# 1986 NCAA Division II football season

The 1986 NCAA Division II football season, part of college football in the United States organized by the National Collegiate Athletic Association at the Division II level, began in August 1986, and concluded with the NCAA Division II Football Championship on December 13, 1986, at Braly Municipal Stadium in Florence, Alabama, hosted by the University of North Alabama. The championship would remain hosted in Florence for the next twenty-eight seasons through 2013 before moving to Sporting Park in Kansas City, Kansas. The North Dakota State Bison defeated the South Dakota Coyotes, 27–7, to win their third Division II national title.
The first Harlon Hill Trophy, given to the best player in Division II, was awarded to Jeff Bentrim, quarterback for North Dakota State.

## Conference changes and new programs

Indiana Central University changed its name to the University of Indianapolis.
| School | 1985 Conference | 1986 Conference |
| Southern Utah | RMAC | Western |

## Conference standings

1986 Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association football standings :
| 1986 Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association football standings vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T Northern No. 5 Virginia Union xy$^ 7 –0 –011 –1 –0 Virginia State 5 –2 –06 –4 –0 Elizabeth City State 3 –3 –14 –5 –1 Norfolk State 3 –4 –04 –6 –0 Hampton 2 –4 –13 –6 –1 Saint Paul's (VA) 0 –7 –01 –8 –1 Southern Winston-Salem State xy 7 –0 –07 –4 –0 North Carolina Central 6 –1 –06 –4 –0 Johnson C. Smith 4 –3 –05 –5 –0 Livingstone 2 –4 –13 –5 –2 Fayetteville State 1 –5 –12 –7 –1 Bowie State 0 –7 –00 –9 –0 Championship: Virginia Union 14, Winston-Salem State 7 $ – Conference championx – Division champion/co-championsy – Championship game participant^ – NCAA Division II playoff participantRankings from NCAA Division II Football Committee poll | 1986 Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference football standings vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T No. 3 Hillsdale $^ 5 –0 –010 –2 –0 No. 17 Grand Valley State 4 –1 –09 –2 –0 Saginaw Valley State 3 –2 –05 –4 –0 Ferris State 2 –3 –05 –5 –0 Northwood 1 –4 –01 –8 –0 Wayne State (MI) 0 –5 –03 –7 –0 $ – Conference champion^ – NAIA Division I playoff participantRankings from NAIA Division I poll for Hillsdale and NCAA Division II Football Committee poll for Grand Valley State | 1986 Gulf South Conference football standings vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T No. 3 Troy State $^ 8 –0 –010 –2 –0 No. 13 Valdosta State 7 –1 –09 –2 –0 Mississippi College 5 –3 –07 –4 –0 Delta State 4 –3 –16 –4 –1 Jacksonville State 4 –3 –15 –4 –1 West Georgia 2 –6 –04 –7 –0 Livingston 2 –6 –03 –8 –0 Tennessee–Martin 2 –6 –03 –8 –0 North Alabama 1 –7 –04 –7 –0 $ – Conference champion^ – NCAA Division II playoff participantRankings from NCAA Division II Football Committee poll |
| 1986 Heartland Collegiate Conference standings vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T Ashland $^ 6 –0 –09 –2 –0 Indianapolis 5 –1 –07 –2 –0 Butler 3 –3 –05 –5 –0 Valparaiso 3 –3 –03 –7 –0 Saint Joseph's (IN) 2 –4 –06 –4 –0 Franklin (IN) 2 –4 –03 –7 –0 Evansville 0 –6 –02 –8 –0 $ – Conference champion^ – NCAA Division II playoff participant | 1986 Lone Star Conference football standings vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T West Texas State $ 6 –0 –07 –4 –0 No. 8 Texas A&I 4 –2 –09 –2 –0 No. T–10 Abilene Christian 4 –2 –07 –3 –0 Eastern New Mexico 3 –3 –08 –3 –0 Angelo State 3 –3 –06 –5 –0 East Texas State 1 –5 –02 –9 –0 Howard Payne 0 –6 –00 –10 –0 $ – Conference championRankings from NCAA Division II Football Committee poll | 1986 Missouri Intercollegiate Athletic Association football standings vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T Central Missouri State $ 5 –0 –08 –3 –0 SE Missouri State 4 –1 –06 –5 –0 NE Missouri State 3 –2 –05 –5 –0 Missouri–Rolla 2 –3 –05 –6 –0 NW Missouri State 1 –4 –02 –9 –0 Lincoln (MO) 0 –5 –01 –10 –0 $ – Conference champion |
| 1986 North Central Conference football standings vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T No. 1 North Dakota State $^ 9 –0 –013 –0 –0 No. 6 South Dakota ^ 8 –1 –011 –3 –0 Mankato State 6 –3 –06 –4 –1 South Dakota State 5 –4 –06 –5 –0 Nebraska–Omaha 4 –5 –05 –6 –0 St. Cloud State 4 –5 –04 –7 –0 Augustana (SD) 3 –6 –05 –6 –0 Northern Colorado 3 –6 –03 –8 –0 North Dakota 2 –7 –02 –9 –0 Morningside 1 –8 –01 –10 –0 $ – Conference champion^ – NCAA Division II playoff participantRankings from NCAA Division II Football Committee poll | 1986 Northern California Athletic Conference football standings vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T No. 2 UC Davis $^ 5 –0 –010 –1 –0 Chico State 4 –1 –07 –3 –0 Cal State Hayward 3 –2 –07 –3 –0 Sonoma State 2 –3 –04 –6 –0 San Francisco State 1 –4 –02 –9 –0 Humboldt State 0 –5 –02 –9 –0 $ – Conference champion^ – NCAA Division II playoff participantRankings from NCAA Division II Football Committee poll | 1986 Northern Intercollegiate Conference football standings vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T No. 11 Minnesota Morris $ 5 –0 –17 –1 –2 No. 17 Northern State 5 –1 –09 –2 –0 Bemidji State 3 –2 –16 –4 –1 Winona State 2 –3 –13 –7 –1 Moorhead State 2 –4 –06 –5 –0 Southwest State (MN) 2 –4 –04 –6 –0 Minnesota Duluth 0 –6 –00 –11 –0 $ – Conference championMinnesota Duluth forfeited 8 wins and 2 ties including 4 conference wins—over Northern State, Winona State; Moorhead State, and Southwest State—and 2 conference ties—with Minnesota Morris and Bemidji State.Rankings from NAIA Division I poll |
| 1986 Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference football standings vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T East Division No. T–10 West Chester xy 6 –0 –08 –3 –0 No. 16 Millersville 5 –1 –09 –1 –0 Bloomsburg 3 –2 –17 –2 –1 Kutztown 3 –2 –15 –4 –1 Mansfield 1 –5 –03 –7 –0 Cheyney 1 –5 –02 –8 –0 East Stroudsburg 1 –5 –01 –9 –0 West Division No. 14 IUP xy$ 6 –0 –09 –2 –0 Edinboro 5 –1 –07 –3 –0 California (PA) 3 –3 –06 –4 –0 Slippery Rock 3 –3 –03 –7 –0 Clarion 2 –4 –05 –5 –0 Shippensburg 2 –4 –03 –7 –0 Lock Haven 0 –6 –01 –9 –0 Championship: IUP 20, West Chester 6 $ – Conference championx – Division champion/co-championsy – Championship game participantRankings from NCAA Division II Football Committee poll | 1986 Western Football Conference standings vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T Sacramento State $ 5 –1 –06 –4 –1 No. 9 Cal State Northridge 4 –2 –08 –3 –0 Portland State 4 –2 –06 –5 –0 Southern Utah State 3 –3 –08 –3 –0 Cal Poly 3 –3 –05 –5 –0 Santa Clara 2 –4 –04 –7 –0 Cal Lutheran 0 –6 –03 –8 –0 $ – Conference championRankings from NCAA Division II Football Committee poll | 1986 NCAA Division II independents football records vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T No. 4 Central State (OH) ^   –  10 –1 –1 No. T–18 New Haven   –  8 –2 –0 No. 7 Towson State ^   –  8 –3 –1 Southern Connecticut State   –  7 –3 –0 American International   –  6 –4 –0 UCF   –  6 –5 –0 Northern Michigan   –  5 –5 –0 Saint Mary's   –  5 –5 –0 Springfield   –  4 –5 –0 Michigan Tech   –  3 –6 –0 Kentucky State   –  1 –9 –0 Liberty   –  1 –9 –0 Central Connecticut   –  0 –10 –0 ^ – NCAA Division II playoff participantRankings from NCAA Division II Football Committee poll |

