 –5 –0 UMass 3 –5 –06 –5 –0 Boston University 1 –7 –03 –8 –0 Maine 1 –7 –03 –8 –0 Mid-Atlantic Division No. 7 Delaware x$^ 8 –0 –011 –2 –0 No. 13 James Madison ^ 6 –2 –08 –4 –0 No. 19 William & Mary 5 –3 –07 –4 –0 No. 20 Richmond 5 –3 –07 –3 –1 Northeastern 2 –6 –04 –7 –0 Villanova 2 –6 –03 –8 –0 $ – Conference championx – Division champion/co-champions^ – NCAA Division I-AA playoff participantRankings from The Sports Network poll | 1995 NCAA Division I-AA independents football standings vteConf.Overall TeamW L TW L T No. 3 Troy State ^   –  11 –1 –0 No. 9 Hofstra ^   –  10 –1 –0 Saint Mary's   –  8 –2 –0 Wagner   –  8 –2 –0 Hampton   –  8 –3 –0 Liberty   –  8 –3 –0 Monmouth   –  7 –3 –0 Samford   –  7 –4 –0 Robert Morris   –  6 –4 –0 Towson State   –  6 –4 –0 UCF   –  6 –5 –0 UAB   –  5 –6 –0 Wofford   –  4 –7 –0 Buffalo   –  3 –8 –0 Youngstown State   –  3 –8 –0 Central Connecticut State   –  2 –8 –0 Western Kentucky   –  2 –8 –0 Davidson   –  1 –8 –1 Charleston Southern   –  1 –10 –0 Saint Francis   –  0 –10 –0 ^ – NCAA Division I-AA playoff participantRankings from The Sports Network poll |

## Conference champions

* Conference Champions
* American West Conference – Sacramento State
* Big Sky Conference – Montana
* Gateway Football Conference – Eastern Illinois and Northern Iowa
* Ivy League – Princeton
* Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference – Duquesne
* Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference – Florida A&M
* Ohio Valley Conference – Murray State
* Patriot League – Lehigh
* Pioneer Football League – Drake
* Southern Conference – Appalachian State
* Southland Conference – McNeese State
* Southwestern Athletic Conference – Jackson State
* Yankee Conference – Delaware

## Postseason

The site of the title game, Marshall University Stadium, had been determined in March 1994.

### NCAA Division I-AA playoff bracket

| First Round November 25 Campus sites | First Round November 25 Campus sites | First Round November 25 Campus sites | Quarterfinals December 2 Campus sites | Quarterfinals December 2 Campus sites | Quarterfinals December 2 Campus sites | Semifinals December 9 Campus sites | Semifinals December 9 Campus sites | Semifinals December 9 Campus sites | | National Championship Game December 16 Marshall University Stadium Huntington, West Virginia | National Championship Game December 16 Marshall University Stadium Huntington, West Virginia | National Championship Game December 16 Marshall University Stadium Huntington, West Virginia |
| 15 | Idaho | 3 | | | | | | | | | | |
| 1 | McNeese State* | 33 | | | | | | | | | | |
| 1 | McNeese State* | 33 | 1 | McNeese State* | 52 | | | | | | | |
| | | | 8 | Delaware | 18 | | | | | | | |
| 11 | Hofstra | 17 | 8 | Delaware | 18 | | | | | | | |
| 8 | Delaware* | 33 | | | | | | | | | | |
| 8 | Delaware* | 33 | | | | 1 | McNeese State* | 13 | | | | |
| | | | | | | 5 | Marshall | 25 | | | | |
| 16 | Northern Iowa | 35 | | | | | | | 5 | Marshall | 25 | | | | |
| 4 | Murray State* | 34 | | | | | | | | | | |
| 4 | Murray State* | 34 | 16 | Northern Iowa | 24 | | | | | | | |
| | | | 5 | Marshall* | 41 | | | | | | | |
| 12 | Jackson State | 8 | 5 | Marshall* | 41 | | | | | | | |
| 5 | Marshall* | 38 | | | | | | | | | | |
| 5 | Marshall* | 38 | | | | | | | | 5 | Marshall | 20 |
| | | | | | | | | | | 6 | Montana | 22 |
| 13 | James Madison | 24 | | | | | | | | | | | 6 | Montana | 22 |
| 2 | Appalachian State* | 31 | | | | | | | | | | |
| 2 | Appalachian State* | 31 | 2 | Appalachian State* | 17 | | | | | | | |
| | | | 7 | Stephen F. Austin | 27 | | | | | | | |
| 9 | Eastern Illinois | 29 | 7 | Stephen F. Austin | 27 | | | | | | | |
| 7 | Stephen F. Austin* | 34 | | | | | | | | | | |
| 7 | Stephen F. Austin* | 34 | | | | 7 | Stephen F. Austin | 14 | | | | |
| | | | | | | 6 | Montana* | 70 | | | | |
| 14 | Georgia Southern | 24 | | | | | | | 6 | Montana* | 70 | | | | |
| 3 | Troy State* | 21 | | | | | | | | | | |
| 3 | Troy State* | 21 | 14 | Georgia Southern | 0 | | | | | | | |
| | | | 6 | Montana* | 45 | | | | | | | |
| 10 | Eastern Kentucky | 0 | 6 | Montana* | 45 | | | | | | | |
| 6 | Montana* | 48 | | | | | | | | | | |
* Denotes host institution
Source: