# 1985 NAIA Division I football season

The 1985 NAIA Division I football season was the 30th season of college football sponsored by the NAIA, was the 16th season of play of the NAIA's top division for football.
The season was played from August to November 1985 and culminated in the 1985 NAIA Champion Bowl, played this year on December 21, 1985 at Estes Stadium in Conway, Arkansas, on the campus of the University of Central Arkansas, for the second straight year.
Central Arkansas and Hillsdale played to a tie, 10–10, in the Champion Bowl and both teams were named co-national champions. It was Central Arkansas' second NAIA title (and second straight shared title) and Hillsdale's first.

## Conference realignment
### Conference changes

* The Columbia Football League began play this season, with the combined football membership of the former Evergreen (NAIA Division I) and Pacific Northwest (NAIA Division II) conferences. The new league had fourteen members from British Columbia, Oregon, and Washington.

### Membership changes

| Team | 1984 conference | 1985 conference |
| Central Washington | Evergreen | Columbia |
| Eastern Oregon | Evergreen | Columbia |
| Lewis & Clark | Pacific Northwest | Columbia |
| Linfield | Pacific Northwest | Columbia |
| Oregon Tech | Evergreen | Columbia |
| Pacific (OR) | Pacific Northwest | Columbia |
| Pacific Lutheran | Pacific Northwest | Columbia |
| Puget Sound | Evergreen | Columbia |
| Simon Fraser | Evergreen | Columbia |
| Southern Oregon | Evergreen | Columbia |
| Western Oregon | Evergreen | Columbia |
| Western Washington | Evergreen | Columbia |
| Whitworth | Evergreen | Columbia |
| Willamette | Pacific Northwest | Columbia |

## Conference standings

1985 Arkansas Intercollegiate Conference football standings :
| 1985 Arkansas Intercollegiate Conference football standings vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T No. 6 Central Arkansas +^ 6 –1 –010 –2 –1 No. 7 Henderson State +^ 6 –1 –09 –3 –0 No. 10 Arkansas–Monticello 5 –2 –07 –2 –0 No. 17 Ouachita Baptist 5 –2 –07 –3 –0 Southern Arkansas 3 –4 –05 –5 –0 Harding 2 –5 –05 –5 –0 Arkansas Tech 1 –6 –01 –9 –0 Arkansas–Pine Bluff 0 –7 –02 –8 –0 + – Conference co-champions^ – NAIA Division I playoff participantRankings from NAIA Division I poll | 1985 Central States Intercollegiate Conference football standings vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T No. 3 Pittsburg State $^ 6 –1 –08 –2 –0 No. 12 Fort Hays State 5 –2 –07 –2 –1 Missouri Southern 4 –3 –06 –4 –0 Emporia State 3 –4 –06 –4 –0 Wayne State (NE) 3 –4 –04 –6 –0 Kearney State 3 –4 –03 –6 –0 Washburn 2 –5 –04 –6 –0 Missouri Western 2 –5 –03 –7 –0 $ – Conference champion^ – NAIA Division I playoff participantRankings from NAIA Division I poll | 1985 Columbia Football League standings vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T Northern Division No. 3 Pacific Lutheran x^ 6 –0 –010 –1 –1 No. 15 Puget Sound 4 –2 –07 –2 –0 Central Washington 3 –3 –05 –4 –0 Simon Fraser 3 –3 –04 –5 –0 Whitworth 3 –3 –03 –6 –0 Western Washington 1 –4 –12 –6 –1 Eastern Oregon 0 –5 –10 –8 –2 Southern Division No. 5 Linfield x^ 6 –0 –08 –2 –0 No. 8 Western Oregon * 5 –1 –08 –2 –0 Willamette 4 –2 –06 –2 –1 Southern Oregon 2 –3 –02 –6 –1 Oregon Tech 1 –4 –01 –7 –0 Lewis & Clark 1 –5 –03 –6 –0 Pacific (OR) 1 –5 –02 –7 –0 x – Division champion/co-champions * – NAIA Division I playoff participant ^ – NAIA Division II playoff participant Rankings from NAIA Division I poll for Puget Sound and Western Oregon and NAIA Division II poll for Pacific Lutheran and Linfield |
| 1985 Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference football standings vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T No. 2 Hillsdale $^ 5 –1 –011 –1 –1 Saginaw Valley State 4 –1 –14 –5 –1 Ferris State 4 –2 –06 –4 –0 Grand Valley State 4 –2 –00 –6 –5 Northwood 2 –3 –13 –4 –2 Wayne State (MI) 1 –5 –01 –8 –1 Michigan Tech 0 –6 –01 –9 –0 $ – Conference champion^ – NAIA Division I playoff participantRankings from NAIA Division I poll | 1985 Northern Intercollegiate Conference football standings vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T Minnesota Duluth $ 6 –0 –08 –2 –0 No. 9 Moorhead State 5 –1 –08 –2 –0 Bemidji State 3 –3 –07 –3 –0 Southwest State (MN) 3 –3 –06 –4 –0 Minnesota Morris 3 –3 –03 –7 –0 Northern State 1 –5 –03 –6 –1 Winona State 0 –6 –02 –9 –0 $ – Conference championRankings from NAIA Division I poll | 1985 Oklahoma Intercollegiate Conference football standings vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T SW Oklahoma State + 3 –1 –05 –3 –1 East Central + 3 –1 –05 –4 –1 Northeastern State 2 –2 –06 –4 –0 SE Oklahoma State 1 –3 –05 –6 –0 NW Oklahoma State 1 –3 –04 –6 –0 + – Conference co-champions |
| 1985 Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference football standings vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T No. 4 Mesa $^ 7 –0 –09 –2 –0 No. 20 Fort Lewis 5 –2 –06 –3 –0 No. 19 New Mexico Highlands 4 –3 –07 –3 –0 Adams State 4 –3 –04 –5 –0 Southern Utah 2 –4 –13 –5 –0 Western New Mexico 2 –5 –03 –7 –0 Western State (CO) 2 –5 –02 –7 –0 Colorado Mines 1 –5 –12 –5 –1 $ – Conference champion^ – NAIA Division I playoff participantRankings from NAIA Division I poll | 1985 South Atlantic Conference football standings vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T No. 11 Mars Hill $ 6 –1 –08 –3 –0 No. 14 Elon 5 –2 –07 –3 –0 No. 13 Newberry 4 –2 –17 –3 –1 No. 18 Presbyterian 4 –2 –17 –3 –1 Carson–Newman 3 –4 –05 –5 –0 Gardner–Webb 2 –5 –06 –5 –0 Catawba 2 –5 –05 –6 –0 Lenoir–Rhyne 1 –6 –03 –8 –0 $ – Conference championRankings from NAIA Division I poll | 1985 West Virginia Intercollegiate Athletic Conference football standings vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T No. 5 Salem $^ 6 –1 –08 –3 –0 No. 16 Fairmont State 5 –2 –07 –3 –0 Concord 5 –2 –06 –3 –1 Shepherd 5 –2 –05 –5 –0 West Virginia Tech 4 –3 –06 –4 –0 West Liberty State 2 –5 –02 –8 –0 Glenville State 1 –6 –02 –7 –0 West Virginia State 0 –7 –03 –8 –0 $ – Conference champion^ – NAIA Division I playoff participantRankings from NAIA Division I poll |
| 1985 NAIA Division I independents football records vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T No. 1 Central State (OK) ^   –  7 –2 –1 Guilford   –  5 –3 –1 Cameron   –  3 –7 –1 Wofford   –  3 –8 –0 Langston   –  2 –6 –0 West Virginia Wesleyan   –  1 –8 –0 ^ – NAIA Division I playoff participantRankings from NAIA Division I poll |