## Conference summaries

* Conference Champions
* Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association – Virginia Union
* Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference – Hillsdale
* Gulf South Conference – Troy State
* Heartland Collegiate Conference – Ashland
* Lone Star Conference – West Texas State
* Missouri Intercollegiate Athletic Association – Central Missouri State
* North Central Conference – North Dakota State
* Northern California Athletic Conference – UC Davis
* Northern Intercollegiate Conference – Minnesota–Morris
* Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference – Indiana (PA)
* Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference – Colorado Mesa
* South Atlantic Conference – Carson-Newman
* Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference – Albany State
* Western Football Conference - Sacramento State

## Postseason

The 1986 NCAA Division II Football Championship playoffs were the 14th single-elimination tournament to determine the national champion of men's NCAA Division II college football. The championship game was held at Braly Municipal Stadium in Florence, Alabama, for the first time.

### Playoff bracket

| First round Campus sites | First round Campus sites | First round Campus sites | Semifinals Campus sites | Semifinals Campus sites | Semifinals Campus sites | Championship Braly Municipal Stadium Florence, AL | Championship Braly Municipal Stadium Florence, AL | Championship Braly Municipal Stadium Florence, AL |
| North Dakota State | North Dakota State | 50 | | | | | | |
| Ashland | Ashland | 0 | | | | | | |
| Ashland | Ashland | 0 | North Dakota State | North Dakota State | 35 | | | |
| | | | Central State (OH) | Central State (OH) | 12 | | | |
| Central State (OH) | Central State (OH) | 31 | Central State (OH) | Central State (OH) | 12 | | | |
| Towson State | Towson State | 0 | | | | | | |
| Towson State | Towson State | 0 | | | | North Dakota State | North Dakota State | 27 |
| | | | | | | South Dakota | South Dakota | 7 |
| Troy State | Troy State | 31 | | | | | | | South Dakota | South Dakota | 7 |
| Virginia Union | Virginia Union | 7 | | | | | | |
| Virginia Union | Virginia Union | 7 | Troy State | Troy State | 28 | | | |
| | | | South Dakota | South Dakota | 42 | | | |
| South Dakota | South Dakota | 26 | South Dakota | South Dakota | 42 | | | |
| UC Davis | UC Davis | 23 | | | | | | |