# 1986 NCAA Division II football rankings

The 1986 NCAA Division II football rankings are from the NCAA Division II football committee. This is for the 1986 season.

## Legend

| | Increase in ranking |
| | Decrease in ranking |
| | Not ranked previous week |
| (#–#) | Win–loss record |
| (Italics) | Number of first place votes |
| т | Tied with team above or below also with this symbol |

## NCAA Division II Football Committee poll

| | Week 1 Sept 17 | Week 2 Sept 24 | Week 3 Oct 1 | Week 4 Oct 8 | Week 5 Oct 15 | Week 6 Oct 22 | Week 7 Oct 29 | Week 8 Nov 5 | Week 9 Nov 12 | Week 10 Nov 19 | |
| 1. | North Dakota State (1–0) (3) | North Dakota State (2–0) (4) | North Dakota State (3–0) (4) | North Dakota State (4–0) (4) | North Dakota State (5–0) (4) | North Dakota State (6–0) | North Dakota State (7–0) (4) | North Dakota State (8–0) (4) | North Dakota State (9–0) (4) | North Dakota State (10–0) (4) | 1. |
| 2. | Texas A&I (2–0) (1) | Texas A&I (3–0) | Texas A&I (3–0) | Texas A&I (4–0) | Texas A&I (5–0) | Texas A&I (6–0) | Texas A&I (6–0) | UC Davis (7–0) | UC Davis (8–0) | UC Davis (9–0) | 2. |
| 3. | Towson State (2–0) | Towson State (2–0) | Towson State (3–0) | UC Davis (3–0) | UC Davis (4–0) | UC Davis (5–0) | UC Davis (7–0) | Central State (OH) (8–0) | Troy State (8–1) | Troy State (9–1) | 3. |
| 4. | UC Davis (0–0) | UC Davis (1–0) | UC Davis (2–0) | Towson State (4–0) | Towson State (5–0) | Towson State (6–0) | Central State (OH) (6–1) | Troy State (7–1) | Central State (OH) (8–0–1) | Central State (OH) (9–0–1) | 4. |
| 5. | Mississippi College (1–1) | Mississippi College (2–1) | Central State (OH) (3–0) т | Central State (OH) (4–0) | Central State (OH) (5–0) | Central State (OH) (6–0) | Troy State (6–1) | Texas A&I (7–1) т | Virginia Union (9–0) | Virginia Union (10–0) | 5. |
| 6. | Central State (OH) (1–0) | Central State (OH) (2–0) | Mississippi College (3–1) т | Mississippi College (4–1) | Mississippi College (5–1) | Troy State (5–1) | Towson State (8–0) | Virginia Union (9–0) т | Millersville (9–0) | South Dakota (9–2) | 6. |
| 7. | Grand Valley State (1–0) | Albany State (2–0) т | Albany State (3–0) | Albany State (4–0) | Albany State (5–0) | Minnesota–Duluth (6–0–1) | Virginia Union (6–1) т | West Chester (7–1) | Abilene Christian (7–1) | Towson State (8–2) | 7. |
| 8. | Albany State (1–0) | Grand Valley State (2–0) т | Grand Valley State (3–0) | Grand Valley State (5–0) | Grand Valley State (5–0) | West Chester (5–1) | West Chester (7–0) т | Millersville (8–0) т | South Dakota (8–2) | Texas A&I (8–2) | 8. |
| 9. | Bloomsburg (1–0) | Bloomsburg (2–0) | New Haven (3–0) | New Haven (4–0) | New Haven (5–0) | Virginia Union (7–0) | Millersville (6–1) | Cal State Northridge (7–1) т | IUP (8–1) | Cal State Northridge (8–2) | 9. |
| 10. | Santa Clara (1–0) | Norfolk State (3–0) | Troy State (2–1) | Minnesota–Duluth (5–0) | Troy State (4–1) | Millersville (6–0) | Cal State Northridge (7–1) | Abilene Christian (6–1) т | Ashland (9–1) | Abilene Christian (7–2) т | 10. |