## Conference champions

| Conference | Champion | Record |
| Arkansas | Central Arkansas Henderson State | 6–1 6–1 |
| Central States | Pittsburg State | 6–1 |
| NIC | Minnesota–Duluth | 6–0 |
| Oklahoma | East Central State Southwestern Oklahoma State | 3–1 |
| RMAC | Mesa | 7–0 |
| South Atlantic | Mars Hill | 6–1 |
| WVIAC | Salem (WV) | 6–1 |

## Postseason

| Quarterfinals December 7, 1985 Campus sites | Quarterfinals December 7, 1985 Campus sites | Quarterfinals December 7, 1985 Campus sites | Semifinals December 14, 1985 Campus sites | Semifinals December 14, 1985 Campus sites | Semifinals December 14, 1985 Campus sites | 1985 Champion Bowl December 21, 1985 Conway, AR | 1985 Champion Bowl December 21, 1985 Conway, AR | 1985 Champion Bowl December 21, 1985 Conway, AR |
| Salem (WV) | Salem (WV) | 15 | | | | | | |
| Hillsdale* | Hillsdale* | 18 | | | | | | |
| Hillsdale* | Hillsdale* | 18 | Hillsdale (OT) | Hillsdale (OT) | 24 | | | |
| | | | Mesa* | Mesa* | 21 | | | |
| Western Oregon | Western Oregon | 32 | Mesa* | Mesa* | 21 | | | |
| Mesa* | Mesa* | 39 | | | | | | |
| Mesa* | Mesa* | 39 | | | | Hillsdale | Hillsdale | 10 |
| | | | | | | Central Arkansas'* | Central Arkansas'* | 10 |
| Central State (OK) | Central State (OK) | 15 | | | | | | | Central Arkansas'* | Central Arkansas'* | 10 |
| Henderson State* | Henderson State* | 18 | | | | | | |
| Henderson State* | Henderson State* | 18 | Henderson State | Henderson State | 9 | | | |
| | | | Central Arkansas* | Central Arkansas* | 21 | | | |
| Central Arkansas | Central Arkansas | 32 | Central Arkansas* | Central Arkansas* | 21 | | | |
| Pittsburg State* | Pittsburg State* | 22 | | | | | | |