| 11. | Clarion (1–0) | New Haven (2–0) т | Minnesota–Duluth (4–0) | Troy State (3–1) | Minnesota–Duluth (5–0–1) | Grand Valley State (6–1) | Ashland (5–1) | Ashland (8–1) т | Texas A&I (7–2) | West Chester (8–2) т | 11. |
| 12. | Norfolk State (2–0) | Troy State (1–0) т | Cal State Northridge (3–0) | West Chester (3–1) | West Chester (4–1) | Cal State Northridge (5–1) | Abilene Christian (6–1) | IUP (7–1) т | Albany State (8–1) | Ashland (9–1) | 12. |
| 13. | Troy State (1–1) | Minnesota–Duluth (3–0) | North Alabama (2–1) | Eastern New Mexico (5–0) | Millersville (5–0) | Ashland (6–1) | IUP (6–2) т | South Dakota (7–2) т | Towson State (7–2) | Valdosta State (8–2) | 13. |
| 14. | Ashland (2–0) | Northeast Missouri State (2–1) | Eastern New Mexico (4–0) | Millersville (4–0) | Ashland (5–1) | Abilene Christian (4–1) | South Dakota (6–1) т | Albany State (7–1) | West Chester (7–2) | IUP (8–2) | 14. |
| 15. | New Haven (1–0) т | Cal State Northridge (2–0) | West Chester (2–1) | Southern Utah State (5–1) | Abilene Christian (4–1) | IUP (5–1) т | Albany State (6–2) | Mississippi College (7–2) | Cal State Northridge (7–2) | Fort Valley State (7–2) | 15. |
| 16. | Minnesota–Duluth (2–0) т | North Alabama (2–1) | Millersville (3–0) | Valdosta State (3–1) | Cal State Northridge (4–1) | South Dakota (5–2) т | Mississippi College (6–2) | Towson State (6–2) | Valdosta State (7–2) | Millersville (9–1) | 16. |
| 17. | Abilene Christian (2–0) | Millersville (2–0) | Virginia Union (4–0) | Ashland (4–1) | Fort Valley State (4–1) | Delta State (4–1–1) | Minnesota–Duluth (6–0–2) | Valdosta State (6–2) | Eastern New Mexico (8–2) | Grand Valley State (9–2) | 17. |
| 18. | UCF (2–0) | South Dakota (2–1) т | Ashland (3–1) | Virginia Union (5–0) | Virginia Union (6–0) | Albany State (5–1) | Central Missouri State (7–2) | Central Missouri State (8–2) | Fort Valley State (7–2) | Albany State (8–2) т | 18. |
| 19. | Cal State Hayward (1–0) т | Virginia Union (3–0) т | Southern Utah State (4–1) | Cal State Northridge (3–1) | UCF (4–2) | Mississippi College (5–2) | Valdosta State (5–2) | Sacramento State (5–2–1) | Cal State Hayward (6–2) | Minnesota–Duluth (7–1–2) т | 19. |
| 20. | Valdosta State (1–0) т | Ferris State (2–1) | Valdosta State (2–1) | Abilene Christian (3–1) т | IUP (4–1) | Cal State Hayward (5–1) | New Haven (6–1) | New Haven (7–1) | Grand Valley State (8–2) | New Haven (8–2) т | 20. |
| 21. | | | | Fort Valley State (3–1) т | | | | | | | 21. |
| | Week 1 Sept 17 | Week 2 Sept 24 | Week 3 Oct 1 | Week 4 Oct 8 | Week 5 Oct 15 | Week 6 Oct 22 | Week 7 Oct 29 | Week 8 Nov 5 | Week 9 Nov 12 | Week 10 Nov 19 | |
| | | Dropped: 10 Santa Clara11 Clarion14 Ashland17 Abilene Christian18 UCF19 Cal State Hayward20 Valdosta State | Dropped: 9 Bloomsburg10 Norfolk State14 Northeast Missouri State18 South Dakota20 Ferris State | Dropped: 13 North Alabama | Dropped: 13 Eastern New Mexico15 Southern Utah State16 Valdosta State | Dropped: 9 New Haven17 Fort Valley State19 UCF | Dropped: 11 Grand Valley State17 Delta State20 Cal State Hayward | Dropped: 17 Minnesota–Duluth | Dropped: 15 Mississippi College18 Central Missouri State19 Sacramento State20 New Haven | Dropped: 17 Eastern New Mexico19 Cal State Hayward | |